UJEP introduces the people who are making a positive difference in the region
On March 25, 2026, a gathering of “change agents” will take place, organized by “Mozaika proměn regionu” (Mosaic of Regional Transformation), with the participation of experts from our faculty and the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies at UJEP. The first joint meeting, where you can hear inspiring stories from change agents in the Ústí Region and discuss how our region is transforming, will take place at 5:00 p.m. at the FSE UJEP University Club.
The Ústí Region is often associated with structural problems and long-term challenges. At the same time, however, it is a place where a number of inspiring initiatives and stories of people who are actively transforming the region are emerging. It is precisely these “change agents” that are presented by Mozaika proměn regionu (Mosaic of Regional Transformation), a project involving experts from the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies and the Faculty of Science at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
The Mosaic of Regional Transformation maps and connects individuals, organizations, and initiatives contributing to positive changes in the region—from community projects and innovative entrepreneurship to activities in education, culture, and landscape conservation. The goal is to demonstrate that the region’s transformation is not merely a matter of large investments or political decisions, but also the work of active people and local communities.
“From our perspective, the transformation of the Ústí Region is not one big story, but rather a mosaic of small, concrete activities that make the region’s environment better in some way, whether it involves the restoration of monuments or public spaces, the creation of innovative companies, connecting local residents, or addressing social and environmental issues,” explains Lenka Slavíková, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies at UJEP, the coordinator of the “Mosaic of Regional Transformation” initiative. The initiative is part of the RUR project—“Region to University, University to Region”—which supports the knowledge environment of the Ústí Region as a path to its successful transformation.
The output of the initiative is the interactive web presentation “Mozaika proměn regionu,” which presents individual stories through texts, photographs, and maps into a clear visual narrative about the transformations of the Ústí Region. Website visitors can thus easily discover specific initiatives and places where inspiring changes are taking place.
“We are building on a series of research projects that have been conducted at the university in recent years. Some focused on the development of green and blue infrastructure, while others directly examined the agents of positive change in the Ústí Region. However, we felt that many of these initiatives remain hidden from the region’s residents and, at the same time, that connecting them could help their leaders in many ways,” adds Jan Píša, Ph.D., from the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, UJEP, one of the creators of the mosaic.
The meeting of the region’s change agents will take place on March 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the University Club of the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies at UJEP. The event will provide a space for sharing experiences, presenting and recognizing selected initiatives, and discussing the region’s future. The meeting is intended not only for representatives of the participating projects but also for the public, experts, students, and anyone interested in the future of the Ústí Region. The program will also include a symbolic recognition of the most interesting stories of change.
If you plan to attend, please let us know via email: jan.pisa@ujep.cz.