Prague, Sept 8 (CTK) – The Czech Centre in Madrid promotes not only Czech culture but also science in Spain, its head Stanislav Skoda has told CTK, adding that Czech and Spanish experts have launched cooperation in nanotechnologies, while the branches of pharmacy and energy are also promising in this respect.
“We pave the paths for the scientists, researchers and also businesspeople to take,” Skoda said.
He said there are lots of very interesting projects and workplaces in the Czech Republic that are unknown to the Spanish.
With the centre’s contribution, the Spanish IMDEA nanotechnology institute has launched cooperation with the Czech association of nanotechnology industry, Skoda said.
“As a result, a Czech-Spain team was established and applied for a grant to cover their joint research project,” he said.
The fact that the Czech Centre in Madrid has stepped out of the traditional framework of a culture promoter, was mainly motivated by the interest shown by the Czechs. In addition, there has not been any tight cultural tie between the Czech Republic and Spain, Skoda said.
“Bilateral links in the area of culture and art are rather scarce,” he said.
Out of the Czech Republic, the Spanish mostly know Prague, which has been visited by up to 200,000 Spanish tourists a year, Skoda said, adding that people in Spain also know some world-renowned Czech artists such as writer Bohumil Hrabal, plastic artist Jan Svankmajer and film makers Jiri Menzel and Vera Chytilova.
Apart from its activities in Spain, the Czech Centre in Madrid coordinates the presentation of Czech culture in Portugal and Latin America.
Established in 2004, the Czech Centre in Madrid is one of the 22 Czech centres operating in countries across three continents and supervised by the Czech Foreign Ministry.
