A meeting between representatives of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) and the Union of Local Government Units of the Czech Republic (SMS ČR), which brings together over 2,500 municipalities across the country, marked the beginning of a promising collaboration aimed at connecting academia with local governance.
Municipalities are the foundation of local self-government and democracy, and their development is crucial for the well-being of citizens as well as for sustainable regional progress. Both institutions see great potential in joint efforts in the fields of research, innovation, and professional education.
Two dedicated teams met at the CZU campus — the CZU delegation was led by Vice-Rector Prof. Michal Lošťák, Principal Investigator of the BETTER Life project, while the SMS team was headed by Executive Director and Mayor of Srbce, Jana Přecechtělová.
During the meeting, the BETTER Life Academic Bridge toolkit was presented. This toolkit is designed to support collaboration between researchers and stakeholders — in this case, municipalities — in addressing real-world societal challenges. It offers a practical framework for co-creation and knowledge transfer between academia and local governments.
This meeting marks an important first step in what is expected to become a long-term partnership. Both sides expressed strong interest in continuing and deepening cooperation in science, research, and lifelong learning — with the shared goal of building bridges between academic expertise and the practical needs of municipalities.
