Radek Nesleha, CEO of Atlas Copco Services (left) and Jiri Spalek, Dean of ESF MU (right). Photo credit: Masaryk University
Brno, August 5 (BD) – Masaryk University’s Faculty of Economics and Administration (ESF MU) has formed a new partnership with the global company Atlas Copco Services. The cooperation agreement was signed last week in Brno by Atlas Copco Services CEO Radek Nešleha and Managing Director Roman Pavloušek, and on behalf of ESF MU by Dean Jiří Špalek and Vice-Dean for External Relations and Cooperation with Partners Sylva Žáková Talpová.
The close cooperation between Masaryk University and Atlas Copco Services aims to help business students gain a new perspective on the topics taught and expand their knowledge through workshops, seminars, consultations, case studies, internships, and joint projects.
Masaryk University is one of the leading Czech universities, with an excellent level of teaching and research recognised inside and outside the country. Atlas Copco Services is based in Brno and has around 43,000 employees and customers in more than 180 countries. It is a pioneer in the field of technology and engineering, mostly active in the four technical areas of compressors, vacuums, industrial processes and energy.
The lack of sufficient links between theoretical teaching and practice in many universities is a recurring debate in the education sector. “The best theoretical education is incomplete without practical experience,” said Roman Pavloušek, general manager of Atlas Copco’s Financial Services Centre. “This is why we believe that cooperation between the academic and private sectors is necessary and mutually beneficial. We are pleased to have become a partner of MUNI and to be able to participate in teaching business students.”
According to Nešleha, the Shared Service Centre in Brno currently employs more than 600 professionals, not only in the financial department, but also in areas such as sales, customer service, administration, IT and digital marketing. “I believe that their experience and practical insight will be interesting, enriching and beneficial for the students,” he added. “At the same time, we also expect unconventional insights, questions or suggestions from the students on the topics covered.”
The partnership will also encourage the most promising students, as for the fourth year in a row the company is also organising a competition for the best dissertation on economics, which rewards both the authors of the theses and their supervisors. ESF MU graduates regularly take part in the competition.
“University studies and the creation of a thesis are demanding and require a lot of effort and sacrifice,” said Pavloušek. “Therefore, we want to reward university students for their efforts, give them feedback and motivation for the start of their professional career.”
The overall winner of the ‘Atlas Copco Services Award’ will receive CZK 30,000, the runner-up CZK 20,000, and the third place CZK 10,000. There is also an award for theses that are ranked in the ‘Top 10’. Diploma theses can be up to three years old and the application deadline for this year’s contest is 31 August 2022.
