Global changemakers: University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague

The University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague) was founded in 1952 as far more than just an institute of higher education, but as a solution to our world’s most pressing challenges as well. Its students and graduates are proof. 

Doors didn’t just magically open for Thea Baum when she graduated from the university in 2015. It was her qualification’s prestige that made the process ever-so-seamless. Recruiters and decision-makers were immediately impressed.

“It was relatively easy to find a job after my graduation,” she attests. “I found a number of job opportunities and I went to a couple of interviews enabling me to make a decision based on the best fitting employment opportunity.” 

She chose PharmInvent, where she would be able to serve as a Scientific and Regulatory Specialist in the Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Affairs sector and apply all the knowledge and skills she gained as a Master’s in Biotechnology student at UCT Prague. 

“My current position in PharmInvent is strongly related to my field of study at UCT Prague,” she explains. “The education acquired at the university enabled me to have a good grasp of the technologies currently in use in the biotechnology industry. I am able to understand current EU legislation related to the food, chemical or microbiological industries — which helps me consider the regulatory requirements that need to be addressed in pharmaceuticals.”

UCT Prague is one of the country’s largest educational and research institutions. Source: University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague

Such confidence is typical of budding changemakers who choose UCT Prague. The theme of sustainability persists across its Faculty of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, the Department of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Education and Human Sciences, Department of Languages, and the Department of Economics and Management (also known as the UCT School of Business).

Within them, students can choose from a wide array of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes taught in English. With a student to faculty ratio of 20:1, classes are productively intimate. Hence, curricula are hands-on and ample guidance awaits in state-of-the-art, facility-filled spaces. Essentially, everything one could need to gear up for a future of change-making is ready and waiting. Pathways abound for such outcomes.

Take the MSc in Sustainability and Environmental Engineering, for instance. This programme provides learners with expert knowledge of environmental chemistry, microbiology, hydrobiology, water and atmosphere technologies, decontamination technologies, and waste handling technologies — all of which are crucial for tomorrow’s green heroes. 

Its interdisciplinary nature ensures students are comprehensively trained to leverage water technologies and air protection technologies. Additional lessons shed light on industrial toxicology, ecotoxicology, environmental analysis, decontamination technologies, and environmentally-oriented legislation. All of the above develops graduates capable of thriving in the fields of process engineering, research and development, design, as well as production control, among many others.

UCT Prague boasts many state-of-the-art laboratories open to all students. Source: University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague

The MSc in Biotechnology and Food Science is equally impactful — a programme designed to produce experts with high-level knowledge in biotechnology, bioengineering and food science, with an emphasis on food quality and safety. 

It enhances general knowledge gained at the undergraduate level in biochemistry, organic and physical chemistry, biology, microbiology, food technology and analysis, and the fundamentals of biotechnology and bioengineering. Upon successful completion, graduates are primed to assume high-level positions in biotechnological companies, food production plants, organisations oriented to agricultural commodities, the health care sector or pharmaceutical companies. 

Business-focused aspirants easily find their place at UCT Prague as well. Its School of Business houses a Sectoral Management Master’s programme that prepares professionals for mid- and top-level management positions in industry, industrial policy, innovation policy, commercial policy and finance. At the same time, it lays a solid foundation for academic advancement or research careers through a PhD. The programme offers two majors: Innovation Project Management and Chemical Industry.

The first option is ideal for students keen on gaining proficiency in Financial Management, Project Management, Process Management or Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Meanwhile, the latter is aimed at those seeking more technical expertise particularly relevant for positions in the chemical, food-processing, fuels, rubber or environmental protection industries. 

Anything is possible at a university where graduates have gone as far as developing vaccines in the Czech Republic. To find out how you could make a similar impact, click here to learn more about UCT Prague. 

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