The developments at the Faculty in 1998 can be perceived from two viewpoints. For the long–term, the Faculty was awaiting the new Act on Higher Education and worked on preparing its application. For the short–term, the Faculty focused upon the efficient restructuring of the study programmes offered and the resulting personnel transfers. The teaching process benefited greatly from the introduction of rationalised and more precise rules of study. A new programme was designed for the Department of Corporate Economy, better to comply with the demands on graduates in their actual jobs, and corporate economy was also established as a new specialisation. The Department of Management and the Department of Commerce were re-organised and a new Department of Social Studies was founded. These changes were then incorporated in the faculty charter. External studies were gradually transformed into distance studies, primarily through the introduction of new teaching aids.

The Faculty worked to develop the curriculum further to include courses reflecting the approaching entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union. These courses mainly focus upon European law.

The end of 1998 was devoted to the application of the new Act on Higher Education. A committee nominated by the dean undertook the task of drafting the normative documents of the faculty management.

Research activities at the Faculty were managed through the Internal Grant System, to which the applications of most of faculty members were accepted. The aim of the system is to set up the conditions for long–term research projects at faculty departments, as well as to assist in establishing their research profiles.

In 1998, six grants were applied for at the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, of which so far one has been accepted. Another two grants were applied for at the University Development Fund in Prague. Of those, one has already been carried out: a computer centre with general access at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of Masaryk University in Brno. As a result, an information and analysis centre with top–level computers has been opened to the public. At the same time, the quality of the computing equipment for other network users has also increased. Improved technical conditions in the new building made it possible to install a new information system, to be used both by the faculty administration and the students. The faculty also applied for one grant at the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

Several important conferences and colloquia were held by the faculty, such as the conferences ”Universities Preparing Economists for Entry into the EU”, ”Community and School II”, the colloquium ”The Impact of EU Membership on Education System Management II”, ”International Colloquium on Regional Sciences”, the colloquium ”Externalities and Their Solutions”, the conference of doctoral students and the colloquium of the Department of Finances at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of Masaryk University, the OPF SU, FF UMB and PF EU, Bratislava. In the autumn 1998, a new study programme of public economy was approved, to be opened in 1999, and a plan was discussed to establish a study programme of economic policy.

A committee nominated by the dean judged at the annual competition for the dean’s Prize and awarded two first places. Students of the faculty were encouraged to submit original work for the competition in the following two categories: the best work of students in the Bc. programme and the best student research work. The winners received financial prizes from the dean’s fund.

International activities of the faculty were based on bilateral agreements and contracts. The faculty participated in two TEMPUS projects of student exchange. Both projects were concluded in 1998 and were highly appreciated by the students. Unfortunately, this type of TEMPUS project has been terminated by the EU.

Some members of the faculty were engaged in the project TEMPUS S–JEP ”Espro”. The aim of the project is to prepare teachers and devise the teaching materials to present the nine modules concerning arrangements for the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union. The project continues in 1999.

The university most popular among students interested in studying abroad was the Viadrina University in Frankfurt am Main. The length of stay was changed from the original one semester to two, as none of the students were simply willing to return home after their first semester there. The students spoke highly of the general teaching level and the individual approach of the lecturers, as well as the standards of materials.

Since 1996, the Faculty has been participating in a multi-regional European programme (MIBP – PECO) with Ecole Supérieure de Commerce Chambery in France. As a part of the agreement, the ESC Chambery provides a grant for a one–year stay for a student of our faculty.

The Faculty obtained three one-semester grants from the Haagse Hogeschool in Hague for the school year 1997/98.

A graduate of the Faculty is studying for his PhD at the Tilburg Institute of Advanced Studies in Management.

The Faculty assisted in preparing the materials for the negotiations with Fernuniversitä t Hagen and the University of Nottingham. The negotiations were successfully completed and a co–operation agreement signed.

The SOCRATES project provided fundamental support for the student exchange programmes. The offer of eleven institutions was further extended by Trier and Mannheim, thus increasing the choice for students whose first foreign language is German.

The experience gained when studying abroad is a major contribution to the full participation of the Czech Republic in the EU.

1998 was the second year of a joint project between the faculty and Wirtschaftsuniversitä t Wien, Austria. Supported by the AKTION foundation, the project resulted in a series of lectures in German at the Brno faculty in winter semester 1998/99 and is to proceed in the following school year.