20 Priorities for the 21st-Century University

17. 8. 2026

The Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education Institutions is the national representation of students, made up of delegates from public, state, and private higher education institutions. It addresses issues affecting students at both the national and international level. Part of its agenda is higher education self-governance, within which this document was created. It also further develops the program declaration of the Student Chamber of the RVŠ in the area of academic self-governance and, in certain points, makes it more concrete.

This document contains 20 priorities for the 21st-century university, which universities should pay attention to and address actively and constructively. Fulfilling these priorities is essential for the quality of education, the implementation of modern methods, and keeping pace with 21st-century trends.

The priorities are logically divided into 8 thematic areas: Digitalization and Information Resources, Ethics, Individual Approach, University Governance, Student Culture, External Relations, Education, and Facilities.

Higher education institutions in the Czech Republic vary widely in focus, size, and often have specific needs of their own. Even so, many of the challenges they face are shared, though sometimes to different extents and in different forms. Institutions are also at different stages in implementing modern methods, technologies, and approaches. Practices that work smoothly at some institutions and have become standard are, at others, only just being introduced or are being actively anticipated.

As representatives of the SK RVŠ, we decided to draw on inter-university cooperation to gain a comprehensive view of the situation across different fields and institutions. In preparing this document, we mapped the situation across the Czech Republic, shared our know-how, and identified examples of good practice from various higher education institutions.

The resulting document can serve as a tool and source of inspiration for the executive bodies of universities, as well as for active students — senators and representatives of student organizations. The aim of the document is to inform readers about what can be improved and to help them get a sense of which mechanisms work well at other higher education institutions.

Please go through the following points carefully and, together with your colleagues, assess the extent to which your university covers the areas mentioned, and whether there is still room for improvement on these topics at your institution or faculty.

The topics addressed also reveal certain issues that cannot easily or effectively be resolved at the level of individual higher education institutions alone. The document therefore also points to further matters that will be priorities for the Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education Institutions in the period ahead.