Palacký University Olomouc is aware of its responsibility towards society and the environment. Therefore the decision has been made to focus on sustainable development and promote its principles at our university and among the greater public. The means to achieve it are through innovations that strengthen social responsibility and promote environmentally friendly behaviour, and through a greater focus on related research as well as education in this field.
Vision
Palacký University Olomouc
is fully environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable
Palacký University is environmentally responsible in all respects, minimising the impact of its activities on climate change and systematically teaching and guiding its students and employees to environmentally responsible behaviour.
Palacký University behaves responsibly towards society, helps to develop the regional and local community, and is an inspiring model to all members of society, both general and professional.
Palacký University acts sustainably in relation to its economic requirements; it effectively manages and strategically uses its finances, its material as well as immaterial resources and values, and always makes responsible economic decisions considering the long-term perspective with regard to what is currently needed for its functioning.
Mission
Palacký University Olomouc will focus on the systematic fulfilment of its target objectives. UP will implement measures aimed at an urgent response to the climate crisis and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN.
UP will minimise all its behaviour which contributes to a negative impact on sustainable development. UP will adapt its infrastructure to climate change and will also inspire other institutions to act in this spirit at the local, regional, national, and transnational levels.
UP will act in accordance with the Strategic Framework Czech Republic 2030. In compliance with the Czech Republic’s membership in the European Union, UP will move towards carbon neutrality, in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal for Europe, by the end of 2050.
UP will use science and research to find new solutions for sustainable development, implement them in its daily operations and activities, and offer them to the wider public, thus fulfilling the university’s third mission – that of service to the community.
Priorities
The UP Sustainability Strategy defines three basic priority areas: operations and administration; educational and creative activities; social responsibility and the third role of the university. Their design corresponds to the thematic focus and nature of their relevant potentials, activities, and results. The priority areas are complementary and cross-cutting. You can find out more about them and their specific focus on our page What we do.
Sustainable University
The persons in charge of sustainability at Palacký University Olomouc are Mgr. Zuzana Huňková, UP Sustainable Development Coordinator, and Mgr. Miroslava Zavadil, UP Sustainable Development Officer. This unit falls under the office of the Vice-Rector for Strategy and Regional Affairs, JUDr. Mag. iur. Michal Malacka, Ph.D., MBA. Within the Sustainable University concept, a sustainable development strategy and an action plan have been developed to address sustainable development issues, propose long-term solutions for the university, prepare activities to promote sustainable development, and also educate and motivate students and staff in this regard. If you have any suggestions, inquiries, and ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us by email: zuzana.hunkova@upol.cz, or by phone +420 585 631 195.
Mgr. Zuzana Huňková
Graduate of International Development Studies at the UP Faculty of Science and Global Migration and Development Studies at the Faculty of Science at Charles University in Prague. She has several years of work and study experience abroad. In her position, she managed the creation of the UP Sustainable Development Strategy and Action Plans and is the main guarantor of their implementation. Among other things, she is also a graduate of the Academy of Sustainability Management for the FPH University of Economics and co-founder of the Association of Sustainability Managers. Since October 2023, she has been the Chairperson of the Local Agenda 21 and Smart City Commission of the City of Olomouc.
Mgr. Miroslava Zavadil
Miroslava graduated with a Master's degree in International Development Studies at the Faculty of Science of UP. The topic of her Master's thesis focused on sustainability, specifically on Sustainable Management of Southeast Asian Rainforests. During her studies, she gained valuable experience during a work placement at UNICEF and also during an internship abroad in the Netherlands, which she completed within the framework of the European Union Youth in Action programme. In addition, she worked as a tour guide at the Fort Science. She has completed the Sustainability Management Academy course for universities. She has participated in UNILEAD I + II (University Leaders for Sustainable Development) projects aimed at promoting sustainable development in universities. In her personal life, she emphasizes a responsible approach to sustainability. She is involved in the activities of the association Hravě v Doubravě, which supports the Forest Club where her children regularly attend. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family in nature, hiking, sports, travelling and music.
Mgr. Lenka Introvič
Lenka Introvič graduated from Palacký University Olomouc with a degree in Environmental protection and design. She has many years of experience in administering grant projects for schools and non-profit organizations. She is the founder of Los Vesinos, a local association dedicated to revitalizing public spaces and involving citizens in decision-making. Since October 2023, she has been a member of the Local Agenda 21 and Smart City Commission of the City of Olomouc, where, among other things, she is involved in the preparation of the Sustainability Action Plan. In her free time she enjoys sports, walking her dog, travelling and reading.
Sustainable development ambassadors at UP faculties
Eight Sustainability Ambassadors are helping to spread the principles of sustainability at faculties of UP. They are not only a link between the central department of sustainable development of UP (or Sustainable University), but also contact persons for students and employees at individual units. The ambassadors convey information within a given UP unit, cooperate with all departments and the management to implement the set sustainable development goals or participate in the implementation of popularization events towards sustainable development. They also participate in the meetings of the management of the unit or departments/units in addressing issues related to sustainable development and create a sustainable development action plan, which will be specified into several goals that the faculty wants to meet, following the model of the university-wide plan.
Feel free to contact them on any aspect related to sustainable development.
| CMTF | Lenka Peřinová | lenka.perinova@upol.cz |
| LF | Klára Voznicová | klara.voznicova@upol.cz |
| FF | Michal Nguyen | michal.nguyen01@upol.cz |
| PřF | Ivo Machar | ivo.machar@upol.cz |
| Ondřej Kolář | ondrej.kolar@upol.cz | |
| FTK | Iva Dostálová | iva.dostalova@upol.cz |
| PF | Aneta Křížová, Blanka Vítová | aneta.krizova@upol.cz; blanka.vitova@upol.cz |
| FZV | Vladimír Koutský | vladimir.koutsky@upol.cz |
Commission for Sustainable Development of UP
The Commission for Sustainable Development of Palacký University Olomouc was established in June 2024 as a university-wide advisory body to the Rector. The Commission provides opinions and recommendations to the Rector of UP on issues of sustainable development at UP, in particular on the development of the UP Sustainable Development Strategy Plan (hereinafter referred to as "SUR UP"), the development of action plans for the implementation of SUR UP, updates to the SUR UP and action plans for the implementation of SUR UP, and other outputs of the UP Sustainable Development Office. The UP SUR UP also provides the heads of individual UP units and, within the UP Rector's Office, individual UP Vice-Rectors, the UP Bursar and the UP Chancellor with suggestions in the field of sustainable development at UP.
More information about the Commission can be found in the internal standard Constitution of the Commission for Sustainable Development of Palacký University Olomouc (EN).
Members of the Commission
- JUDr. Mag. iur. Michal Malacka, Ph.D., MBA – prorektor pro strategii a vnější vztahy UP – předseda
- RNDr. Iva Dostálová, Ph.D. – ambasadorka udržitelného rozvoje na FTK
- Mgr. Ing. Jitka Hejlová – zástupkyně za Olomoucký kraj
- Ing. Ondřej Kolář – ambasador udržitelného rozvoje na PdF
- Mgr. Vladimír Koutský – ambasador udržitelného rozvoje na FZV
- Bc. Aneta Křížová – ambasadorka udržitelného rozvoje na PF
- prof. Ing. Ivo Machar – ambasador udržitelného rozvoje na PřF
- Mgr. Petr Mocek – studentský zástupce za AS UP
- Mgr. Michal Nguyen – ambasador udržitelného rozvoje na FF
- Mgr. Lenka Peřinová – ambasadorka udržitelného rozvoje na CMTF
- Mgr. Dušan Struna – zástupce za Statutární město Olomouc
- Ing. Josef Suchánek – kvestor UP
- Mgr. Šárka Šaňáková, Ph.D – zástupkyně za AS UP
- Mgr. Veronika Veselská Ph.D – zástupkyně za CATRIN
- doc. JUDr. Blanka Vítová, LL.M. Ph.D. – ambasadorka udržitelného rozvoje na PF
- Mgr. Klára Voznicová – ambasadorka udržitelného rozvoje na LF
- Mgr. Miroslava Zavadil – koordinátorka udržitelného rozvoje UP
Student organisations
Palacký University Olomouc has many student organisations that touch upon or intersect with sustainability issues in various ways. UP supports student organisations focussing on sustainability in all regards and encourages students to get involved in individual initiatives.
Student associations that address sustainability in their activities:
If your association is also concerned with sustainability issues, please do not hesitate to contact us and tell us more about your activities. We will happily promote and support you and establish cooperation with you.
With whom we cooperate
Sluňákov – the center for ecological activities of the city of Olomouc offers environmentally oriented activities for schools, teachers, families with children and other general public in a modern low-energy house on the edge of the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area in Horka nad Moravou. The house is surrounded by a unique natural art gallery called the Nature House of Litovelské Pomoraví, where visitors and program participants can experience extraordinary encounters with the floodplain landscape. It organises educational and awareness-raising programmes for schools and the public, regular Ecological evenings, the Ecological Days Olomouc festival and runs an open-air exhibition.
ARPOK is an Olomouc educational organisation founded by Palacký University. It is dedicated to global development education and teaching about current issues in today's world. It offers a wide range of educational programmes for pupils, seminars for teachers of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and proven methodological materials on global development education (some of them can be found in the UP Library collection). It also organises conferences and public talks for the public, known as development evenings.
The Association of Social Responsibility (A-CSR) is the largest initiative of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the UN in the Czech Republic. Its vision is to make social responsibility and sustainability a natural part of business and the functioning of every organisation in the Czech Republic.