Founded in 1953, the University of Economics, Prague (known as VŠE – Vysoka Skola Economicka) is the Czech Republic’s largest university for economics, business and information. Its origins date back to 1919 when it was a department of the Czech Technical University.
There are over 15,000 students across the university’s six faculties. Five of the faculties are located in the centre of Prague – the faculty of finance and accounting, the faculty of international relations, the faculty of business administration, the faculty of informatics and statistics and the faculty of economics. Meanwhile, the faculty of management is located in the town of Jindřichův Hradec, just over 135 km south of the capital.
Within these faculties, courses range from arts management to tax policy, with options in the faculty of international relations (the second largest faculty by course option) including tourism and regional development, international business, international studies – diplomacy and political science. A number of courses are accredited in English rather than Czech, with some accredited in both languages and the corporate economics and management; business administration (BBA) course accredited in English, Czech and Russian.
Nicknamed “the city of a hundred spires” because of the plethora of gothic churches, Prague (population 1.3m) has become an increasingly popular destination for international students, with its ranking as a student city rising in various polls. Over 430 students from institutions overseas come to VŠE each term. To help meet demand, an International Learning Centre was established in 2005.
VŠE offer students a range of pursuits including a choir, a chamber orchestra, a folklore group, a film club and student media. It also has facilities that cater for summer and winter sports, including an arena that opened in 2009, with a 1,400 m² floor surface to house for various activities. Meanwhile, the university library contains more than 430,000 books and 330 journals, with a wide range of electronic media and InSIS, the university’s integrated information study system.
The university boasts a range of international accreditations including the European Commissions’ ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) and DS (Diploma Supplement). Meanwhile, The Faculty of Business Administration is now accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EMFD)’s European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), placing it among the top business schools.
Notable alumni include numerous politicians including former President Václav Klaus, former Prime Ministers Jan Fischer, Jirí Paroubek, Jirí Rusnok, Josev Tošvosky and Miloš Zeman. Others include businessman Petr Kellner, estimated to be the wealthiest person in the Czech Republic and Zdenek Tuma, former governor of the Czech National Bank.
