Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics of the Prague University of Economics and Business

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has registered pursuant to Section 36(2) of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Additions to Other Acts (Act on Higher Education Institutions), as amended, under no. MSMT-19622/2024-4 dated 15 November 2024 Code of Ethics of the Prague University of Economics and Business as of the date of signing the registration.

Preamble

The Code of Ethics of the Prague University of Economics and Business (hereinafter referred to as the Code of Ethics or the Code) sets out the basic ethical requirements for the conduct of employees, academic and scientific staff, other persons working at the Prague University of Economics and Business (hereafter also “VŠE”) and students related to their activities at the Prague University of Economics and Business and beyond. The requirements for ethical conduct are based on generally accepted moral principles and good manners of individuals and groups in a mature democratic society, taking into account the nature and essence of higher education and scientific research activities, and last but not least, the moral and social aspects of the position of a university teacher. Through this Code, the Prague University of Economics and Business subscribes to traditional academic values, democratic principles and, last but not least, moral values.

The Code of Ethics was written in accordance with the Mission and Vision of the Prague University of Economics and Business. The VŠE is part of the top centres of education, independent knowledge and creative activity in the Czech Republic. It provides equal study and work opportunities to all employees, teachers, academic and research staff and students in accordance with their classification, regardless of nationality, race, gender, origin, sexual orientation, physical and cultural difference, marital status, age or religion.

All members of the academic community and other employees of the VŠE voluntarily and without reservation subscribe to the stated values and principles through this Code in the interest of spreading the good name of the VŠE.

Article 1
General principles

(1) Members of the academic community of the VŠE, other employees of the VŠE and persons working at the VŠE (regardless of the specific type of employment relationship):

1. Actively promote and maintain in their work and studies, including other activities related to their professional field, a standard of observance of moral principles, ethical principles and generally accepted rules of good conduct; they shall act at all times in accordance with the principles of this Code, with which they have made themselves duly acquainted. They shall respect the laws and other legal regulations, the internal regulations of the University of Economics and the academic oaths they have taken, and shall exercise their academic rights and enjoy their academic freedom within the stated limits.
2. Honour and respect fundamental human rights and freedoms.
3. They do not advocate or condone unethical behaviour, even if it is justified by expediency, obedience or loyalty.
4. Within the bounds of the above and below principles, they advocate freedom of thought, research, expression, exchange of views and information, and respect diversity of opinion within the academic community. They regard teaching, scholarship, the arts and creative work in general as an integral contribution to the development of human knowledge and culture and defend it against unfair questioning or abuse. They remain critical of the results of their work, the knowledge and conclusions they have acquired, do not resist debate and listen to substantive arguments. They approach the work of other members of the academic community and all employees of the VŠE objectively and critically, but with respect and consideration; they apply criticism and alternative opinions correctly and always with respect for the basic principles of scientific research.
5. They continuously develop their abilities, broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills both in the field of their professional focus and in the field of general pedagogical work or studies. They honour the VŠE by, among other things, ensuring that their other activities do not jeopardise its activities and reputation in the public arena; in this respect, they also ensure that their work or study commitments at the VŠE in Prague and beyond are reasonable and bearable.
6. They behave honestly and courteously towards all persons on campus, respect their opinions and do not disturb or restrict them in the performance of their work and activities at the VŠE. They do not exert inappropriate or undue pressure on all members of the academic community or other employees. Any critical suggestions shall be factually based. They shall observe the rules of social behaviour on campus, during internships, study stays and other professional and study activities or other representations of the VŠE and outside its premises.
7. They shall avoid conflicts between the University’s interests and their own (including those of close or otherwise related persons) and, in the event that such a situation arises, they shall report it to the relevant persons, internal bodies or other authorities in an appropriate and timely manner.
8. They shall not make a record of the personal expression of the person concerned by recording or photographing it without the consent of the person concerned, nor shall they disseminate such a record or allow third parties to disseminate it, unless they do so for reasons permitted by law.
9. They shall use the facilities and property of the VŠE with care and in accordance with their mission and shall protect them from misuse or damage to the best of their ability. They do not use illegal software when working with computer equipment and follow the established rules for working on the school’s computer network.
10. They shall take care to enhance the reputation and goodwill of the VŠE and shall endeavour to contribute to it by their actions and behaviour; they shall not do anything that could damage the goodwill of the VŠE. They know that they represent the VŠE externally by their appearance, behaviour and activities in the public space.
11. They do not use their teaching, scientific, study or other activities at the VŠE to promote the interests of political parties and movements.
12. They reject discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, nationality, ideology, religion, belief, world view, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical handicap, language, social origin or property status. They treat everyone with respect, regardless of socio-cultural differences. They respect the principle of equal access and equal opportunities. They reject any form of sexual harassment. They promote the improvement of conditions and a positive attitude towards people with special needs.
13. Respect the mission (mission) and goal (vision) of the VŠE, which are also enshrined in other university documents, and prioritise the interests of the VŠE over private interests in this respect.
14. If members of the academic community or other staff members encounter unethical behaviour that cannot be tolerated as such, they will take appropriate consequences and seek redress within the framework of good morals. They shall consistently strive to prevent such unethical behaviour.
15. If they accept an academic position, membership of an academic body or a leadership position, they shall exercise their position in an orderly, responsible and cultured manner, and shall act in the knowledge that accepting a higher responsibility entails an obligation to observe this Code with particular rigour and to lead others to observe it.
16. They use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support better achievement of learning objectives, the quality and scope of creative activity, as well as other activities. They fully respect that the use of AI tools must be consistent with the principles of academic and personal moral integrity and must be transparent. They openly declare or cite the use of AI tools at all times, especially in written work.

Article 2
Principles in teaching and learning

(1) Academics and other persons shall observe the following principles in their teaching activities:

1. They shall always deal with learners on the basis of a fair, demanding but sensitive assessment of their abilities, knowledge, diligence and other personal characteristics. They shall communicate with them in an open, fair and collegial manner; they shall not underestimate, demean or disparage them in any way.
2. They shall always treat students transparently and fairly; they shall not require them to perform activities that are part of their own duties; they shall not appropriate their work or their achievements. They shall not allow learners to gain undue advantages in their studies and in the testing of their knowledge and skills. They shall act impartially and objectively in grading; they shall avoid any deliberate conflict of interest.
3. They shall strive to make a pedagogical impact not only by quality teaching but also by personal example, taking into account the moral and social status of the university teacher.
4. They fully and proactively devote themselves to the teaching and education of students, assist in the development of their independent and critical thinking, provide all-round support for their qualification growth and professional development, creative and publishing activities, and help them to establish external contacts, including international contacts. They willingly pass on their knowledge and experience.
5. They draw appropriate consequences from any failures and unethical behaviour or actions of learners and, where appropriate or necessary, inform the relevant persons, bodies or authorities in an appropriate and timely manner.

(2) Students at the VŠE in study programmes and other forms of education shall comply with the following principles:

1. They attend lectures, seminars and exercises on time and do not leave early without a special reason. They do not impede the proper conduct of the class, follow the instructions of the teachers and speak only with their consent.
2. They are cooperative during team study work and at the same time respect and honestly mark the content and methodological contribution of colleagues to the final result.
3. They use study materials in accordance with copyright law. They respect the regularity and objectivity of all forms of assessment of learning. They do not transmit or distribute in any other form examination tests, examination questions or any other materials used to test study knowledge.
4. They shall always submit only their own original work as term papers and qualifying papers. If they are employed, they shall not use any internal documents or data without the consent of their employer, nor shall they pretend that these are their own.
5. They shall not engage in unethical or fraudulent conduct, which shall include, but not be limited to:
   • plagiarism (using the results of someone else’s intellectual or other activity and presenting them as one’s own);
   • falsification of data and other information and misrepresentation (falsification of study documents, falsification, alteration or misrepresentation of incomplete data, purposeful misinterpretation of information, deliberate use of erroneous information, methods, procedures and conclusions);
   • cheating in the testing of knowledge and skills (e.g. unauthorised use of notes and other aids, communication with others, unauthorised use of others’ answers, substituting or representing someone else, failure to follow the instructions of the teacher).
6. They shall not seek to gain undue advantage in their studies or in the verification of their learning outcomes; they shall avoid any conscious conflict of interest.

Article 3
Principles in scientific, artistic and other creative work

(1) Members of the academic community of the VŠE and other persons involved in scientific, artistic and other creative activities at the VŠE shall observe the following principles:

1. They shall focus their research and other creative activities on expanding the boundaries of human knowledge, the development of education and material and immaterial values. They shall always ensure that these activities do not endanger human beings or their freedom and morality, social order and the rule of law.
2. They are aware of their responsibility for the objectivity, reliability and accuracy of their research and respect the limits of the methods used. They do not duplicate research conducted elsewhere unless it is necessary to verify, supplement or compare results.
3. In publishing their findings and research results, they shall ensure their completeness, verifiability and objective interpretation. After publication of results, they shall retain primary data and documentation for the period of time customary in the relevant field, unless prevented by other legitimate obligations or regulations. If they discover an error in their publications, they shall take all necessary steps to correct it and shall not attempt to conceal or cover it up.
4. They shall judiciously communicate the results of their scientific, artistic and other creative activities to the general public, unless they are subject to legitimate confidentiality.
5. They shall present themselves as authors or co-authors of results only if they have achieved them themselves or made significant creative contributions to them; they shall strictly avoid any form of plagiarism. In publications, they objectively acknowledge the contribution of others, and always cite a clear and precise reference to the relevant source (including generative artificial intelligence tools) when quoting. They also cite substantial work that is inconsistent with their results and opinions.
6. They conduct refereeing, reviewing or other evaluative activities personally, independently and carefully. They prepare their opinions carefully and responsibly, taking into account the subject area of their field; they are not subject to external pressures and are based, as far as possible, on objective criteria; they comply with the rules of the sponsor and require the same from the other participants in the procedure.
7. They shall respect and protect the intellectual property of the authors of the manuscripts, project proposals or reports or works of art under consideration; they shall not use the information contained in the documents under consideration for any purpose other than the preparation of the relevant opinion and shall not make it available to third parties. They shall not deliberately prolong the evaluation period in order to obtain their own advantages or those of a third party.
8. Refuse to draw up scientific, professional or artistic opinions if their conclusions could be influenced by their personal interests, or draw this fact to the attention of the relevant persons, bodies and authorities in a clear and timely manner; they shall avoid any deliberate conflict of interest.
9. They shall ensure that the financial and material resources provided are used efficiently and effectively.

Article 4
Final provisions

1. This Code of Ethics of the Prague University of Economics and Business was approved by the Academic Senate of the Prague University of Economics and Business pursuant to Section 9(1)(b)(3) of the Act on 23 September 2024.
2. This Code of Ethics of the Prague University of Economics and Business shall enter into force on the date of its registration by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and shall become effective on the first day of the calendar month following the date of its registration by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

doc. Ing. Tomáš Pavelka, Ph.D.
Chairman of the Academic Senate VŠE in Prague

doc. Ing. Petr Dvořák, Ph.D.
Rector of the University of Economics in Prague