Starting today, the FHSS USB building in U Výstaviště street 26 is hosting an international event called the International Staff Week which focuses on the instruction of professional subjects in the Nursing study programme. Participants are 34 teachers from 13 European countries and Turkey. Other foreign participants are joining online. In the opening of the event, director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care and Vice-Dean for Science and Research prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D. warmly welcomed the participants with the following words: “I believe that the exchange of information and comprehensive discussion will contribute to the development of nursing.”

She introduced the main organizers of the event doc. PhDr. Marie Trešlová, Ph.D. and Mgr. František Dolák, Ph.D., Head of the Simulation Centre who later informed the guests about the foundation of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields which was launched by our faculty in autumn 2020. He added that as it was the first centre of this type in the Czech Republic, its creators appreciated all the inspiring experience from abroad – namely from Finland, Spain, the USA, and Latvia. Nevertheless, creating and establishing the Centre is just the first step. The most important thing is to provide high quality instruction for students. The instruction of students is conditioned by pre-programming diverse situations which students are supposed to deal with. Those scenarios represent a significant part of the programme of the International Staff Week.

The second speaker was prof. dr. József Betlehem, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Pécs in Hungary. He updated the audience on the latest achievements in health care education, current trends in simulation teaching and in teaching based on scenarios. His contribution opened the professional programme comprising of various presentations, a seminar on introducing simulation into curricula, and workshops in the Simulation Centre of the FHSS USB. The participants had an opportunity to visit the Centre on Monday, on the following days they are going to work in individual rooms.

The first simulation centre for health-oriented fields in the Czech Republic was launched by our faculty in September 2020. In U Výstaviště street 26 building were established hospital rooms, a delivery room, an intensive care unit, and a realistic cabin of an ambulance. Everything is equipped with functional medical appliances and patients are represented by sophisticated computer-controlled dummies which simulate breathing, pulse, circulation, etc. They may be connected to machines; simulators react to the procedures performed, and teachers can communicate through them with students. Simulation instruction happens thanks to control rooms and other spaces where teachers watch and evaluate students’ performance which leads to their independence and preparedness for their future profession.

From August 22, the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia will host the participants of the International Intensive Week in order to exchange experience with simulation teaching in nursing, improve the skills, make the use of this teaching method more efficient, and establish closer mutual cooperation. The organizers expect about forty educators from 13 European countries and Turkey.

It is the largest event to date, during which the FHSS USB opens the Simulation Centre to the professional public. The head of the Simulation Centre Mgr. František Dolák, Ph.D. said: "The main goal is to improve the quality of teaching by using modern methods. “We offer our students new approaches that can be applied in teaching general and paediatric nursing, midwifery and rescue service." The FHSS USB opened the first comprehensive simulation centre for non-medical health fields in the Czech Republic in autumn 2020. Experts from the FHSS USB gathered inspiration for this project in Finland, Spain, the USA, and Latvia. Several colleagues are now heading to České Budějovice to see the new specialized rooms for healthcare workers which faithfully imitate the reality.

The weekly meeting takes place in U Výstaviště Street 26 building, where hospital rooms, a delivery room, an intensive care unit, and an authentic ambulance cabin are located in the basement. Simulation teaching is made possible by control rooms and other spaces in which pedagogues monitor and evaluate the work of students, who are guided to be as independent as possible. Everything is equipped with functional medical devices and patients are represented by sophisticated computer-controlled dummies that imitate breathing, pulse or heart activity, etc. They can be connected to different devices; simulators react to the procedures performed and allow communication between students and teachers.

Numerous different situations that health professionals have to deal with can be pre-programmed. These scenarios will represent an important part of the programme of the International Intensive Week. Morning sessions which other foreign participants can also join online will offer theory and discussion. Afternoons will be dedicated to workshops held directly in the individual halls of the Simulation Centre. František Dolák explained: "We approached all the partner faculties where Nursing is taught. Among other things, we offered them space so that they can present their own scenarios and participate in the exchange of experience, which is what we are primarily interested in." He specified that the organizing Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care of the FHSS USB invited colleagues who already have simulation centres in their faculties, as well as those who are just thinking about them and want to get to know this form of teaching more closely.

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the USB has long-term focus on finding innovative teaching options that will allow students to have the closest possible connection with practice and the best possible training of all skills in the most realistic environment possible, without putting the patient at risk by making beginner student mistakes. That is why our faculty wants to support public schools that already use simulation teaching to cooperate to a greater extent in the future. The present is in favour of such cooperation. Earlier, there was an effort to protect one's know-how in these unique and expensive projects but the development progressed and showed how necessary cooperation in this area is. The dean Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D. said: "I am very happy that the offer of our faculty has aroused such great interest among colleagues from abroad. For us, this is not only an important opportunity to exchange experience and gain new ideas, but also an opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the teaching of these subjects at other faculties around the world - including those countries where we previously drew inspiration."

The two-story building of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields, which is an extension to the existing FHSS USB building, cost about 58 million crowns including equipment. The centre was financed by the EU Research, Development and Education Operational Programme (co-participation of the faculty in the amount of 5%). Construction took two years and classes started there in the autumn of 2020. By observing strict anti-epidemic measures, it was possible to maintain classes here even during the months when most schools were closed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Among other things, she emphasized the indispensability of well-prepared nurses and other health professionals, to which teaching in the simulation centre contributes significantly.

Program HERE:

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."

Professor Susan O'Hara, PhD, MPH, RN, who spent more than a week at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB, returned to the United States with a lot of inspiration for future cooperation, as well as memories of many pleasant meetings. She came from Ohio State University (OSU), a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Susan O'Hara is a nursing major - and teaches at the College of Nursing at the university. She has known the director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, prof. PhDr Valéria Tóthová, Ph.D., for a long time, since she worked at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Our colleagues from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care took care of Susan O’Hara’s busy schedule. They presented her with details of the study programmes focused on nursing, scientific research projects and their outputs. Professor O'Hara also met with doctoral students and prepared several topics for them (the reactions of the doctoral students can be found at the end of this article). As well as this, she visited České Budějovice hospital, became a member of the graduation collegium, etc. In her free time, Professor O’Hara managed to visit some attractive sites in southern Bohemia, such as Český Krumlov and Třeboň.

Ohio State University pays great attention to innovation, which is why it offers a master's degree in innovation. The cooperation agreement between our faculty and OSU was signed at the beginning of 2022. In February 2022, the Erasmus+ project KA171 (aimed at developing cooperation between the two universities) was submitted. The OSU research university uses two important and very inspiring centres for our faculty: the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership, and the Ohio State’s Center for Transdisciplinary Evidence-based Practice (CTEP). “This school is very advanced in innovative nursing. I even discovered that I have been using the books of the dean of this faculty for several years for teaching the subject Evidence Based Nursing," said prof. Tóthová, vice-dean for science and research at the SHSS USB, who will visit Ohio State University for the first time in October. A doctoral student from INMEC will also head to the USA.

Professor O´Hara was particularly interested in our faculty's comprehensive understanding of the nursing study programme. “I was very impressed by the combination of research and practical teaching, as well as the involvement of the teachers and their ideas for innovation,” she said. “I am convinced that there are great possibilities for cooperation with our university. It is very important for us to gain experience in nursing in different cultures." She kept the dean of the College of Nursing informed about her journey, also giving her the news that she had become a member of the graduate collegium of a group of graduates of study programs in the INMEC. "It was a great honour for me,” she said. “The atmosphere of your graduations is amazing. I really liked how personal the mutual contact between students and teachers was." She also thanked all the colleagues for their hospitality and for everything they managed to show her during her visit.

A tour of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields was a great experience for her. She was interested in its equipment and the teaching method. She was particularly excited by the realistic ambulance located in the basement, where future paramedics can get a real idea of ​​the space they have to work in when transporting a patient. In Ohio they also use simulation to teach, but they don't have a real ambulance at the training centre. While they use a lot of virtual reality perceived through 3D glasses, according to the American professor, such a complex workplace equipped with the most modern models is unique. "It must be very beneficial for students,” she said. “It's great to be able to set scenarios of different situations that correspond to reality." She was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the teachers who provide an impressive atmosphere for the training.

Professor Tóthová was very pleased with these reactions, and also believes that the two faculties will work well together. She already has several specific topics that she plans to propose to her American colleagues in the autumn. Our faculty can enter this partnership with great confidence: Susan O'Hara was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensiveness of our study programmes. She was also interested in the achievements of the FHSS USB in scientific research activities. The director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, Prof. Tóthová concluded: "We presented her with some analysis that provided an idea of ​​the number of projects and publication activity. She was also interested in the topics of individual research projects and their results applied in practice. We also presented her with monographs created within previous research projects. She was very surprised by the number of projects we tackle and how intensively our teams work on them."

Reactions of our PhD students:

PhDr. Martin Červený

Prof. Susan O'Hara is a very inspiring person. I was extremely surprised by her view of nursing and the great potential she sees in nurses who can design new innovations and implement them in healthcare to improve patient health or healthcare in general. I would like to adopt this mindset of health innovation and develop it in my field.

M.Sc. Inka Kratochvílová

Our meeting was extremely interesting and inspiring. We were introduced to the topic of Building a Culture of Innovation in the Health System, which was completely new to me. Once again, it showed that American nurses are among the leaders in nursing research and development.

M.Phil. Rehana Kabooro MSc. (doctoral student from Pakistan)

I really enjoyed Susan O'Hara's presentation. She highlighted many important things for students who want to make it in nursing and improve society. She worked on the topic of interdisciplinary nursing in public health, which was very interesting to me. I would like to work with her in the future to strengthen the role of modern innovations to support nursing and public health.

On Saturday, June 4, students of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia supported the organizers of the 2022 Mattoni half marathon in České Budějovice. 41 students from the study programmes General Nursing, Medical Rescue and Physiotherapy, helped with this prestigious event. The majority provided medical services on the track, rescuers went to the event on bikes, and six future physiotherapists massaged runners in a tent on Přemysl Otakar II Square. The main race began at 7pm with heavy rain and lightning in the distance, but the rain soon stopped. Rain had also bothered the participants earlier that afternoon, but fortunately it stopped before the family dm run at 5pm, intended mainly for parents with children.

The accompanying programme in the square began in the morning. In the tent of the University of South Bohemia, experts from the Centre for the Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases of the FHSS USB and students of General Nursing offered athletes and members of the public advice on healthy lifestyle based on measuring selected health values. The running service provided our students with valuable experience: for example, two students offered effective help to a thirteen-year-old boy who had an epileptic seizure on the track.

RunCzech project manager, Igor Murko, later thanked our faculty for the cooperation: "We witnessed the determined performances of the runners, but also the great commitment of volunteers, paramedics, and everyone else involved. We appreciate your support and splendid commitment during the preparations and the race itself. Thank you for your cooperation, which was essential for realising this unique race."

The main race of the 10^th Mattoni České Budějovice Half Marathon attracted almost 2,500 runners. About 4,000 competitors took part in all the runs during the day. The České Budějovice race has been awarded a five-star European Athletics Certificate. Once again it attracted hundreds of visitors at the start of the race in the square, as well as around the track.

The latest step in the new cooperation between the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB with Albania was a visit of teachers from Barleti University (UMB) in Tirana ­(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erika Melonashi, Dr. Reta Pinderi, and Dr. Eneida Frashëri). They met with the management of the FHSS USB, held classes for our students, and presented their country and university. They also visited clinical workplaces where FHSS USB students complete their professional practice. They visited ARPIDA, z. ú. centre of rehabilitation for people with disabilities, and Máj, p. o. home for the elderly, which uses special technical aids for multisensory stimulation. They returned home with positive impressions, and the belief that the new cooperation would be pleasant and mutually enriching.

Director of the Institute of Social and Special-Educational Sciences, doc. Mgr. and Mgr. Jitka Vacková, Ph.D., sees Albania as a country full of stimuli for social work-related disciplines, and the field is currently growing there. She said, "It is a beautiful example of a country where different religions live side-by-side in tolerance and enrich each other without conflict. Albania is historically similar to the Czech Republic, we have a lot in common, including the humour of small nations. The country has been experiencing migration for a long time, which is also very relevant in relation to the current situation here. In Albania, social work is financed differently to our country - and this can also inspire us."

Vice-Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erika Melonashi, described the focus of our faculty, which connects the medical and social fields, as a perfect combination. She is a psychologist by profession and examines health from three perspectives – social, medical, and psychological. Among other things, she gave lectures on the impact of individual personality types on health, particularly in connection with Covid-19. Dr. Eneida Frashëri focuses on the "social self", which is associated with self-confidence and self-concept, currently a very attractive and widely developed topic. She also deals with the influence of collectivist and individualist culture on a person, or how an individual's network of social contacts shapes an individual from an early age. Dr. Reta Pinderi teaches social work. Her topics include human rights, migration, human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.

In the winter semester 2022/2023, we will welcome another group of teachers from Albania to our faculty, and students from Albania will most likely join Czech students at the FHSS USB. In the autumn, a group of teachers will go on a week-long study visit to Tirana, where they will give lectures to Barleti University students.

The cooperation between the team involved in the international BENEFITS project was so good that its members would like to continue even after the project has finished. This resolution was announced during the farewell meeting held in Barcelona on 19 and 20 June. Participants came from 7 universities and 6 countries, namely Turkey, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. The cooperation was realised thanks to the “Better & Effective Nursing Education For Improving Transcultural Nursing Skills (BENEFITS)” project, financed from the programme ERASMUS+ KA203 Strategic Partnerships for higher education.

Prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D., Vice-Dean for Science and Research, and Head of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery, and Emergency Care of the FHSS USB said: “During the two-day meeting, we evaluated the progress, achieved results, and outcomes of the project. The active three-year cooperation brought abundant pedagogical and scientific outcomes. The representatives of individual countries presented the benefits of the project, how the outcomes influenced teaching transcultural nursing in their respective faculties and plans for the future use of these outcomes. Thanks to the project, we created a questionnaire for the assessment of the cultural competence of students of nursing and realised a pilot one-week intensive joint course on transcultural nursing at Giresun university, Turkey. We also published a book on transcultural nursing, articles in impacted journals containing the results of our questionnaire survey, and an analysis of curricula. Those perfect outcomes are evidence of the high-quality work of the whole team.” 

The main coordinator of the project at our faculty was prof. Tóthová. The other participants were Mgr. Věra Hellerová, Ph.D., and doc. PhDr. Marie Trešlová, Ph.D. who carried out some activities. The final meeting took place at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine. The participants were Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D. – Dean of the FHSS USB, Associate Professor Trešlová, and Professor Tóthová. Prof. Tóthová concluded: “I am delighted that our faculty had an opportunity to become a member of the consortium and cooperate with foreign experts on transcultural nursing. Our experiences will be used both in teaching and scientific work. I am also glad that, during the final meeting, the Dean had an opportunity to get acquainted with the process of solving the project and all the outcomes, and experienced the friendly atmosphere and excellent cooperation among the team members – which we would like to further develop after the end of the project. The next issue to solve is the final report, which is due by the end of August.”  

Saying goodbye to this year´s participants of the Children´s University at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB was emotional. A special meeting was organised with children from the first year, their parents, and lectors, to plan the upcoming school year. The afternoon also meant saying farewell to the second-year children. The organisers prepared a graduation ceremony for the young students, much like the ceremony for their older colleagues in Metropol cultural house. The event took place in lecture theatre F, where the Choir of the FHSS USB sang for all participants, and teachers dressed in academic gowns presented diplomas and small presents to the children.

The Vice-Dean for academic issues, Mgr. Onřej Doskočil, Th.D., delivered a speech about the infinite process of human learning, and the tiny pieces of knowledge we collect throughout our lives to create a splendid colourful mosaic that follows up on the knowledge of previous generations. He said: “This truth is built up from tiny fragments of human knowledge, it is unable to be assembled by oneself. We are not solo players, we live in human society, side by side, we rely on each other. Sometimes we even carry another person, we lean against them: rescuers carry wounded people, healthcare professionals care for the ill and those in advanced age. This is not applicable only to injuries, illness, or old age. Human learning is a never-ending story.” He pointed out that during CUUSB lessons children realised ­– perhaps more than ever – how much people depend on each other, and how obvious this becomes during illness, old age, or emergency. These are the situations the helping professions focus on, and these are the professions whose graduates our faculty prepares and educates.

The Children´s University acquaints children with the content of the study programmes our faculty offers in a playful way. Perhaps their acquaintance with our school will one day bring them to the helping professions, and they will become doctors, nurses, paramedics, or social workers. Vice-Dean Doskočil expressed this hope: “Perhaps the study has inspired you in such a way that some of you will come back to the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences in the future.”

The ceremony was certainly more pleasant than the last two years which were affected covid-19 measures. This time participants didn´t need to wear face masks, they could shake hands or hug. At the end of the event, Věra Dušková spoke for all the little graduates.  “We have become a nice team,” she said, as she gave thanks to all of the pedagogues, parents, and students of the FHSS USB who had helped with the classes.  

Mgr. Zlatana Midžić and Mgr. Pavel Bluďovský, language teachers from the Institute of the Humanities and Helping Professions of the FHSS USB, spent the week from 18 April 2022 at Atlantic Language School in Galway, Ireland. During the stay they met with the management of the school and assisted in various English courses. These courses included general B2 and C1 level classes, an academic writing and presentation course with Sarah Toomey, a preparatory course for the IELTS exam, and a workshop for teachers participating in job shadowing with Olive Waldron.

The main objective of the trip was to learn about the teaching methods and approaches at Atlantic Language. Pavel Bluďovský said: “We gained experience with teaching methods which might be useful for the foreign language classes at our faculty – especially some internet tools. Another benefit was the contacts we forged with teachers who might be interested in taking part in reciprocal mobility.”

Visiting a new English-speaking country provided our colleagues with a unique opportunity to discover Irish culture and gain experience with local English dialects. They made valuable contacts with Atlantic Language School students, teachers, and academics. They also gained experience in teaching multinational groups and the implementation of a ‘non-paper environment’. Several excursions were included in their stay, and naturally, the promotion of the FHSS USB to foreign students and teachers.         

Two teachers from the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo spent a week in České Budějovice. The FHSS USB has been developing a credit mobility project in the field of social work for students and teachers between the two institutions since 2019, but due to covid-19 restrictions the exchange hadn’t been possible until now. Doc. PhDr. Adéla Mojžíšová, Ph.D. and Mgr. Bohdana Břízová, Ph.D., from the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences of the FHSS USB, recently travelled to Sarajevo – to be followed by two colleagues from Sarajevo Prof. dr. Sanela Bašić and Prof. dr. Sabira Šašić-Gadžo who are now visiting our faculty. They have met with the representatives of the faculty and other colleagues, taken part in teaching our students, and presented their university and country. They have also visited clinical facilities, namely the Arpida Rehabilitation Centre and the Charity Intervention Centre. The choice respected the professional scope and research activities of our colleagues who deal, among other things, with the issue of domestic violence.

Sanela Bašić said: "The project gives us a significant opportunity to learn from each other and get inspired by similar and different methods of working with students - and also by the organization of social services in your country." She was pleased by the reaction of our students, who were very interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina: how things are at present, the consequences of the war, and many other social work topics. Both guests liked the friendly reception and helpful attitude of teachers and students. They were also thrilled by the beautiful environment of the campus, with its academic library and dormitories. Their impression is that the University of South Bohemia is truly an international institution. At our faculty, they also met other guests from abroad who came at the same time within credit mobility. Sabira Šašić-Gadžo added: "We will send our students and other colleagues to you with confidence. We believe that they will find a number of opportunities for further development in the field."

The aim of these meetings is to lay the ground for the first students from Sarajevo to come this autumn, either for five-month study stays or two-month internships in organizations in České Budějovice (where the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences sends its students for professional practice). They can apply until the end of May, and according to Associate Professor Mojžíšová there are already six applicants. In the future, our students are also expected to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the University of Sarajevo, social work education has a long tradition and there is a great demand for graduates. It is possible to study social work at both bachelor's and master's level - either full-time or part-time.

Two specialists in physiotherapy came for a teaching stay within the project Erasmus + KA107 - International Credit Mobility, a cooperation between the FHSS USB and Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal. Umesh Adhikari and Smita K.C spent a week at our faculty and other places in southern Bohemia. They began with a very interesting and engaging lecture about Nepal, introducing their country and then focusing on teaching and challenges for physiotherapy in Nepal. After this a non-traditional workshop focusing on functional intensive training of children with cerebral palsy took place, with the assistance of fellow physiotherapists and occupational therapists from the Arpida Centre. "The workshop participants were children - clients of Arpida - and their parents. Students had the opportunity to experience different types of cerebral palsy, communicate with children and parents, and crate realistic goals for therapy ­– with activities and aids of daily life. The students were wonderful and actively participated in the workshop," said the director of the Institute of Physiotherapy and Selected Medical Disciplines, MUDr. and Mgr. Marcela Míková, Ph.D., who organised the programme with other colleagues from the institute, namely Mgr. Zuzana Širůčková and PhDr. Marek Zeman, Ph.D.

Another part of the programme that the Nepalese guests found inspiring was an excursion to the Arpida centre, an important clinical workplace for our faculty. Dr. Míková added: "Both guests were very excited by the extraordinary complexity of the centre and the possibilities of coordinated rehabilitation. They were very interested in hippotherapy led by a physiotherapist, something they had no prior experience with in Nepal.”

The guests also went on several excursions and visited clinical workplaces where physiotherapy students do their practice: the FHSS USB Physiotherapy Center, the Rehabilitation Department of České Budějovice Hospital, and Slatinné spa in Třeboň. They also visited the newly opened local water world and the historic centres of České Budějovice and Třeboň.

Assoc. PhDr. Adéla Mojžíšová, Ph.D., and Mgr. Bohdana Břízová, Ph.D., from the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences of the FHSS USB have spent a week at the University of Sarajevo, where they implemented a credit mobility project for students and teachers with the Faculty of Political Sciences. This collaboration began in 2019, but due to restrictions related to the covid-19 pandemic, it was not possible to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier. Doc. Mojžíšová and Dr. Břízová met with the dean and members of the faculty administration, the head of the Department of Social Work and other colleagues in Sarajevo. They discussed important topics and attended social work classes in all years of study. During the week they spent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they visited Sarajevo City Hall, where they were received by the Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo, Haris Bašić. They taught students and gave a presentation about the University of South Bohemia, our faculty, and the region of Southern Bohemia. Next week, from 16 to 20 May, two colleagues from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo will come to the FHSS USB. The aim of these meetings is to launch mobility programs for students from Sarajevo who want to come to our faculty this autumn. They will have an opportunity to study, or participate in internships at organizations in České Budějovice where the students of the Institute of Social and Special Pedagogical Sciences complete their professional practice.

At the University of Sarajevo, education in social work has a long tradition and graduates are in great demand. They offer social work programs at both bachelor's and postgraduate level, in full-time and part-time courses. The catalyst for this cooperation were meetings of the European Association of Schools of Social Work, of which both Adéla Mojžíšová from our faculty and the Vice Dean for International Relations of the Faculty of Political Science are members. Since Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a member of the European Union, it was necessary to find another way to cooperate, i.e., to use the credit mobility project.

Students of our faculty may also go to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both Adéla Mojžíšová and Bohdana Břízová are convinced that cooperation with this country can greatly enrich the development of the study programme. Assoc. Mojžíšová said: "It will bring us a new perspective on this issue, because, compared to our country, there is not such a comprehensive social work system nor such a widespread non-profit sector. However, given the complicated development of the country, where the consequences and traces of the war are still visible, social workers are very much needed." Dr. Břízová added: "It is a very interesting place for cooperation, especially as the country is historically close to us. People from the Czech Republic are welcome there and generally well received."

Students from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia will be measuring blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI and blood glucose (blood sugar) at the terminal of České Budějovice Hospital on Friday 13 May from 9 am to 1 pm. They will also inform the public on recognizing the first signs of stroke and how to adequately react.

The event is held in collaboration with the hospital's neurology department to mark International Stroke Prevention Day (ISPD), which falls on 15 May each year. It is also related to a project being carried out at the FHSS USB, which aims to monitor health literacy, prevention, and to describe follow-up care for patients with mild disability after an ischemic stroke. This project is implemented by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences in cooperation with the neurology department of the České Budějovice Hospital. Mgr. Lenka Šedová, Ph.D., the coordinator of the Centre for Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases of the Faculty of Health Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia, explained: "The purpose of the event is to point out the symptoms of stroke, and also to show that, to some extent, stroke is a preventable disease, the occurrence of which is closely linked to lifestyle.”

International Nurses' Day will be commemorated by an event of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia at Přemysl Otakar II Square in České Budějovice on Thursday 12 May, from 12 to 5 pm, in front of the city hall. Together with students, experts from the Centre for the Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases of the FHSS USB will measure blood pressure, pulse, BMI, total fat, cholesterol, and sugar levels. Select measurements are free of charge and go hand in hand with counselling sessions that focus on healthy lifestyle. The main aim of this event is to highlight the fact that general nurses not only work in healthcare facilities, but are also involved in prevention, which contributes to improving health.

International Nurses' Day commemorates the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), an English nurse who was a major figure in nursing and is considered its founder. Her activities and efforts to reform health care greatly influenced the quality of care provided to patients in the 19th and 20th centuries. She remains a very inspiring personality for students of the FHSS USB. Therefore, the celebration of the nursing profession will take place on Thursday May 12, in the decorated lobby of the main building Vltava/Uran.

In the next academic year 2022/23, the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the USB will offer the study programme Civil protection with a focus on CBRNE. It is a three-year bachelor's degree and can be studied either full-time or part-time. Candidates can apply until 30 April (for the other study programmes the application deadline is 15 April). Entrance examinations will be held from 30 May to 3 June 2022.

On Thursday, 24 February 2022, at an event attended by the media, a cooperation agreement between the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and the town of Volary was concluded. The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences will mainly cooperate with the city in the area of providing care to the elderly with the use the project results. The project entitled: Model of care for the elderly in residential facilities in the concept of three-tier housing has been successfully implemented by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice since 2018. The aim of the project was to identify modern trends in care for the elderly and examples of good practice in residential facilities, as well as to propose a model of care in the concept of three-tier housing for the elderly, with an emphasis on the connection with the community and consideration of intergenerational solidarity.

The principal investigator of the project, doc. PhDr. Adéla Mojžíšová, Ph.D., from the Institute of Social and Special-pedagogical Sciences of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia explains: "One of the results of the project is the creation of a model of care for the elderly that takes into account all its fundamental principles and examples of good practice with respect to the degree of self-sufficiency of the elderly person." The model includes the main trends of the current provision of services at the health-social border. It is based on the principles of human dignity, and respect for the client and his/her family.