Ukrainian students will receive language support for Czech university study

Seventy-five young Ukrainian refugees will be given the opportunity to prepare for study at Czech universities in one-year courses offered by the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University.

The Kellner Family Foundation has decided to help fund their education, and a donation agreement for CZK 9.2 million has already been signed by Milena Králíčková, rector of Charles University, and Renáta Kellnerová, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of The Kellner Family Foundation.

The donation will assist students from underprivileged backgrounds. They can apply until July 31. Through the Institute’s preparatory program, which starts on Sept. 5, they will learn enough Czech in one year to reach university entry level. Experienced teachers will help them prepare for their entrance exams and future studies.

“We really want to help Ukrainian secondary school graduates to continue their studies in the Czech Republic,” Dana Hůlková Nývltová, director of the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University, said.

“We see this as a valuable way of supporting Ukraine, mainly in the medium term since that is how long it takes students to finish their degrees, but also by helping in the immediate future by giving students an established base and the peace they need to concentrate on their studies. We think this will be a real contribution to Ukraine,” Hůlková Nývltová added.

Petra Dobešová, a member of the board of trustees of The Kellner Family Foundation, said it was an absolutely natural decision for the foundation to extend its support for education to children and young people from Ukraine.

“Education is the central theme of all Kellner Family Foundation initiatives. For these young Ukrainians, learning Czech is the first step in quickly integrating into Czech society,” Dobešová said.

“The courses organized by the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies will help them master the language while preparing them for entrance exams at their chosen university,” Dobešová added.

Preparation for Ukrainian scholarship holders will be available in four fields of academic study: humanities, economics, engineering and technology, and natural sciences. The course consists of 1,215 hours of instruction, including seminars, lectures, and comprehensive study assignments along with the chance for individual consultations with teachers.

Students can also regularly monitor their learning progress, and after passing their final exams, they will receive a certificate accepted at most Czech university faculties for the admissions process.

Charles University’s Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies has decades of experience in teaching Czech as a foreign language. Over the past 60 years, more than 50,000 foreign students from 80 countries have benefited from the Institute’s training in Czech.

The Kellner Family Foundation, established by Renáta and Petr Kellner, promotes long-term educational initiatives for primary school pupils, teachers, and students of secondary schools and higher education institutions.

It seeks out and supports motivated children and young people who are growing up in environments that impede or prevent them from accessing high-quality education. The foundation donates around CZK 90 million to good causes each year.