The College of Logistics
The Czech Republic has seen, since it was made possible by the 1998 Higher Education Institutions Act, an expansion of the sector of professional higher education institutions, which also overlaps, to a large extent, with the sector of private higher education institutions. Currently there are 39 professional higher education institutions (37 private, 2 public institutions). Most of these institutions have struggled to form a distinct profile, and by a large majority they operate in the field of education towards business studies, marketing and general services. Many of the institutions are on a drift, or attempt to drift towards the traditional academic sector, aspiring to become universities in some cases, including the case of one of the two public professional higher education institutions.
The College of Logistics is a private higher education institution that has existed since 2004. Over the course of its existence the institution has deliberately and steadily selected a clear profile, avoiding to extend activities beyond that profile even at the time of the peak of demand for higher education.
The institution operates degree programmes at EQF 6 and 7 in logistics, with a comprehensive focus on transport logistics, travel and hospitality logistics, and logistics of services. Professionally specialized EQF 6 degrees are followed on by an option of an EQF 7 degree with more managerial focus.
The institution has managed to set up an impressive network of collaborations with the world of work, which is also linked regionally with important transport industry that traditionally exists in the area of Přerov, which is the location of the institution and a strong traditional transport hub namely for railways.
The quite unique feature about this institution is also its ability to collaborate with traditional university sector. That includes research collaborations, but namely participation in the provision of doctoral degree programmes in transport field by universities in Prague and Žilina (Slovakia).
Thus, the institution has managed to establish itself across all the levels of higher education while remaining a focused professionally oriented institution; and that is quite singular in the Czech higher education system.