Seven of the eight faculties (Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Sciences and Physical Engineering, Architecture, Transportation Sciences and Biomedical Engineering) and the Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies participated in the Prague 6 Project Day. The aim of the project is to show pupils the attractions of technical fields and to stimulate their interest in technical education.
"I consider it very important that children in primary schools know what they can use what they learn in mathematics or physics, and I firmly believe that today's visit to our seven faculties will be an inspiration for them," said Vojtěch Petráček, Rector of CTU, at the opening ceremony. He added that he very much welcomes the initiative of Prague 6 and that today's Project Day is the first, but certainly not the last. "It would be a beautiful tradition if we could always meet here at the beginning of the year, before you decide what to do next in your life and studies, and you could see what might interest you," he told the pupils, whom he addressed as "future students".
Mariana Čapková, the deputy mayor of Prague 6 for education, reminded the pupils present that they will have to go through the secondary school admissions process this year or next year. "And if you are enthusiastic about something at CTU today, it will help you to pass the stress of the entrance exams and the four-year studies, because you may already know what university you want to go on to. That's why we have prepared the most action-packed and demonstration-packed programme for you today in cooperation with CTU," said Čapková. She encouraged the children not to be afraid to ask questions about anything that comes to mind and noted that they will be answered by CTU students, "many of whom were also pupils of primary schools in Prague 6 until recently".
During the program, the students, divided into smaller groups, toured faculty buildings, met the teachers and learned about the topics and competencies taught. CTU prepared for the eighth and ninth graders from Prague 6 the opportunity to discover the world of architecture, landscape architecture and design (Faculty of Architecture), to get acquainted with the place where ideas take 3D form (Faculty of Biomedical Engineering), or to experiment with water in the largest "water hall" (Faculty of Civil Engineering). Children visited the workshop of the eForce student team, whose members are developing an autonomous electric formula car and race with it on European tracks (Faculty of Electrical Engineering). The student university team CTU Space Research, working on space technology and rocket building, presented their model rocket (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering). Pupils had the opportunity to try piloting a plane, controlling air traffic or being a truck driver (Faculty of Transportation Sciences). But they could also discover the power of a vacuum or how many experiments can be done with a simple sheet of paper (Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering). And many more experiences of what CTU in Prague offers.
The children visited not only faculties located in Prague 6, but also those in Prague's New and Old Town. Prague 6 sent a separate bus to Kladno as well, where Faculty of Biomedical Engineering is located.