IES Director’s Welcome to the New Academic Year 2026/2027

Dear students,

Welcome to the new academic year 2026/2027 at the Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University! A particularly warm welcome goes to those of you who are starting at IES this year—whether in Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral programs. I hope the coming months bring you more than just lectures, seminars, and exams, serving above all as a time for new ideas, friendships, lively discussions, and the opportunities that are an integral part of university life.

The new academic year also comes with several practical updates:

1. no more early morning wake-up calls: The change you will surely appreciate most is the shift in class start times. Morning classes now begin at either 9:00 AM (Czech mathematics courses at Karlov) or 9:30 AM (courses in the IES building) instead of the previous 8:00 AM. We are responding to your feedback as well as basic human biology—as economists, we like to assume perfectly rational behavior, but before 8:00 AM, that assumption is a bit optimistic. I believe a later start will benefit both attendance and the quality of class discussions.
    
2. extended opening hours of the IES building: We want to give you more room to get the most out of evening classes without feeling rushed. Since lectures and seminars often finish as late as 7:50 PM, we are keeping the building open until 9:00 PM. This gives you plenty of time to calmly discuss new course topics with fellow students or ask your lecturers any questions after class.
    
3. card access to the building: Hand in hand with the extended opening hours comes a new access system. From September 15, the glass doors above the entrance staircase are permanently locked, and you can open them by tapping your student card against the reader on the right-hand wall. Please remember to bring your card with you every day so you can enter the building smoothly. If you happen to forget it, simply ring the bell for the reception—we won't leave you out in the cold.
    
4. less struggle with technology: Over the summer, we made progress in modernizing our classrooms—room 314 received new lighting, and we significantly upgraded the audiovisual equipment in computer lab 016, small seminar room 105, and attic room 601. I hope this makes your studies more pleasant and saves our lecturers from spending the first ten minutes of class trying to persuade the projector to cooperate.

Of course, IES is more than just a building or new tech. It is built above all on a community of active, curious students who help and support one another in achieving their goals. I wish you all the best in making full use of everything this community has to offer in the coming year. Engage in discussions, ask questions, bring forward your own ideas, and make the absolute most of the opportunities available to you.

I wish you a successful academic year 2026/2027 and look forward to seeing you around IES!

Adam Geršl

IES Director