AMU FOR UKRAINE - current information 18. 3. 22

Dear Colleagues, Dear Students,

The past month has been marked by the war in Ukraine; situation develops rather rapidly and decisions need to be adopted quickly. As a result, you may have the feeling that you are not getting the full information about how AMU helps Ukrainian colleagues arriving to Prague (we have had to give priority to addressing issues related to the arrival of students and academics from Ukraine).

First and foremost, we wish to thank everyone who took part, helping with the organisation and all the agenda related to the above, offering help in any form, and contributing to AMU’s transparent account, thanks to which we can offer the arriving persons funds for basic needs and ensure that they can stay with us in a dignified manner. Huge thanks to our students and one graduate involved in the Students for Ukraine initiative who have done and continue doing a lot of good work.

Now, for the facts:
With effect from 4 March, some of our colleagues from Ukraine have been accommodated in our centre in Beroun (its capacity is about 20 persons).

A group of some 40 (mostly) acting and dancing students and teachers from several Ukrainian universities stayed in Poněšice for one week from 8 March. They are back in Prague now. We want to extend our thanks to all who have provided accommodation for them.

AMU has announced a special grant programme, under which it can support stays for 15 Ukrainian students for the time being. Once the programme was announced, some 70 applicants contacted us (the number keeps on growing); 15 of those have already been selected following consultations with the Faculties (five for each Faculty) and are now either in Prague or on their way to the Czech Republic. All we can do now is hope that we will be able to increase their number thanks to the Ministry of Education programme in support of Ukrainian students and the funds from the transparent account. We are still collecting applications from Ukrainian students. We wish to ask any teachers who are able to offer their teaching capacity to contact the Rectorate’s International Section. We are monitoring grant calls from the City of Prague and the Ministry of Education intended to support students and preparing applications for grants under such calls.

We are preparing a one-month intensive Czech course for all students from Ukraine (many thanks to the AMU Language Centre), and the Departments are preparing various programmes based on the fields of study. We highly appreciate the involvement of all three Faculties and their Departments; for example, the Dance Department is preparing a programme for some 27 students and DAMU’s acting Departments are preparing a programme for acting students both directly at DAMU and in cooperating institutions.

We have also issued Ukrainian students with AMU internship cards, so that they can move about the school premises, and we will try to provide them with free or discounted entrance to cultural institutions based on the cards (again, we thank the Students for Ukraine initiative for this idea). We have obtained contacts to psychological help that will allow us to facilitate consultations or help in Ukrainian if need be. If you know about a student in your environment who could benefit from this type of professional assistance, please contact us.

HAMU organised a concert to benefit Ukraine on Thursday 17 March.

Last but not least, we should mention AMU’s transparent account for Ukraine, to which many of you have contributed; we are still actively seeking opportunities for securing additional allowances and grants. The funds in the transparent account will be used to pay for language and other courses, basic needs and similar items, and hopefully grants for more applicants as well.

Ingeborg Radok Žádná, Rector and Jan Hančil, Vice-Rector for International Relationships