Plan for September: Grand Reunion of All UP Alumni

All alumni of Palacký University should mark the beginning of September in their calendars. The 9th and 10th of September will be the dates of the grand UP Alumni Reunion, on the occasion of the 70^th anniversary of the renewal of Palacký University Olomouc. Preparations for this event, unparalleled in the history of the university, are in full swing.

“The UP Alumni Reunion is conceived as an informal meeting with the people and the places that our alumni have gotten to know during their studies. On Friday, September 9, every UP faculty will open its gates and rooms for its alumni, even for their relatives and friends. In the evening, restaurants, bars, and clubs will be reserved for UP alumni. We aim to address as many UP alumni as possible and to create ideal conditions for such a reunion, accompanied with interesting cultural events. We would like to lay the foundation for the development of a sound, mutually beneficial community enriched by regular meetings,” said Petr Bilík, Vice-Rector for External Relationships.

Alumni concerts: Machálková, Pavlica, Viklický…

Whereas Friday 9 September will be organised by individual departments and faculties, Saturday will feature an All-University Party. The Saturday programme will start as early as at 9 am with a Tour of UP Facilities – Bus Tour, followed by a mass conducted by Archbishop Jan Graubner, and Gold and Silver Graduation of several faculties. All participants will then meet on the Upper Square at 1:30 pm.

They will then together proceed to the Flora Exhibition Grounds where the UP Alumni Reunion will be officially opened at 3 pm. Flora’s Pavilion A will host the UP Rector Awards to Significant Alumni and then two major shows – concerts by two famous alumni: first singer Leona Machálková, and then Jiří Pavlica & his Hradišťan band. Saturday afternoon is also dedicated to accompanying events at several places, for example in the Palacký University Arts Centre, where Iva Kevešová will have a concert, and in the Reduta, where both Lucie Ceralová and then Emil Viklický will play. Needless to say, the accompanying programme is still a work in progress, from which all visitors will certainly benefit. In addition, activities such as Park It!, UP Exhibition in the Regional Museum in Olomouc, and others will be organised. September 10th is also European Heritage Day, so the reunion participants will have the opportunity to visit the historical monuments of Olomouc.

The difficult logistics of a huge event

To organise an event that would host several thousands of people means a complicated logistical operation. Not only does the programme have to be conceived; also the possibilities of accommodation, catering, venues, transportation, and parking have to be explored. Therefore the UP organisational team as well as teams of individual faculties have already been planning the event for many weeks. “We have been putting together accommodation capacities, addressing hotels and bargaining for prices. UP Accommodation and Dining has been helpful too,” summed up Eva Blažková, Director of Conference Services.

There is also much work to be done on the internet and social networks. The alumni have to be found first, and only then can we invite them. “The UP Alumni Reunion is advertised on Facebook, where three hundred people joined the event within one week. The UP Alumni website runs a tentative registration with almost two hundred registered users. Those who complete the registration form may book tickets for the events in advance. We also cooperate with the individual departments of all faculties,” said Eva Blažková.

The members of the UP Alumni Club, currently nearly 5000 members, have also received the invitation. The alumni abroad will also be notified and invited. “We update all information regularly. Our website contains detailed information on the programme as well as organisational aspects,” added Blažková.

UP Alumni Reunion Tentative Programme

Friday, September 9, 2016

• From 5 pm: Programmes by individual departments and faculties
  (the programme will be gradually updated)
• From 8 pm: All-University Party | Klub 15minut | S-KLUB

Saturday, September 10, 2016

• Tour of UP Facilities – Bus Tour
• Open Doors Day at the UP Rector’s Office, UP Library, the Armoury, etc.
• Holy Mass
• Archbishop’s Palace – commented tour
• 10:30 am: Gold Graduation (Faculties of Arts and Education)
• 10:30 am: Silver Graduation (Faculty of Science)
• 11 am: Archbishop’s Palace – Guided Tour
• 1:30 pm: PROGRAMME ON THE UPPER SQUARE
• 3 pm: PROGRAMME IN THE FLORA EXHIBITION GROUNDS, Pavilion A
  - Official Opening: UP Rector Awards to Significant Alumni
• 5 pm: Leona Machálková concert
• 8 pm: Jiří Pavlica & Hradišťan concert

Accompanying activities for Saturday, September 10, 2016

• 12:00: Iva Kevešová concert in the UP Arts Centre
• 2:00 pm: Lucie Ceralová concert in REDUTA, Moravian Philharmonic
• 4:00 pm: Emil Viklický concert in REDUTA, Moravian Philharmonic
• 7:30 pm: Tiny Giants 3D in the Metropol Cinema
• REGIONAL MUSEUM IN OLOMOUC: UP Exhibition
• PARKS: UP Activities – Park It!, Dancefloor, and more
• EUROPEAN HERITAGE DAYS

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