The preparation and editing of databases for a joint article in an impactful journal, discussions on migration policy in Central and Eastern Europe countries, the topic of the Roma community in the Czech Republic, debates on the living standards of economic migrants in the Czech Republic, health care for migrants, and other issues are being addressed by doc. MUDr. Kvetoslava Rimárová, CSc., from the Faculty of Medicine/Institute of Public Health and Hygiene of the Pavel Josef Šafárik University in Košice, during her working stay in South Bohemia. Doc. Rimárová has been cooperating with our faculty for more than ten years, continuously finding initiatives for further cooperation, and also teaching our students. She is currently discussing social determinants of health in different groups of residents and migrants with the head of the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences FHSS USB, doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jitka Vacková, Ph.D. Doc. Rimárová works in Košice, so she has extensive experience with the Roma integration and their social exclusion, the importance of community work, and the involvement of regions and municipalities in solving this problem. She is interested in the life of the Roma in the Czech Republic, their health, education, employment, and living standards. The possibility to compare the situation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is vital for her scientific work. These countries deal with many things in a similar way and can inspire each other.
Associate Professor Vacková said: “Associate Professor Rimárová and I have known each other since 2011. We met in Barcelona as part of the COST project focused on the social determinants of health in foreigners and the Roma. We gradually established closer cooperation on this issue. We have completed one publication for an impactful journal and are preparing another. We are also thinking about other possible project topics.” These topics include the support and protection of health in Roma communities, and the issue of health and reimbursement of health care in migrant groups. During her stay, Doc. Rimárová will visit the Roma communities in South Bohemia and focus on comparing the curricula in non-medical fields.
A current issue that both countries are exploring is migration from Ukraine and non- European Union countries. The movement of residents from east to west has been visible for a long time, mainly due to better work and higher earnings. This year, however, the war in Ukraine significantly affected the influx of refugees. After the outbreak of the war, many mothers fled to other countries with their children. This creates an entirely different situation, as until now, most immigrants were men. Doc. Rimárová sees great hope in the arrival of children. She said, "People from Ukraine are ethnically, culturally, religiously, and educationally (there are many university students among them) closer to us than those who head to Europe from more distant countries." Unfortunately, their integration is hindered by a very demanding nostrification procedure, which is a big problem that needs to be urgently solved.
These are essential questions for the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences of FHSS USB, which are being investigated in a new project funded by GAJU. The project is focused on integrating migrants from Ukraine, Russia and Vietnam, and students of the Master's programme and PhD students participate in it. Associate Professor Vacková said: "Of course, we didn't know last year that the war would break out in Ukraine and bring so many changes to our lives. We will have both groups in the project, i.e., those who came to us earlier for long periods for economic reasons, and those who came after the outbreak of the war. In any case, the topic has turned out to be highly topical."
