• Engage in discussions of Czech-American relations with diplomats from both nations, and learn to lead within a multicultural team. Participate in workshops and activities that explore Czech diplomatic relations, work on projects with Czech students that promote cultural understanding, and share cultural insights to build connections and bridge differences. 

Learn Czech with CzechsNavigating Czech UniversitiesThe Mestenhauser Institute is proud to announce our newest cultural diplomacy project, Summer Program in the Czech Republic: Cross-Cultural Pathways for Young Leaders. The program is designed for high school and university students with Czech and Slovak heritage, an interest in Czech culture and language, and/or an interest in studying at a Czech University. It combines an intensive curriculum focused on Czech culture and history, site visits to culturally significant places across the country, university tours tailored to student interests, and free-time activities with local students who will share cultural insights and build lasting connections with participating students

Czech History and Culture

Learn about key historical developments in the Czech Republic and how it has impacted modern Czech culture, and take a crash course in the Czech language. Students will dive into the history of the Czech Republic, including lessons on totalitarianism and the role of Czech history in the broader European context. Learn about and experience modern Czech culture including architecture, food, and identity.

Navigating Czech Universities

Explore opportunities to study at Czech Universities and take tailored tours of Czech Universities based on your academic interests. Learn about the requirements and program options for studying in the Czech Republic, and talk to local university students and graduates about student life in Prague, Brno, Hradec Kralove, and Ostrava.

Learn Czech with Czechs

Unique opportunity to sit in the classroom with Czech peers and spend free time exploring Prague together, on foot, by boat, or by bicycle, thanks to the one-of-a-kind partnership with Pamet Naroda High School in Prague.
Czech peers will accompany program participants on most of the activities and build cross-cultural connections with them. Students will take a crash course in Czech language to help jumpstart their learning and give them the chance to practice with their Czech peers. This will also put students on the path to studying for free at a Czech University.

Develop Cross-Cultural Understanding 

Engage in discussions of Czech-American relations with diplomats from both nations, and learn to lead within a multicultural team. Participate in workshops and activities that explore Czech diplomatic relations, work on projects with Czech students that promote cultural understanding, and share cultural insights to build connections and bridge differences.

With the support of the Mestenhauser family, join us to celebrate outstanding student contributions to international education and internationalization in Europe and beyond, building on the model pioneered by Joe Mestenhauser at the University of Minnesota.

“My dad felt that students were not the future, but very much the present. Students contribute to the education of those around them (including their own faculty). Education is not linear (knowledge transferred from teacher/prof to student), but it is multidimensional.” (Patricia Bergh, daughter of Josef A. Mestenhauser, 2023)

Josef Mestenhauser was not “just a student” at Charles University; he was leading the resistance and politically active. This experience meant he understood how important students are as leaders of change. He always brought students to the table, supported them, mentored them, acknowledged them and learned from them.

An award with his name could inspire Czech and other universities to recognize students who engage in internationalization as volunteers and whose efforts, while frequently unacknowledged, contribute significantly to an internationally welcoming campus.