An innovative educational programme for the Czech seniors
“Bringing higher education closer to people and using a film to create an environment of learning and mutuality, I loved that.”
- Client: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
- Duration: 2012-2009
- Outcome: 6 video courses of 6x 40-min episodes each
- My role: Director, cinematographer and editor
- Key words: education, third age, e-learning
What is the University of the Third Age?
In the Czech Republic, people reach retirement age in relatively good physical and mental condition. However, maintaining fitness requires a proactive approach to life.
Today’s senior educational activities thus aim at supporting physical and mental well-being and fostering “bio-psycho-social” development.
Virtual University of the Third Age (VU3V)
Using e-learning methods, VU3V is a combination of digital (personal) and collective methods of education. The students meet once every 14 days in a local consultation centre (library, school, municipal office or retirement home), where they watch a pre-recorded video lecture and pass an online test.
The goal of the VU3V is to enable all students in the Czech Republic to pursue higher education regardless of the distance from the university campuses. Currently, there are 38 virtual courses available and app. 340 consultation centres across the country are involved in the programme.
Since 2011, VU3V has been run by the Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Courses directed by PB
- Ethics as a way out of the crisis of society with PhDr. Jan Šolc
- Musical Instruments with PhDr. Magdalena Saláková, PhD
- Astronomy with Doc. Martin Šolc
- Magic of Geometry with PhDr. Alena Šarounová, CSc. and RNDr. Petra Surynková, PhD
- Cultivation and use of edible and medicinal mushrooms with Ing. Ivan Jablonský
- Forestry with doc. Ing. Jiří Dvořák, Ph.D.
Behind-the-scenes photographs
