Resolution

Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) Plenum adopted at its 152nd Meeting the following resolution:

1. The Research Organizations Evaluation Methodology in the higher education sector was approved by the Government of the Czech Republic and higher education institutions are prepared to fulfil it properly. CRC therefore asks the Research, Development and Innovation Council to finish the evaluation within the module M2 for the second implementation year of the Methodology 2017+ urgently. CRC draws attention to the fact that publishing the results is the condition for distribution of funds to higher education institutions.
2. CRC supports the method of science funding based on higher participation of the institutional support and lower participation of the targeted support. Increasing institutional support is a suitable tool for ensuring better stability and development of research activities at higher education institutions and is also a condition for development of their innovative capacities.
3. CRC welcomes and supports the Prime Minister information about the government intention to make equal engaging in JAN AMOS KOMENSKY Operational Programme for 2021-2027 easier for higher education institutions located in Prague.
4. CRC draws attention to serious situation at the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education (NAB), whose president resigned on 31 April 2019. CRC calls on the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to submit a proposal for the appointment of the NAB President as soon as possible.
5. CRC reiterates that NAB does not respect statutory deadlines, which causes legal uncertainty for all higher education institutions of the Czech Republic.
6. CRC draws attention to the recurrent problems with issuing visas to students who were duly admitted to study at higher education institutions. These are in particular the long deadlines for processing visas and the excessive administrative burden for higher education institutions.
7. CRC will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution through series of events organized by higher education institutions independently. CRC will honour this important day as a part of the traditional celebration program of 17 November 1939 and 1989.
8. CRC asks the President of the Peopleʼs Republic of China to intervene in behave of former Xinjiang University rector Professor Tashpolat Tiyip. Professor Tashpolat was detained by state authorities in 2017, he was accused of supporting separatism and is currently facing the death penalty. CRC entrusts the CRC Presidium to send an open letter to the President of the Peopleʼs Republic of China.

Prague, 4 October 2019