In 1348 King of Bohemia Charles IV of Luxemburg founded a university in Prague. This date marks the beginning of the contemporary Charles University – the oldest higher education institution in Central-Eastern Europe. The Jagiellonian University delegation led by the Rector Prof. Wojciech Nowak participated in the celebrations of the 670th anniversary of this event.
The Jubilee gala was held on Thursday, 5 April 2018 at the Charles University. The oldest Polish institution of higher education was represented by the Rector Prof. Wojciech Nowak and Vice-Rectors Prof. Armen Edigarian and Prof. Dorota Malec.
During the ceremony, the JU Rector presented the Rector of Charles University Prof. Tomáš Zima with a congratulatory address and a reproduction of the Golden Jagiellonian Globe dating from the early 16th century - the oldest known globe with the name “America”. The original was probably made in North Italy or South France and is currently kept in Collegium Maius of the Jagiellonian University.
In the congratulatory letter, the JU rector stressed that the two universities are ‘connected not only by the similar date of foundation but, to a certain extent, by the person of the foundress of the Jagiellonian University – Poland’s Queen Jadwiga who undertook significant activities in the field of culture and education’, including the foundation of a college for priests coming from Lithuania as well as a hall of residence for Polish and Lithuanian students at Charles University in Prague. She also hosted professors of law and theology from Charles University, having in mind the future development of the university in Kraków.
The letter further states: ‘I cordially congratulate Charles University on its unique Jubilee, stressing that your university is excellently pursuing its creative goals, following the principle ipsa scentia potestas est (knowledge itself is power). May this jubilee year consolidate and multiply of what your Alma Mater has already achieved.’
Charles University was founded on 7 April 1348 by King of Bohemia Charles IV of Luxemburg. It was modeled after the University of Paris and originally had four faculties: of Liberal Arts, Medicine, Law and Theology. Hussites played a very important role in the university’s history, as their leader Jan Hus was its rector. It was largely thanks to him that Prague became one of the most important centres of intellectual life in Europe in the 15th century. In the second half of the 17th century the university was transformed into a Jesuit academy. After the order’s dissolution in 1773 it became a German university. Due to the rise of Czech influences in the late 19th century, the university was divided into two separate institutions: Czech and German, which co-existed until 1939, when the university was suspended. The university was reopened after the end of World War II.
Currently, Charles University consists of 17 faculties, including two located outside Prague – in Plzen and Hradec Kralove. It provides education to nearly 50 thousand students and is the leading academic institution in the Czech Republic, which conducts world-class research in collaboration with a number of foreign academic centres.
