General data

The First Faculty of Medicine – with almost 1,200 members of staff and 3,400 students – is the largest medical faculty in the Czech Republic. It has been an integral part of Charles University in Prague since its foundation by the King of Bohemia and Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1348. As such, Charles University is also the oldest university in Central Europe.

However, it is not just its long standing tradition and majestic history that make Charles University a successful and competitive institution. You need ideas, people and good management to be responsible for the institution’s future and for the benefit it brings to the community. To fulfil its mission, and to reflect the strength and vitality of its research programmes as well as its national and international reputation, the faculty has established the following objectives:

• To be a dynamic component of the European educational system.
• To maintain its leadership in biomedical research within the framework of the European Research Area.
• To be recognised as a valuable member of the local community.

The First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague has research and exchange programmes with the most prestigious universities in the world, including:

University of Bern, Universidad UMH de Alicante, Universidad de Granada, University of Frankfurt, University of Birmingham (USA), University of Birmingham (UK), Harvard Medical School (USA), Columbia University (New York), University of Uppsala, University of Coimbra, University of Padua, University of Helsinki, University of Oslo, University of Munich, University of Utrecht, and European Molecular Biology Laboratory en Heidelberg.

It is also important to note the international nature of the university, with over 40 different nationalities on campus. The highest number of foreign students in Prague come from England, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Israel and Spain.

In this context:

• The faculty educates the medical professionals of the future: The faculty offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes of the highest academic quality, taught in English, and obtains important international scholarships. Academic excellence, stimulation of creativity and intellectual curiosity are the criteria used in the evaluation of the university’s teaching staff. The faculty encourages and supports research and training programmes.
• The faculty seeks talent: Students are recruited from across Europe, America, Asia and Africa. All of its degree programmes are recognised in Europe and in the USA.
• Science is the future: The faculty has made heavy investments in infrastructure. Its laboratories are equipped with the latest technology and are in the hands of enthusiastic staff who have a strong national and international reputation. The funding generated by the research programmes represents the largest portion of the faculty’s income.
• Changing the image of Europe: The faculty benefits from the dialogue between researchers and doctors. Its research teams are involved in a number of national research programmes, which emphasise cooperation between basic and clinical science researchers and researchers from other disciplines. It is also important to note that the number of contracts with international teams and EU projects are constantly increasing.
• Linking science with business: The faculty’s results demonstrate its commitment to basic, clinical and applied research. The faculty and the university’s management have created standard procedures for enabling technology transfer and for establishing links between academic science and industry, in compliance with European regulations.
• Bringing science closer to society: The faculty’s experts are committed to bringing science closer to society by promoting Public Health among the community. In cooperation with journalists and the media, doctors and researchers promote their research to the community and try to explain how science works. The faculty’s vision is to help build a knowledge-based society.