The agreement on the financing of the UK and MU campuses should be confirmed next week

Prague – An agreement between the Ministry of Education, Charles University (CU), and Masaryk University (MU) regarding the utilization of funds from the National Recovery Plan (NRP) for the construction of university campuses should be confirmed next week. Ministry spokesperson Veronika Lucká Loosová stated this in a response to ČTK today. According to her, the aim is to find a solution that allows for the maximum use of NRP funds designated for universities while ensuring the continuation of the construction of three planned campuses. The construction at Albertov in Prague has reportedly been delayed due to archaeological research, according to CU. MU Rector Martin Bareš told Hospodářské noviny that specific amounts going to Brno and Hradec Králové should be decided next Tuesday.

The Albertov campus is part of a chapter in which the Czech Republic committed to building 95,000 m² of new university facilities. This requirement will be fulfilled by the two remaining projects: the Memphared 2 research center in Hradec Králové, which falls under CU, and the BioPharma Hub of MU.

"Negotiations among all parties are ongoing, and a specific agreement should be confirmed next week. Generally, it can be said that the solution will likely lead to adjustments in the utilization of European and national resources to ensure that the milestones of the NRP are met while also allowing all key investments to proceed," stated Lucká Loosová.

At a meeting on Wednesday, representatives of the ministry and both universities agreed that it is crucial to meet the goals and milestones of the NRP and thus maximize the amount allocated by the European Union for the Czech Republic, Bareš said today in response to ČTK. "The result of the discussion is a variant for meeting the goal of the relevant challenge of the National Recovery Plan through the projects Mephared 2 of Charles University in Hradec Králové and the MUNI BioPharma Hub of Masaryk University and opening the debate to resolve the Albertov project at the national level," he stated. According to him, the next meeting should specify the adopted framework solution. "The distribution of available funds should be decided at the Ministry of Education next Tuesday," he wrote.

"At the (Wednesday) meeting, both parties confirmed their interest in completing the Biocentrum of the Albertov campus in Prague, the construction of which has been extended due to the rescue archaeological survey and the fact that the establishment of the building is more complicated than the geological survey from 2015 anticipated. The Ministry of Education has always counted on the involvement of the state budget in the completion of all three campuses, including the Biocentrum of the Albertov campus. The government will discuss the specific method of financing further," said the spokesperson for Charles University, Jan Bumba. According to him, the expected date for the occupancy permission of the Biocentrum of the Albertov campus is April 2028.

"A key is being sought to transfer the funds originally intended for the construction at Albertov to Hradec Králové, where another research center is being established under Charles University, and to Brno, where Masaryk University is building the BioPharm Hub," said Bareš to Hospodářské noviny.

Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek (STAN) told reporters on Tuesday that it is important to make maximum progress on the construction at Albertov. According to Bek, the financing of all three projects, namely the campus in Hradec Králové, in Brno, and at Albertov in Prague, is from the beginning based on financing from multiple sources, not just the NRP. "It is clear that there cannot be a partially constructed building at Albertov," Bek said. He noted that he cannot imagine a government that would leave a construction project unfinished at Albertov.

The NRP funds are received by the Czech Republic from the European Commission, upon the fulfillment of relevant milestones supported by, for example, accounting and other documents. The decision on the funds is made by the provider at the national level, in this case, the Ministry of Education.