Resolution

Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) Plenum adopted at its 147th Meeting the following resolution:

1. CRC welcomes the increase in funds for higher education institutions functioning for 2019 in the state budget proposal as well as further increases in the medium-term state budget plan
2. CRC is deeply concerned about the situation of Methodology 2017+ for research, development and innovation evaluation. CRC notes that research evaluation carried out by the Office of the Government (Modules 1 and 2) cannot be accepted. Module 1 has not provided valid results yet and Module 2 also shows significant flaws. CRC asks the Research, Development and Innovation Council to initiate negotiations with higher education institutions representatives in case of any evaluation rules modifications. CRC insists on Module 1 and Module 2 implementation as proposed by CRC. The draft of Methodology 2017+ completion submitted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Modules 3 to 5) is welcomed by CRC, but still, it needs to be finished after discussion with representatives of CRC and Higher Education Institutions Council.
3. CRC recommends to the Research, Development and Innovation Council to discuss the RD&I support programmes in preparation beforehand with the participation of all relevant subjects – higher education institutions, the Czech Academy of Sciences as well as research and industrial sphere.
4. CRC supports the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports intention to be the governing body for research and education in the next programmatic period.
5. CRC appeals to the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education to unify evaluation methodology across the whole segment of higher education institutions and to comply with the legal deadlines for handling accreditation applications.
6. CRC approved the Joint Statement of the Czech Rectors Conference and the Slovak Rectors Conference on the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic.
7. Two private higher education institutions rectors (the University of New York in Prague and the University of Social and Administrative Affairs) did not obtain in CRC Plenum secret vote a sufficient number of votes for their possible membership in CRC, which they had asked for.

Olomouc, 5 October 2018