The Prague University of Economics and Business (PUEB) (originally: ''the University of Economics, Prague''; '', VŠE'') is an economics and business-oriented public

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

located in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It is the largest university in the field of economics, business and information technology in the

, with 14,000 students across its bachelor, master, doctoral and MBA programs. It has been considered the best business school in the Czech Republic and one of the best in Central and Eastern Europe. It is also a part of the CEMS global alliance.

History

''Vysoká škola obchodní'' ("Business School") was established in 1919 as a department of the

Czech Technical University in Prague Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) () is one of the largest universities in the Czech Republic with 8 faculties, and is one of the oldest institutes of technology in Central Europe. It is also the oldest non-military technical universi ...

, specializing in

wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...

trade,

banking A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...

, and the organization of industrial companies. In 1949 the ''Vysoká škola politických a hospodářských věd'' (University of Political and Economic Sciences) was established, which was finally renamed the University of Economics in 1953. The university underwent a significant reform in 1989 in the aftermath of the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution () or Gentle Revolution () was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Pa ...

. In 2020, the international designation of the ''University of Economics, Prague'' was changed to ''Prague University of Economics and Business''.

Schools and campuses

The university is composed of six faculties spread over three campuses. The main campus is situated in

Žižkov Žižkov ( or ''Zizkow'', between 1939 and 1945 ''Veitsberg'') is a cadastral district of Prague, Czech Republic. Most of Žižkov lies in the municipal and administrative district of Prague 3, except for very small parts which are in Pra ...

, a central district of the Czech capital. The university maintains a second campus on the outskirts of the city in

Jižní Město (, colloquially ' or ' and abbreviated JM) is a panelák, panel housing estate situated in an open area in the southeast of Prague. Its name translates from Czech language, Czech to English as "South City" or "South Town". Home to most of the 90 ...

. The premises of the Faculty of Management are located about 110 km from Prague in

Jindřichův Hradec Jindřichův Hradec (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 21,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations, urb ...

. The six faculties of the university are: *Faculty of Finance and Accounting (FFA) * Faculty of International Relations (FIR) *Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) * Faculty of Informatics and Statistics (FIS) *Faculty of Economics (FEPA) *Faculty of Management in Jindrichův Hradec (FM)

Academics and ranking

In the Times Higher Education ''World University Rankings 2023'', Prague University of Economics and Business (PUEB) was ranked 1501+ in the world. The Financial Times ''European Business School Rankings 2022'' ranked Prague University of Economics and Business as 50th in 2020, 55th in 2021 and 62nd in 2022 in Europe. In the ''Eduniversal Ranking 2018'', Prague University of Economics and Business gained the title of best Business School in Eastern Europe. The Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) has been accredited by the

European Quality Improvement System The EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) is a business school accreditation managed by Brussels based EFMD. It provides accreditation for higher education institutions of management and business administration and is run by the European Fo ...

(EQUIS), the first business school in the Czech Republic and fourth in Central and Eastern Europe. The CEMS Master in Management program ranked 14th worldwide in the ''Financial Times Ranking 2021''. According to the QS World University rankings, Prague University of Economics and Business has been ranked among top 251–300 under Economics and Econometrics. The Masters in Finance and Accounting program at the Prague University of Economics and Business has also been ranked among the top #101 worldwide according to QS Business Masters Rankings: Finance.

International co-operation

Over 1000 students spend a semester abroad every year, at institutions including

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

(

Fuqua School of Business The Duke University Fuqua School of Business (pronounced ) is the business school of Duke University, a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina. It enrolls more than 1,300 students in degree-seeking programs. Du ...

Copenhagen Business School Copenhagen Business School (Danish'': Handelshøjskolen i København'') often abbreviated and referred to as CBS (also in Danish), is a public university situated in Copenhagen, Denmark and is considered one of the most prestigious business scho ...

University of St. Gallen The University of St. Gallen (HSG) is a research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland, that specialises in business administration, economics, law, international affairs, and computer science. It was established in 1898. It consistent ...

, and

Vienna University The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

. VŠE cooperates with 250 partner universities, including

Sciences Po Paris Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

University of Cologne The University of Cologne () is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in 1388. It closed in 1798 before being re-established in 1919. It is now one of the largest universities in Germany with around 45,187 students. The Universit ...

Tilburg University Tilburg University is a Catholic research university specializing in the social and behavioral sciences, economics, law, business sciences, theology and humanities, located in Tilburg, Netherlands. Tilburg has a student population of about 19,1 ...

Stockholm School of Economics The Stockholm School of Economics (SSE; , HHS) is a private business school located in city district Vasastaden in the central part of Stockholm, Sweden. SSE offers BSc, MSc and MBA programs, along with PhD- and Executive education progr ...

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

and

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. The school issues a number of international degrees, including joint and

double degree Joint degrees are academic qualifications awarded through integrated curricula often jointly coordinated and delivered by multiple higher education institutions, sometimes across different countries. Graduates may receive a single qualification ...

s. Each year, around 60 visiting professors come to teach at the university, and more than 90 courses are taught in English. As of 2000, the university has been awarding the

Gary Becker Gary Stanley Becker (; December 2, 1930 – May 3, 2014) was an American economist who received the 1992 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was a professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago, and was a leader of ...

Prize for the best student's thesis in economics (a prize previously associated with

IMADEC The Imadec Executive Education GmbH is a business training provider in Vienna, Austria. The company briefly gained accreditation as a for-profit private university in 2001, albeit under dubious circumstances. The accreditation was rescinded in 20 ...

of Vienna). The university is a member of the

Global Alliance in Management Education CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education or CEMS (formerly the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies) is a cooperation of leading business schools and universities with multinational companies and NGOs. ...

(CEMS),

Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) is a non-profit educational organization of graduate schools of international affairs, with 42 members and 37 affiliates around the world as of February 2022; two members we ...

(APSIA), and Partnership in International Management (PIM) networks. In addition, over 1100 students from institutions overseas come to VŠE each semester. In 2005, a new International Learning Center was established as part of expansion of university premises. Courses for these students are run in Czech, English, German, French, and Russian languages.

Notable alumni

* Jan Fischer (born 1951), statistician,

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic The prime minister of the Czech Republic ( Czech: ''Předseda vlády České republiky'') is the head of the government of the Czech Republic and the '' de facto'' leader and most powerful member of the executive branch. The Constitution provid ...

(2009–10), Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic (2013–14). Graduated 1974, completed post-graduate studies 1985. * Martin Jahn (born 1970), Czech politician and economist, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy (2004–05). Graduated in 1994 with a Masters in International Trade. *

Petr Kellner Petr Kellner (20 May 1964 – 27 March 2021) was a Czech billionaire entrepreneur, the founder and majority shareholder (98.93%) of the PPF Group. At the time of his death, he had an estimated net worth of $17.5 billion, making him the wealthi ...

(1964–2021), investor, businessman (one of the USD

billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least 1,000,000,000, one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultr ...

s), and owner of PPF company. *

Václav Klaus Václav Klaus (; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician who served as the second president of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. From July 1992 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993, he served as the second ...

(born 1941),

President of the Czech Republic The president of the Czech Republic, constitutionally defined as the President of the Republic (), is the head of state of the Czech Republic and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The presidency has largely bee ...

(2003–2013),

(1992–97). Graduated in 1963 with a major in Foreign Trade Economics. *

Valtr Komárek Valtr Komarek (10 August 1930 – 16 May 2013) was a Czech economist, forecaster and politician. A participant in the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Komárek subsequently entered politics a part of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), leading th ...

(1930–2013), economist and politician *

Jiří Paroubek Jiří Paroubek (; born 21 August 1952) is a Czech politician, who was the prime minister of the Czech Republic from April 2005 to September 2006. He was also the leader of the Czech Social Democratic Party from 2006 until his resignation follo ...

(born 1952),

(2005–2006), Member of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

(2006–13), former chairman of

Czech Social Democratic Party Social Democracy (, SOCDEM), known as the Czech Social Democratic Party (, ČSSD) until 10 June 2023, is a social democratic political party in the Czech Republic. Sitting on the centre-left of the political spectrum and holding pro-European ...

. * Jiří Rusnok (born 1960), politician and economist,

(2013–2014), Minister of Finance (2001–02), Minister of Industry and Trade (2002–03), graduated in 1984. *

Josef Tošovský Josef Tošovský () (born 28 September 1950) is a Czech economist and former governor of Czech National Bank (from 1993 to 2000). From 17 December 1997 to 22 July 1998 he was the prime minister of the Czech Republic in a caretaker government. C ...

(born 1950),

(1997–1998), governor of the

Czech National Bank The Czech National Bank, (, ČNB) is the central bank and financial market supervisor in the Czech Republic, headquartered in Prague. It is a member of the European System of Central Banks. It was established on from the division of the State ...

(1989–1992; 1993–2000). Studied at the university from 1968 to 1973, graduated in Foreign Trade. *

Zdeněk Tůma Zdeněk Tůma (born 19 October 1960) is a Czech Republic, Czech economist. From 2000 to 2010, he was Governor of the Czech National Bank (CNB). From 2011 to 2019, he worked in the private sector at the audit and consulting firm KPMG Czech Republi ...

(born 1960), governor of the

(2000–2010) and politician. Studied at the university from 1979–83. *

Miloš Zeman Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician who served as the third president of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2023. He also previously served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...

(1998–2002),

(2013–2023). Studied from 1965–69 at the university, specialising in Economic Forecasting, and taught. * Josef Zieleniec (born 1946), Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (1993–97),

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

(2004–09). Graduated in 1974, specialising in Industrial Economics. * Laura Longauerová (born 1995), Slovak model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Slovakia 2014 and Miss Universe Slovenskej Republiky 2019. *

Josef Průša Josef Průša (born 23 February 1990) is a Czech businessman and 3D printer developer. He is the owner of Prusa Research. Biography Josef Průša was born on 23 February 1990 in Havlíčkův Brod, Czechoslovakia. He studied applied computer sc ...

(born 1990), Creator of Prusa Research. * Josef Neumann (born 1974), General Director of

PepsiCo PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...

for Czechia & Slovakia & Baltics & South East Europe Franchise

References

External links

University website

ISIS VŠE
(Information system for students and teachers)
iList
(Independent student magazine and web)

(Student magazine)
Unie studentů VŠE
(Students' Union of the Prague University of Economics and Business) {{DEFAULTSORT:Economics, Prague, University Of Prague University of Economics and Business Educational institutions in Prague Universities and colleges established in 1919 Universities of economics in Europe Žižkov 1919 establishments in Czechoslovakia