Palacký University has achieved a success on the European stage. Beginning in November 2025, it will coordinate a three-year international project, INSIGHT (International Network for Support, Inclusion, Global Harmony, and Training), designed to strengthen the internationalisation of higher education and create a comprehensive support framework for international students and staff. The project will run until October 2028 and has secured a grant of €400,000.
The consortium led by Palacký University Olomouc includes the University of Warsaw, Université Paris-Est Créteil, and the European University Foundation. INSIGHT aligns with European priorities on inclusion and diversity and reflects universities’ efforts to foster a more open and welcoming academic environment.
“In selecting our partners, we drew on long-standing ties within the Aurora alliance and built on previous successful projects and collaborations,” said Alena Vyskočilová, Head of the Welcome Office and the project’s overall coordinator. She added that of the 38 projects submitted to the KA220 HED call in 2025, only five from the Czech Republic were successful, making INSIGHT a particularly prestigious and competitive initiative.
"INSIGHT is building a space where people can find their bearings quickly, feel at home, and fully study, teach, and create." Pavel Flekač
The project’s primary objective is to develop a universally applicable methodology for establishing and operating Welcome Offices (Welcome Points), central contact hubs providing services for international students and staff. The methodology will cover quality standards, process management, crisis protocols, case management, and unified templates and forms.
INSIGHT also advances the concept of “internationalisation at home,” cultivating a global environment directly on the home campus, and supports virtual exchanges.
Alena Vyskočilová and Katarzyna Basisty from University of Warsaw.
“Activities will include a summer school, pre-departure support for students heading abroad, and the strengthening of peer-to-peer (buddy/mentoring) and ambassador programmes for both incoming and outgoing students,” Vyskočilová added.
She noted that the project is set to deliver tangible outputs such as a methodological handbook for setting up and running a Welcome Office; certified train-the-trainers courses for staff focused on intercultural and digital competences, including the use of artificial intelligence; and community and cultural events that bring together domestic and international academic communities.
“The project places strong emphasis on an inclusive approach and takes into account the needs of diverse groups, including people arriving from crisis-affected regions. Its goal is to create an environment where every member of the academic community is respected, supported, and feels welcome, regardless of background, language, or experience. INSIGHT is building a space where people can find their bearings quickly, feel at home, and fully study, teach, and create,” summarised Pavel Flekač, Palacký University’s institutional coordinator for INSIGHT.