Statement

Rectors of Czech Republic Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), members of the Czech Rectors Conference (CRC), express a deep concern about the current state of the financing of higher education.

Higher education in the Czech Republic is a strategic sector for research and a key partner while building an educational society – and as such a crucial factor in terms of the future economic development. In connection with this matter, we are unfortunately obliged to state that higher education is suffering from a real decrease in financial resources, which contradicts the Program Statement of the Government of the Czech Republic.

The share of HEIs in the finance chapter of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic gradually decreased from 18% in 2010 to 12% in 2021. As a result of other negative phenomena, such as high inflation and rising energy prices, as well as in connection with rising salaries in regional education, the academic environment ceases to be competitive, which in fact leads to a brain drain from the higher education environment.

CRC is convinced that it is no longer possible to passively ignore another alarming phenomenon, which is the significantly lower share of the spending on higher education in relation to GDP compared to other countries associated in the OECD. Higher demands on the higher education sector are coming and will continue to come as well with the growing demographic curve.

We therefore appeal to the Government of the Czech Republic to reverse the mentioned negative trends and tendencies, to proceed responsibly and to seek redress.

Brno, 24 March 2023