The oldest university in Central Europe, Charles University, was founded on 7 April, 1348, by Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia.
The Charles University Environment centre, was founded as a part of Charles University in 1992. It conducts environmental research and provides environmental expertise and information for students, university staff and for the general public. The centre collaborates with parliamentary bodies, state administration, non-government organizations and many academic and research institutions both locally and abroad. CUEC consists of the three units: sustainable development indicators, environmental economics, and education and information for sustainable development.
Pursuant to the University Act (No. 111/1998 Coll.) and Charles University Regulations, the Environment centre is a "special institution" within Charles University in Prague; it is not a Faculty and reports directly to the Rector. It was established by the Rector's Organisational Provision No. 5847/91-I/3 dated 25 November 1991 (following discussion by the University Academic Senate), effective as of 1 January 1992.
The centre is governed by its own Regulations (czech only).
The centre pursues scientific and research activities and while doing this it also cooperates with other departments of the University, as well as with other specialized institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad. For these purposes, it uses public support of the ministries and agencies of the CR and grant support from the European Union (in particular the Framework Programmes) and other foreign institutions. See the section Projects.
Using various forms of publication the centre's staff disseminate the resultsof their research activities to town and gown. Within their capacities, the employees of the centre also serve as a basis for questions, consultations and expertise in the field of environment and sustainable development. See section Outputs.
The centre's tasks include advisory and expert support for the Rector and other University representatives. The centre collects, processes and provides information on degree programs, lifelong learning and training implemented at the faculties of the University or at other universities that are thematically dealing with environment and sustainable development.
The centre supports the creation of study programmes, curricula and courses and collaborates on their accreditation. Furthermore, also assists in the selection of the topics for bachelors', masters', doctorate, and dissertation theses and its staff is involved in teaching and other educational activities of the various faculties. See the section Teaching.
The centre is divided into five Departments:
- Department of Environmental Education, headed by Jiří Dlouhý;
- Department of Indicators of Sustainabile Development, headed by Tomáš Hák;
- Department of Environmental Economics and Sociology, headed by Milan Ščasný;
- Department for the Research on Environmental Behavior, headed by Jan Urban
- Environmental Footprint Lab, headed by Jan Weinzettel
Director: Jan Frouz
Secretary: Jitka Fojtová
Financial manager: Markéta Sychrovská