Paneuropean University

The Paneuropean University
Paneurouni / Paneurópska vysoká škola
Motto	e pluribus unum (unity in diversity)
Established	July 14, 2004
Type	Private
Chairman	prof. Dr.Vasiliy Lipitskiy, DrSc.
Rector	prof. JUDr. Ján Svák, DrSc.
Students	5000
Undergraduates	690 graduated in 2011
Postgraduates	611 graduated in 2011
Doctoral students	10 PhD. in 2011
Location	Bratislava, Slovakia
Campus	Bratislava, Prague, Zilina, Brno, Ostrava
Website	http://www.paneurouni.com/en/

The Paneuropean University is a private institute of higher education located in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was established on July 14, 2004.

About

Paneuropean University (PEU) was founded in 2004 as a private educational establishment that initially carried the name of Bratislavská vysoká škola práva. Starting with the academic year 2010/2011 it is called Paneuropean University. PEU currently has five faculties – Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economics and Business, Faculty of Mass Media, Faculty of Informatics and Faculty of Psychology. It offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies in 14 programmes accredited by the Ministry of Education. Three faculties of PEU allow habilitation and inauguration. The other two are authorised to carry out a rigorous procedure. PEU is a modern educational and research institution that is committed to the Humboldtian idea of graduate education complying with the latest achievements in education and research.

PEU develops creativity and promotes innovative solutions. Its students grow into competent professionals and intellectuals in their areas of studies. The University possesses modern teaching materials and technological equipment. Apart from the main building located on Tomášikova street, it has further facilities on Tematínska and Nevädzova streets, where the University’s high-end Media Centre is located. Paneuropean University develops cooperation with major foreign universities and scientific institutions. It supports continuous flow of knowledge and information, as well as exchange of researchers, students and teachers around the world. The Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics and Business of PEU also operate abroad. Both faculties have branches in Prague, Brno and Ostrava. In Slovakia the faculties are also represented in Žilina. PEU addresses extracurricular development of its students by facilitating various activities. There are a number of active student groups – Sports Club PANEURÓPA, Students Club and Bruno Walter Orchestra. The University is committed to the traditional European values, which are a founding part of humanism, scientism and creative development of individual competencies. This effort grants PEU the ability to establish itself in Central Europe as an exclusive educational and research institution, which promotes the good name of Slovakia home and abroad.

History

In 2003, a highly praised Slovak political and social figure, JUDr.Ján Čarnogurský, together with a well-known Russian scientist and community activist Vasily Lipiskiy, as well as a Russian entrepreneur Ing. Alexander Somov, have decided to establish an educational facility in Slovakia that would meet the world-class standards. A working group was established, which included a former ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Austria, professor Jozef Klimko, PhDr. Emil Pejko and other established academics and practitioners.

Already in 2004 the newly established Bratislavská vysoká škola – the first private Slovak university to provide a degree in law – accepted its first-year students. Since the beginning of building the foundation of human, material, informational and technological resources, the main ambition of the initiative was to establish an advanced educational and research institution. In 2005 the Faculty of Economics and Business was established in order to become a progressive and flexible division supporting modern educational trends in preparing economists fit for entering both domestic and international labour markets.

The Faculty of Mass Media, the third academic division established in 2007, expanded the educational portfolio to the area of studies in mass media. The Faculty of Informatics (2009) was created as a response to a dynamic development of information technology. The Faculty of Psychology (2011) became the youngest faculty, which addresses a broad range of individual, public and social problems that consider both national and European trends.

Since the year of 2010 our establishment is called Paneuropean University. The name is associated with one of the ideologies that played a critical role in the formation of European identity. In 1923, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894-1972) summarized his vision on European integration and described dramatic consequences of failing to unite Europe in his book called Pan-Europa. Only Europe as whole сan sustain internal peace and external safety, economic growth, principles of society, which are based predominantly on mutual support and solidarity. All of this demands a degree of coherence that relies on сommon historical, cultural and ideological values. Supporters of the idea of united European identity do not associate it exclusively with the European Union, but with a gropolitical and cultural space in its broader sense.

The basic idea is the following: „Pan-Europe is the united Europe“, „e pluribus unum“ (unity in diversity). The ideology is considered to have its roots in the ancient Greek democracy, Roman law and a Judeo-Christian identity of Europe. Otto von Habsburg (1912-2011) was considered the leader of the Pan-European movement for 35 years. Milan Hodža (1878-1944) was a famous Pan-European activist in Slovakia.

Paneuropean University does not propagate any political views, yet it is in fact Pan-European with close links to the Paneuropean Union. It brings academics to teach students from all over Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The establishment gladly utilizes benefits of European integration and contributes to its development. The educational principles of the University grasp the traditions of whole Europe in order to bring East and West closer. In order to fulfill this mission, University Identity Council was established to bring together scientists, policymakers, representatives of culture and church from many European countries. The Council is chaired by Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, who regularly visits Paneuropean University to deliver speeches to its students and teachers.

Faculties and Institutes

As of the academic year 2011/2012 the University has five Faculties:

Faculty of Law

Historically, the Faculty of Law has become the first faculty of Pan-European University - during its first year of existence (2004/2005), PEU consisted of only one department. The main objective of the Faculty is to provide a standard legal education, as well as to offer advanced accredited courses and programmes. The Faculty offers high-quality academic programmes and prepares professionals for employment in traditional legal areas (judges, prosecutors, notaries, lawyers, executors), work in the public sector and government and other legal professions available within the European Union. The educational programmes allow students to get a universal and comprehensive legal education, with emphasis on international and European law. The Faculty of Law has successfully developed cooperation with foreign universities; apart from domestic professors and practitioners, the students are taught by professionals from the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany.

Science and Research

The research work of the Faculty of Law has taken over the two main directions within the Faculty’s long-term plan for action. The project titled “Research of criminal victimization in Slovakia” utilized the study on “Etiology, phenomenology, prediction and prevention of criminal activities”. The research project was built on top of a similar project from the previous year (2009). It was a unique initiative for Slovakia and corresponded to the worldwide research carried out in this field, and was supported by grants from third-party institutions. Another research project was titled “Optimization of student preparation for a successful legal practice”. Its aim was to align the requirements of labour market with the graduate profile requirements set forth by a faculty, as well as its educational programmes and courses. This initiative is currently supported by an institutional grant. The project titled “Enhancing the quality of management of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer in practice” has set a main objective to contribute to the process of transferring the knowledge into practice, which is implemented through the development of capacity and management quality of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer. The main goal of the Centre is the creation of a functional knowledge database system. The system contains the following modules: database of intellectual property, knowledge base of research institutes, knowledge base of clients, database of knowledge transfer.

International Activities

Since its foundation in 2004, the Faculty of Law of PEU has had a tendency to expand its international cooperation and partnership with foreign institutions. The process of internationalization of the faculty had a number of significant milestones.

Progression of international development of the faculty was assisted by the University’s membership in the Lifelong Learning Programme, Erasmus, and in the group formed by a number of law faculties – ELPIS (European Legal Programme of Integrated Studies). Within the Erasmus programme, the Faculty of Law currently cooperates with nearly 30 law faculties of partner universities from 20 European states.

Apart from the main activities of the Erasmus programme, i.e. the student exchange and mobilities, the Faculty of Law is actively working towards the student work placement and internships. Participation in the latter has become part of the faculty’s study programme. The idea behind this is to strengthen the knowledge of our students during practice in foreign institutions. Another form of international initiative of the Faculty of Law includes Erasmus mobility programme for teachers, as well as involvement of foreign pedagogues in teaching at our faculty.

ELSA Paneuropa

ELSA (European Law Students' association) is the world's largest independent law students' association. It comprises a membership of around 32,000 students and recent graduates who are interested in law and have demonstrated commitment to international issues. ELSA operates primarily through its Local Groups, which are located at nearly 300 law faculties in universities throughout 42 countries in Europe. The Paneuropean University is honoured to be the seat of the ELSA Paneuropa.

Faculty of Economics and Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) was founded in 2005 and has been providing a complete university degree education since the academic year 2005/2006. Upon graduation a student receives a university diploma and a title of inžinier (Ing.) Beginning with academic year 2006/2007 FEB offers doctoral degree studies (“philosophiae doctor” or PhD). The Faculty is stemming from the development trends in economics in Slovak Republic and worldwide. It provides a quality education and prepares its students for taking on business, management, sales and marketing professions. The education in FEB is conducted by highly qualified professors, docents and experts from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Russian Federation. In 2009 the Faculty has updated its study programmes in order to introduce contents and teaching methods that correspond to the ones applied in the most prestigious graduate business universities. This has increased the quality of education, as well as made the programmes offered by FEB more attractive for potential students, including foreign applicants. New disciplines in economics are being taught at the Faculty now. The change has also given a great incentive for the students who seek to obtain managerial skills related to the functionality of business entities in domestic and international markets. Educational programmes offer compulsory and optional (elective) courses that build up students’ expertise, knowledge and skills in organization and management of business. The Faculty offers a four-semester programme in “Economic communication in a foreign language”. It offers students a chance to study economics and business in a different language in order to broaden their view on various aspects that their education focuses on.

Science and Research

In 2010 the Faculty has initiated an internal research project titled “Theory and methodology of constructing new indicators for the evaluation of financial stability and performance of businesses in an unstable economic environment”. The goal of the research is to derive a set of new indicators that will measure the volatility of business entities in unstable market conditions. In collaboration with partner institutes in Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark and Bulgaria, the Faculty participates in the process of evaluating the results of a lifelong education of experts in a project titled “Continuing Professional Development best-practice framework for EU employers of engineers and technicians”.

The project titled “Enhancing the quality of management of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer in practice” has set a main objective to contribute to the process of transferring the knowledge into practice, which is implemented through the development of capacity and management quality of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer. The main goal of the Centre is the creation of a functional knowledge database system. The system contains the following modules: database of intellectual property, knowledge base of research institutes, knowledge base of clients, database of knowledge transfer.

International Activities

Development of international cooperation and contacts with international research and educational institutions is one of the cornerstones of the Faculty of Economics and Business. The quality of its study programmes is guaranteed by internal and external teaching staff from the University of Economics in Prague, University of Economics in Vienna, Academy of Science of the Russian Federation, Lomonosov University of Moscow, Masaryk University in Brno, Faculty of Management and Economics of Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Mendel University in Brno and Sales Manager Akademie in Vienna.

The Faculty has concluded bilateral agreements with select universities under the Erasmus programme, the benefits of which have been used by our students since the academic year 2007/2008. The Faculty also creates conditions to attract potential students from abroad. Since 2006, in cooperation with Sales Manager Akademie in Vienna, the Faculty has widened its curriculum for students from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Slovak students that have interest in Germal language education can also participate in courses taught in Vienna and Bratislava. Upon successful completion of the studies, the graduates receive diplomas in accordance with the educational and legislative standards of the Slovak Republic.

Faculty of Mass Media

Faculty of Mass Media is the third faculty of Pan-European University. It was founded in May 2007 and began offering educational programmes in the academic year 2007/2008. The Faculty gives its students a theoretical and practical knowledge and teaches them to apply it creatively in work related to print, Internet, multimedia, advertising and management. The education is based on the latest trends in information technologies in mass media around the world. The Faculty focuses on practical education carried out by distinguished experts with media, marketing and managerial experience, who operate in Slovakia and abroad (Austria, Russian Federation, Czech Republic and Germany). The Faculty has modern video, photo and audio studios with professional equipment, where students apply their theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills. The European spirit of the Faculty implies cooperation with foreign universities. The Faculty offers courses in English and orients its educational programmes towards European realities. The graduate profile of a student in the Faculty of Mass Media satisfies requirements set by the most prestigious media and marketing universities in the European Union. Since the academic year 2010/2011 the Faculty offers a new programme in Political Science on all three graduate and post-graduate levels.

Science and Research

In the Faculty of Mass Media the research focuses on media and advertising – their position, role and importance in creative industries on national, regional and global levels. Academics at the Department of marketing communication focus on the research of advertising strategies in the area of advertising mediation, negotiation, implementation and realization. The Faculty of Mass Media of PEU participates in the projects on “The competence in professional presentation as one of the conditions for success in professional performance” and “Qualitative innovation of educational programmes focusing on ethno-pedagogical and unconventional approaches to education in multicultural environments”. The Faculty is actively involved in a collaborative project with the University of Wroclaw: “Media in crisis, crisis in media”. Academic research events (conferences, seminars, symposia, colloquia, etc.) present the results of their own research work, initiate the conduct of new projects, as well as present an opportunity to deliver various views on theoretical and practical issues. Students and leading experts attend the events - the results and valuable contributions are published in various compilations. The project titled “Enhancing the quality of management of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer in practice” has set a main objective to contribute to the process of transferring the knowledge into practice, which is implemented through the development of capacity and management quality of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer. The main goal of the Centre is the creation of a functional knowledge database system. The system contains the following modules: database of intellectual property, knowledge base of research institutes, knowledge base of clients, database of knowledge transfer.

Faculty of Informatics

The Faculty of Informatics of Pan-European University offers education on legal, economic, informational and psychological aspects of computer science. The Accreditation Committee of Slovakia has licensed the University to offer a bachelor’s degree programme in Applied Informatics in July 2008, thus initiating the formation of the Faculty of Informatics – the only such faculty among private universities in Slovakia. The Faculty prepares its student in accordance with the current demands in the area of information technologies. It emphasizes the professional education with essential standards set by the IT development. The Faculty offers: Flexible studies tailored for the current labour market requirements. Linking theory and practice with the latest achievements in information and communication technologies. Possibility of studying informatics simultaneously with programmes in law, economics and mass media. Combination of informatics with law, economics and mass media allow a student to take on the challenges beyond the orthodox understanding of IT.

Faculty of Psychology

The Faculty of Psychology is a new faculty of the Pan-European University and is also the first of its kind in Slovakia. In the academic year 2011/2012 the Faculty has accepted its first bachelor’s degree students. The main goal of the Faculty is to provide theoretical and practical teaching that meets the conditions of the “European Certificate in Psychology” (EuroPsy) and allows its graduates to enter the roaster of European psychological experts. This allows the Faculty’s graduate students to work professionally within the entire European Union. EuroPsy Certificate implies a certain standard of education at all levels of university studies. Bachelor’s degree programme focuses on the basic training in theory and techniques of Applied Psychology, develops medical psychological skills and prepares for research in the field of psychology. The bachelor’s level provides basic education in the area, offers courses that train skills and methods of psychology, as well as adjacent subjects relevant to an overall expertise. Substantial attention is devoted to the issues of personality and individuality. Less attention is paid to matters of methodology, society and social groups. A team of expert psychologists teaches at the newly established Faculty at the Pan-European University in Bratislava. Internal teachers guarantee a high quality of offered education. The educational programme is also put into practice by external lecturers – qualified scientists and academics from educational and research institutions, as well as practicing psychologists.

Institutes

Institutes of the University include:

• European Financial Law Institute
• The Expertise and Education Institute

International Cooperation

The orientation of the Pan-European University abides by the fundamental and basic principles, in which the international scene plays a dominant role. Slovakia is a component part of the EU, the University has therefore become very strong in co-operation, integration, exchange of information, pedagogues and students. Without acceleration in the area of international co-operation is it hardly possible to step into the future. From the very beginning of its existence, the Pan-European University has ascribed priority to international relations; the fact that approximately 30 per cent of all lecturers are from abroad proves the international character of its staff.

The contacts with partner universities on the basis of the pedagogical co-operation open a new dimension for the University, particularly the possibilities of joint activities with the partners in the area of science and research (in the form of shared research projects), drafting of joint academic programmes, publications, discussion forums for exchange of experience in the form of international conferences, colloquia, or summer schools.

Since 2007, in co-operation with the University in Vienna and 12 other European universities and research institutions, the Pan-European University has been taking part in the activities of the international summer school project called NICLAS („New International Constitutional Law & Administrative Studies Summer School“). These steps are connected with the gradual development of the central idea of the “Twin-City” project, which is to enhance co-operation of the capital cities of the Slovak republic and Austria – Bratislava and Vienna – also on the academic level. The outcome of this is the co-operation between the Pan-European University and the University in Vienna.

Apart from expanding co-operation with partner universities across Europe (being active in the Lifelong Learning Programme / ERASMUS initiative of the European Union), the first intensive steps for concluding cooperation agreements with partners outside Europe have taken place. The Pan-European University continues this activity with the aim to embark on further partnerships with universities in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, however not limiting its scope towards these regions only.

On the basis of its participation in the ERASMUS programme, in 2005, the Pan-European University gained membership in an association of universities called ELPIS („European Legal Programme of Integrated Studies“). The instigator and organiser of this association is the Leibniz University Hannover.

List of rectors

The rector is the university's highest officer, elected among the faculty by all the members of the academic senate.

• prof. JUDr. Vladimír Mathern, DrSc.
• prof. JUDr. Jozef Klimko, DrSc.
• prof. JUDr. Ján Svák, DrSc.

Sports Club Paneuropa

Sports club PANEURÓPA is an association of students, teachers and employees of Paneuropean University. It’s goals are as follows:

supporting and developing sport activities in the University, training and preparing athletes, organization and coordination of various sport events, participation of our representatives in sport competitions, promoting the University through achievements in sport.

Chairman of the Governing Board, Prof. Vasiliy Lipitskiy, DrSc, is the president of Sports club PANEURÓPA.

Horse Riding

Horse riding is one of the directions that the Sports club of PEU has been maintaining. The Club possesses the best riding horses that have participated in competitions on various levels, including the World Cup. Students, academics and employees at the University take care of the horses, as well as participate in riding contests. Our athletes specialize in parkour training and enduro races. The head coach, L. Naštická, is the Slovak champion in equestrian sport. The base for horse training is located in riding polygon “Rozálka” (Pezinok, Suvorovova 9), where perfect conditions for stabling horses, breeding, training and performance are maintained.

Students' Club

Students club is a voluntary student association of Paneuropean University in Bratislava. The Club brings together students and their associations, while maintaining their autonomy and facilitating their proactive engagement in academic and extracurricular activities, both within the University and outside it. The Club serves as a platform for a substantive dialogue between the students and Paneuropean University. It is one of the cornerstones in academic development of PEU. It helps new students, as well as existing ones to better integrate into the University life. The Students club also cooperates with other student organizations both home and abroad.

University Magazines

The total of four magazines are published regularly as of 2012.

1. Paneurouni - The official magazine of the Paneuropean University
2. Notitiae ex Academia Bratislavensi Iurisprudentiae - The official magazine of the Faculty of Law
3. Economics and Business - The official magazine of the Faculty of Economics and Business
4. Like - The official students' magazine

External links

• Official website (English)