STU and EUBA will combine research and practice
The Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU) and the University of Economics in Bratislava (EUBA) have succeeded in the national call of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic aimed at the development of integrated infrastructure of universities. Their joint project received the highest rating of the expert committee and also the highest financial support – almost 50 million euros.
Funding will be directed in particular towards linking education, research and cooperation with practice, with an emphasis on the international dimension. The aim of the project is to enhance the quality and excellence of the academic activities of both universities.
€120 million call
The Ministry will distribute a total of €120 million under the call. Of this amount, EUR 12 million will go to support the actual process of integrating universities into consortia and EUR 108 million to develop and modernise their infrastructure.
The expert evaluators assessed all submitted projects and based on the scores determined the order of success. The consortium of STU and EUBA received the highest number of points and was named the best project of the call.
Reactions of university representatives
“I am very pleased that we, together with our partner University of Economics, have succeeded as the best project and received the highest support for it. I believe that this consortium will help both of our universities to make significant progress on the path of improvement and internationalisation, I look forward to this cooperation,” said Oliver Moravčík, Rector of STU.
The strategic goal of the project is to build a modern infrastructure that will enable the effective linking of education, research and collaboration with practice according to international standards. This approach is intended to strengthen the competitiveness and the quality of the services provided by both universities.
Science Hills as a long-term vision
The project is part of a broader strategy that will result in the creation of an interdisciplinary campus “Science Hills”. In the future, it should bring together several scientific and educational institutions – in addition to STU and EUBA, the Comenius University in Bratislava and the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Promoting university integration and cooperation
According to the Minister of Education, Research, Development and Youth Tomáš Drucker, this is an important step towards strengthening excellence and cooperation in the higher education environment, which is a way to improve the education system:
“Universities that do such activities should be applauded, because to their credit it will lead to even greater progress in our education system, and I am convinced that this will benefit not only students, but society as a whole.”
How the funds will be used
The funds from the call are intended for the modernisation and construction of new buildings, land acquisition and the revitalisation of university campuses. The aim is to build integrated research, education and accommodation facilities that will foster both inter-university collaboration and international partnerships.
The university consortia must be formed by 2026. Eight universities have joined the current call and will form four consortia:
- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and University of Economics in Bratislava,
- Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and Technical University in Zvolen,
- Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica and the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra,
- University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava and the University of Trnava in Trnava.