Zpráva mezinárodní rady TF JU

International Feedback on the Faculty of Theology, University of South Bohemia (12 September 2025)

The Faculty of Theology at the University of South Bohemia received international feedback in September 2025 from members of the International Board (IB), evaluating the current state of the faculty, its strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations for future development.

Current State of the Faculty

The IB highlighted that the Faculty of Theology represents a significant achievement in the highly secularized, post-communist context of the Czech Republic. With its four departments, the faculty connects theology with social work and charitable studies, leisure education, philosophy, and religious studies. This interdisciplinary approach opens up perspectives for the faculty to engage in both current and emerging societal fields, making it an important asset for the University of South Bohemia.

Key strengths include:

• The overall number of students and their engagement

• High-quality international publications

• Flexibility in adapting study programs and international outreach

• Representation in national evaluation bodies, governmental commissions, and editorial boards

• Faculty’s own publishing activities

Areas for improvement identified by the IB:

• High dropout rates across BA, MA, and especially PhD programs

• Low number of women in senior academic positions

• Relatively high number of study programs in relation to staff size

• Overlaps with programs offered by other faculties

• High workload of academic staff

The IB noted that due to limited time, discussions with departments varied in depth, and they expressed interest in learning more about specific areas of the faculty.

Recommendations for Future Development

Based on the international experience of IB members, the following recommendations were proposed:

• Consolidate teaching programs into a shared core across different degrees and programs

• Increase research time for (assistant) professors

• Provide targeted support for female academic staff to advance in their careers

• Introduce ethics modules across departments and faculties

• Offer public lecture series on biblical studies, theology, social, and ethical topics

• Showcase the diversity of faith perspectives

• Support international student recruitment

• Expand international mobility programs to enhance intercultural ethics and social work training

• Ensure a balance between innovation and sustainability

International Comparisons and Benchmarks

IB suggested considering regionally embedded faculties with multiple international connections, noting that the combination of social work, charitable studies, and leisure education is relatively unique. Identifying direct benchmarks is challenging, as universities of applied sciences may be more comparable in some aspects than traditional theology faculties. The IB also stressed the importance of advertising academic positions nationally and internationally to attract top talent.

Conclusion

Overall, the IB recognized the Faculty of Theology at USB as a dynamic and high-quality institution. The recommendations provided aim to strengthen teaching, research, international engagement, and the social impact of the faculty.

On behalf of the International Board:
Maureen Junker-Kenny, Trinity College Dublin
Prof. Dr. Monique van Dijk-Groeneboer, Tilburg University
Prof. Dr. Klaus Baumann, Universität Freiburg
Prof. Innocenzo M.V. Szaniszlo, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas