Conscious path to more resilient academic community

Following the tragic events of 21 December 2023 at the Faculty of Arts, cooperation was established with Norwegian partner, the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS — Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress). The main goal of the cooperation was to connect experts from Charles University with partners from NKVTS and to support the exchange of experience that Norwegian experts gained after the tragic events on the island of Utøya in 2011. The collaboration was formulated into the Conscious Path to More Resilient Academic Community project. The project focuses not only on sharing knowledge in the area of care for those affected by the attack, but also on the preparation of a long-term plan for the development of support measures. In addition, the expertise of the NKVTS will serve as an important source of knowledge for the future work of the newly established CU Resilience Centre. The plan is also to define options for further research to capture the changing situation and experience after an attack.

The project also involves CU representatives visiting the Norwegian partners in Oslo in November 2024. The trip was attended by representatives of the Faculty of Arts, CU Point and the student association Peerko. The key point of the programme was sharing of findings from long-term research and other experiences. The importance of a sensitive approach to the creation of memorial sites, taking into account the individual needs of survivors, was discussed. The CU representatives also visited Utøya Island, the site of the tragic events of 2011. Participants appreciated the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the site, which has now been rebuilt as a memorial and education centre that balances the need to remember with the need for new life, learning and engagement for a more inclusive and democratic society.

Subsequently, in February 2025, Charles University in Prague welcomed representatives of the NKVTS, Professor Lise E. Stene and Kristin A. Glad. The purpose of the visit was to share NKVTS' experiences with the university community as well as to communicate these issues to the public and government agencies. During the two-day event, they first discussed systemic measures to help create a safer environment at universities. The workshop then featured insights from research following the terrorist attack on the Norwegian island of Utøya and presentations by CU representatives following the event at the CU Faculty of Arts. The findings may enable practical application to mitigate the impact of traumatic events and prevent similar situations in the future.

In April 2025, representatives of Charles University made a final visit to Norway. The aim of the visit was to learn about the activities of the 22 July Centre in Oslo, which serves as a national memorial and educational centre on the attacks of 22 July 2011. The meeting was very useful in understanding how Norwegian society reflects and further processes the events of 2011 after many years. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the activities the centre organises for the public and schools and how it sensitively engages with those affected.

Representatives also met with leading members of the Association of Affected and Survivors, which has been run for many years by the mother of one of the victims. The visit to the NKVTS headquarters provided an opportunity to present the experience to date, new measures and lessons learned on the part of Charles University following the December 2023 attack. The NKVTS representatives were impressed by the initiative of Peerko psychology students who provided psychological support to affected students in December 2023 and beyond. The representatives also discussed deepening collaboration and defining the final deliverables of the project.