Since 1885, UMPRUM has educated talented artists, architects, and designers. This year marks the 140th anniversary of its foundation. Since then, the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague has emphasized innovative teaching approaches, critical thinking, and combining tradition with current practices. In the last decade, UMPRUM has achieved significant success, cementing its position among the top 100 art schools in the world.
"UMPRUM cultivates the creative thinking and imagination of its students to shape the future. We want them to seek creative solutions for upcoming social, cultural, and economic changes, equipped with knowledge of advanced technical solutions and a critical awareness of context. Education here is based on a strong connection between materials, process, idea, and expression, combining mastery with conceptual ingenuity. The integration of intellectual and artistic growth is key for us. Since its founding, the school has been built on fundamental values such as innovation, creativity, interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and social responsibility. Our goal is not merely to prepare students for future careers—we strive to nurture an independent, inquisitive, and experimental spirit," says UMPRUM’s rector, Prof. Jindřich Vybíral, who has been part of the institution for nearly 30 years.
The significant progress that UMPRUM has made over the past decade can be observed in many areas. This includes the school's facilities, resources for enhancing education and student opportunities, strengthening its respected position abroad, and efforts to reflect on and address various societal issues through art.
Modernization of UMPRUM facilities
A significant milestone in recent years was the unification of UMPRUM’s campuses, which were previously spread not only across Prague but also in Zlín. In 2021, the UMPRUM Technology Center was opened, offering state-of-the-art workshop facilities and lecture halls for education, as well as spaces for cultural and social events. The historic building on Jan Palach Square is undergoing preparations for an extensive renovation. In the first phase, a dignified space for the UMPRUM Doctoral Studies Center will be established, followed by a comprehensive revitalization of the entire building, including the roof, attic, new elevators to ensure accessibility for individuals with limited mobility, and the transformation of all basement areas. Additionally, the renovation of Kafkárna, the former studio of sculptor Bohumil Kafka, is also planned.
New study programs and support for science and research
UMPRUM continuously responds to current needs by offering new study programs. Among the latest are the Studio of Photography II (2018), focused on advertising and product photography, and the Studio of Design and Digital Technologies (2021). Starting in the 2025/26 academic year, new programs in Art and Design Management and Conservation and Art Restoration will be introduced. We place great emphasis on connecting artistic creation with technological innovations and fostering more intensive research.
Related to studies is a focus on a deeper research approach. In addition to sereval projects focusing on art history research, there is also specific research dedicated to linking artistic creation with the search for new technological practices and innovations. This activity is supported by the Center for Doctoral Studies.
Focus on collaboration and graduate employment
The practical application of UMPRUM students’ skills is a priority throughout their studies. Departments actively collaborate with state, private, and nonprofit sectors at the studio level. The creative laboratory UMlab facilitates projects that bring industry experts onto the academic stage for specific assignments. Interdisciplinary cooperation is being strengthened, and the newly established "Proof of Concept" program is creating a stable system to support projects with commercial potential. Notable collaborations include partnerships with Komerční banka, Camper, J&T, ČEZ, Škoda Transportation, TON, Ambiente, the Crop Research Institute, the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Prague, the Confederation of Industry and Trade, Preciosa, Kaufland, Klimchi, Fair Art, the city of Hradec Králové, and many others.
International dimension of UMPRUM - foreign activities
UMPRUM successfully presents itself not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. Foreign exhibitions are incorporated into studio teaching and in the case of prestigious events, they are usually interdisciplinary collaborations between several studios. This is not the only reason why UMPRUM has become a respected European school focused on design, art, and architecture. This is evidenced by its inclusion among the top 100 design schools in the World University QS Ranking, where it is the only one from Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, cooperation with prestigious foreign schools focusing on similar themes and issues as UMPRUM is also increasingly being established and deepened.
Promoting sustainability
Sustainability, environmental, and social issues also resonate throughout the school. This is manifested not only in the assignments and solutions of studio projects but also in the operation of the school itself. In addition to the various studio projects and programs, the UMPRUM Kafkárna Center for Arts and Ecology began to play an important role here in 2021, offering programs focused on ecology and sustainability for students and the general public.
Celebration of 140 years
UMPRUM will celebrate its significant 140th anniversary throughout 2025. The first event marking this occasion is the ARTSEMESTR Winter 2025 exhibition, a school-wide showcase of final and semester projects. Additionally, a series of thematic exhibitions will take place in the school’s UM Gallery, along with a public lecture series focusing on the school’s history, its workshops, and the workshop managers. The UMPRUM Online platform will also play a key role, serving as a kind of school magazine offering engaging interviews, photo galleries, and articles on both the past and present of the institution. The celebrations will be symbolically accompanied by a unified graphic design featuring the motif of uniquely decorated cakes.
The Academy of Art, Architecture, and Design in Prague continues to confirm its position as an institution that keeps up with the times, and its significance in the fields of art, design, and architecture is respected not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad.