The “Student Marathon” was a student team competition at the annual Prague International Marathon on 13th May 2012. The two largest Czech universities, Charles University in Prague and Masaryk University in Brno, were each offered a free start number for one team. This team was formed out of three Erasmus and one Czech student.

It’s often the neighbours that we know the less. This is true when speaking about the countries and regions bordering on the Czech Republic with the possible exception of Slovakia. When picking a place for our holidays, we mostly deem the border regions simply not exciting or exotic enough. For us they are only transfer areas leading us to the skiing or seaside resorts further to the south; places not very different from our own country.

Grass growing, flowers blooming, and new life suggest the awaking of nature and the official start of spring.  Springtime is the season in which life is at the centre of existence, it allows the idea of rebirth, rejuvenation, and regrowth. Not only is spring a celebration of new life, it is also a time of celebrating festivals and historical traditions.

As an Erasmus Student I was unaware of the traditions of the Easter celebrations in Czech Republic. Fortunately, the Erasmus Club of Faculty of Arts organised a Czech Easter Afternoon where over 50 Erasmus and other exchange students were able to learn about this seasonal event and the traditions it holds.

We have spoken to Elena Battaglia, a History of Art Erasmus student from the Ca' Foscari University in Venice, who is currently studying at the Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, to find out more and also to learn about her art education project “Carnival of Venice”, which Elena has prepared under the guidance of the Europe Meets School programme.

When I was told that Charles University had its own theatre company called Shakespeare Production, I was desperate to find out more. I met up with Teata Binar, a member of the theatre team, and she told me all about the company which has been up and running since 1993.

University students from abroad who decide to study in the Czech Republic through the ERASMUS programme most frequently choose Charles University. In the 2011/2012 academic year, this exchange programme made it possible for 1,137 international students to study at seventeen faculties of the university, putting CU in eighth place amongst the several thousand European higher education institutions at which the ERASMUS programme is realised.

The past 6 months at Faculty of Arts of Charles University have been wonderful.  The Erasmus program has allowed us to meet a lot of new people and also develop our skills in our field of study which is Education.  However we now have to arrange a placement in a local school which is proving to be very difficult.

Student-centred and interdisciplinary, the Prague Laboratory for Experimental Social Sciences is an initiative of students of the Department of Psychology, CU FA. One of the founders, explains more in an interview with iForum.

To help the homeless rediscover their lost self-confidence, give them work and some income, and to give others an unusual experience: these are the goals of the Pragulic social organisation, founded last year by three students of the CU Faculty of Humanities. Initially offering unconventional guided tours of Prague by homeless people, Pragulic is now adding further projects to its programme. People can now experience for themselves an entire day on the street or take part in ‘homeless teambuilding’.