Statement

Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) welcomes the draft budget for public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) for 2025 as a step in the right direction and appreciates the efforts of ministers Bek and Ženíšek to increase the support of education, science and research at HEIs in the Czech Republic.

However, CRC points out that the proposed budget increase is still insufficient.

The long-term underfunding of HEIs, which in educational activity reaches 10 to 11 billion CZK in total, threatens not only the quality of education and research, but also the international competitiveness of the Czech Republic. The quality of educational, scientific and artistic activity as well as the ability to reflect demographic changes in the Czech Republic associated with the increase in the number of high school graduates directly affect the prosperity of our society and its ability to face current global challenges.

Investments in education, research, development and innovation are key to the development of a knowledge-based economy, i.e. an economy with higher added value. CRC therefore appeals to the Government of the Czech Republic to consider a further increase in the funds for public HEIs, including when preparing a medium-term outlook, that will ensure their stable and predictable funding and thereby will enable their effective strategic management.

Prague, 5 September 2024