Over fifteen hundred documents in Czech, Slovak, French or English from the field of international relations, political science, history or law were donated to the University of Ostrava by the political scientist and historian Jacques Rupnik. They will be placed in the University Library, together with the Jacques Rupnik study room, which the French political scientist will personally visit and inaugurate this Friday. “It is not difficult to say goodbye to books if one knows that they will live more and more lives, as many lives as they will have readers. Perhaps I have contributed a little to filling some of the gaps in the University of Ostrava’s collection,” stated Jacques Rupnik. The University of Ostrava has acquired an extensive book collection thanks to its long-standing cooperation with the Centrum PANT.

It is not difficult to say goodbye to books if one knows that they will live more and more lives, as many lives as they will have readers. Perhaps I have contributed a little to filling some of the gaps in the University of Ostrava’s collection.

“I very much appreciate the connection between Jacques Rupnik and the University of Ostrava. Professor Rupnik has influenced the foreign policy of our country and of the whole Central Europe with his ideas. Ostrava will therefore be able to present itself as a city which, thanks to his world-famous personality, is symbolically linked to the idea of a united and free Europe,” said Jan Lata, rector of the University of Ostrava.

From next week, the inspiring spaces of the Jacques Rupnik study room will be available for students, readers and the public to use for educational and cultural events. The University of Ostrava has spent CZK 1.35 million on the construction work and CZK 850,000 on the equipment, thanks to which it has built a pleasant, modern and design background. In addition to the study space itself, it will also present the work of Jacques Rupnik and his ideas about a united Europe.

“I believe that students and our registered readers will find the study room a wonderful place not only for learning. The advantage of the whole space is its modularity which will allow us to adjust its layout and create ideal conditions for various cultural and educational events of our university. The first event that the study room will host will be an international summer school on the topic of non-democratic regimes,” said Jarmila Dvořáčková, director of the University Library.

The Jacques Rupnik study room will become an additional and very pleasant meeting place for academics, students and the general public, be it for discussions and debates or other various events.

“The University of Ostrava has been making an intensive and long-term contribution to the local social and cultural life. The Jacques Rupnik study room will become an additional and very pleasant meeting place for academics, students and the general public, be it for discussions and debates or other various events,” added rector Jan Lata.