How can quality of life be understood from the perspectives of health care, the humanities and social sciences, law, and education? Participants in the international Quality of Life programme, held at Palacký University from 12 to 16 October 2026, set out to find the answers. The Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) brought together the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Science with academic partners from abroad. The result was a week that showed just how fruitful collaboration across disciplines, faculties, and countries can be.
Five Faculties, One Shared Theme
Quality of life is not just a matter of health. It is also shaped by social relationships, education, the cultural environment, legal conditions, and the support available at different stages of life. It was precisely this breadth that the programme reflected. Its preparation and delivery were led chiefly by the Faculty of Arts (FF) and the Faculty of Health Sciences (FZV), with significant contributions from the Faculty of Education (PdF), the Faculty of Law (PF) and the Faculty of Science (PřF). The exemplary cooperation of all the departments involved demonstrated that an interdisciplinary approach is essential to understanding the complex questions facing society today.
The Faculty of Arts was represented by doc. Mgr. Pavlína Flajšarová, Ph.D., PhDr. Eva Klimentová, Ph.D., and doc. Helena Kubátová, Ph.D., who brought humanities, cultural and social-science perspectives, including social work, sociology and inequalities in the English-speaking world. Mgr. Ondřej Pokorný, Ph.D., presented on quality of life in Indonesia. The Faculty of Health Sciences was represented by doc. PhDr. Mgr. Helena Kisvetrová, Ph.D., who also played an indispensable role in organising the programme. The health-related topics covered patient- and family-centred care, long-term care, the education of health professionals and patient dignity. The Faculty of Education was represented by dr. habil. Jiří Flajšar of the Institute of Foreign Languages, who enriched the programme with a perspective on language and teacher education in the United States. The Faculty of Law was represented by JUDr. Gabriela Halířová, Ph.D., and JUDr. Lenka Westphalová, Ph.D., whose contributions addressed the legal and social aspects of family life, in particular work–life balance for single parents and childcare arrangements after divorce. The Faculty of Science was represented by Nikola Medová, Ph.D., who focused on quality of life in developing countries and highlighted the importance of cultural and geographical context.
The programme was also attended by colleagues and students from the University of Genoa, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, the University of Prešov and the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava. Their involvement broadened the discussion with further national and institutional experience and strengthened the international dimension of the whole event. The programme also ran smoothly thanks to excellent simultaneous interpreting of the foreign-language contributions. This was provided by students of the Department of English and American Studies at the Faculty of Arts, led by Mgr. Michaela Trlifajová, whose professionalism and commitment ensured that all participants could follow the programme without language barriers. Thanks are also due to Mgr. Marie Sieberová of the Faculty of Arts International Office for flawless administrative support, and to all the faculty's support staff, without whom the event could not have taken place.
From Health Care to Social Inequalities
The health strand discussed the professional competencies of nurses, care for patients with cancer, long-term care and the prevention of childhood obesity. The social perspective focused, among other things, on the quality of life of homeless people with addictions, support for informal carers and the needs of people with disabilities. Practical workshops and expert discussions made it possible to set different interpretations of the same problems side by side and to compare experience from different national and institutional settings. Herein lay the programme's added value: while the health sciences emphasised care, health and dignity, the humanities and social sciences captured cultural meanings, inequalities and individual experience; the legal perspective added questions of rights and responsibilities, and the educational one opened up the topic of learning and skills development. Thanks to open and stimulating collaboration, these approaches did not exclude one another but proved complementary.
The BIP also included an international doctoral conference (12–13 October). Early-career researchers presented their projects in English, received feedback from international experts and discussed methodological questions. The topics presented ranged from nursing education and workplace safety to the measurement of anxiety and the cultural adaptation of research instruments. The discussion was led by Prof. Alison Steven and Prof. Mary Steen, OBE, together with doc. Pavlína Flajšarová and doc. Helena Kisvetrová. The doctoral students thus gained not only valuable feedback but also the opportunity to build international contacts that may lay the foundations for future collaboration.
Ethics as the Foundation of High-Quality Research
The doctoral strand was followed by an intensive methodology seminar, Ethical Considerations in Research. Prof. Alison Steven of Northumbria University in the United Kingdom introduced the core ethical principles, the Declaration of Helsinki and issues surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in research. Prof. Mary Steen, OBE, of Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, focused on research approval: when ethical approval is required, which bodies are involved in the process and how to navigate it. Prof. Annamaria Bagnasco of the University of Genoa, Italy, used a specific project to show how approved protocols can be put into practice, how to keep documentation and how to deal with unexpected situations. The closing discussion also addressed responsibility towards research participants, their safety, and the wellbeing of researchers themselves. The seminar linked the theoretical foundations of research ethics with practical experience from the international academic environment, offering doctoral students insights they can apply in their further professional work.
International Collaboration as an Investment in the Future
The BIP Quality of Life showed how a joint educational programme can bring together academic cultures, professional perspectives and research experience. The visiting speakers from the United Kingdom, Australia and Italy shared experience from their own universities and enabled a professional exchange with colleagues from UP and the partner institutions. The programme's success was due above all to the helpful and professional cooperation of the five UP faculties, which succeeded in combining their expertise into a single coherent whole, and to the openness of the international and Slovak partners. The work of the interpreting team and the excellent organisational support of the Faculty of Arts also made a major contribution; without them, the international exchange could not have taken place on such a scale. The programme confirmed that linking disciplines and collaborating internationally deepens our understanding of quality of life and fosters research that responds to the real needs of people and society. A well-functioning partnership built on mutual respect and shared experience is, moreover, an investment that pays off in the long term.
Doc. Mgr. Pavlína Flajšarová, Ph.D., Department of English and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, Palacký University
