Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of South Bohemia, Vladimír Žlábek, represented the University of South Bohemia at the Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAEI) in Costa Rica. This forum brings together the leading actors in the internationalization of higher education in North and South America to strengthen contacts, exchange experiences, and chart the future of academic cooperation in the region.
CAEI is held every two years in a different host country in collaboration with national, regional, and international higher education institutions and organizations. It provides a platform for presenting emerging challenges and trends, as well as best practices related to international education across the continent.
At this year’s meeting in Costa Rica’s capital, San José, Vice-Rector Žlábek (pictured with Jorge Pablo Barth Arroyo, Director of International Affairs and External Cooperation Office at the National University of Costa Rica) shared examples of successful cooperation between the University of South Bohemia and universities in Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Mexico. In the panel “Expanding Horizons: Czech–LATAM Cooperation in Higher Education”, he presented partnership models in the areas of mobility, education, and research. The panel aimed to showcase the Czech Republic and its higher education institutions as reliable and forward-looking partners for international collaboration in higher education. It highlighted the diversity of successful cooperation models between Czech and Latin American institutions—from student exchanges and dual-degree programmes to joint research. Representatives of three Czech universities provided concrete examples of ongoing projects that demonstrate best practices and the long-term benefits of Czech–LATAM cooperation.
