With the new year 2025, the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice has entered a prestigious alliance. It has become a member of the KreativEU alliance of European universities, which puts it among the universities with a high level of quality in the field of internationalisation.
The KreativEU project officially started its activities on 1 January 2025. The alliance of universities associated with this project emphasises cultural diversity as a basis for cohesion, equality, sustainability and peace, while focusing on innovation in education, science, economics and other areas of development.
"By joining this alliance, we now have the opportunity to shape the rules and conditions of the European education space. The project also opens up the possibility for us to work closely with key partners in our region," explained the USB Rector Pavel Kozák at the KreativEU launch conference.
The aim of the project is to connect universities across Europe, to promote cultural heritage, arts, traditions and folklore and to create a space for common European values.
"Thanks to the involvement in KreativEU, our university has managed to fulfil one of the main objectives of the USB Strategic Plan 2021-2030 and to gain a mark of quality and prestige in the field of internationalisation," added Vladimír Žlábek, the USB Vice-Rector for International Relations.
By joining the KreativEU consortium, the University of South Bohemia has joined a group of universities from other European countries that will join forces to develop innovation, digitisation and sustainability in education and research. The mobility of students and academics between these universities is of course also supported. New joint degree study programmes will be created for both doctoral and master's degrees. Joint research or summer schools are planned. Highlights include the establishment of the KreativEU Career Centre and the Centre of Excellence for Digital Education and AI. The KreativEU consortium will thus nurture a new generation of students who will cooperate across cultures, borders, languages and disciplines. This will create a common European campus for KreativEU.
There are currently 64 European University Alliances, involving 10% of European universities.
"Membership in KreativEU will definitely move the University of South Bohemia forward. The alliance creates a space to connect European universities. They are a step towards testing the viability of the European diploma. Another benefit is the possibility to share research infrastructures and synergy in obtaining funding for large projects that universities would not be able to reach on their own," explained the importance of membership at the KreativEU project launch conference Jaroslav Miller, Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports.
The KreativEU consortium brings together 11 European universities: Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (the main project coordinator), University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Valahia University of Târgoviște, D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Trnava University in Trnava, and the new partners: Breda University of Applied Sciences, Politechnika Opolska, Södertörn University, and Universität Greifswald.
"The KreativEU project starts at a time when České Budějovice is the European Capital of Culture for 2028. We want to open not only the university but our entire city to students from Europe. We want them to like it here, we will create an environment and new job opportunities so that they will want to stay here or return to České Budějovice," said Dagmar Škodová Parmová, the Mayor of České Budějovice.
In the KreativEU project, the University of South Bohemia will cooperate with other key partners of the South Bohemian region: The Statutory City of České Budějovice, the South Bohemian Region, the South Bohemian Tourism Centre, the South Bohemian Museum, the National Heritage Institute, the National Library of the Czech Republic, the South Bohemian Philharmonic Orchestra, the South Bohemian Theatre, the Alšova South Bohemian Gallery, ESN USB Budweis. The involvement of the University of České Budějovice in the KreativEU consortium will therefore also have a significant social benefit, which will be reflected in many areas of the life of the city of České Budějovice and the South Bohemian Region.
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