Education/News/February 2023/Collaboration with Charles University on the creation of Czech Wikipedia started in January

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Collaboration with Charles University on the creation of Czech Wikipedia started in January.

Summary: The Charles University and the Wikimedia ČR Klára Joklová confirmed their partnership and cooperation in the creation of Wikipedia by signing a memorandum. You can find out how the cooperation will work and what it includes in this article.
rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková and CEO of Wikimedia CZ Klára Joklová

Good news in the field of education and freedom of information related to Czech Wikipedia. On January 13, 2023, the Rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková and the Executive Director of Wikimedia ČR Klára Joklová confirmed their partnership and cooperation in the creation of Wikipedia by signing a memorandum.

The cooperation will have several levels. The building blocks will be the creation and expansion of new dictionary entries within the framework of the Students Write Wikipedia project, which the Charles University administration supported in 2013. In addition to Wikipedia, the university will also participate in Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata through its representatives.

"In line with its so-called third role in society, Charles University will support the creation and dissemination of new dictionary entries for the Wikipedia encyclopedia and participate in their professional development ― in particular by involving students and teachers in the Students Write Wikipedia project. These entries will also be based on the UK's professional and scientific research activities. The University will also participate in improving and adding to the content of existing dictionary entries."

Charles University will also support, to the best of its abilities, the creation of resident/wikidatist/student/teaching positions within the UK.

University students are ideal Wikipedians

The view that undergraduates are ideal Wikipedians is held by our Executive Director, Klara Joklová. "They are digitally savvy, used to checking sources, have experience in writing academic texts and want to use their valuable free time in a meaningful way. Our projects are aimed at equality, sustainability, media literacy and critical thinking, which is the direction that Charles University is taking. The cooperation was offered and I am pleased that we will realize it."

We will provide methodological and project support, training and know-how to the students and teachers of the university, or we will oversee the technical support. The collaboration will be mutually beneficial ― the university will gain new opportunities for its students, and projects like Wikipedia will gain new volunteer editors, which have been in short supply for a long time. Another great news is that we will be able to carry out the activities in the pleasant premises of the Didaktikon educational centre of Charles University.

"Wikimedia and Charles University are here for everyone, not just students"

This was the meaning expressed by the Rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková during the signing of the memorandum on Friday 13 January. That education and free information should be available to all is also a long-term vision of the Wikimedia movement. Therefore, within the framework of cooperation, we plan to open and publicize a number of necessary topics in the public space.

For example, we are planning to include the Seniors Write Wikipedia programme in the programme offer of the University of the Third Age UK. The University will promote, within its possibilities, selected thematic programme offerings of Wikimedia CR, related to the themes of equality, human rights and gender (e.g. WikiGap and WikiProject Human Rights and WikiProject Czechoslovakia 1948-1989), sustainability (e.g. WikiProject Climate Change) or the development of media literacy and critical thinking (e.g. Media Literacy Portal).

We thank the management of Charles University for joining us in this endeavour, and we look forward to all that the cooperation will bring.