Summer Schools of Slavonic Studies are three- to four-week Czech language courses organized by several public universities in the Czech Republic, which take place annually in July and August. The courses are intended chiefly for foreign students, experts (teachers, translators, interpreters) and academics in the field of Czech and Slavic studies who are at least 18 years old. However, due to their broad scope, they are open to everyone else interested in the Czech language, literature, history and culture.

Places and dates:

• Pilsen (University of West Bohemia) 5 – 25 July 2025
• Poděbrady (Charles University, ÚJOP), 7 July – 1 August 2025
• Olomouc (Palacký University), 12 July – 10 August 2025
• Brno (Masaryk University), 26 July – 23 August 2025
• Prague (Charles University), 17 July – 14 August 2025
• České Budějovice (University of South Bohemia), 3 – 25 August 2025

In 2025 applicants from 18 years of age from the following countries and territories can apply for an SSSS scholarship:

Albania, Austria, Belgium – Flemish Community, Belgium – French Community, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada (Alberta), China, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mongolia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the USA and Vietnam.

The scholarships are only granted to candidates nominated by the appropriate authorities of the partner countries or by other authorized nominating agencies, e.g. the Embassies of the Czech Republic abroad and other partner institutions (see below). These institutions determine the conditions for participation in the selection procedure and can provide detailed information on the offer of summer school courses.

A two-step screening and selection procedure is applied to assess applications for the summer school scholarships provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MEYS).

1. The first stage is organized by the respective Embassies of the Czech Republic, partner ministries or other government agencies responsible for student exchanges in the eligible countries. The applicants are required to file their filled-out application forms for the summer school scholarships and other documents, if they are required, with the relevant institutions accepting applications in the eligible countries, which then select the nominees for scholarship awards. More detailed information about the selection procedure and the institutions responsible for selecting and nominating the candidates in individual countries can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The nomination of candidates is presented by the appropriate institutions in the eligible countries to the MEYS by 31 March 2025.
2. The second stage is organized by the MEYS and the relevant Czech universities. The nominees are obliged to register themselves in the online registration system and submit an online scholarship application. The online applications of registered nominees are assessed within the system by the MEYS and the relevant Czech universities.

The outcome of the two-step process described above is either the scholarship award or placement as a substitute on a waiting list.

Applications submitted by applicants who have not been properly recommended for the awards by the relevant institutions in the eligible countries will be rejected.

SELECTING A SUMMER SCHOOL

Applicants for the summer Czech language courses can only choose from the summer schools allocated to individual eligible countries. The number of scholarship slots available at each summer school is determined by the MEYS. More detailed information on the offer of summer school courses can be provided by the institutions responsible for selecting and nominating the candidates for scholarship awards, which also determine the conditions for participation in the selection procedure.

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION:

• Courses are taught in Czech or on the basis of English, depending on the participant's initial level of Czech language proficiency.
• The SSSS program includes courses of all language proficiency levels: from absolute beginners (A0) to advanced students (C1).

HOW TO APPLY

Only the applicants who have taken part in the selection procedure organized by the relevant nominating institution and who have been officially nominated can apply for the scholarship. These applicants will be invited by the MEYS to register in the application system and fill in the online application form. Applications submitted by applicants who have not been properly recommended for the awards by the relevant nominating institutions in the eligible countries will be automatically rejected.

1. Select the public university to which you have been assigned by the relevant nominating institution. You can only opt for the summer school or university included on your country’s list. If you are not sure how to proceed, seek advice from the nominating institution.
2. Complete the scholarship application in the online system. The application must be filled in Czech or English.
3. Upload all the required attachments (in Czech or English). Check the requirements for individual documents well in advance.
4. Submit your application no later than the date specified in this call.
5. Monitor the status of your application. You will be informed of any changes to its status by e-mail notifications. Always check whether you are required to add additional information or attachments.

APPLICATION EVALUATION:

1. The duly submitted application will be formally assessed by the MEYS, which may return it to the applicant if there are any errors of omission. Ineligible (without prior nomination) and/or incomplete (without the required attachments) applications will be rejected.
2. The approved application will be forwarded to the relevant university for consideration.
3. The university concerned will assess the relevance and quality of the application and decide whether to accept or reject the applicant. Please note that the relevant universities take autonomous decisions, which cannot be appealed. The university concerned may also contact the applicant directly and request more detailed information or additional documents.
4. The university concerned will confirm to the accepted applicants:

   • the dates of the SSSS course,

   • the course location,

   • accommodation in its dormitory

5. The result of the evaluation process is:

   • the application is granted or

   • the application is rejected