Jan Evangelista Purkyně University has a history that dates back to 1954 when the Higher Teacher Training College was founded. In 1959 the college was renamed the Pedagogical Institute and in 1964 it became the Pedagogical Faculty in Ústí nad Labem. The Jan Evangelista Purkyně University was officially established in 1991, with three faculties and an institute.
There are eight faculties at the university: faculty of art and design; faculty of arts; faculty of education; faculty of the environment; faculty of health studies; faculty of mechanical engineering; faculty of science and faculty of social and economic studies. Each faculty offers a number of courses at both undergraduate and graduate level.
The university is named in honour of Jan Evangelista Purkyne, a Czech anatomist and physiologist. He was born in the 18th century in Libochovice, a nearby town. Purkyne became very successful in his work and specialised in a variety of fields including biology, embryology, histology, modern pharmacology, comparative anatomy and anthropology. The university considers Purkyne a suitable role model owing to his well-rounded personality and contribution to the sciences.
The university is located in Ústí nad Labem, a city in the Czech Republic. Ústí nad Labem sits along the bank of the Elbe River and is just 20km from the Czech-German border. The city’s history as a major trading centre dates as far back as 993 and today it remains an important industrial hub. Its location by the Elbe makes it an active river port, while its four railway stations provide transport links across the country.
