SVU SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS 1990-1997

In 1990, a Working Group of the SVU Commission for Cooperation with Czechoslovakia  visited Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Bratislava and Nitra. The purpose of the two-week visit was to ascertain an initial set of substantive needs of Czech and Slovak university faculties and of scientists and to determine appropriate responses by the Society within its capabilities. The group trip was preceded by many individual visits since January 1990. In pre-arranged sessions and conferences, members of the Working Group met with Czech and Slovak university rectors (presidents), deans, faculty and research scientists at eleven universities and institutes. The Group's final report contained 13 specific recommendations, generally targeted toward the opening of cooperative links between Czech/Slovak scholars and their American counterparts. This set the stage for a series of seminars and workshops conducted in the Czech lands and Slovakia over a period of eight years.

Institutions visited by Working Group members:
Prague: Charles U., Czech Technical U.(CVUT),  University of Agriculture, Czech Academy of Sciences.
Brno: Masaryk U., Technical U., U. of Agriculture.
Bratislava: Komensky U., Slovak Technical University, School of Transportation, Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Olomouc: Palacky U.
Nitra: U. of Agriculture

Working Group members:
Prof. Anton Novacky (U.Missouri); Dr. Miloslav Rechcigl,Jr. (U.S.A.I.D.);
Prof. Zdenek Slouka (Lehigh U.); Prof. Zdenek L. Suda (U. of Pittsburgh);
Prof. Paul Trensky (Fordham U.); Prof. Jan F. Triska (Stanford U.).

S E M I N A R S   1 9 9 0  --  1 9 9 1

SVU Research Institute initiated -- and was instrumental in the planning and staffing of   -- two four-week seminars in economics, both administered by the Institute of International Education, and one four-week seminar in social sciences, sponsored by the Charter 77 Foundation. All seminars were supported by The Mellon Foundation.

1. Seminar in economics, July-August 1990, at Charles U., Prague
Directed by Prof. George Staller (Cornell U. - SVU member), with Profs. Alfred E. Kahn, Richard Schuler, and Oldrich Kyn.
Attended by 23 professors of economics from universities in Bratislava, Ceske Budejovice, Plzen, Prague, and Zilina.

2. Seminar in social sciences, August 1990, at Palacky U., Olomouc
Directed by Prof. Zdenek L. Suda, with Profs.Jan Hajda (Portland State U.), Jaroslav Krejci (U. of Lancaster), Zdenek Krystufek (Colorado U.), and Jan F. Triska.
Attended by 24 professors in social sciences from universities in Moravia and Slovakia.

3. Seminar in economics, July 1991, at Charles U., Prague
Directed by Prof. George Staller, with Profs. Robert Franz, George Hay, and Richard Schuler (all Cornell U.).
Attended by 30 economists and lawyers from universities in Bratislava, Ceske Budejovice, Ostrava, Prague, Tabor, and Zilina.

S V U   W O R K S H O P S   1 9 9 1  --  1 9 9 7

The entire 7-year series of workshops was designed, organized, administered and conducted by the SVU Research Institute and was supported by The Mellon Foundation. All workshops concentrated on US methods of research stimulation and management, on grantsmanship, and on forms of transnational research cooperation. Dr. Miloslav Rechcigl and Prof. Zdenek Slouka planned and directed the entire series.

1.-2. Two one-week workshops, each with a different group of attendees, 
September 1991, at Charles University, Prague
Instructors:  Drs. Rechcigl and Slouka.
Attendance: 69 professors and research scientists from Charles U., Czech Technical U., and U. of Agriculture, all in Prague.

3.-4.  Two one-week workshops, June 1992, at Charles U., Prague
Instructors:  Drs. Rechcigl and Slouka.
Attendance: 82 professors and research scientists from Charles U. and its divisions in Hradec Kralove and Plzen, and from Palacky U. (Olomouc), Masaryk U. (Brno), and Komensky U. (Bratislava).

5. One-week workshop, June 1994, at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague
Instructors:  Drs. Rechcigl and Slouka, and Mr. Frank L. Mucha, Mgr. Columbia U., N.Y.).
Attendance: 33 professors and scientists from a wide range of Czech and Slovak universities and research institutes.

6.-8. Three workshops of varying durations (4 - 7 days) conducted in August 1995 at the Technical U. (Kosice, Slovakia) and at Masaryk U. (Brno)
Instructors:  Dr. Rechcigl, Mr. Mucha, Prof. Jiri Nehnevajsa (U. of Pittsburgh).
Attendance: 77 professors and scientists from a wide range of institutions of the workshop.

9.-10. Two one-week workshops, August 1996, at Masaryk U., Brno.
Instructors:  Dr. Rechcigl and Mr. Mucha.
Attendance: 70 participants. Apart from professors and scientists, these workshops were also open to postgraduate students.

11. Twelve consulting sessions held during July and August 1996 at the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.
Instructor: Prof. Slouka.
Attendance: 62 participants form a variety of academic institutions.
Note: These were one-day and two-day working sessions organized for interested earlier workshop participants developing their own research projects.
 
12. Concluding one-week workshop, February 1997, at the Czech Academy of Sciences,
held under the formal auspices of the Czech Technical U. and its Rector Prof. Petr Zuna (SVU member).
Instructors:  Drs. Rechcigl, Slouka, Mucha.
Attendance: 33 participants from 19 Czech and Slovak universities located in:
Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Brno, Ceske Budejovice, Kosice, Liberec, Opava, Ostrava, Pardubice, Plzen, Prague, Zilina, Zvolen.
Note: This workshop was designed specifically for university administrators responsible in the research area. In attendance were seven university vice-presidents (Prorectors) and twenty-six deans, associate deans, and directors of academic research offices.
                                                   -----
Workshops summary data:
Total attendance: 426.
Number of Institutions involved: 23
(7 in  Slovakia, 16 in the Czech Republic).

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SVU  PRAGUE  CONFERENCE  ON SCIENCE POLICY

1. Proposed and organized by the SVU Research Institute, with funding obtained by the Institute from the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).

2. Purpose: To facilitate initial substantive contacts between academic personnel active in the formation of Czech and Slovak science policy and high-level American experts in the field.

3. Held on June 28-29, 1992, at Carolinum, Charles University, Prague.

4. Czech and Slovak participants: Prof. Stanislav HANZL, Rector, Czech Technical U. (CVUT) --- Prof. Josef JARAB, Rector, Palacky U. --- MUDr. Branislav LICHARDUS, Director, Grant Agency for Science --- MUDr. Zdenek LOJDA, Vice-Rector, Charles U. --- MUDr. Ladislav MACHO, President, Slovak Academy of Sciences --- Prof. Radim PALOUS, Rector, Charles U. --- Prof. Alexander TKAC, Technical U., Bratislava --- Prof. Rudolf ZAHRADNIK, President, Czech Academy of Sciences (all of them SVU members). Not listed are several persons who were unable to attend the entire conference and partake in its recommendations.

5. American participants:  Prof. Donald N. FREY, Technology Institute, Northwestern U.; holder of President's Medal for Technology; CEO & CB of Bell &Howell Co.; Chief Engineer of Ford Motor Co. --- Dr. Peter LIKINS, President, Lehigh U.; Advisor to President Bush on Science and Technology; member, National Academy of Engineering; board member of COMSAT ---  Dr. Bruce  L. R. SMITH, Senior Staff Member at The Brookings Institution; author of ten scholarly books primarily in the field of science policy --- Prof. Zdenek SLOUKA, Director of SVU Research Institute and conference chair.

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