Thank you for your interest in studying at CZU Prague.
I kindly ask you to take your time (and perhaps a cup of coffee) and read the following information carefully :)
You might be pleased to hear that at CZU we fully support Erasmus Without Paper initiative supported by the European Commission. Therefore, all the documents (for example Learning Agreement and Letter of Acceptance) will be issued online. Other documents will be signed, if possible, using an electronic signature (electronic certificate) which has the same validity as a regular paper-based signature.
Now, let's begin with your obligations. Basically, you have only two:
The first one is to create an Online Learning Agreement (OLA). Connected to that is the CZU course offer, to search for the courses that will be taught at CZU during the summer semester, I kindly ask you to use the following excel sheet – LINK. Please, do not use any other source to search for the courses! Other sources (such as Student Guide and Course Catalogue) might include mistakes and wrong courses which will not be open! Also, please note that the maximum total number of ECTS credits you can have is 35 per semester.
If you have already created an Online Learning Agreement (OLA), I kindly ask you to check if all the courses you selected can be found in the excel sheet mentioned above. If not, then please either edit your OLA (if possible) or create a brand new OLA where you select the correct courses.
Please, DO NOT SIGN YOUR OLA until you receive an email from me that your course selection is correct. Once you receive an approval of your course selection, please, sign your OLA and make sure it will be signed by your home university as well. A more detailed explanation of how signatures for OLA work, and how to create it, can be found in the OLA Guide (available at the end of the page)
The deadline for creating an OLA with the correct courses is December 13th, 2019. Students who will not create OLA with the correct courses until the 13th of December, will not be registered into the University Information System and therefore will not be able to download the Letter of Acceptance!
The deadline for having your OLA signed by you AND by your home university is the 20th of December.
Students with approved OLA will be registered into the University Information System – is.czu.cz. The credentials will be sent to you automatically, therefore, don't forget to check your spam folder as well.
The second obligation (for students who already fulfilled the first one) is to log in to the System (is.czu.cz) and fill in all the details about you. You will be also asked by the system to upload your Transcript of Records, your Health Insurance and a Certificate of Sufficient Language Skills.
- Transcript of Records – is an overview of all the grades gained from all the subjects from the beginning of your studies at your home university. Students of bachelor level need to submit the Transcript of Records from their bachelor studies. Students of master level need to submit the Transcript of Records from their bachelor AND master studies (in one file only). The Transcript of Records does NOT have to be in the English language.
- Health Insurance – basically any type of health insurance is accepted. Students from the EU countries may also upload a copy of their EU health insurance card. Again, the document does NOT have to be in English.
- Certificate of Sufficient Language Skills – Is NOT an obligatory document, however, if you have it you can upload it :)
All three documents have to be pdf files!
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As can be seen from the text above, at CZU we do NOT require any type of Application Form or similar document. However, it is possible that your home university may do. If yes, feel free to send me the document pre-filled in as a pdf to erasmus_incoming@rektorat.czu.cz, I will be happy to sign it with an electronic signature and send it back to you. I kindly ask you not to send me word/excel/Html files since it is not possible to sign it with an electronic signature.
If your university requires its own version of the Learning Agreement it can be signed only AFTER your Online Learning Agreement is fully signed by all the parties (student, home university, receiving university). And again, I kindly ask you to send me your version of the Learning Agreement as a pdf to erasmus_incoming@rektorat.czu.cz. I will return it back to you signed with an electronic signature.
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Now let's have a look at the accommodation issue.
Due to the limited capacity for the international students at our dormitories, it is possible to provide accommodation at our dormitories only for the following groups of students:
- Students who need a visa to stay in Czechia
- Students who will be awarded by a so-called top-up grant for students from the disadvantaged socio-economic environment (disadvantaged backgrounds)
Unfortunately, all the other students need to find accommodation by themselves outside of the CZU dormitories. However, later in the text, you can find some tips on where to search for accommodation.
What is the top-up grant for students from the disadvantaged socio-economic environment (disadvantaged backgrounds): This special support is described in the Erasmus Plus Programme Guide 2020 on page 47.
„Students from disadvantaged backgrounds (other than those with special needs)
The national authorities together with the National Agencies responsible for the implementation of Erasmus+ in a given Programme Country may decide (based on an opt-in/opt-out option, depending on the support already provided at national level) that all the HEIs in their country should top up the individual support from their EU grant to students from disadvantaged backgrounds (including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants), with a single amount of between 100 and 200 EUR per month. The precise single monthly amount and the criteria to be applied would be defined at the national level by the national authorities.“
To prove that you are a student from the mentioned environment, you need to submit a document signed by the International Relations Office (Erasmus Office). The document has to specify the amount of regular Erasmus scholarship and the amount of the top-up individual support you will receive. I kindly ask you to submit the document to erasmus_incoming@rektorat.czu.cz. This document has to be in English. If your Erasmus Office is not familiar with the problematics of the top-up grant, I recommend contacting the national Erasmus+ agency in your country. Please note, that no other documents will be taken into account.
Accommodation outside the CZU dorms:
For students who do not belong to any of the mentioned groups, CZU has arranged alternative accommodation at the TVM Tower. TVM Tower is a student hostel located in the city district called Modřany (google maps) and it takes about one hour by public transport to reach the CZU campus from there.
Monthly rent at TVM Tower is 6 000 CZK and the security deposit is 15 000 CZK. You may terminate your contract at TVM Tower with two months' notice (meaning you must announce the end of your stay 2 months prior to your departure) otherwise, they may keep the whole deposit.
If you would like to be accommodated at TVM Tower, get in touch with Pavel Kochmann from CZU dormitory management and he will arrange the booking for you (kochmann(at)kam.czu.cz, tel.: +420 224 383 358).
More details about the TVM Tower (including the Application Form) can be found at the end of the page.
Please note that the number of places at the TVM tower is limited, therefore, if you are interested, apply as soon as possible!
Another option is to apply for a place at the dormitory of other Prague universities. Here is the list:
- Bubenečská kolej - https://www.suz.cvut.cz/en/dormitories/the-bubenec-dormitory Tel: +420 233 342 806, Address: Terronská 1023/28, 166 06 Praha 6
- Koleje Strahov - https://www.suz.cvut.cz/en/dormitories/the-strahov-dormitory Tel: +420 234 678 111, Address: Vaníčkova 7, 160 17 - Praha 6
- Dejvická kolej - https://www.suz.cvut.cz/en/dormitories/the-dejvice-dormitory Tel: +420 224 310 583, Address: Zikova 538/19, 166 00 Praha 6
- Sinkuleho kolej - https://www.suz.cvut.cz/en/dormitories/the-sinkuleho-dormitory Tel: +420 224 390 113, Address: Zikova 702/13, 160 00 Praha 6
- Kolej Na Větrníku - http://kam.cuni.cz/KAMEN-50.html Tel: +420 220 431 212, Address: Kolej Na Větrníku, Na Větrníku 1932, 162 00 Praha 6 – Petřiny
- Kolej Hvězda - http://www.hvezda.koleje.cuni.cz/?page_id=55 ; http://kam.cuni.cz/KAMEN-51.html Tel: +420 220 431 371, Address: Kolej Hvězda, Zvoníčkova 5, 162 08 Praha 6
Please note that each dormitory might have different rules of application. Always contact the relevant university (its accommodation office) to find out more details.
Here are some other links where you can search for accommodation:
- https://www.expats.cz/praguerealestate/?Nav
- https://www.flatio.com/#_ga
- https://www.forstudents.cz/
- https://student-room-flat.com/
Be aware of potential scammers! Always double-check the advertisement and, if possible, never pay the deposit without having an accommodation contract.
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Intensive Czech Language Course
Before the beginning of the summer semester, an Intensive Czech Language Course will be held. The exact dates are not known yet, however, the course will either begin on 27th or 29th of January and will last for five working days. Due to organizational reasons, the course is not offered for a student who needs a visa to enter Czechia. This course has no component code and therefore is not a part of your (Online) Learning Agreement.
The course is awarded by 2 ECTS credits.
If you want to apply for the course, please fill in the following application form: LINK.
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Are you a bit worried about the whole Erasmus? Would you like to have a local student as your buddy? Then I have great news for you! The ESN CZU (webpage) is running a Buddy Program!
The Buddy Programme is about connecting mostly Czech student-volunteers with incoming international students in order to provide you, the international students, a helping hand at the beginning of your stay. It is also about giving the Czech students an opportunity to practice a foreign language and to meet students from abroad.
How can a Buddy help me?
Your buddy should be there for you and answer any questions you might have regarding your studies or your stay in Prague. He/she should pick you up the airport/train station or at least explain how does the public transportation work.
Your buddy should/can give you some tips on where to go and what to see during your first days. After that, it is all up to you, but the Buddy Programme is known for making great friendships happen!
Do you want to apply for a buddy? Feel free the do so here – LINK.
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An Academic Calendar
The first day of teaching is the 10th of February. The last day of the examination period is 30th of June. Prior to the first day of teaching, the Intensive Czech Language Course and the Welcome Week will be organized. Exact details of the Course and the Welcome Week will be announced later.
And what is the Welcome Week? The Welcome Week is a series of events organized by the ESN CZU (Erasmus Student Network of the Czech University of Life Sciences) to help you, international students, to get to know the campus, our culture, habits and to meet your fellow co-students. The exact schedule of the Welcome Week will be introduced later.
And who are the people from the ESN CZU?
„We are students and volunteers, thrilled to meet new international students coming to the Czech University of Life Sciences. We help them to settle down in the new environment and to meet new friends. Every year, we organize events and projects for international students to enjoy their exchange in Prague.“
I would like to point out that all the members of the ESN CZU are voluntaries, therefore, please understand that they have their own study duties and simply cannot be available for you 24/7. However, I am sure that if they have the time they are more than happy to help you :)
