Václav Cílek
Dr. Cílek coordinates numerous EU and UNESCO environmental and geological projects. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Pa pers of the Czech Speleological Union (25 volumes) and member of editorial boards of major Czech scientific magazines. He has participated in field research expeditions to Asia and Africa (Tanzania, Vietnam, and Nepal) and is one of the top experts in Pragen sia studies. The history of Prague, its mythology and archeology is one of the core foci of his research and publishing activities.
Core course: Czech Culture and Civilization
The course traces essential events and periods of Czech history and culture. However, its goal and method are not descriptive. The emphasis is laid upon issues that underlie today’s way of thinking of Czech people, their views and stances. One of the central issues dealt with in the course is the issue of personal/individual identity. While the 19th century prefers the idea of an individual fitting in and belonging to a national (religious, local, professional) collective, the modernity turmoil challenges this idea and unveils a personal/individual identity crisis.
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European Mentality
The course is designed to bring students to a general understanding of European mentality as a unity established on the basis of Christianity, urban culture, and market economy, a unity that is permanently (from time to time?) unbalanced, occasionally almost destroyed by civil, religious, and national conflicts.
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