Education Linked to Practice to the Maximum Extent. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček Visited TBU

Assoc. Prof.  Karel Havlíček, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, visited Tomas Bata University in Zlín (TBU) on 7 November 2019. He met both representatives of schools and of local business and industry. At TBU, which is an example of a working link between education and practice, they dealt with the issue of creative industry, among other topics. Support of technology-oriented professions, investment in research and development as well as intents of TBU and of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) in future were discussed as well. During his visit, the Minister was accompanied by Lukáš Trčka, Director of the Regional Office of the CzechInvest company, and by Filip Terš, Director of the Office of the Minister of Industry and Trade.

Minister Havlíček’s visit started in the Centre of Polymer Systems (CPS), where he, accompanied by Prof. Vladimír Sedlařík, Rector of TBU, and Prof. Petr. Sáha, Director of the University Institute, visited the Centre’s research units. “The CPS is a top class research centre, which uses state-of-the-art equipment in order to guarantee world-class parameters in research into polymer systems. The Centre focuses on research into materials and on subsequent processes. The Centre’s research teams carry out basic as well as applied research. Results of their research find practical application in many industrial branches – for example in plastic processing, rubber processing, health care, cosmetics and food industry,” informed Prof. Sedlařík the Minister about the CPS.

Minister Havlíček also paid a visit to the Faculty of Multimedia Communications, where Assoc. Prof. Irena Armutidisová, Dean of the Faculty, showed him around the Audiovisual Arts, Industrial Design, Product Design and Digital Design studios, and where he had an opportunity to meet representatives of companies as well.