For 11 years now, Czech doctoral students of History, Archaeology and related disciplines meet during the first weekend of September for an annual Summer School of Medieval Studies. The traditional location of the event being the ancient Sázava Monastery (approximately 1 hour from Prague), situated near the river of the same name.

My memories of language lessons at school are along the same lines as my memories of “food technology” classes or girl's netball – characterised by a sense of confusion, an oddball teacher and the rhetorical question of “why exactly am I being made to do this”, as I learnt how Smartie cookies are made step-by-step on a production line or as I gallivanted round in one of those itchy pleated sports skirts, having a whistle periodically blown at me whilst my male classmates were allowed to charge and scream aimlessly in the mud for an hour.

Make time in March to see the exhibition ‘Without borders: Art in the Ore Mountains‘ before it closes on Sunday the 13th. The exhibition displays an impressive collection that encapsulates a large geographic area and historical timeline. It fulfils its aim and more.

The European Office of Charles University has a long standing cooperation with the National Library of the Czech Republic. CU Erasmus students have the opportunity to join the library for internships that not only provide assistance to the community, but also enhance their career prospects and help them to gain vital experience.

Step back in time with a visit to the National Gallery in Prague which is currently housing art exhibition Without Borders, Art in the Ore Mountains between the Gothic and the Renaissance.

There are numerous student associations at Charles University that organise extra-curricular (read free-time) activities for the international or Erasmus students. When I was studying abroad myself, the existence of such events appeared very logical to me – there are international students at the university so you offer trips, country presentations or cinema and theatre clubs to them.

Computer games traditionally never crossed paths with education to any serious level as gaming had previously always been deemed a leisure activity with no place in the classroom. Modern game developers, such as those at Charles University in Prague, have challenged this status quo.

On June 25th, I visited the charming Žižkovské divadlo Járy Cimrmana in Žižkov (Žižkov Theatre of Jára Cimrman), a hotspot for student nightlife, quirky bars, strong cocktails and chunky burgers. This teeny, tucked away theatre was hosting an amateur adaption of Agatha Christie's play The Mousetrap through the independent student based company The Drama Queens.

The ancient walls of Carolinum, the seat of the directory of Charles University in Prague, along with its ceremonial halls located in the heart of Prague’s Old Town, are often host to formal events. The regular graduation ceremonies, which are usually held for 25-35 students only (unlike in countries such as the UK or US), alternate with conferences, receptions, concerts and exhibitions.

There are many religious traditions connected to Easter: remembering the final days, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. For many Czech people, however, their popular customs – which originate from the Pagan time of the pre-Christian period – are the core of the Easter holidays. These traditions celebrate the beginning of spring and the renewal of life that are associated with this time of year.

Brian Ó Conchubhair, Associate Professor of Irish Language and Literature at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, US), shone light on the arguably ambigious nature of modernism in Irish-language literature and culture, in his visit to Charles University students this March.

“Should I do it?”– a boundless, universal question. A question that presents itself at some of life’s most pivotal moments. However, the answer is often more complex than it needs to be. Often our conceptual understanding of time, our fear of the unknown and financial viability leave us bound to a resounding “No”.

“As the leader of Zimbabwean students who stood up to the regime, I wasn’t allowed to continue my studies at any university in the country. My only option was to leave for the Czech Republic,” says Kurayi Garnet Hoyi, one of the former leaders of the Zimbabwe National Students Union.

As a Pharmacy student at my home university, during my Erasmus traineeship I have been staying in the city of Hradec Králové, where Charles University has its Pharmacy faculty. Here, I have been working in the department of Biological and Medical Sciences, specifically with a group of scientists who are researching endothelial dysfunction.

Charles University maintains its excellent reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting institutions for international and Erasmus students – for Thursday, the 20th of November, was an incredible evening enriched with knowledge and culture on the topic of Azerbaijan. 

When we are born, we believe we are invincible. There is no evidence to the contrary. As we grow, we look at others who are sick, homeless, disabled, and we believe that surely, that could never happen to us. Of course, that is the greatest fallacy. As we grow older, we experience things which teach us that in thousands of little ways, we are all the same. We are all remarkably vulnerable creatures.

Throughout the first International Staff Training Week held at Charles University from March 7 until March 11, 2016, sharing ideas and practices was a key theme. On Thursday morning representatives had the opportunity to share strategies which they use in their universities to improve the experience of both incoming and outgoing exchange students. 

In summer 2016 a new permanent exhibition, “Enchanted by Antiquity”, was opened in Duchcov Chateau in North Bohemia. After a short interruption, the public once again gained access to the collection of historical plaster casts of ancient plastics from the collections of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University.

The opportunity to undertake an Erasmus in Prague cannot be justified by any amount of words. Situated in the heart of central Europe, the Czech Republic is the ultimate portal to the rest of Europe, that boasts cost and time effective means of travel, and is host to the distinguished Charles University.

On the 19th March, I went to view the Charles University Workshop production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice; an evening which turned out to be an enjoyable and interesting endeavour. In looking at it visually, it was a stripped back adaptation of Shakespeare, which in some places I found rather static and flat.