Charles University founded in 1348 is one of the oldest universities in the world and nowadays belongs to the most eminent educational and scientific establishments in the Czech Republic which are recognized in both the European and global context. It is an outstanding cultural institution due to its scientific and pedagogical results and its unique historical tradition.
Charles University now contains 17 faculties, 3 collegiate institutes, 6 additional establishments for educational, scientific, research and developmental activities and other creative activities and for information service, 5 university-wide facilities and the vice-chancellor´s/ rector´s office as an executive establishment for Charles University management.
The Faculty of Science consists of five sections defined according to respective fields of teaching and research: biology, ecology, geography, geology and chemistry. It is the most active faculty at the Charles University concerning the volume of research projects and academic publications. The Department of Social Geography and Regional Development is one of four departments in the Geographical Section. Research and graduate teaching at the department is especially focused on regional development and regional policies on national and Central and East European levels, with a special attention to the impact of accession to the European Union; the role and position of the Czech Republic in the international migration within the enlarged Europe; long-term development in land use and cover change in rural areas; comparative research of urban changes in post-communist societies, which includes research on waterfront redevelopment in Bratislava and Prague and it’s perceptions for future development of these cities.
