13.06.2025
On Wednesday, 11 June 2025, members of the International Evaluation Panel (IEP) visited Škoda Auto University. Their task is to evaluate the research and development activities of the institution as part of the evaluation process for research organisations – universities, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. In addition to discussions with the management and employees of the university, the panelists had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the premises of Educational Centre Na Karmeli and Educational Technical Centre Na Hejdovce, visit the Škoda Museum and take a look behind the scenes of Škoda production during a tour of the factory.
Škoda Auto University is one of four private universities in the Czech Republic that voluntarily signed up for the evaluation of research organisations in the higher education sector, which is organised by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Universities are evaluated every five years based on self-evaluation reports submitted to international evaluation panels. An integral part of this process is a visit by IEP members to the university being evaluated. The evaluation results include valuable recommendations for the further development of the university in the field of research and development.
While in 2020, when ŠAU underwent its first evaluation, the meeting with the panel took place in a hybrid form due to anti-pandemic measures, this time ŠAU was able to welcome all IEP members to its headquarters in Mladá Boleslav. The panel was chaired by Carmen Bonaci from Romania, IEP were joined by Istvan Benczes from Hungary, Zuzana Machová from the Czech Republic, Jürgen Mühlbacher from Austria, Margherita Russo from Italy, Peter Trebuňa from Slovakia and Dariusz Krol from Poland. The panel meeting was also supervised by Iveta Dudek Ptáčníková, a methodologist from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
During the day, the panel met with the school's management and selected representatives from among academic and operational employees and students, with topics related to the school's research and development activities forming the basis for all discussions. In addition to these meetings, the panel also familiarised itself with the school premises through guided tours of Educational Centre Na Karmeli and Educational Technical Centre Na Hejdovce, where members of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department prepared demonstrations of technology in individual laboratories. Thursday morning was devoted to a visit to the Škoda Museum and an excursion to the Škoda factory.
"The opportunity to present our results from the last five years, outline the future development of our school, and, above all, discuss these issues with experts from various research fields is very valuable feedback for all of us. Based on their comments, I believe we are on the right track. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all our employees for this!" adds the rector of ŠAU, Prof. Ing. Ondřej Krejcar, Ph.D., MPA.
Based on the self-evaluation report and an on-site visit, the International Evaluation Panel will prepare a report on the status of research and development at ŠAU during the summer. Škoda Auto University will most likely receive the evaluation results in the autumn, but no later than March 2026.
