CEA feels it is very important to have a resident staff that works to ensure your well being and that of all CEA students. Our Program Director in Prague, Sandra Hamissova, and her staff will:
- be available to assist you with any difficulties or questions that may arise during your program;
- act as a liaison between you and the administration of the host institution;
- help you make a smooth transition into Czech culture and educational system;
- closely monitor your academic progress; and
- organize a wide range of social and cultural activities.
Questions about the Prague staff? Email .
Meet the Prague Staff
Gerry KerrCampus Director - Eastern Europe & Southern France
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The CEA Office & Student Lounge in Prague
The CEA office is located in the historical city center and is generally open 5-6 hours every day. It has 2 computers the students can use. What is more, it also has Wi-Fi internet, so bringing a laptop is strongly recommended. There is a limited but carefully selected library, ranging from European travel guides, the Czech Republic travel tips resources, English translations of Czech literature to theoretical books and English-written fiction, including weekly issues of The Prague Post. Motivated students can also find there useful language-learning tools: above all a Czech language software and dictionaries. Sport-oriented students can borrow a soccer ball, chess board, etc.
In the CEA lounge there is a cooking range, microwave oven, coffee maker, and TV set including a DVD player.
Here's what Sandra has to say about Prague
Prague is a lovely metropolis where you can see history and present unravel in a very condensed and multi-layered urban composition. Throughout the centuries, Czech lands – Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia – have several times been part of large empires whose rulers harbored grand aspirations, and Prague being their center enjoyed a prominent status, bourgeoning culturally, politically and economically. Since then Prague has weathered many turbulent times, good and bad, further maturing until very recently, in 1993, it ended up a capital city of a very tiny nation, the smallest speck of sovereign land ever, but no less proud for that. Somehow Prague has retained its grandeur and powerful genius loci, which can both be imposing as well as endearing (small as the city is).
Prague is such a stimulating city in which to study, since history is all around you. One cannot but fall in love with the ancient Charles Bridge, Staroměstské náměstí and the Astronomical Clock, Hradčany and the Prague Castle to name but a few sights here. You will find soon you are drawn to these places at different times of day over and over again, including during the very early hours of morning dawn, because seeing them once does not do them justice. And there's so much to see after the guidebook highlights! Prague offers a treasure trove of historical and cultural goodies that make the city the perfect location for a rewarding study abroad experience.
Prague really has something for all. The city even has something that cannot be seen elsewhere: cubistic architecture. Surely you have heard of Picasso and other painters but have you really seen a building designed in the cubistic style? And if you like humor, you will probably appreciate the Czech self-mocking or provoking art which teases passers-by in many corners of Prague, be it a national symbol desecrated and hanging upside down in a passage, huge black babies climbing up a tower, a male statue peeing out words at your call, literally.
Personally, what I especially love about Prague is the unhurried feel of it despite the fact that it keeps up with the modern times. You can see so many medieval architectural gems rubbing shoulders on just one spot that you are not urged to rush somewhere else to see another. Without noticing, Prague gently nudges you to live life at a walking pace and to take in the details too. It is a city which will definitely bring you an entirely different experience and will make you forget about cars altogether. Also, this city is of manageable size, you can really get to know it pretty well with time, without ever getting bored. It is a very livable and cozy city.
Prague is also a great location for traveling to other major European countries. With Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland all nearby, many students take advantage of the excellent rail network, hard competing low-cost airlines and incredibly cheap bus service providers to experience the culture of cities such as, Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Kraków, and Vienna on the weekends. London, Madrid, Paris and Venice are only a short plane-ride away!
I would highly recommend the CEA program in Prague to any student wishing to have a wonderful and unforgettable experience in the heart of Eastern Europe!
