THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN STUDY ABROAD FAIR GAUDEAMUS® 2012

The 5th year of the Education and Lifelong Learning Exhibition Gaudeamus® 2012 was held in the Krizik exhibition halls E and D of the exhibition grounds in Prague from the 24th to the 25th January 2012.

The aim of the Gaudeamus® Exhibition in Prague was to provide information about study possibilities at higher schools, universities, colleges and language schools. The Gaudeamus® Exhibition focused on grammar school, higher school and college students and graduates and lifelong learning applicants.

Universities, colleges, higher schools, language schools and educational institutions from the Czech Republic and from 10 other countries were represented at the exhibition.

Exhibitor's Structure

156 individual exhibitors in 93 booths (+ 3 compared to 2011) participated in the Exhibition. The exhibitors’ structure is presented in chart 1 and diagrams 1 and 2.

Diagram 1


Diagram 2

Organization of the Exhibition

Organization of the Exhibition was guaranteed by MP-Soft®, a.s., Brno and the Brno University of Technology represented by Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc. The exhibition was held under the patronage of Prof. Ing. Václav Havlíček, CSc., rector of the Czech Technical University in Prague; Doc. RNDr. Anna Putnová, CSc., MBA, chairman of the Schools Committee of the Czech Parliament; and Mrs Valerie Raymond, ambassadress of Canada in the Czech Republic. Academic counsellor of the Exhibition was Prof. Ing. Jan M. Honzík, CSc. Organisation guarantor was Ing. Pavel Mikula, chairman of the board of MP-Soft®, a.s., Brno.

The Exhibition Course

The 5th year of the Gaudeamus® Exhibition was held in the exhibition halls E and D of the Holesovice Exhibition grounds in Prague. Exhibitor’s booths were mostly located in the exhibition hall E and the lecture theatre, the information service for students and booths of the schools from abroad were located in the exhibition hall D. The exhibition was open for the public daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from the 24th to the 25th January 2012.

The first day of the exhibition culminated by a gala evening and discussion meeting of exhibition participants, this took place in the Kaisersteinsky Palace. The most important guests of honor were: Mrs. Valerie Raymond, Embassadress of Canada in the Czech Republic along with other Canadian representatives; PaedDr. Milan Němec, counsellor for education and sport of the Central Bohemian region; Doc. RNDr. Miloslav Švec, CSc, vice rector of the Brno Unversity of Technology; rectors, deans and other representatives of Czech and foreign universities.

Attendance of the Exhibition

The Exhibition was held at the Prague’s Exhibition grounds in Holesovice as a standalone event so we were able to determine the accurate number of visitors. The actual attendance was 8 362 visitors, which is by 361 visitors higher than last year.

The education specialists had the possibility to register in advance at the website www.gaudeamus.cz. There were 1 695 registered specialists. Everyone who registered received a free entrance ticket and a complete information package. The students also had the possibility to register. The distribution of attendance into individual days is presented in charts 2 and 3.

Target group characteristics

During the 5th year of the Gaudeamus® Exhibition in Prague the statistical survey was carried out among the visitors, as it was done during the previous years. Students who attended the lectures were addressed during the survey. 2 186 students, which is 26,2 % of the total number of visitors, filled in the raffle tickets at one of the lectures and returned them for drawing. Detailed results are shown in the following charts.

Chart 4 and diagram 3 show the representation of individual target groups within the total exhibition attendance. The most important target groups are 3rd and 4th year high school students, who make up more than 80 % of visitors.

Diagram 3

Apart from standard attendance data, which are stated in charts 1 to 4, information regarding the students focuses in choosing their future studies and their criteria were gathered. The students answered the following questions:

1. What type of school do you study?:

• Grammar school
• High school
• Higher school
• University or college
• Do not study

The most important target group of the fair are grammar school students, who make up 48 % of total attendance. The second most important group are other high school students, who represent 42 % of visitors. See diagram 4.


Diagram 4

2. What academic subjects would you like to study?:

• Social sciences
• Economics
• Teaching
• Art
• Management
• Law
• Language studies
• Medicine
• Informatics
• Science
• Mathematics-Physics
• Sports
• Transportation
• Electrotechnology
• Chemistry
• Civil engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Agriculture

The students could tick off one or more of the listed subjects, which they would like to study at the university or college. 2 189 students were addressed of the total number of 8 362 visitors. Results of the survey are shown in chart 5 and diagram 5. Chart 5 includes values from the past five years. Diagram 5 shows the situation in 2012.

The students are most interested in social sciences and language studies followed by management, economics and law.

Diagram 5

3. What type of study do you prefer?:

• Bachelor
• Bachelor with possible follow-up
• Master’s
• Master’s long
• Higher professional school
• Ph.D.
• MBA

Students could tick off what type of degree they would like to acquire. 2 189 students were addressed of the total number of 8 362 visitors. Results of the survey are shown in chart 6 and diagram 6. Chart 6 shows values from the past five years. Diagram 5 shows the situation in 2012.

The most demanded type of study is bachelor with possible masters follow-up.

Diagram 6

4. Mark the following factors (1 - 5) according to their importance for your decisions:

• Salary
• Employment prospects
• Preceding education
• Prestige of the field
• Personal prerequisites

Students could mark the factors from 1 to 5 (1 - the most, 5 the least) expressing the importance of the factor for their decisions. 2 189 students were addressed of the total number of 8 362 visitors. Results (average marks) of the survey are shown in chart 7 and diagram 7. Chart 7 includes values from the past five years. Diagram 5 shows the situation in 2012.

Diagram 7

The most important factors influencing the student’s decisions are personal prerequisites and employment prospects in the field.

The last two questions of the survey were focused on accompanying programs. These were: Did you attend any of the lectures? and Did you attend the Science for Life? The aim of these questions was to determine student’s interest in the accompanying programs. The results are shown in diagrams 8 and 9.


Diagram 8

Diagram 8 shows the lecture attendance in 2012. 26,2 % of visitors, which is 2 191 people, attended at least one of the lectures. This is a significant increase compared to previous years of the fair.

The Science for Life program was a part of the Prague for the first time in 2012. Diagram 9 shows the student interest in this program. 29 % of visitors, which is 2 424 people, came to see the presentations in the program


Diagram 9

Exhibitor's Lecturers

The lecture theatre was a part of the standard exhibition facilities. The theatre seated 120 people. The lecture theatre was located in the exhibition hall D and was equipped with a quality sound system, an overhead projector, a data-video projector and computers for presentation projection. The lectures were given by qualified representatives of participating schools.

The total attendance of the lectures was higher than 2 191 visitors (26,2 % of the total number).

After each lecture, the organizers drew lots and drew out the names of 5 participants, who then got prizes with the Exhibition logo or prizes donated by the participating schools. The first drawn person was given the most valuable prize, the others got umbrellas, mugs with the Exhibition logo, T-shirts, etc.

During the 5th year of the exhibition, lecture theatre was the most attended place. The lectures have been for a long time the most efficient way of passing information about possibilities of higher education and conditions of entrance examinations.

Science for Life accompanying program

The Science for Life program was part of the Prague fair for the first time in 2012. The aim of the program was to present interesting technologies, natural processes, experiments and scientific findings to the visitors of the fair. Students could see and try everything for themselves.

Four schools participated in the program in it’s first year: Charles University in Prague, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, University of Defence in Brno and the Language Institute Prague.

The Exhibition Catalogue

Each visitor received the printed Exhibition catalogue with the possibility to download the detailed electronic catalogue. Both catalogues contained detailed information about education possibilities at participating schools and educational institutions. Most of the schools supplied information about school, the list of faculties, contacts to studies departments, information about faculties’ subjects, entrance examinations, student’s statistics at individual faculties and departments, etc. There were basic contact information published free of charge for every participating school (name of the institution, address, phone and fax number, e-mail and web address).

Exhibition’s development in 2008 - 2012

All important figures regarding the development of the fair over time are presented in chart 8. It can be seen that all factors are steadily increasing during the fair’s history. The number of exhibitors in 2012 has increased by 3 compared to 2011. The exhibition space, which is one of the most important characteristics of the fair has increased by 36 m2 compared to last year. The attendance in 2012 was by 361 visitors higher than in 2011.

6th Year of the Gaudeamus® Exhibition in Prague in 2013

Most of the exhibitors would like to extend the exhibition for three days. The exhibition conception will be prepared by the consultative board consisting of representatives of the most important exhibitors. The consultative board will meet at the end of March 2012 and will determine the exact date and basic concept of the next Exhibition in 2013. The Gaudeamus® exhibition in Prague 2013 will most likely be held at the same venue from in January 2013.

27th February 2012


Prof. Ing. Jan Maxmilián Honzík, CSc. Academic Advisor

Dipl.Ing. Pavel Mikula, President of the Exhibition