Explore Czechia: Summer Czech Course for Expats, Future Uni Students...

This summer school of the Czech language at UJOP Charles University is primarily designed for everyone from expatriate communities abroad who not only want to learn the language of their ancestors or to strengthen and develop their knowledge of Czech, but also to spend time getting to know the country and Czech culture. It is also a great opportunity for international students who are thinking about studying at Czech universities and want to better understand the local customs and the country where they plan to spend a few years. But we are happy to welcome anyone who wants to get to know the Czech Republic more deeply and is keen to learn the Czech language.

You can look forward to a combination of interactive language learning, fun workshops, interesting lectures, diverse excursions and friendly evenings and get-togethers.

The ceremonial awarding of the course completion certificates will take place at the Czernin Palace in Prague in the presence of representatives of the ministries and the House of Foreign Cooperation. 

• Experience an unforgettable Czech summer school organized by Charles University experts.
• Immerse yourself in the secrets of the Czech language and culture and get to know them also as they are maintained by your compatriots in different countries around the world.
• Let us show you the gems of Czech culture, places steeped in legends and associated with the ancient ancestors who co-created the Czech character and the way of life in this country.
• Enjoy the Czech hospitality with like-minded friends from all over the world.
• Discover the charming spa town of Poděbrady, take a tour of Prague, let the colourful country charm you with its rich history, and taste some Czech specialities.
• Spend a wonderful summer in the Czech Republic.

To attend the full programme, it is possible to take advantage of a scholarship from the Czech government as part of the Programme to Support Czech Cultural Heritage. 

The programme of the Summer Czech Course for Czech Expatriates includes:

• intensive Czech language tuition
• creative workshops (Czech music, Czech traditions, films, etc.)
• lectures on Czech history and culture
• entertainment programme 
  • trips and excursions (full-day, half-day)
  • thematic evenings (culinary, dance, sports)

The tutorial part of the Summer Czech Course for Czech Expatriates includes 90 lessons (18 teaching days / 5 lessons per day). The course price includes textbooks and internal teaching materials. The students will be tutored by a professional team of UJOP Charles Universitry teachers with many years of experience in teaching Czech. The social and cultural part of the programme takes place in the afternoons or evenings and at weekends.

You can follow what is happening at the Summer Czech Course for Czech Expatriates on the Summer School for Expatriates Facebook page.

You will visit these places with us:

• Mělník - the confluence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers, tour of the town and the ossuary. A transfer to the legendary Říp Mountain and a climb to the Romanesque rotunda
• Prague - a guided tour of Prague Castle with a walk through old Prague, ending with a blessing at the Infant Jesus of Prague
• The Slavníkovci hillfort -- a walk along the Elbe River with the possibility of refreshments to a national monument commemorating one of the oldest dynasties in the Czech territory
• Přerov nad Labem — a visit to one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe, souvenir shopping
• Kutná Hora (UNESCO World Heritage Site) - a visit to the Church of St. Barbara, a walk through the town, a tour of the Sedlec ossuary and the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
• Lidice - meeting with the mayor and the representatives of the Lidice municipality. A lecture on the history of the village, an excursion among the ruins of the destroyed Lidice and a meeting with the surviving "children".
• Prague, Czernin Palace - certificate award ceremony attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, DZS and UJOP Charles University. Tour of Jan Masaryk's apartment and study. A walk around Letná. 

Schedule

Course fee 

• 25 500 CZK – 4-week programme (full programme, 14 July – 8 August 2025)

The price includes 

• non-refundable administrative fee of 1000 CZK
• complete educational and cultural programme 
• textbooks and internal teaching materials
• assistance of the course administrator 

Accommodation

• 7 500 CZK – 4-week full programme (27 nights, 13 July – 9 August 2025)

The price includes 

• reservation of accommodation Sunday through Saturday
• accommodation in a double room with bathroom (including bed linen and towels)
• free WIFI connection
• assistance of the course administrator

The Czech Course for Expatriates is traditionally held in the spa town of Podebrady. Podebrady is located about an hour's drive from the Prague airport, it is a lovely spa town with a colonnade, parks, restaurants and a wide range of cultural and social activities. The course takes place in the heart of Podebrady, in a 14th-century castle with a large garden in which many afternoon and evening events take place.

To reach Prague from Podebrady, you can use the regular direct train connection - you will get there in 50 minutes. 

The government scholarship fully covers tuition fees, accommodation and meals in the form of meal vouchers. The scholarship for the full programme of the Summer Czech Course for Expatriates is open to applicants aged 18 and over in 2024. You will find information on the scholarship on the website of Czech National Agency for International Education and Research and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

If you want to participate in the four-week Summer Czech Course for Czech Expatriates as a scholarship holder:

• All information is available on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
• You must fill in the on-line application form and contact the Czech Embassy in your country.  
• The login process consists of two steps:  
  • filling in the on-line application form by 15 March.
  • printing the application form and delivering it to the Czech embassy or consulate general in your country.
  • you must deliver the original application form to the relevant embassy (consulate-general) no later than 10 working days after the application deadline.
• Selected participants will be notified of their scholarship award by email at the end of April 2024.
• The scholarship covers course fees, cultural programme, accommodation, meals in the form of vouchers and transport allowance. The scholarship holders of the Summer Czech Course for Expatriates are provided with free transport from Prague to Poděbrady  and back.
• The scholarship can only be used for the full four-week programme.
• The scholarship for participation in the Summer Czech Course for Expatriates is provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. UJOP Charles University does not provide the scholarship.

We offer accommodation for the students of the summer school of Czech at UJOP Charles University in Podebrady only a 10 minute-walk from the castle where the classes will take place. The hotel house (Dormitory 2) offers accommodation in double rooms with bathroom and toilet facilities. The rooms are equipped with bed linen, towels, free WIFI. There is a shared kitchen on each floor (oven, microwave, kettle, hob). A washing machine can be used for a fee. The hotel house is non-smoking.

Meals for self-payers are not included in the price of the course. The participants can use a number of cafés and restaurants in Poděbrady. There is a shared kitchen on each floor (oven, microwave, kettle, hob).

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