Czech Association of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE)

Who are we?

The Czech Association of Professional Higher Education (CASPHE) is an independent organisation of colleges and institutes of professional higher education in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1991. CASPHE represents interests of the particular type schools and education, contributes to their development. It plays a role in policy discussions as regards formulation of problems relevant to the development of professionally-oriented higher (tertiary) education sector faces and proposals of their solution. CASPHE facilitates mutual cooperation of member schools and exchange their experiences, facilitates contact individual for members seeking to create conditions for qualitative growth, creates a sense of belonging and mutual interest.

CASPHE activities include:

• conceptual and policy work on the development and structuring of professionally oriented tertiary education;
• development of colleges and institutes of professional higher education including information on challenges, trends and developments at international level and promotion of experience from abroad;
• promotion of the idea of professional higher (tertiary) education including communication with professional bodies and representation of employers;
• preparation and coordination of international and Czech-based projects, seminars and conferences;
• activities in the field of quality management and improvement.

In 2018 CASPHE has 10 members and affiliated schools while the range of collaborating institutions was substantially wider. CASPHE has many signed cooperation agreements with many other schools and institutions including Universities and Employers organizations such as different kind of Chambers of commerce etc. In the year 2017 CASPHE has signed cooperation agreement with West Bohemia University and receive together from The Technology Agency of the Czech Republic large innovative project concerning Study programs innovations in the times of 4.0 phenomenon.  CASPHE remains open to any institution of tertiary education whose overall objectives are consistent with the mission of the association.

Due to its focus on internationalisation, CASPHE became soon after its establishment (since 1993) an active member of EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education). Since 2007 the executive officer of CASPHE, Michal Karpisek, has served as a vice-president of EURASHE and now he is serving as Secretary General of EURASHE. Today executive officer of CASPHE Iva Voldanova is very experienced person in the field of PHE and had served in the EURASHE office for 5 years and is active in many project concerning PHE and VET..

Specific fields of expertise within CASPHE cover:

• policy and strategic issues related to educational policy, in particular with focus on professional higher (tertiary) education;
• qualifications frameworks, learning outcomes and their implementation;
• quality assurance and quality enhancement issues;
• methodology of teaching/learning with focus on practically-oriented elements including students’ placements;

facilitation of discussion with stakeholders, in particular partners from the world of work, regional bodies and higher education institutions.

Why we are participating in the project

We re representing higher education institutions and the experts involved in the project have a high experience in dealing with the topic of the mission of professional higher education, have performed different research on the state of PHE in their respective countries and have strong connections with all the stakeholders, including the world of work and student representatives. They are involved in the institutional policies and have key expertise to develop and contribute to main project outputs.

The project is logical continuation of other activities and projects of CASPHE (SAPS, PROCSEE, BEEHiVES, BuilPHE).

Our role in the project

We are regulary partner contributig to all project outputs.

We, as a lead partner are responsible for 0utput 1 – Activity 2: Survey of Economics & Management Companies, Students and HEIs on Objectives of Apprenticeships – the  The survey will attempt to specify the requirements of different stakeholders from apprenticeships. The result of the survey are a set of quality-indicators per stakeholder group.

Our Team