International Students Explore Škoda Auto
Thanks to the support of Vice-Dean Blanka Klímová and the faculty, international students had the opportunity to visit the Škoda Auto Museum and production plant in Mladá Boleslav. As is her long-standing tradition, Dr. Otčenášková organized this excursion to the Škoda factory. This time, the group included students from a smaller range of countries, specifically Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United States of America, and Cyprus.
Upon arrival, the group headed to the customer center, where students explored the showroom and some had the chance to sit behind the wheel of the displayed models. They also purchased a variety of souvenirs both at the center and later in the museum. The group then moved on to a local restaurant to enjoy the well-known Czech dish svíčková. This year, a selection of freshly baked cakes was also available, and some students could not resist treating themselves to dessert before the tour.
After the traditional lunch, the students were equipped with headphones and safety vests and proceeded into the production area. There, they first admired the assembly line, including numerous robots and modern manufacturing methods such as Raku-Raku, Just-in-Time, and Just-in-Sequence. The factory tour continued with a visit to the pressing plant. Students particularly appreciated the complexity of the production process and the need for precise synchronization of each step. The group also visited the depository of sports cars, which was especially fascinating as it showcased both historical designs and unique models.
This was followed by a tour of the museum, where students learned about the history of the brand. They saw a wide range of historic vehicles, exhibitions marking the 130th anniversary of Škoda Auto, and prototypes of potentially upcoming models. At the end of the visit, interested students had the opportunity to try a driving simulator on a racing circuit.
A student from Taiwan commented: “The trip was perfectly organized and very educational. In addition to visiting the factory, I also really enjoyed the lunch! Overall, it was a great experience combining technology, history, and local culture.” Another student mentioned how fascinating it was to see how individual components come together to form a complete car.
The students were most impressed by the production line and the opportunity to observe the manufacturing process firsthand. They particularly admired how smoothly and harmoniously the entire process operates. Some students said that a childhood dream had come true—they had only seen car production on television before, and now they had the chance to experience it in person. The group agreed that they would highly recommend the trip to others and would gladly take part again.
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