We believe that the meaningful development of creative potential - both individual and institutional - requires two essential sources of inspiration: national and international. While the national context connects us to our own history, traditions, craftsmanship and local resources, the international context provides exposure to a broad range of stimuli, diverse perspectives and forms of expression, as well as contemporary global topics. For this reason, our faculty is committed to actively developing cross-border relationships with like-minded educational, cultural, and research institutions. Our aim is to strengthen our sense of European and global belonging through the mobility of students and academic staff, and to enhance the quality of our projects through collaboration with international partners. Our vision is the full and unquestioned integration of the faculty into international structures through membership in transnational associations, the realisation of focused artistic and research activities, and participation in multinational exhibitions and competitions. Within our long-term strategy, this area represents a key priority that significantly contributes to the development of artistic and creative work across all areas of study.
International Strategy
FDA´s international strategy focuses on three areas:
Cross-border and culturally/historically contiguous areas
The region of Bavaria logically falls within this category; however, when considering the cultural and historical context, it also includes the entire area of Germany and Austria. We attribute similar significance to the Jewish cultural footprint, which has led us to above-standard relationships with selected Israeli universities. Slovakia and Poland are also areas of great interest.
European Identity
Our Faculty is unconditionally committed to the European community and, unencumbered by national sentiment, considers itself first and foremost to be
a European educational institution.
A Global Family
The challenges that our community faces are not limited by the borders of nations or continents. Just as we draw inspiration from all corners of the globe, we also take co-responsibility for world events. Therefore, issues of ecology, sustainable development, inclusion and cultural diversity are at the center of our attention.
Academic Cooperation and International Engagement
Within the Erasmus+ programme, FDA has agreements with 43 institutions in 17 European countries. In addition, it cooperates with other institutions in Europe, the USA, Israel, Japan, China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Taiwan by means of bilateral agreements. New contractual partnerships were established in the period from 2019 to 2023 with the following institutions:
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (Belgium)
- Savonia University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
- National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture Kyiv (Ukraine)
- Columbia College Chicago (USA)
- Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts (Israel)
- Joshibi University of Art and Design (Japan)
- National Taiwan University of Arts, National Taipei University of Technology, National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan)
- Hunan Normal University (China)
- National College of Arts Lahore (Pakistan)
In the 2019-2023 period, FDU cooperated intensively with the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Tel Aviv, implementing the following activities thanks to
Erasmus+ K107 2019-2022 Credit Mobility:
- HIT's International Design Week
- hybrid workshops and courses on Czech-Israeli cultural heritage and the use of VR
- conferences on various aspects at the intersection of art, design, science and technology
- research projects involving other partners and other various activities.
International cooperation included European and especially cross-border projects with Technische Hochschule Deggendorf, TC Cham and other institutions:
- The international project Creative entrepreneurship in ceramic regions
– developing, educating, encouraging (CerDee) in the Interreg Central Europe Programme (2019-2022) - Project HORIZON – PALIMPSEST (2023-2026)
- Interdisciplinary Project No. 07/23 Cross-border Cooperation Programme Czech Republic / Bavaria / Euroregion Šumava – Southwest Bohemia – Allocation Fund Manager (2019-2021)
- Interdisciplinary Project No. 284 of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Czech Republic / Bavaria (2020-2021)
- Interdisciplinary Project No. 339 of the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Czech Republic / Bavaria / Euroregion Šumava – Southwest Bohemia – Allocation Fund Manager (2021-2022)
- Czech-Bavarian projects funded by INTERREG (2023-2026): Prevention of Pelvic Floor Disorders; Applied Research on Exoskeleton for Rehabilitation
The University of West Bohemia’s participation in the EUPeace alliance has created
a new opportunity to cooperate with other faculties of design and art (University of Mostar, University of Sarajevo, Cukurova University).
Lectures, expert visits and foreign guests at FDA
In addition to its involvement in a number of foreign projects, FDU is developing significant activities to strengthen internationalization:
- International Photography Symposium + Exhibition Boundaries
- Jiří Trnka International Symposium + the Jiří Trnka Prize
- International Symposium on Large Format Lithography Living Stone
- International Summer School ArtCamp
- The Ladislav Sutnar Prize
FDA has been developing long-term partnership relations with international organisations ELIA and CUMULUS, which bring together university-level art schools.
Foreign members of the academic community have been integrated into the life of the University of West Bohemia by way of the following lectures, workshops and symposia:
2024
- Adrian Palko, Pio Rahner, Masihne Rasuli, Marcel Saidov (Germany) – workshop led by academic staff from Bauhaus Universität Weimar focusing on graphic design and typography Ruth Anderwald, Leonhard Grond (Austria), John Fass (Great Britain), Yael Eylat van Essen (Israel), Michael Bielicky (Germany/Czech Republic) – foreign consultants and lecturers
- Bart Van Dijck (Belgium), Avigail Reiner (Israel), Martin Schwarz (Slovakia), Nagisa Yagi (Japan) –leaders of courses for the ArtCamp International Summer School
- Joanna Concejo (France), Petr Sís (USA), Uberto di Remigio – Štěpán Zavřel fondazione (Italy), Agrafka, Mykyta Lyskov (Ukraine), Eitan Eloa, Orna Granot (Israel), Martina Pavlikánová (Slovakia), Yuichi Ito (Japan) – lectures and workshops by laureates and guests of the Jiří Trnka International Symposium Zachi Dinar (Israel) – lecture series on artificial intelligence
- Barbara Schmidt (Germany) – workshop led by academic staff from Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin focused on ceramic design
- Debbie Millman (USA), Penny Macbeth (Great Britain), Madoka Nishi (Japan) – lectures as part of the Ladislav Sutnar Prize 2024 event
2023
- Stephen Coles, Amelia Hugill-Fontanel, Richard Kegler (USA) – lectures on graphic design and typography
- Janna Klävers (Germany) – workshop in sequential storytelling
- Matthias Lederer (Germany) – interdisciplinary collaboration in product management, together with the Faculty of Applied Sciences
- Radim Peško (UK) – lecture in the field of graphic design
- Shelly and Elon Satat-Kombor (Israel) – shoe design workshop and exhibition
of their original work - Shizu Ara (Japan), Bart van Dijck (Belgium), Ryszard Kajzer (Poland), Kristýna Španihelová (Slovakia) – leaders of courses for the ArtCamp International Summer School
- Jody Le Bigre (UK), Dorota Jonkajtis (Poland), Patrik Ševčík (Slovakia) – participation in the Living Stone 2 international symposium of large format lithography
- Michael Bielicky (Germany / Czech Republic), Denisa Reshef Kera (Israel), Martin Kollár (Slovakia / UK), Thomas Kuijpers (Netherlands), Nika Kupyrova (Ukraine / Austria), Felice Moramarco (Italy), Sami Siva (France), Elejan van der Velde (Netherlands) – participation in the Boundaries: Travel international symposium, co-funded by the NPO grant (call no. 0311/2023)
- Yael Eylat van Essen (Israel), Felice Moramarco (Italy) – foreign experts, consultants and lecturers, funded by RS DKRVO; Magdalena Jetelová (Germany / Czech Republic); Leonhard Grond (Austria) – lectures as part of the Ladislav Sutnar Prize 2023 event
2022
- Eitan Bartal (Isreal) – lecture, exhibition
- Alain Le Quernec (France) – workshop
- Noah Becker (USA), Daniel Huber (Austria), Ľuba Wehlend (Slovakia), Steven Heller (USA), Caitlin Condell (USA), Cynthia Trope (USA) – lectures and workshops at the Shapes: Venus hybrid conference
- Pekka Loiri (Finland) – leader of courses for the ArtCamp international summer school, exhibition
- Kateryna Tsyhykalo, Mariia Ralemska, Alyona Tokovenko (Ukraine) – residencies and exhibition at the Ladislav Sutnar Gallery
- Akira Yanagiha (Japan / France) – lecture and workshop (Media Illustration Studio)
- Iku Dekune (Japan), André Letria (Portugal), Viera Anoškinová (Slovakia), Fanuel Hanán Díáz (Columbia), Emese Révész (Hungary) – laureate lectures and workshops as part of the Jiří Trnka International Symposium
- Stuart Haygarth (UK): Ladislav Sutnar Prize laureate, lecture; Jens Lutz, representative of ZKM Karlsruhe (Germany) – Ladislav Sutnar Prize laureate, lecture; Andreas Muehlenberend, representative of the Bauhaus-Universität, Weimar (Germany) – Ladislav Sutnar Prize laureate, lectures within the Ladislav Sutnar Prize
- Thomas Greenough (UK), Michael Mersinis (Greece / UK), Peter Pflügler (Austria / Netherlands), Mariia Ralemska (Ukraine), Ross Sawyers (USA), Stefan Vanthuyne (Belgium), Oxiea Villamonte (USA / Netherlands) - lectures and workshops within the International Photographic Symposium Boundaries
- Yael Eylat van Essen (Israel) - international consultant and lecturer, funded by the RS DKRVO
2021
- Fanuel Hanán Díaz (Columbia), Marco Ieie (Italy) – lectures and workshops within the Jiří Trnka International Symposium;
- Ewa Bobrowska (Poland), Yikuan Do (China), Tina Frank (Austria), Chris Fraser (USA), Roei Greenberg (Israel), Jana Hojstričová (Slovakia), Lee Ranaldo (USA), Mark Yashaev (Israel) – lectures and workshops within the Boundaries International Photography Symposium
- Stefan Sagmeister (USA), Ars Electronica Center Linz represented by Gerfried Stocker (Austria), Kunst Akademie Düsseldorf represented by Christoph Lenhart (Germany), Josefine Engström (Sweden) – lectures as part of the Ladislav Sutnar Prize event
- Robert Gerwarth (Germany) – lecture at the international hybrid conference for the Butterflies Don't Live in the Ghetto project
2020
- Hynek Alt (Czech Republic), Roei Greenberg (Israel/UK), Heidi Kirjavainen (Finland/Belgium), Johannes Schwartz (Netherlands), Jay Wolke (USA), Rosalie Yu (Taiwan), Sergey Zhdanovich (Belarus) – lectures within the Boundaries International Photography Symposium, which took place online this year
- Warren Lehrer (USA), Steven Heller (USA), Gérard Lo Monaco (Argentina), Marina Cedro (Argentina), Doron Polak (Israel), Christine Clinckx (Belgium)
Yael Eylat Van Essen (Israel) – The Future Is... online project of artists in quarantine
2019
- Christine Clinckx (Belgium), Hans Cogne (Sweden), Jiang Hongqing (China), Michal Huba (Slovakia), Thomas Kuijpers (Netherlands), Brooklyn McTavish (USA), Doron Polak & Amir Cohen (Israel), Ross Sawyers (USA) - lectures and workshops within the Boundaries International Photography Symposium
- Tomoko Fukushi (Japan), Ni Zhiqi (China), Kurt van der Basch (Canada), Wieslaw Karolak (Poland), Chris Rosewarne (Great Britain), Ali Boozari and Ali Khalhali (Iran) – course leaders at the ArtCamp International Summer School
- Pekka Loiri (Finland), Milton Glaser (USA), Warren Lehrer (USA), Kit Hinrichs (USA) – lectures as part of the Ladislav Sutnar Prize event
- Fanuel Hanán Díaz (Venezuela), Jiang Hongqing (China), Cheng Hung-Chi (Taiwan), Maurizio Corbi (Italy), Sofie Noersteng (Norway), Giorgio di Palma (Italy), Karen Irvine (USA), Gérard Lo Monaco (France), André Klein (Netherlands), Jow Jiun Gong (Taiwan), Elke Sada (Germany) – lectures and workshops for students and teachers