April 24, 2024 - The Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (FSV UK) ceremonially opens a renovated and expanded mini-campus in Jinonice. The construction of a new extension and complete reconstruction of the existing buildings gave the Jinonice Campus a modern look tailored to the needs of the faculty.

The reconstruction of the original buildings and the completion of the new multifunctional building had been underway since 2020. The Jinonice Campus, as the official name of the faculty building complex is, fully opened to students and teachers at the end of 2023.

"The completion of the new campus of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University is another important part of the modern educational campuses that our university offers to its entire academic community. Teaching of social sciences is very important in the present time and in the complex geopolitical situation of the contemporary world. The Faculty of Social Sciences contributes a number of important and interesting scientific outputs to the development of our entire society," said the Rector of Charles University, Prof. MUDr. Milena Králíčková, Ph.D. 

"Thanks to the support of the European Union structural funds and the national investment programme, the Faculty of Science and Technology has managed to build top-class, highly modern facilities for its students and lecturers. Thanks to this, the Jinonice Campus is becoming the core of faculty activities. The new multifunctional building provides students with previously non-existent facilities, such as individual study rooms, rooms for their team work or a night study room," said the FSV UK Dean, PhDr. JUDr. Tomáš Karásek, Ph.D.

The faculty campus is now equipped with the latest computer and presentation technology. The complex houses 105 offices, 5 lecture halls (two of which have been newly built), 20 seminar rooms and a number of other specialised areas, including the faculty Radio and Television Laboratory and the photo lab. A new breakout area has also been created in the former entrance area of the building, next to which is a room dedicated to student societies.

The main architect of the project was Ing. arch. Miroslava Tylšová from the Apris 3M studio. When designing the new building, the architects also emphasized the conditions of sustainability and energy efficiency. It is covered with a golden cladding made from expanded metal, which shades the building and, together with a system of special cooling ceilings, contributes to greater thermal comfort inside. The cladding also features the university's bula - at 7.6 metres in diameter, it is the largest emblem of Charles University used on a building in Prague.

The most important part of the new multifunctional building, which is now also the entrance to the entire campus, is the faculty library. It offers up to 40,000 volumes in free selection, 5,125 electronic books and over 165 electronic specialist databases. Students also have 167 study spaces, individual and team study rooms or a relaxation area. The new night study room in Jinonice also allows students of FSV UK to use the library facilities on weekdays until midnight.

At present, the Jinonice campus completely houses three of the five faculty institutes (the Institute of International Studies, the Institute of Political Studies and the Institute of Sociological Studies), the Language and Pedagogical Training Centre and the Scientific Information Centre.

The Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism operates the Radio and Television Laboratory, which is one of the most modern university studios in Europe. It offers a large studio with sound direction, a small podcast studio or a keying studio, which students can use to practice working in virtual studios. All equipment is connected by data signal paths and can be controlled from the original studio in Celetná.

However, the reconstruction and completion are not the end of the efforts to improve the Jinonice area. The project documentation is being prepared for the conversion of the former university hotel into offices for administration, which will then allow the dean's office of FSV UK and its management to be moved to Jinonice. This will free up space for creative use of the Hollar building on Smetana Embankment.

The Jinonice buildings were originally built for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which handed over the dismantled building to Charles University in 1999. FSV UK has been located in Jinonice since 2001. The premises were also used by the Faculty of Humanities and several departments of the Faculty of Arts.

Contact for media:

Kristýna Pružinová, FSV UK Spokesperson

kristyna.pruzinova@fsv.cuni.cz

+420 778 743 979