The Strategic plan of VSB-TUO 2021–2027

The Strategic plan was created for most of 2020 by a team of people from the Innovation Support Center under the leadership of Vice-Rector Igor Ivan in close cooperation with other members of the university management, representatives of faculties and institutes. From the beginning, there was an effort to create a document that not only meets the requirements of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, but also clearly sets the direction of the university in the future. At the same time, it was important to design the entire document so that it is clear and understandable not only for employees and students of the university, but also for our partners and the general public.

The document is closely linked to the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for Universities 2021+, but also to other important documents, such as the Strategic Development Plan of the Statutory City of Ostrava 2017–2023, Moravian-Silesian Region Development Strategy 2019–2027, National RIS3 Strategy 2021–2027, National research, development and innovation policy 2021+, Innovation Strategy of the Czech Republic 2019–2030).

The document is divided into five strategic priorities, eight strategic objectives, which are further divided into operational objectives and more detailed actions. Each strategic objective is complemented by a key indicator and also operational objectives will be monitored through clearly defined indicators. However, the main measure of the success of the Strategic Plan was defined by the Rector, who in his note stated “one of the basic differentiators between universities: there are universities that make the rules, and universities that follow them. The Strategic Plan of VSB-TUO presented here will be successful if we become a university that makes the rules."

Strategic Plan in pdf

Vision

We are a self-confident university respected by industry that successfully cultivates the individual professional and personal expectations of future graduates.

We are a unique, living laboratory with high-profile and internationally recognized research that addresses the future challenges of society in real time.

Everyone at our university contributes to the future success of individuals, the university itself, and society as a whole.

Values

The courage to innovate

We are distinctive for our curiosity and our efforts to move things forward, beyond the horizon of contemporary knowledge. We are a living laboratory where knowledge acquired is further developed and subjected to examination and verification for application in practice. We have the courage to seek out non-traditional solutions to current and future challenges.

Achieving through quality

We strive for uniqueness in everything we do, and we do the things where we can be the best. For us, quality is not only our goal but also the way we work. We work to derive the maximum benefit in relation to our students, employees, and partners.

A team can do more

The diversity of our teams is one of our university’s strengths. Teamwork and solidarity, founded upon mutual respect and openness, are what bind our university into a single organism. We require each other to uphold moral and ethical principles of behaviour.

Conscious of our responsibility

We feel we are an integral part of the broader society. We want to set an example for responsible behaviour and thereby positively impact the world around us. We believe in the transformative power of knowledge and consciousness.

Support and stability

We are support for students and employees and a reliable partner. We create a stable and safe environment for developing personalities, where innovative thoughts and ideas are born and grow. Practical education has become an integral part of our DNA.

Strategic priorities and objectives of VSB-TUO 2021+

Education for practice (priority A)

In today’s dynamic world, quality education must be open and flexible, enabling development of not only the technical qualities of an individual but also their personality traits. A university assuming the proverbial top of the educational pyramid must be sufficiently prepared for such an endeavour. Full adaptation of educators to new forms of teaching, as well as the simplification of administrative processes through digitalization, are key prerequisites for correctly handling the challenges posed by this new era. A school attractive for students must be not only a very efficient institution, but also a friendly environment that enables educators to serve students more as guides, coaches, and mentors rather than merely as teachers in the traditional sense. It must also always keep in mind that the ultimate objective of education is to prepare students to apply themselves in practice, employment, or entrepreneurship, and thus significantly affect the development and transformation of the region.

Recognized research (priority B)

VSB-TUO is a university for whom a significant part of research activities is carried out in co- -operation with industrial partners and with a focus on the specific problems faced by industry and society. Quality and recognized oriented research is a priority that represents a founding pillar for the future functioning and development of the entire institution, not only in terms of the benefit to learning in individual technical and economic fields, but also in terms of social relevance. The university is a key element in the transformation process and development of the region. The effort is to become a respected centre of oriented research. This can be achieved if the university concentrates its efforts primarily in those areas in which it is capable of excelling. These key areas of oriented research are energetics (including advanced materials and the environment), and High Performance Computing. Thus, topics for the region and the state are highly topical and necessary, as well as topics that are key for the European Commission, reflecting the strategies of Green Deal, Digital Europe, etc. This effort will also lead to increasing the quality of publication outputs and the results of applied research. VSB-TUO wants to achieve this, for example, by developing motivational and support tools for publishing employees and creators of quality subjects of intellectual property. Objectives leading to support of the professional growth of promising employees will be achieved, for example, by creating a doctoral studies school providing a comprehensive range of training courses.

Efficient functioning (priority C)

One of the strategic priorities for developing the university is its efficient functioning in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs). This cannot be without improving the quality of infrastructure and human resources. Employees in particular are a fundamental element, and so their development, review, motivation, engagement, and solidarity with the internal university culture is taken very seriously. VSB-TUO endeavours to be a university of international prestige in the area of science and research as well. It has decided to create an attractive environment and adopt principles based on the European Charter and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. In the area of infrastructure, the use of modern control elements is planned, including centralization of internal support with the use of complex digitalization. Problems currently being addressed also indicate the need for development in the area of security. As part of modernization and in order to increase attractiveness and synergistic effect, the Faculty of Economics is planned to be moved to a new building on the Poruba campus, which is planned to be further developed with an eye toward creating an appealing environment. All this occurs while acting responsibly towards the environment and supporting sustainable development. The goal is to develop energy management and continue with energy savings, but also to support research leading towards the development of „SMARt And Green District“ (SMARAGD) of Moravian-Silesian Region.

To change perception of the VSB-TUO brand internally and externally

VSB-TUO is a university with a tradition exceeding 170 years, and is duly proud of this fact. In terms of communication, it has long sought to overcome the image of a “mining” university in “black Ostrava”. The only way to achieve this is to give the university in Ostrava new content consisting of fields such as IT, mechanical engineering, new materials, or environmental engineering. VSB-TUO is the vehicle for a series of unique, strategic, and international projects and a key partner for numerous companies in the area of innovation. If it knows the main topics for the marketing communication strategy, it can profile itself as a university while distinguishing itself from others. It need not be exceptional in everything, but where it is, it must know how to sell it perfectly. It is also necessary to support successful students, employees, and graduates in taking pride in their university and becoming natural brand ambassadors. Through the following operational goals, VSB-TUO seeks to better present its offering of study programmes, popularization activities, and the technical topics it focuses on. This includes reach into the field of social responsibility, for which it has long been rated as excellent. Simultaneously, it is necessary to build more intensive relations with all stakeholders in Ostrava city and be an active part of the ecosystem of the city, the Ostrava agglomeration, and the entire Moravian-Silesian region.

Internationalization

VSB-TUO is a university with a developed international environment due mainly to the large number of foreign students. VSB-TUO is aware of the challenges and barriers of the adaptation process, and therefore seeks to create an inviting and supportive environment for students through the university’s International Contact Point, International Offices at individual faculties, and co-operation with student organisations. The goal is to raise the attractiveness of VSB-TUO for foreign students and to improve awareness of its study opportunities. The university is also striving to increase the number of experienced foreign academics and R&D researchers in order to strengthen its academic and R&D capacities, in particular through the integration of new approaches and knowledge. This will also contribute to the region’s development, as some of these international students or staff may remain in the region permanently. VSB-TUO supports the international mobility of students, academics, and non-academic employees, develops modern forms of mobilities such as virtual and “blended“ mobility, and is working to implement their paperless administration. The goal is also to achieve greater engagement of the university in major education and R&D projects in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Thus a strategy has been developed for co- -operation and partnership with foreign academic and research institutions.