In Pilsen, a medical center of the medical faculty will be built for 600 million

Plzeň - Construction of the first part of the University Medical Center of the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Plzeň will begin in the coming days in the vicinity of the Plzeň faculty hospital in Lochotín. Upon completion, it will host five theoretical institutes of the faculty and the newly emerging Biomedical Center. The mini-campus project, costing more than 600 million CZK, is expected to be completed in spring 2014. The Plzeň region, which is predominantly perceived as "technical", will gain new capacity in the natural and medical sciences. This was reported today by UK spokesperson Václav Hájek.
    "The new infrastructure will serve for the education of all students of the faculty, who number around 2000. The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Department of Physiology, the Department of Pathological Physiology, the Department of Biology, and the Department of Biophysics will receive 5000 square meters of modern laboratories, faculty offices, and other spaces across seven floors," said the dean of the Plzeň Faculty of Medicine, Boris Kreuzberg.
    The institutes will continue to focus primarily on education. "However, research, particularly in the area of organ replacement and regeneration, will also receive significant support within the faculty. This will be handled by the Biomedical Center, located on the premises in two separate buildings," the dean added. A total of 110 researchers and other specialists will gradually become involved in the center's activities.
    "It will focus on the replacement, support, and regeneration of certain vital organs in the event of acute or chronic functional disorders. The issues related to kidney failure, multiple organ failure in critical conditions, and liver and vascular impairment will be prioritized," said Martin Matějovič from the 1st Internal Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine of UK in Plzeň regarding the joint subject of research activities of two main research programs.
    The total expenditures for the first phase of the mini-campus will exceed 600 million crowns, to be funded not only from the European Regional Development Fund but also from the state budget and the university’s own resources. The faculty will gain nearly 10,000 square meters of new space through the implementation of the projects. UK rector Václav Hampl signed the contract with the contractor last week, with construction set to begin in September.
    According to Hampl, UK has been intensively striving in recent years to acquire new modern infrastructure for top-notch science and research, as well as for education, particularly in doctoral study programs. Since schools in Prague are excluded from programs to access European grants, they are trying to utilize European funds at least for the development of university components outside of Prague. The mini-campus in Plzeň was supported by the Research and Development for Innovations program.
    The Faculty of Medicine in Plzeň has been located since its founding in historically protected buildings, some of which have served for 65 years, and do not meet the requirements for modern education and research. The mini-campus will be built under Alejí Svobody next to the faculty hospital. The land has been approved as an area for the development of the medical faculty for 40 years, but funding for construction has been lacking.