{{Short description|Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic}} {{Infobox organization | logo = Logo_Ceska_centra.jpg | type = Cultural institution | key_people = | footnotes = | name = Czech Centres | founded = {{start date and age|1949}} | founder = Government of Czech Republic | location = | origins = | region_served = Worldwide | product = Czech cultural education | focus = | method = | revenue = | endowment = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = | num_members = | subsid = | owner = | website = | dissolved = }} [[File:Bohemian.nation.hall.jpg|thumb|The Czech Center in New York]] [[Image:Berlin, Mitte, Wilhelmstrasse, Tschechische Botschaft 01.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Czech Center in Berlin in the building of Czech Embassy]]
'''Czech Centres''' ({{langx|cs|Česká centra}}) is an organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic consisting of offices in 26 countries throughout three continents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/en/about-us/sit-cc/|title=Czech Centres Worldwide|access-date=4 August 2016}}</ref> It was established for the promotion of the Czech history, culture, language, tourism and trade abroad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/diplomatic_missions/missions_of_the_czech_republic_abroad_1.html|title=Missions of the Czech Republic Abroad|access-date=4 August 2016}}</ref> It is considered an active instrument of foreign policy of the Czech Republic through public diplomacy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Report on the Foreign Policy of the Czech Republic: between July 1998 and December 1999|publisher=Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí České republiky|year=2000|location=Czech Republic|pages=258–259|via=Google Books}}</ref>
== History == The organisation dates back to its opening in 1949 as the Cultural and Information Centres (CIS) in Sofia and Warsaw.<ref name=":0" /> In the Eastern Bloc, further CIS offices were opened in Budapest (1953), Berlin (1955) and Bucharest (1981).<ref name=":0" /> In 1993, the organisation's name was changed from the Cultural and Information Centres to Czech Centres and the range of operations was expanded to encompass exports and tourism with new offices opened outside of Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2006, Czech Centres opened its first office in Asia in Tokyo, Japan. In the same year, Czech Centres became a member of EUNIC.The most recent office to open was in Seoul, South Korea in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/en/about-us/|title=About Us - Czech Centres|website=www.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref> In April 2017, the organisation's Director General Jan Závěšický was removed by the Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek due to 'serious managerial errors'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://praguemonitor.com/2017/04/07/foreign-minister-sacks-czech-centres-head-z%C3%A1v%C4%9B%C5%A1ick%C3%BD|title=Foreign Minister sacks Czech Centres head Závěšický {{!}} Prague Monitor|website=praguemonitor.com|language=en|access-date=2017-06-13}}</ref>
== Activities == According to its 2012-2015 Strategic Report, the Czech Centres are tasked with the following activities:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/_sys_/FileStorage/download/5/4539/czech-centres-def.pdf|title=Strategy of Czech Centres 2012→2015|access-date=4 August 2016}}</ref> * Promoting the Czech Republic abroad in cooperation with diplomatic missions. * Facilitating participation in foreign projects for Czech entities and the development of international cooperation. * Promoting Czech culture (such as the fine arts, architecture, design, fashion, film, music and literature). * Providing support for external economic relations and developing Czech export opportunities. * Cooperating with universities and institutions of education, science, research and innovation to promote the success of Czech research and development. * Supporting teaching the Czech language abroad by running certified Czech language courses and exams. * Promoting the Czech Republic as a tourist destination with a focus on regional presentations abroad. In 2015, Czech Centres enrolled 2,063 students in Czech language courses.
== Events and awards == Within these activities, the Czech Centres organises cultural and educational events in the Czech Republic and abroad, such as: * the Night of Literature festival (Noc Literatury),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nocliteratury.cz/en/2016/|title=LITERATURE NIGHTS|website=www.nocliteratury.cz|access-date=2016-08-05}}</ref> * the Made In Prague film festival,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://london.czechcentres.cz/programme/travel-events/filmovy-festival-made-in-prague/|title=Made in Prague Film Festival - Londýn|website=london.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref> * the One World Film Festival, * the Echoes of Ji.hlava documentary film festival,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-10 |title=Echoes of Ji.hlava 2023 |url=https://new-york.czechcentres.cz/en/program/ozveny-ji-hlavy-2023 }}</ref> * educational events and publications about Czech scientists, such as Otto Wichterle and Antonín Holý.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/novinky/milano-holy-2015/|title=Česká věda bojuje s viry/Czech Science Fights Viruses - Česká centra|website=www.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/projekty/otto-wichterle22/|title=Otto Wichterle - Česká centra (in Czech)|website=www.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806185540/http://www.czechcentres.cz/projekty/otto-wichterle22/|archive-date=2016-08-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition to this, it organises several awards and curatorial internships for areas of Czech culture,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.czechcentres.cz/prilezitosti/ceny-ceskych-center/|title=Ceny Českých center - Česká centra|website=www.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref> such as the Susanna Roth Award for young translators.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-16 |title=Translators from Europe and Asia gather in Czech Republic at 5th edition of annual Susanna Roth Award |url=https://english.radio.cz/translators-europe-and-asia-gather-czech-republic-5th-edition-annual-susanna-8125836 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Radio Prague International |language=en}}</ref>
== Locations == The Czech Centres has 28 branches on 4 continents:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Czech Centres - Prague / About us |url=https://czechcentres.gov.cz/en/about-us |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=czechcentres.gov.cz |language=en}}</ref> * {{AUT}} - Vienna * {{BEL}} - Brussels * {{BUL}} - Sofia * {{CZE}} - Prague (headquarters) * {{EGY}} - Cairo * {{FRA}} - Paris * {{GEO}} - Tbilisi * {{DEU}} - Berlin, Munich * {{GRC}} - Athens * {{HUN}} - Budapest * {{ISR}} - Tel Aviv, Jerusalem * {{ITA}} - Rome, Milan * {{JPN}} - Tokyo * {{NED}} - Rotterdam * {{POL}} - Warsaw * {{ROU}} - Bucharest * {{RUS}} - Moscow * {{SRB}} - Belgrade * {{SVK}} - Bratislava * {{KOR}} - Seoul * {{ESP}} - Madrid * {{TWN}} - Taipei * {{SWE}} - Stockholm * {{UKR}} - Kyiv * {{USA}} - New York City * {{GBR}} - London * {{VNM}} - Hanoi
=== Headquarters === In April 2006, Czech Centres opened its new headquarters in Wenceslas Square, Prague.
=== Galleries === Czech Centres owns and curates its own galleries in Prague that are open to the general public at Rytířská 539/31.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prague.czechcentres.cz/en/about-us/|title=About Us - Prague|website=prague.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-05|archive-date=2016-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821041557/http://prague.czechcentres.cz/en/about-us/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Czech House in Moscow === Czech Centres opened its Czech House in Moscow in 2002. Its primary ambition is to serve as a contact for Russian and Czech businesses. Czech House in Moscow is currently the largest complex owned by the Czech Republic abroad, containing 122 offices, 132 apartments, 87 hotel rooms in addition to conference rooms, a business centre, restaurant, bar, gym fitness centre and sauna, as well as other facilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cesky-dum.czechcentres.cz/|title=Главная - Český dům (In Czech and Russian)|website=cesky-dum.czechcentres.cz|access-date=2016-08-04|archive-date=2015-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204161451/http://cesky-dum.czechcentres.cz/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.czechcentres.cz/en/ Official website]
{{International cultural promotion organizations}}
{{Authority control}} Category:Organizations established in 1986 Category:Cultural promotion organizations Category:Czech language Category:Cultural organizations based in the Czech Republic Category:1986 establishments in Czechoslovakia