CESP - Courses Offered Quotes from Former Students
General Information about CESP
The Central European Studies Program at Masaryk University is an interdisciplinary program designed for students at the upper Bachelor's and Master's degree levels who are seeking a challenging educational experience in the heart of Europe. CESP brings together a stimulating mix of students from the United States and all parts of Europe. Courses include studies of the social, economic, political and cultural transformations that have shaped Central Europe and the Czech Republic in particular at the end of the 20th century and the changes facing this region at the beginning of the 21st century.
Teaching
All courses, each of them semester-long, are in English. Basic Czech language instruction is also included. Excursions to neigh-boring countries form an integral part of the course. Independent study options are available as well, and qualified students may participate in courses taught in English, Czech and other languages throughout the University.
Enrollment
Enrollment is open to undergraduates in their third or fourth year. Magister/Master's degree students following a European model may apply for study during their third, fourth, or fifth year. For US students, the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement is 2.75 overall.
Program Costs
Please check current program costs here. This includes on-site orientation, tuition, housing and meals, and several excursions to neighboring countries. Medical insurance and student visa must be arranged by the applicant prior to traveling to the Czech Republic.
Housing and meals
Accommodation and meals stipends are included in the program fee. Students live in modern university dormitories sharing double rooms (each with an ensuite bathroom and kitchenette) with Czech or other foreign students. They have full access to university computer centres, sports facilities, canteens and laundries.
Orientation
The orientation week program includes visits to university libraries and computer centres, an intensive "survival Czech" course, introductory talks on Czech culture and society, a tour of Brno and visit to the city museum, a reception bringing together international and Czech students as well as Masaryk University faculty, and excursions to the surroundings of Brno.
Excursions
The program fee also includes daytrips and weekend excursions to a number of cities in the region. In recent years these have included Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Krakow and Wroclaw and Dresden.
International Student Club
All CESP students could become members of the university's International Student Club, which arranges for Czech students to act as their individual tutors, and which offers a rich program of social evenings, movies, excursions and many other activities during the semester.
CZS21: Economic Aspects of the Transition Process (fall semester / spring semester)
Credits: 12 ECTS
Senior course teachers: doc. Ivan Malý, dr. Libor Žídek
An introduction to recent economic developments in the Czech Republic and other Central European countries. One thematic block deals with such issues as privatization, monetary policy, inflation and international trade. A second discusses public sector transformation, presenting basic characteristics of the transformation of the public sector in the Czech Republic compared to those in developed countries as well as other post-Communist countries.
CZS05: Cultural Anthropology of Post-Socialism (fall semesters)
Credits: 8 ECTS
Senior course teachers: Miklós Vörös
This course gives an overview of the major themes and paradigms in cultural anthropological research on late-state-socialist and post-socialist societies. Thus it focuses both on the palette of various fields that have been seen as specific to the region, as well as on the important shifts of attention from one topic to another over the course of the past two decades. The format of the course is a combination of introductory lectures and reading seminars; students will be encouraged to read both classic and innovative ethnographies as well as theoretical syntheses of the relevant literature, and be prepared to give concise presentations on them.
CZS04: Changing Political and Social Identities in Post-Cold War Central Europe (spring semester)
Credits: 8 ECTS
Senior course teacher: dr. Csaba Szaló
The course encompasses a variety of themes concerning the reconstruction of social identities in Central Europe after the fall of communism. The particular interconnected topics to be addressed in this course are: the political reconstruction of memories and identities in the conditions of cultural revolutions, the establishment of post-socialist hegemony in relation to cultural practices of nationalism, and the challenge of re-emerging forms of ethnic conflict and solidarity in the form of mythic and utopian imaginary communities. The basic approach of the course is to demonstrate various cultural patterns of continuity and change by means of theoretically framed case studies that compare pre-communist, communist and post-communist phenomena.
CZS01: Remodeling Political Culture in Central Europe after 1989 (fall semester / spring semester)
Credits: 8 ECTS
Senior course teacher: dr. Pavel Pšeja
The course is intended to give the students a basic insight into the trends and events that have influenced recent political and social developments in the Central and (partly) Eastern Europe and significantly contributed to the present character of political institutions and political life in the region. The course also traces the developments within the region in connection with the efforts for further European integration and the strengthening of European security.
CZS13: Development of Ethnic Relation in the Czech Republic (fall semester / spring semester)
Credits: 8 ECTS
Course teacher: Irena Kašparová, M.A.
Covering the usual topics traditionally introduced in relation to debates about ethnicity, ethnic relations, nationalism and racism, this course brings them closer to the actual world of ethnic minorities (especially the Roma) in the Czech Republic by revealing the variety of influences - cultural, political and economic - that come into play in this situation.
CZS34: Modern Czech Theatre (fall semester / spring semester)
Credits: 6 ECTS
Course teacher: Mgr. Andrea Jochmanová , Ph.D., MgA David Drozd
The history of modern Czech theatre provides numerous examples of complex relations between art and society, stage and audience, which form a vital part of the living theatre. This course deals with the Czech theatre as such as well as its outstanding playwrights, actors, directors and designers, but also with the way the theatre has reflected so many social and cultural aspects of Czech history.
CZS32I: Czech CinemaI (fall semester)
Credits: 6 ECTS
Course teacher: dr. Jaromír Blažejovský
This course, based on video screenings of selected Czech films in the full version and with English subtitles, examines key periods in the history of Czech cinema and the typical styles and genres that have won such acclaim for Czech films internationally.
CZS32II: Czech CinemaII (spring semester)
Credits: 6 ECTS
Course teacher: dr. Jaromír Blažejovský
This course focuses on different Czech films then Czech Cinema I.
CZS33: Music in the Czech Lands (fall semester)
Credits: 6 ECTS
Course teacher: Mgr. Jan Špacek
Music has played a uniquely important role in the history of the Czech lands, and this course is designed to explain why this is so by following the development of music here from the Middle Ages down to the end of the twentieth century.
CZS35: Fiction, Facts and Reality in Modern Czech Literature (spring semester)
Credits: 6 ECTS
Senior course teacher: doc. Jirí Kudrnác
Few small nations have such a distinguished literature as the Czechs. This course looks at the main trends that have shaped Czech literature in the twentieth century, as well as the texts of many of the authors that have made it famous worldwide.
Czech Language (fall semester / spring semester)
Credits: 8 ECTS
Instructors: Faculty of Department of the Czech for Foreigners
The aim of this course is to provide participants with basic communicative competency through classes focused on grammar and conversation. Students are placed according to language ability.
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Giorgi Mikeladze, Tbilisi State University
Being a participant of CESP was outstanding and an absolutely unique experience. It was quite a surprise finding myself a part of an extremely diverse and interesting society of international students, along with the culturally rich spirit of Central Europe. I and all of my programmates definitely enjoyed it and were pleased with both the organizational and educational system of CESP. Moreover, the excellent staff members of the International Office at Masaryk University were a crucial reason that students easily adjusted to the new environment and established a way to communicate with our hosts. All of us surely acquired useful knowledge and pleasantly unforgettable memories.
Bjoern Jindra, University of Wolverhampton
CESP offers the appropriate study opportunity for students with almost every academic background at Bachelor or Masters level interested in the Central and Eastern European region. The program has a wide range of modules covering economics, social science and languages as well as the Arts. Students can flexibly combine modules of their choice offered by other faculties with the CESP. I focused on economic and social aspects and enjoyed being taught by outstanding Czech academics. Teaching methods and material as well as university facilities are modern and up to western standards. I had an excellent semester and enjoyed living in such a driving Central-European metropole as Brno.
Peter Jobsen, Utrecht University
The Central European Studies program is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about the history, economy and culture of the Czech Republic. The added value that comes from learning the language and living in Brno at the same time as taking the courses helps to get to know all aspects of Czech life in a very short time. My semester in Brno is without any doubt the most special and intense time I had all the way through my studies. Brno itself is a lively city, yet small enough to get to know your way around and to feel at home.
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