Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně

cooperation

TBU Becomes a European University with the PIONEER Alliance

The PIONEER Alliance, of which Tomas Bata University in Zlín (TBU) is a member, has been granted funding within the prestigious call by the European Commission aimed to support European University alliances. The Alliance has so far been operating solely as a consortium, but thanks to the funding provided by the European Commission, it has now officially joined the ranks of European Universities. The financial support will significantly enhance international cooperation with PIONEER partners and will thus offer new opportunities. The Alliance aims to shape the future of inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities, providing students with specialized skills in a European environment.

Within this year’s call, a total of 56 project proposals involving over 450 higher education institutions from across the European Union were submitted to the European Commission. The European Commission ultimately selected only 14 of them for funding.

European Universities represent a unique model of international cooperation that supports more intensive mobility of students and academics, the development of excellent science and research, and overall increases the competitiveness of European higher education on a global scale. “Acceptance of this project for funding is a strategic success for us that will encourage the further development of our university and the entire region,” said Prof. Mgr. Milan Adámek, Ph.D., TBU Rector.

“The grant will enable us to significantly enhance our educational and research capabilities and provide our students with invaluable opportunities to engage in high-impact projects,” commented Prof. Ing. Marek Kubalčík, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Internationalization. “It is a testament to TBU’s commitment to academic excellence and community engagement,” he added.

TBU has been working on the European Universities project for more than four years. “I am very pleased that our efforts have finally resulted in a project accepted for funding. This will undoubtedly be one of the largest non-investment projects for which TBU has ever received funding from European sources. The significance of this project is enormous. At the same time, we see it as a big commitment to our university, the region, and our alliance partners. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” concluded Mgr. Bc. Pavel Býček, Head of International Office.

The PIONEER Alliance comprises the following higher education institutions:

• Université Gustave Eiffel (FR)
• Avans University of Applied Sciences (NL)
• ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon (PT)
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences (FI)
• TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences (DE)
• Huelva University (ES)
• IUAV – Università Iuav di Venezia (IT)
• UTB – Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně (CZ)
• University of Zilina (SK)
• Bern University of Applied Sciences (CH) as an affiliated partner

For more information about the PIONEER Alliance please refer to its website.