Study visit to the Masaryk University

Delegation of University of Belgrade – Faculty of Organizational Sciences has visited Masaryk University from 11th to 15th of February, 2018 in Brno, Czech Republic, within the Erasmus + KA2 project: Financial Management, Accounting & Controlling curricula development for capacity building of public administration – FINAC.Study visit included three days of sections, lectures, meetings, and visits which was attended by around 50 participants from all project partners. Project leader for Masaryk University, Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Vacekova, PhD and professor Slađana Benković, PhD, project coordinator, opened the meeting with a welcome speech addressing all the participants. After that, on behalf of Masaryk University, Assoc. Prof. JUDr. Ivan Maly, CSc, Vice-Rector for Internationalization, greeted and welcomed all participants.

During the first day of activities professor Slađana Benković, PhD, project coordinator talked about results obtained in the first half of duration of the project. Mgr. Bc. David Poč, Head of Office for Strategy and Project Management, was talking about importance of FINAC for Masaryk University. Steering Committee held a meeting where it was discussed about Adoption of Report on the implementation of the last 3 months activities on the Project, project financial issues and about internal and external quality control plan. Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Tomaš Pinter, PhD and Mgr. Vaclav Stupka from Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University, held lecture on the topic of Security and Privacy in Public administration in Light of EU Regulations.

Later during the day, Ing. Michal Struk was talking about Auditing in the Public Sector, and after that, Assoc. Prof. Ing Vladimir Žitek, PhD, Vice-dean for strategy and development of the Faculty of Economics and Administration of the Masaryk University, together with Ing. Viktorie Klimova, PhD and Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Vacekova, PhD, were talking about Creation of research oriented postgraduate study programme Regional Economics.

At the end of the first day of the project activities, hosts organized guided city walk for all participants.

Second day of the study visit, Prof. Ing. Juraj Nemec, CSc, NISPA CEE president, was talking about EAPAA – European Association for Public Administration Accreditation. Ing. Michal Plaček, PhD, held lecture on the topic of Overpricing of Public Procurements, and Ing. Filip Hruža, Head of Public Administration Institute, was talking about Institutes for Public Administration as a bridge between universities and public administration.

Later, during the day, Mgr. Jana Nesvadbova, Head of the Office for International Relations had presentation of the Faculty of Economics and Administration and was talking about Double Degree Master in Public Economics and Publice Finance.

Assoc. Prof. Ing. Mgr. Jana Soukopova, PhD and Ing. Eduard Bakoš, PhD, from Sustainability and Circularity Institute, had lecture on the topic of Fiscal Sustainability: Municipal Finance in the Czech Republic.

Lastly Assoc. Prof. Gabriela Vacekova, PhD and professor Slađana Benković, PhD, project coordinator wrapped up activities of the working part of the second day of study visit. In the evening Masaryk University organized a dinner event for all project participants.

Third day of study visit, participants visited the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic in Prague. All participants had opportunity to take a guided tour in the magnificent building of the Ministry and to hear presentations of the representatives of the Ministry. Mgr. Stanislav Bureš was talking about Auditing Sector, Mgr. Valdemar Adamiš and Nikolaj Terzijev held lectures on the topics of reform of the public sector accounting system, accounting consolidation of the state and consolidated financial statements of the Czech Republic.

Whole study visit to the Masaryk University in Brno and Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic in Prague was very successful. Next meeting of project partners will be within XVI International Symposium SYMORG 2018: Doing Business in Digital Age: Challenges, Approaches and Solutions, that will be held in June 7-10, 2018 on Zlatibor Mountain in Serbia.