The University of the Third Age (U3V) is a lifelong learning concept for people of all ages. The special educational programme for the elderly originated in France.
In the Czech environment, the first University of the Third Age was founded in 1986 in Olomouc. However, the first academic one was established at the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague and this trend fully developed after 2000.
Currently, most Czech public universities offer this option. There is at least one university of the third age for every region, so that everyone has the opportunity to study later in life. In addition, other universities are being established within higher vocational schools and faculties that are branches of large universities in smaller towns.
The essence of the University of the Third Age is:
- Anyone can apply (priority is given to those who have been granted a retirement pension)
- enrolment fees are paid (in the order of hundreds of crowns per semester)
- Completion of secondary education is a requirement (in some cases primary school is sufficient)
- graduates do not receive a traditional academic degree, but a certificate of completion of a specific course (source : Wikipedia)
The University of the Third Age is implemented at the Theatre and Music Faculty of JAMU. Current information and offers of individual U3V courses can be found on the faculties’ websites.
Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno is a member of Association of Third Age Universities of the Czech Republic.
