UNIVERSITY LIFE BEYOND THE LECTURES: COMENIUS UNIVERSITY DISTRIBUTES GRANTS TO STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS
Bratislava, 29 November 2021: Comenius University Bratislava pledged to support student associations by over 25,000 euros in order to promote the community aspect of student life. Students remain active even during the pandemic and come up with leisure activities in culture, sports and education. Support for the associations was one of the promises made by the Rector of Comenius University Marek Števček to students, and the current initiative is a way of fulfilling his promise.
During the past year, Rector Števček had a number of meetings with all student associations which are active at the university. Together they discussed the various projects of the associations at the thirteen faculties, and the hurdles they faced. The proposed grant scheme is a response to the needs of the students, formulated during those meetings. Comenius University will support nineteen projects, among them the Slovak Association of Dental Students, the Martin Club of Medical Students or the Trojsten project. Students applied for funding to renovate premises and buy equipment, to produce educational events, to print magazines, or raise terrarium animals for the zoologists.
"We tried to support as many projects as possible. We believe it is important for the students to develop their talents outside of school and I consider it my duty to make sure the conditions are right. I want the students to feel that their university supports them whenever they want to do something meaningful for themselves, their classmates, the university itself, or the general public. I am convinced that this approach will produce a healthy benefit for the society as a whole," said the rector of Comenius University Marek Števček.
The projects which received grants also included the Gymnik folk ensemble which is active at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of Comenius University. More than 900 members passed through its ranks over the years. The grant will be used to purchase folk costumes and develop a ceremonial repertoire for the ensemble’s 60th anniversary.
The Družba 17 Boxing Club plans use the grant money to complete their gym and purchase sports equipment. In the future, its members plan to establish a civic association which would become a member of the Slovak Boxing Federation. This would be the first official university boxing club in Slovakia in history.
Speleoklub UK Bratislava is developing an education project entitled: An excursion into speleology from the point of view of natural sciences. It will offer its students new approaches to teaching karst studies, geology, speleobiology and other disciplines, possibly motivating new research and discoveries. The club plans to use the grant to buy basic equipment for those interested in caving.
The Bratislava Association of Medical Students is planning to use the grant money to renovate and restore its premises. It also plans to purchase specialist teaching aids such as testicle and breast models to help educate the public about sexually transmitted diseases, as well as breast- and prostate cancer.
The Slovak Association of Pharmacy Students organises the 2022 Pharmacy Communication Championships. The aim of the event is to improve the communication skills of pharmacy students, which are essential for their future jobs. In a simulated pharmacy environment they will "role-play" and observe possible errors in the communication with patients or in the choice of pharmacotherapy.
University social networks and Naša univerzita (Our University), the oldest Slovak university magazine, will keep you informed about the activities of student associations.