Masaryk University facts for kids
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Masarykova univerzita
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| Latin: Universitas Masarykiana Brunensis | |
| Type | Public |
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| Established | 1919 |
| Rector | Prof. Martin Bareš |
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Academic staff
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2,200 |
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Administrative staff
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3,000 |
| Students | 35,115 |
| Location |
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49°11′55″N 16°36′18″E / 49.19861°N 16.60500°E |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Blue |
| Affiliations | EUA Compostela Group Utrecht Network |
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Masaryk University (often called MU) is a large and important university in the Czech Republic. It is the second biggest university in the country. It was started in 1919 in a city called Brno.
The university is named after Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. He was the very first president of an independent Czechoslovakia. He also strongly supported the idea of having a second Czech university. Today, Masaryk University has ten different schools, called faculties, and teaches over 35,000 students. Since 1922, more than 171,000 students have finished their studies here.
In 1960, the university's name was changed to Jan Evangelista Purkyně University. This was in honor of a famous Czech scientist. But after the Velvet Revolution in 1990, it got its original name back.
Contents
History of Masaryk University
Masaryk University officially opened on January 28, 1919. It started with four main schools: Law, Medicine, Science, and Arts. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who later became the first president of Czechoslovakia, played a big role in making this university happen. He believed that having more universities would help science and learning grow.
It was hard to start a second Czech university before 1919. This was because the Austro-Hungarian empire ruled the area. The city council in Brno, which was controlled by Germans, didn't want to give more power to the Czech people living there. But after the Austro-Hungarian monarchy fell, the university could finally be built. People even held big protests in 1905 to support the idea of a university in Brno.
From the very beginning, the university didn't have much money. Because of this, there were ideas to close the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science in the 1920s and 1930s. Luckily, these schools stayed open.
However, on November 17, 1939, the entire university was closed. This happened after Germany took control of Czechoslovakia. Many professors from Masaryk University were hurt or killed. For example, one-quarter of the teachers in the Faculty of Science were lost. Many were killed in the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1942.
| Faculty | Year founded |
| Faculty of Medicine | 1919 |
| Faculty of Law | 1919 |
| Faculty of Science | 1919 |
| Faculty of Arts | 1919 |
| Faculty of Education | 1946 |
| Pharmaceutical Faculty | 1952* |
| Faculty of Economics and Administration | 1991 |
| Faculty of Informatics | 1994 |
| Faculty of Social Studies | 1998 |
| Faculty of Sports Studies | 2002 |
| * The Pharmaceutical Faculty was closed in 1960 and reopened in 2020. | |
After World War II, university life started again. But then the Communist government took over. Many students were forced to leave the university. For example, 46 percent of students at the Faculty of Law were expelled. This school was even completely closed in 1950. In 1960, the university was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno.
Things got a bit better in 1964 when the Faculty of Education rejoined the university. The Faculty of Law also reopened in 1969. But conditions became difficult again in the 1970s. This was after the Warsaw Pact troops entered Czechoslovakia in 1968.
The university got its original name back, Masaryk University in Brno, in 1990. In 2006, they simply shortened it to "Masaryk University." A new period of growth began after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. New faculties were added, like Economics and Administration (1991), Informatics (1994), Social Studies (1998), and Sports Studies (2002).
A new university campus has been built in Brno-Bohunice since 2002. This campus holds parts of the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Sports Studies, and Faculty of Sciences. It also has important research centers like the Central European Institute of Technology.
In 2013, the university took over a movie theater called University Cinema Scala. It became the first university cinema in the Czech Republic. This place is now used for university events, lectures, and conferences, as well as showing movies.
Academics and Research
Learning at Masaryk University
As of 2014, Masaryk University has over 35,000 students and more than 2,200 teachers. It offers many different study programs. Students can choose from over 200 bachelor's, 290 master's, and 130 doctoral programs. Some of these are taught in English or German.
The university helps students who want to study abroad or come from other countries. In the 2012/13 school year, over 1,000 international students studied here. There is also a special center called Teiresiás that helps students with special needs.
In 2007, the university opened the Mendel Museum. This museum teaches about the life and work of Gregor Mendel. He was a famous scientist who did his experiments in the same place where the museum is now. The museum also hosts "Mendel Lectures" where top scientists talk about genetics and biology.
The University Cinema Scala has been run by Masaryk University since 2013. It's the first university cinema in the Czech Republic. Every year, on International Students' Day, the cinema hosts the "Freedom Lecture." This is a public discussion about important social topics with well-known people.
University Research
Masaryk University works with other schools on a big research center called CEITEC. This center does important research in life sciences.
The university also owns and runs the Mendel Polar Station in Antarctica. This station is used for basic research in biology, geology, and climate. It was built in 2005 and 2006 and is used during the Antarctic summer.
The Technology Transfer Office at Masaryk University helps turn research ideas into real-world uses. It also helps scientists work with businesses.
Funding Research at Masaryk University
The Grant Agency of Masaryk University (GAMU) helps students and researchers get money for their projects. It offers different types of grants, such as:
- HORIZONS: Helps prepare for big international research projects.
- INTERDISCIPLINARY Research Projects: Supports projects that combine different fields of study.
- MASH: Awards for excellent work in science and humanities.
- CAREER RESTART: Helps researchers get back into their careers after a break.
The goal of GAMU is to make research at the university even better. It encourages new and creative research ideas. It also helps the university get more important international grants.
University Rankings
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global – Overall | |
| THE World | 501–600 |
| Regional – Overall | |
| QS Emerging Europe and Central Asia | 7 (2022) |
Masaryk University is known for its strong research. It works closely with many famous universities and research places around the world. For several years (2016–2018), the university has been ranked among the top 600 universities globally. Among universities in EU countries that joined after 2004, Masaryk University was ranked 7th. It is also considered one of the best cities for students.
Notable Alumni
Masaryk University has over 170,000 former students. Many of them have become famous in their fields.
Some well-known scientists who studied here include:
- Jiří Grygar and Luboš Kohoutek (astronomers)
- Otakar Borůvka and František Wolf (mathematicians)
- Leo Eitinger (psychiatrist)
- Miloslav Petrusek (sociologist)
- Renata Laxova (geneticist)
- Jaroslav Malina (anthropologist)
- Josef Augusta (paleontologist), who worked with an artist to create pictures of prehistoric life.
Many politicians also studied at Masaryk University:
- Petr Nečas (former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic)
- Michal Hašek (former Governor of the South Moravian Region)
- Tomáš Julínek (former Minister of Health)
- Ondřej Liška (leader of the Czech Green Party)
- Jaroslav Šabata (politician, activist for human rights)
- Martin Palouš (Czech Republic's representative to the United Nations)
Artists and writers who attended include:
- František Vláčil (film director)
- Milan Uhde (playwright)
- Antonín Tučapský (composer)
- Jan Skácel and Ivan Blatný (poets)
Famous athletes who studied here are:
- Šárka Kašpárková (athlete)
- Jiří Holík and Josef Augusta (ice hockey players)
Notable Faculty
Many important people have also taught at Masaryk University. Here are a few:
- Roman Jakobson (1896–1982) – a linguist who studied languages.
- Jaroslav Krejčí (1892–1956) – a lawyer and former Prime Minister.
- Matyáš Lerch (1860–1922) – a mathematician.
- Eduard Čech (1893–1960) – another mathematician.
- Arne Novák (1880–1939) – a historian of literature.
- Antonín Bartoněk (1926–2016) – a linguist who studied ancient Greek.
- Albert Kutal (1904–1976) – an art historian.
- Emanuela Nohejlová-Prátová (1900–1995) – an expert on old coins.
- František Vláčil (1924–1999) – a film director.
- Bohuslav Sobotka (1971) – a lawyer and former Prime Minister.
- Petr Horálek (1986) – an astronomer and astrophotographer.
- Tomáš Špidlík (1919–2010) – a cardinal and important religious thinker.
- Zdeněk Měřínský (1948–2015) – an archeologist.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Masaryk para niños
- List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
- List of Czech universities
Images for kids
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Masaryk University rector's office in Brno
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