School as the engine of the region: Mayors and principals join forces in the face of new challenges
April 24, 2026 / 1:21 PM
The basic prerequisite for the long-term development of any municipality is a stably funded and well-managed school. However, the role of founders is changing dramatically. Mayors are no longer just administrators of school buildings, but are becoming key drivers of regional education quality. This growing responsibility, which fully resonates with the goals of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) and the vision of Strategy 2030+, is reflected in the "School as the Engine of the Region" conference. The event will take place on June 4 at the Brno Exhibition Centre as part of the URBIS The Smart Cities Meetup fair.
Founders and school management will face fundamental challenges in the near future, the most pressing of which is the transfer of funding for non-pedagogical staff to municipalities. Therefore, the "School as the Engine of the Region" conference abandons the format of classic passive lectures and functions as an interactive working hub. Capacity is strictly limited to 100 VIP guests, consisting exclusively of decision-making tandems: the mayor and the school principal. It is their close synergy that is essential for successfully managing the upcoming changes.
Program Structure: From vision to hard data and practice
To provide participants with comprehensive tools for their decision-making, the program is divided into four consecutive expert blocks:
- BLOCK I. Data and starting points (09:30 - 10:30): Factual dialogue without impressions. Data from practice and impacts on municipal budgets (Jana Soukopová, Filip Hrůza – MUNI ECON) and outputs from the Eduzměna pilot project (Zdeněk Slejška).
- BLOCK II. Change management and support (11:00 - 12:00): Methodological help and certainty. Representatives of the MŠMT Middle Management Support (Pavel Vyhňák, Jaroslav Mihal) and practice from municipal associations (Viktor Liška).
- BLOCK III. Inspiration and practice (13:30 - 14:30): School as a living community center. Entrepreneurship education (Hana Šolcová, Dáša Zouharová – Lipka) and a panel discussion of successful mayors.
- Supplementary topics: During networking breaks, we will address school catering and ICT funding. Guided by: Richard Budzák and Vítězslav Dohnal (ÚKVR).
Professional background and the role of the organizer
The initiator and organizer of the conference is the Institute for the Quality of Education in Regions, z. ú. (ÚKVR). The mission of the institute is the professionalization of the founding practice in direct accordance with the government's Strategy 2030+. ÚKVR bridges the gap between state administration, local government, and school management. It provides mayors and principals with expertise, data analytics, and strategic mentoring with a single goal: to ensure that decision-making at the municipal level is based on data and brings tangible results to schools.
Event facts:
- Name: School as the Engine of the Region
- Date: Thursday, June 4
- Location: Brno Exhibition Centre (BVV), Pavilion A – Morava Hall
- Participation: Closed event for 100 guests (Mayor + Principal tandems)
- Information and registration: For more information and registration, visit the portal konference.ukvr.cz and the institute's website ukvr.cz.
