Czech National Agency for International Education (DZS) announced the DZS Awards 2020 winners – the best achievements in the field of international cooperation and internationalization of education. The prizes were awarded to successful projects carried out through DZS managed programmes, such as Erasmus +, European Solidarity Corps or CEEPUS.
The jury selected the most successful projects in eleven categories based on the education sector and respective programme. Especially originality, innovation and long-term impact of the projects were appreciated. Furthermore, not only projects but also successful foreign students had the opportunity to win the prize since DZS ensures promotion of Czech higher education.
In contrast to previous years, when the winners were announced during a gala evening, this year’s winners were declared via video online.
“We congratulate the winners and we believe that the awarded projects will become an inspiration for other organizations in the field of education,” says Dana Petrova, Director of Czech National Agency for International Education, about the DZS Awards.
Video announcing the winners is available at dzs.cz website.
DZS Awards 2020 winners
Erasmus+ School Education
Nakladatelství Dr. Josef Raabe, s. r. o. | Dr. Josef Raabe Publisher
WE Learn and COMmunicate Ensemble
The project brought together eight organizations that aimed to integrate children with various educational needs in kindergartens. They created tools to improve theoretical background and to increase competences in working with a heterogeneous classroom for teachers, a manual for teachers working with pupils with specific educational needs, an app to prepare tailor-made educational activities for pupils, and last but not least special workshops for kindergarten teachers.
e-Twinning
Základní škola Hlučín, Hornická 7, okres Opava, příspěvková organizace, Jana Losíková| Hlučín Elementary School
Let’s get on board!
Through learning about the culture, language and history of cooperating countries, the project taught pupils tolerance for differences and how to overcome stereotypes. The activities were integrated into the sixth grade English curriculum while they also crossed subject boundaries of Czech, geography, history, computer science or music education. Thanks to the project, students tried inhabiting new roles for the first time – they became lecturers, creators of board and online games and they learned to process information.
Erasmus+ Vocational Education and Training
Střední odborné učiliště stavební, Plzeň, Borská 55 | Vocational High School of Civil Engineering Plzeň
Keramici a kamnáři v Portugalsku | Potters and stove makers in Portugal
The project enabled students of ceramic production and stove-making to accomplish internships abroad in companies in northern Portugal, a region famous for its ceramics and stove-making production. The project provided valuable international experience to students who would not have such an opportunity without the Erasmus+ programme and it showed them craft as a desired skill to make a living abroad. Moreover, it supported fields which are in danger of gradual extinction.
Erasmus+ Adult Education
Botanická zahrada hl. m. Prahy | Prague Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden: COME IN! ENTER! COM IN! WEJDŹ! GYERE BE!
The project is based on the development and transfer of innovative procedures in making the botanical garden accessible for the general public with an emphasis on visitors with special needs. The main outputs of the project are Methodology for botanical gardens accessibility, Exhibition for All Senses and international conference The Botanical Garden as an Open Institution – Educational Activities Focused on Visitors with Special Needs (methodology, experience, inspiration).
Erasmus+ Youth
proFem – centrum pro oběti domácího a sexuálního násilí, o. p. s. | proFem – Center for victims of domestic and sexual violence
Ambassadors of Love & Respect
The two-phase training course addressed the issue of violence in relationships of teenagers and young adults. The biggest innovative benefit of the project was involvement of peer education executed by so-called ambassadors – young people who suffered from violence in a relationship themselves.
European Solidarity Corps
Nadační fond ATYP | ATYP Endowment Fund
Autismus není vidět | Autism is not visible
The project was initiated by a group of young people on the autism spectrum under the auspices of the ATYP Endowment Fund. The main goal was to draw attention to the problems that people with autism face and to give them the courage to solve everyday challenges. The organizers focused on awareness-raising through articles and through e-publication with recommendations to promote inclusion. They organized a meeting of people with autism, based on which an exhibition of photographs was created. A great success was the weekly awareness campaign, which included a speech in the Chamber of Deputies. The project highlight was the First Autism Conference which took place in September 2020.
Erasmus+ Higher Education
Veterinární a farmaceutická univerzita Brno | University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
Mobility studentů mezi programovými zeměmi Erasmus+ | Student mobility between Erasmus+ programme countries
After returning from Erasmus+ mobility students complete a final report to evaluate their stay from various points of view. Students visiting the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno appreciate the above-standard support provided by the institution in answering their questions and solving problems.
CEEPUS
Ústav asijských studií Filozofické fakulty Univerzity Karlovy | Institute of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Charles University
Study of Religions (Cz11)
The CEEPUS network builds on the older pre-war tradition of academic study of religion in the Central European region which was interrupted by the communist era. In the form of exchange lectures, key cooperation with the University of Vienna, Comenius University in Bratislava and Szeged University was established. The Institute of Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, is currently preparing a project to digitize the Tibetan Buddhist canon in cooperation with Viennese Tibetan studies and the American digital library Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC). Lectures by foreign colleagues complement and expand the existing curriculum.
Euroguidance
Lucie Václavková
Facebooková skupina pro kariérové poradce: Kariéroví poradci, koučové, lektoři a další nadšenci CZ&SK | Facebook group for career counselors: Career counselors, coaches, lecturers and other enthusiasts CZ&SK
The Facebook group was founded to connect career counselors and create space for mutual support, development and growth. This activity enables peer to peer learning and co-careering. The group offers a safe space for the community and enables sharing know-how from different areas and organizations. It also succeeds in transferring know-how from abroad and supporting European mobility.
STUDY IN the Czech Republic – Internationalization Activity
Masarykova univerzita, Středisko Teiresiás | Masaryk University, Teiresiás Center
Zpřístupňování virtuálních konferencí a seminářů pro mezinárodní účastníky se sluchovým postižením | Making virtual conferences and seminars accessible to international participants with hearing impairments
The project aimed to make the final conference of the LangSkills project accessible to an international audience of hearing, deaf and hard of hearing participants who use different communication channels and their combinations: spoken English, written English, the international sign system or national sign languages. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the conference was converted into a virtual event. Therefore, the biggest benefit of the project is the experience of making virtual events accessible.
STUDY IN the Czech Republic – Foreign Graduates
Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně, Fakulta managementu a ekonomiky |Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Management and Economics
Emmanuel Selase Asamoah
Emmanuel Selase Asamoah graduated in Management and Economics at the Faculty of Management and Economics at TBU in Zlín. Currently he works at the University of Professional Studies in Accra where he became the youngest head of the Department of Business Management. He participated in many international conferences and published more than thirty articles in international scientific journals. Emmanuel is a big promoter of studying abroad. He has already supported more than a hundred high school students who, with his help, have successfully started studying at universities.
Contact
Lucie Durcová
Head of Information and Communication Unit, PR
Phone No.: +420 733 125 972, E-mail: [email protected]
Czech National Agency for International Education
The main objective of the Czech National Agency for International Education is to facilitate international cooperation in education. It is responsible for administration of European educational programmes, for example Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. More information can be found at dzs.cz/en.
