Vice-Dean for International Relations and PR Veronika Kočiš Krůtilová and Head of the PR and International Office at PEF MENDELU Kateřina Prášková travelled to Japan to develop cooperation with local universities and present study opportunities at PEF MENDELU to high school students. Their visit built on relationships the faculty has been developing for several years. This year’s trip was the third of its kind and brought further concrete opportunities for student and staff exchanges, short-term programmes and joint projects.
“For Japanese universities and students, the United States has traditionally been a typical destination for studying abroad, but the American market is now largely saturated. As a result, Japanese students and institutions are looking for new opportunities, and Europe represents an attractive option. We see considerable potential for PEF MENDELU in this,” explains Kateřina Prášková.
PEF MENDELU has been building relationships with Japanese partners since 2024 and has continued to develop them through subsequent visits. According to Veronika Kočiš Krůtilová, long-term engagement and personal contact are essential when working with Japanese partners. “In Japan, great importance is placed on mutual trust and building relationships. When we travelled there with colleagues for the first time three years ago, it was not easy even to establish contact with potential partners. Today, they already know us, they are much more open to cooperation, and PEF MENDELU is gradually building a strong reputation there,” she explains.
One of the first items on the programme was a meeting at Yokohama City University. According to Kočiš Krůtilová, representatives of the university showed interest in exchange and short-term study opportunities in Central Europe. “The Czech Republic is attractive to Japanese students because it is safe and more affordable than many of the destinations they traditionally choose for studying abroad. At the same time, it is located in the heart of Europe, so they can also travel from Brno to other European cities, which is very appealing to them,” she says.
One way of establishing cooperation with Japanese institutions is through a Memorandum of Understanding, which makes mutual student exchanges possible. As a result of this visit, such a memorandum will soon be signed with Yokohama City University. According to Kočiš Krůtilová, the university was also interested in the possibility of a short-term summer school at PEF MENDELU and online lectures in English delivered by our academic staff.
At all the universities they visited, the PEF MENDELU representatives also presented the possibility of a joint project under Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility, which supports cooperation with partner countries outside the European Union. The project can include mobility opportunities for students as well as academic and non-academic staff, ranging from shorter visits to semester-long study stays or summer schools. “We want to support exchanges in both directions. In the future, these contacts could also lead to joint research or publication activities,” says Kočiš Krůtilová.
In addition to meetings with universities, the PEF MENDELU representatives also attended several fairs for high school students. They presented not only study opportunities at PEF MENDELU, but also the summer school, which can serve as a first introduction to the Czech Republic and Brno for Japanese students. “The summer school gives them the opportunity to come to Europe before deciding whether to enrol in a full degree programme. They can get to know the campus, Brno and how studying at PEF MENDELU works, and see for themselves whether it is really the right choice for them,” explains the Vice-Dean.
European universities had only a limited presence at both fairs in Tokyo. Germany was the closest country to the Czech Republic represented, with two universities, while institutions from Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom also took part. No other institution from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia or elsewhere in our region attended the fairs, making PEF MENDELU the only university from Central Europe represented there. “It is an advantage for us that we are not just one of many universities in this environment, which makes us much more visible,” says Kočiš Krůtilová.
More than a thousand students attended the two fairs, and the PEF MENDELU representatives collected a number of contacts from students who showed an active interest in studying at the faculty.
The trip also included a visit to the New International School of Japan in Tokyo. PEF MENDELU has been in contact with the school for around three years, and last year its academic advisor also visited the MENDELU campus in Brno. This time, Veronika Kočiš Krůtilová and Kateřina Prášková presented the faculty directly to students considering studying in Europe.
Another high school fair followed in Kyoto. The event was held at the invitation of a school that PEF MENDELU already cooperates with. “The students themselves helped organise the fair. As a thank-you for taking part, they made a small origami gift for each of us,” says Kateřina Prášková.
“It was smaller and more personal than the large fairs in Tokyo. Parents came along with prospective students as well, not just academic advisors. One student even came to us and said he was seriously interested in studying with us, and we helped him complete his application on the spot,” adds Kočiš Krůtilová.
Further university meetings followed in Kyoto. At Kyoto University of Advanced Science, the PEF MENDELU representatives met with representatives of the Faculty of Bioenvironmental Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. The main topic was a university-wide Memorandum of Understanding currently being prepared, with the Faculty of Horticulture and PEF MENDELU involved in the negotiations on behalf of MENDELU. In March next year, representatives of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration are planning to visit our campus as part of a trip to Europe with their students.
At Ryukoku University, with which PEF MENDELU already has a memorandum in place, the faculty representatives met with the dean and academics from the fields of economics, management and marketing. The proposal for a joint International Credit Mobility project, short-term student stays and several-day joint programmes also attracted interest there. The concept of a summer school at PEF MENDELU received particularly strong interest. Ryukoku University regularly organises similar summer camps for its students, so its representatives were interested in the specific format of the programme, as well as transport and accommodation options. By the end of the meeting, both sides were already discussing a specific date for holding the summer school at our faculty.
The final university stop was Hiroshima, where PEF MENDELU also built on an existing memorandum and discussed possibilities for further expanding cooperation with Eikei University of Hiroshima. Before leaving Japan, the faculty representatives also visited Hiroshima International School. There, they discussed study opportunities at PEF MENDELU with students and the school’s academic advisor and also presented the summer school. Looking ahead, online meetings are also planned for students and parents considering studying abroad. During these sessions, our faculty will introduce study opportunities and life at MENDELU and answer any questions they may have.
The programme of the visit was spread across several Japanese cities. The Vice-Dean and the Head of the PR and International Office travelled between them mainly by Shinkansen high-speed trains, which made it possible to cover journeys of several hundred kilometres within just a few hours.
However, Veronika Kočiš Krůtilová sees the gradual change in the way Japanese institutions perceive PEF MENDELU as more important than the number of visits itself. “Japanese universities are relatively conservative and formal, but at the same time they are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of internationalisation and the need to offer students international experience. Central Europe and the Czech Republic are attractive to them. That is why we return regularly, raise awareness of the faculty and build trust with our existing partners. You can see that these relationships are moving forward every year,” she concludes.
