The year 2001 was marked by a number of significant changes at the MU Faculty of Economics and Administration both in the areas of study and teaching, research, publishing and foreign relations.

In the study and teaching activities in 2001/02, the FoEA focused primarily on the innovation of existing branches of the Bachelor's degree and Master's degree programmes. The innovation as based on the process of internal accreditation proceedings for all degree programmes and branches, which served as a preparation for the accreditation of the Faculty of Economics and Administration MU by the Accreditation Committee of the MoE. The Faculty's re-accreditation was successful, and all the existing degree programmes and degree branches were accredited for the next years. Conditions for the continuation of all post-graduate degree programmes and branches were also met.

Subjects on legislative and administrative issues were systematically incorporated to all degree programmes (branches). This process is also related to the establishment of a separate Department of Law at the Faculty.

For the academic year 2001/2002, new "Study and Examination Regulations" for both full-time and combined forms of study were prepared and subsequently approved by the Senate (until then, the regulations were different). Thanks to the new regulations and the accreditation process, the combined studies will now use the ECTS, and will have more faculty compulsory subjects like those in the full-time studies. The objective of the innovations was to increase the quality of the combined studies, and to set up the preconditions for a merge of the degree programmes and the life-long education programmes into accredited degree programmes. A new feature in the teaching of foreign languages is the now compulsory study of the English language as one of two obligatory foreign languages.

In accordance with the long-term plans of the university and the faculty, a number of new Bachelor's degree programmes (branches) were introduced in the full-time studies, with the follow-up Master's degree programmes, e.g., Economic Policy and Administration, and Economics and Management. This process will continue in the academic year of 2002/2003, and new features will be introduced in accordance with the results of the accreditation process and labour market requirements.

Research activities of the Faculty were organised in accordance with the progress plan and the Higher Education Act 111/1998. The Faculty focused on increasing its participation in projects awarded by grant agencies and different ministries.

In 2001, The Faculty obtained 12 grants. One was a research grant. Five projects were obtained from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (in one of which the Faculty only assisted), and another six from the Higher Education Development Fund (and participated in another one). One was a research project within bilateral Czech and Slovak co-operation. For the Internal Grant System, four critical assessments were made at the Faculty. In 2001, nine Ph.D. students completed their studies. Currently there are 107 post-graduate students, of which 49 attend full-time type of courses and 58 are registered in the combined study programmes.

As every year, the Faculty ran its competition for the FoEA Dean's Prize. A total of 10 students entered the competition for the best student scientific work in economics.

Publication activity: the Faculty published 26 titles for educational purposes, 14 titles were scientific and research publications (monographs, book publications and almanacs) and 4 publications were for the Faculty purposes only.

International relations in 2001 were developed mainly on the basis of bilateral agreements and agreements under the Socrates programme. The latter made it possible for 37 students of the Faculty to study at 20 different universities abroad.

Thanks to the active involvement of the Faculty in the MIBP PECO programme organised under the auspices of École Superieure de Commerce Chambery in France, the Faculty signed exchange agreements with another four European universities, in Italy (Milan), Spain (Girona) and Sweden (Jönköping).

Student exchanges continued through the CEEPUS programme, and two students went to the FHS in Eisenstadt (Austria). Co-operation with the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia established under this programme continued, and one teacher and one student of the Faculty had the opportunity to get a study stay at that university.

One of the Faculty's priorities in the field of international relations for the year 2000 was the intensification of contacts with universities in countries closest to the Czech Republic in terms of their geographical location. Co-operation has developed especially with universities in Poland (Akademia Ekonomiczna in Katowice and Krakow, University in Wroclaw).

Co-operation with Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien also continued. In the summer term of 2001/2002, Dr. Trcka visited the FoEA several times to lecture there.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Fulbright Foundation, the Faculty hosted professor Dr. Taylor and professor Lester Neidel from the USA, who gave lectures on marketing. The latter agreed to take the full responsibility for the Marketing Strategy course in the spring term of 2002. Prof. Ron King (USA) lectured in Macroeconomy and Political Science courses.

In 2001, co-operation with the Plymouth University also continued.

Prof. John Wilton visited the Faculty twice to actively participate in classes on, e.g., Theory of the public sector and Public economy. He also agreed to take over that the accredited course on Social Issues and the Social Policy in EU" in the spring term of 2002.

The main step towards setting up conditions for a true reciprocity and enhancing student mobility was the launching of five new subjects taught in English. Organized by the appropriate departments, the courses are offered to foreign students individually or as a comprehensive programme on Economic Aspects of Transition running for a full semester.

In 2001, the Faculty celebrated 10 years of its existence. That was also a reason for some examination of work done to date. To commemorate its 10th birthday, the Faculty organised an international conference on the "Czech Economy at the Turn of the Millennium" from 15 to 16 February, attended by more than 200 experts from the Czech Republic and abroad.

Other significant events in 2001 included the seminar "Thirty Days for the Civic Society", "Towns and NGOs in the Public Administration Reform" (a seminar at the programme of accompanying events at URBIS 2001 Trade Fair, "Regional authorities and the Effectiveness of Regional Development" (the 4th international colloquium on regional sciences) and the seminar "Effectiveness of Prison Service."