By Le Hoang Anh Tuan*
The United States (US) and the Czech Republic have a long-standing cooperative relationship. The US and the Czech Republic always propose policies to develop their relations, including education. Thus US students tend to choose European countries for studying abroad, including the Czech Republic.
The US established diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic in 1993 when Czechoslovakia was divided into two separate independent republics. The US and the Czech Republic have a bilateral investment treaty. Successive Czech governments have welcomed US investment, and the US has been one of the Czech Republic’s top investors.
Leading sectors for the US exports to and investment in the Czech Republic include automotive parts and equipment, education, energy, franchising, information technology, medical equipment, scientific equipment, and the agricultural sector.
The Czech Republic participates in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows nationals of participating countries to travel to the US for certain business or tourism purposes for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
The US security assistance programs for the Czech Republic seek to strengthen Czech capabilities, enhance interoperability with US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, and provide opportunities for professional and technical education of military officers and noncommissioned officers, civilian leaders, and other specialists.
The Czech Republic and the US belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The Czech Republic is also an observer to the Organization of American States.
America’s connection to Czech Republic
The US Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Stephen King, once told guests that “America’s connection to the Czech Republic runs much deeper and further than those early days of the Czechoslovak state. Fundamentally, our people are allies, partners and friends. On the commercial side, the US is one of the largest foreign direct investors here, creating thousands of Czech jobs. Our partnership also runs deep in the areas of education, research, and culture. Last year, the Fulbright Commission in the Czech Republic celebrated a quarter-century of work supporting academic exchanges. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Velvet Revolution, the US supported the Czech Republic in building or re-building its democratic institutions.”
In 2017, the US Embassy in Czech outlined some activities to promote US-Czech relations such as establishment of a multi-year US fund to support many organizations in the Czech Republic. A number of promotional activities in the coming years are carried out by embassies of the two countries, including conferences, exhibitions and performances that recognize and explore the US-Czech partnership.
The Times Higher Education has published a ranking of the top 100 best universities in the world in 2018 based on a survey of about 10,000 veteran academics worldwide. The US is still the leading country with 44 universities included in the rankings, of which eight are in the top 10. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has universities with similar ranks but is in positions of 200 to 800.
The number of Czech students in the US has been relatively stable in the last five years and has ranged between 700 and 800 students a year. The number of Czechs studying in the US was 763 students in 2017 which represented a decrease of nine students over 2016. During the past seven years the number of degree-seeking students has gone down slightly due to competition from both European and Australian and increasingly Asian universities.
The US schools are regarded as highly prestigious and attractive to Czech students and the US has a good chance of regaining its former position as a preferred location for higher education. The US was the 5th most popular study abroad destination for Czechs in 2017.
Invest heavily in education
The US and the Czech Republic invest heavily in education. The US invested 2.6% of GDP in higher education in 2015; public investment is up to 0.9 % of GDP and 1.7% for private investment. The Czech Republic invested 1% of GDP in higher education in 2015; public investment is up to 0.8% of GDP and 0.2% of GDP for private investment.
Educational cooperation between the US and the Czech Republic helps them strengthen diplomatic relations while increasing economic benefits. Firstly, the Czech Republic and the US strengthen their relationship through education. President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman was one of the few leading European politicians who openly supported Mr. Donald Trump as soon as he was elected the President of the US. This may be the reason why he received an invitation to visit the White House, which took place in the first half of 2017 when Mr. Trump was just elected.
The economic relation between the Czech Republic and the US are increasingly being reinforced. A growing number of students in the Czech Republic and the US, especially American students, has intention of choosing European countries for their studies abroad. The knowledge level of US university admission procedures has been increasing, especially at the best Czech national high schools. More well-qualified high school students are seriously interested in attending schools in the US and they are well prepared for the admission process.
The Czech Republic’s Facebook community is booming and this network has become one of the major sources of information, as well as a place for social interaction and sharing experiences. Twitter and other social networks lag behind Facebook. The best students, who meet the requirements, can obtain scholarships from several new private foundations. English is the standard second language in the Czech Republic and is taught in schools from grade three onward.
Approximately half of the Czech population speaks a foreign language and younger people tend to speak English. A recent government decision which made English mandatory for primary school students should improve the ability of Czech students to study at the US universities and colleges.
Proficient in English
Currently, 27% of all Czechs speak some level of English. According to the EF Index, 59% of the Czech working population is proficient in English and 10% is reported to be fluent.
Secondly, economic benefits are enhanced. Foreign students in the US pay some of the highest fees in the US, with an average of US$ 24,914. American students studying at US colleges pay an average of US$ 12,990, and there are about 62,926 international students in Massachusetts.
Among high-income families, US students pay an average of US$33,260 for college while the average for all US families is only US$ 23,688. Typically, 34% of families pay for college tuition through parents’ income and savings while 30% rely on grants and scholarships.
Many schools in the US collaborate with local universities as a highly effective way to penetrate the Czech market. The most common cooperation model is student exchange programs. One-year exchange programs are tempting to Czech students. American universities should be aware that Czech universities may expect foreign schools to send a similar number of students to their schools.
If a country wants to gain a foothold in the global market, it must invest and support science, research and development. There are 48 research centers in the Czech Republic. These centers are located in different areas, from mechanical engineering, nano materials to chemistry.
Scientific research brings undeniable benefits. For example, successful chemical research is crucial for advances in modern medical, construction and mechanical industries, even in the manufacture of cars or household appliances. Therefore, scientific research plays such a crucial role in everyday life and remains the top concern of each country.
Higher education is one of the most expensive financial investments in the US. In 2016, the annual education expenditures in the US were as high as 80% of the average annual income. The US education system combines sponsorship and scholarship programs. If students are good and successful, the system can provide them with financial support. In addition, it is possible to work with a famous company in the form of internship.
Pressure in education
Financial pressure in education in the Czech Republic is not as serious as in the US. However, cooperation between businesses and students bring about certain benefits. Students gain opportunities to become familiar with the practical aspects of their field of study while employers are facilitated to meet prospective employee, and both parties are free to make informed and smart decisions.
The Czech Republic and the US often have joint programs between universities and businesses to help students after graduation and undergraduates to interact with businesses.
In addition, the US and the Czech Republic have cooperation agreements in the field of education. On April 27, 2018, the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr. Robert Plaga, and the US Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mr. Stephen King, signed a protocol which has renewed the current agreement between the Czech Republic and the US on Scientific and Technological Cooperation. The original agreement from 2007 has been extended for another 10 years.
The agreement currently serves as a basis for extensive research cooperation between the two countries, for example, in the field of civil research and nuclear energy development. Cooperation also applies to universities and research institutes, including the provision of materials and equipment for research infrastructure. Last but not least, the agreement is implemented by regular public bidding to support research projects related to the Czech Republic and the US.
Firstly, the educational relation between the US and the Czech Republic is still developing. The Czech Republic is one of the top 25 countries where Americans intend to carry out research. According to the report of the Institute of International Education, there are nearly 5,000 American students in the Czech Republic and the Czech Republic ranked 13th in the world and 7th in the Europe in the number of American students.
Report of Open Door
According to the report of Open Door 2018, there were 4,777 US students in the Czech Republic in the 2016-2017 school year. Therefore, the Czech Republic has surpassed Austria, Netherlands or Denmark. The existence of American students in the Czech Republic gradually increased. For example, in the 2010-2011 school year, the Czech Republic was ranked 18th.
The positive trend was also demonstrated by Hana Ripková, Director at Fulbright Commission, an international organization for scholarship exchange programs between the Czech Republic and the US. The most common period that American students spend here is one semester. The most popular programs of US students studying abroad are science and technology (also called STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Available data shows the interest of American students in the Czech Republic. The fact that a large number of American students come to the Czech Republic helps more Americans understand the Czech culture, people and nation as well as strengthens the relationship between the two countries.
Secondly, the Czech Republic and the US linked programs for education, science, culture and technology are mainly long-term programs because the two countries have a long tradition of cooperation. These programs mainly focus on quality and fail to take quantity as a measurement.
In brief, the relations in education between the two countries are growing stronger. Thus the Czech Republic and the US have decided to collaborate and invest in science education in future.
*The writer is a PhD. student at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, lecturer, lawyer, international journalist, editor and interpreter.
