Visiting professor - MD360E11

• Title: Visiting professor
• Czech title: Hostující profesor
• Guaranteed by: Department of Demography and Geodemography (31-360)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2025
• Semester: both
• E-Credits: 2
• Hours per week, examination: 0/1, MC [TS]
• Capacity: unlimited
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Note: you can enroll for the course repeatedly; enabled for web enrollment; you can enroll for the course in winter and in summer semester
• Guarantor: RNDr. Tomáš Kučera, CSc.
• Teacher(s): RNDr. Tomáš Kučera, CSc.

Annotation

This course invites undergraduate students from various study programmes to explore contemporary issues in demography through a series of lectures delivered by distinguished foreign lecturers or through interviews with them. The course covers a range of demographic and related topics, including (for instance) global population trends, migration, fertility, mortality, ageing, public policy implications, and research methods. The module elements are delivered in person. The course awards 2 ECTS credits and is graded based on attendance and a final test.

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)

Literature

·      Books:

Book Name	Multilingual Demographic Dictionary, second unified edition, English volume
Book Author(s)	United Nations, DESA, Population Division and IUSSP
Year	-
Publisher	-
ISSN/ISBN	-
Available at	http://www.demopaedia.org/

 

Book Name	PRB´s Population Handbook
Book Author(s)	Arthur Haupt, Thomas T. Kane, and Carl Haub
Year	2011
Publisher	Population Reference Bureau
ISSN	0-917136-12-8
Available at	https://www.prb.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/prb-population-handbook-2011-1.pdf

 

Book Name	Population: An Introduction to Demography (Population Bulletin 75, no. 1)
Book Author(s)	Mark Mather, Linda A. Jacobsen, and Paola Scommegna
Year	2021
Publisher	Population Reference Bureau
ISBN	978-0-917136-17-7
Available at	https://www.prb.org/resources/population-an-introduction-to-demography/

  

Book Name	The Real Fertility Crisis: The pursuit of reproductive agency in a changing world. State of World Population 2025
Book Author(s)	UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund)
Year	2025
Publisher	UNFPA
ISSN/ISBN	9789211542837
Available at	https://www.unfpa.org/swp2025

·     Articles and Other Materials:

·     Select readings recommended by visiting lecturers.

·     Presentations/video recordings of the “visiting lecturers”

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)

Requirements to the exam

Assessment:

·     Participation: Students are required to participate in at least three recommended lectures.

·     Assessment: A test covering the information presented during the three selected lectures will be administered at the end of the course (May-June 2026). Students must achieve a minimum pass rate of 50% to receive credit.

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)

Syllabus

Program:

•      Demographic Blessings and Curses – Europe’s Past, Present, and Choices Ahead.
Lecturer: Professor Alexandra Tragaki, Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens.
Albertov 6, Room VP – Velka Paleontologicka, ground floor (to the left, around the lift in the corner).
Monday, 16 March 2026, 15:40–17:00 CET (in person)
Focus: The lecture discusses the demographic challenges Europe currently faces, how we have reached this point, and what can be done.

•      The Long Shadow of Low Fertility: Greek Demographics in the 21st Century.
Lecturer: Professor Alexandra Tragaki, Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens.
Albertov 6, Room K1 (3rd floor, to the left of the lift).
Monday, 16 March 2026, 18:10–19:30 CET (in person)
Focus: The lecture explains the reasons behind Greece's rapid population ageing and shrinking population and addresses whether these changes are reversible.

•      The Turkish ethnic group in the Balkans: its history and current situation.
Lecturer: Mr Murat Aydin, Department of Geography, Firat University, Firat, Türkiye.
Albertov 6, Room K1 (3rd floor, to the left of the lift).
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 14:00–15:20 CET (in person)
Focus: The lecture focuses on the Turkish ethnic group in the Balkans, its history, current size, geographical distribution, and other relevant aspects (TBC).

•      The other 3–4 lectures will likely be held in the week of 13 April. We are awaiting confirmation from foreign guests. The lectures will be announced before the end of February.

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)

Learning outcomes

Aims:

·     To expose students to global and historical perspectives on contemporary demographic challenges.

·     To provide deeper insights into basic research methods.

·     To encourage critical thinking about the impact of population trends on society and policy.

·     To foster engagement with international experts in the field of demography.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will:

·     Gain a deeper understanding of some current questions in demography from an international perspective.

·     Develop the essential ability to evaluate demographic data and trends correctly.

·     Understand the interaction between demographic processes and public policies.

·     Enhance their ability to engage in professional debates on population challenges.

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)

Entry requirements

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. However, a basic understanding of demography, geography, sociology, or economics is beneficial. The course is a suitable complement to the elective course "Fundamentals of Demography".

Last update: Kučera Tomáš, RNDr., CSc. (15.02.2026)