Карлын Их Сургууль

Charles University (CUNI; Czech: Univerzita Karlova, UK; Latin: Universitas Carolina; German: Karls-Universität), also known historically as the University of Prague (Latin: Universitas Pragensis), is the largest university in the Czech Republic. It is one of the oldest universities in the world in continuous operation and the third oldest university north of the Alps (after the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge). Today, the university consists of 17 faculties located in Prague, Hradec Králové, and Plzeň.

History

Medieval university (1349–1419)

The establishment of a medieval university in Prague was inspired by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. He requested his friend and ally, Pope Clement VI, to create the university. On 26 January 1347, the pope issued the bull establishing a university in Prague, modeled on the University of Paris, with all four faculties, including theology. On 7 April 1348 Charles, the king of Bohemia, gave to the established university privileges and immunities from the secular power in a Golden Bull and on 14 January 1349 he repeated that as the king of the Romans. Most Czech sources since the 19th century—encyclopedias, general histories, materials of the university itself—prefer to give 1348 as the year of the founding of the university, rather than 1347 or 1349. That was caused by an anticlerical shift in the 19th century, shared by both Czechs and Germans.

The university was opened in 1349. The university was sectioned into parts called nations: the Bohemian, Bavarian, Polish and Saxon. The Bohemian natio included Bohemians, Moravians, southern Slavs, and Hungarians; the Bavarian included Austrians, Swabians, natives of Franconia and of the Rhine provinces; the Polish included Silesians, Poles, Ruthenians; the Saxon included inhabitants of the Margravate of Meissen, Thuringia, Upper and Lower Saxony, Denmark, and Sweden. Ethnically Czech students made 16–20% of all students. Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice took an active part in the foundation by obliging the clergy to contribute and became a chancellor of the university (i.e., director or manager).

The first graduate was promoted in 1359. The lectures were held in the colleges, of which the oldest was named for the king the Carolinum, established in 1366. In 1372 the Faculty of Law became an independent university.

In 1402 Jerome of Prague in Oxford copied out the Dialogus and Trialogus of John Wycliffe. The dean of the philosophical faculty, Jan Hus, translated Trialogus into the Czech language. In 1403 the university forbade its members to follow the teachings of Wycliffe, but his doctrine continued to gain in popularity.

In the Western Schism, the Bohemian nation took the side of king Wenceslaus and supported the Council of Pisa (1409). The other nations of the university declared their support for the side of Pope Gregory XII, thus the vote was 1:3 against the Bohemians. Hus and other Bohemians, though, took advantage of Wenceslaus' opposition to Gregory. By the Decree of Kutná Hora (German: Kuttenberg) on 18 January 1409, the king subverted the university constitution by granting the Bohemian masters three votes. Only a single vote was left for all other three nations combined, compared to one vote per each nation before. The result of this coup was the emigration of foreign (mostly German) professors and students, founding the University of Leipzig in May 1409. Before that, in 1408, the university had about 200 doctors and Masters, 500 bachelors, and 30,000 students ; it now lost a large part of this number, accounts of the loss varying from 5000 to 20,000 including 46 professors.

Location

Charles University does not have one joint campus. The university's faculties are located in Prague, Hradec Králové, Plzeň and Brandýs nad Labem. The Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies has teaching centres in Dobruška, Mariánské Lázně, Poděbrady and Zahrádky (near Česká Lípa). The Charles University Archive and Depository are located in Lešetice.

University buildings and compounds are scattered throughout Prague – in the Old Town (Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Humanities), the New Town (First Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics), Břevnov (halls of residence), Veleslavín (Faculty of Physical Education and Sport), Libeň (Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, halls of residence), and Hostivař (halls of residence, sports centre).

The oldest building at Charles University Karolinum is situated in the Old Town of Prague and constitutes the university's center. It is the seat of the rector and of the Academic Senate of Charles university. Carolinum is also the venue for official academic ceremonies such as matriculations or graduations. It was dedicated to the university by the Czech king Wenceslas IV in 1386 and has been serving the university ever since.

Its academic publishing house is Karolinum Press and the university also operates several museums. The Botanical Garden of Charles University, maintained by its Faculty of Science, is located in the New Town.

Organisation

Faculties

Among the four original faculties of Charles University were: the faculty of law, medicine, art (philosophy) and theology (now catholic theology). Today, Charles University consists of 17 faculties, based primarily in Prague, two houses in Hradec Králové and one in Plzeň.

• Catholic Theological Faculty
• Protestant Theological Faculty
• Hussite Theological Faculty
• Faculty of Law
• First Faculty of Medicine
• Second Faculty of Medicine
• Third Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Medicine in Plzeň
• Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové
• Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové
• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
• Faculty of Humanities

Academic Institutes

• Institute of the History of Charles University and Archive of Charles University
• Center for Theoretical Study
• Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education (CERGE-EI) together with Czech Academy of Sciences
• Environment Center

Other units

• Computer Science Centre
• Centre for Transfer of Knowledge and Technology
• Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies
• Central Library of Charles University
• Agency of the Council of Higher Education Institutions

Joint research centres of Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences

• BIOCEV
• Centre for Biblical Studies
• Centre for Medieval Studies
• Center for Theoretical Study

Subsidiary companies

• Charles University Innovations Prague (technology transfer office)
• Charles Games (video game development and distribution)
• LAM-X (nanomaterials development)
• GeneSpector (development and distribution of kits for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and other viral agents)
• FlexiCare (implementation of telerehabilitation systems)
• GeneSpector Innovations (development and distribution of technologies for medical diagnostics)

Rankings

Charles University ranks 1st in Eastern Europe in the QS World University Rankings and 246 globally. It was ranked in 2013 as 201–300 best in the World among 500 universities evaluated by Academic Ranking of World Universities, 351–400 among 400 universities in Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 485th in CWTS Leiden Ranking of 500 universities. Earlier rankings are presented in following table.

According to Academic Ranking of World Universities, Charles University ranked in the upper 1.5 percent of the world's best universities in 2011. It came 201st to 300th out of 17,000 universities worldwide. It is the best university in the Czech Republic and one of the best universities in Central and Eastern Europe only overtaken by Russian Lomonosov Moscow State University at 74th place. It was placed 31st in Times BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2014 (after 23rd University of Warsaw).

Rector of the University Václav Hampl said in 2008: "I am very pleased that Charles University achieved such a great success and I would like to thank to all who have contributed to it. An overwhelming majority of schools with a similar placement like Charles University have incomparably better financing and therefore this success is not only a reflection of professional qualities of our academics but also their personal efforts and dedication."

Subject rankings

According to the QS Subject Ranking, Charles University is among the 150 best universities in the world in geography and linguistics.

International cooperation

Charles University is a founding member of the 4EU+European University Alliance along with the University of Heidelberg, Sorbonne University and the University of Warsaw and a member of the Coimbra Group, the International Association of Universities and the International Forum of Public Universities. It participates on Erasmus Programme and has numerous inter-university agreements with the universities around the world. In Germany, Charles University cooperates, among others, with the Goethe University Frankfurt. Both cities are linked by a long-lasting partnership agreement.

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