Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, abbrev. UKF in Slovak) has been formed as a modern European general university where the dominant role is played by science, spiritual quality, high professionalism, pedagogical mastery, open and vivid communication both within the local environment and within the world. It offers various study programs at Bachelor, Master, and doctoral levels, providing substantial flexibility, innovation, and diversity. In addition to its strong tradition in training teachers for primary and secondary schools, UKF also offers study programs for future social workers, experts for cultural organizations and institutions, political scientists, catechists, journalists, archaeologists, historians, musicologists, biologists, environmentalists, mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, psychologists, gemmologists and other professionals.
The uniqueness of UKF in education is represented by teacher training programs in the Hungarian language tailor-made for future teachers in the ethnically mixed areas of Slovakia and teachers, social workers, and public education for Roma ethnicity. The University also organizes lifelong learning courses, especially in the form of supplementary/additional study and courses of Interest study at the University of the Third Age.
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra (UKF) is an open type of University that enforces the multicultural principles of education and offers the own professional profile. The University creates conditions for research of Constantine's life and works, the Philosopher and the Cyril-Methodius tradition. Long-Term Strategy represents the necessary strategic document of UKF. The main aim stated in this Strategy for the years 2007-2017 is to form UKF a typical university with an orientation on pedagogical, humanistic, natural, art and social sciences and health care. To reach this aim, UKF defined its role in providing higher education and developing knowledge-based on creative, scientific, and artistic work. Long-Term Strategy defines four core priorities of UKF further development:
- UKF attractiveness in the field of education
- UKF is a scientific institution meeting national and international criteria
- UKF is a center of lifelong learning and the center of social and cultural life in Nitra.
- Improvement of conditions for performing main UKF activities with an emphasis on UKF Library and revitalizing its services and practical usage of ICT based on the level of actual ICT knowledge and available services.
Being one of the main priorities of UKF in Nitra, the scientific and research activities focus on effectively fusing scientific research with the educational process, supporting the professional growth of employees, and providing the material and technical support to its departments. Scientific research-oriented activities of UKF cover a wide range of natural, educational, philosophical, and social-health care sciences in basic and applied research and the fields of innovation, methodology, didactics, and particular forms and content of study programs.
University closely cooperates with leading scientific and educational institutions, art institutions, state and local government institutions in the Nitra Region, especially with the institutes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the University Hospital, Animal Production Research Center, Plant Production Research Center, Slovak University of Agriculture and other Slovak universities. The University maintains contractual cooperation with the Nitra Episcopate and the Priest Seminar, focusing on education and culture. The extraordinary level of cooperation with the Slovak University of Agriculture (SUA) is manifested above all joint events. In artistic and creative activities, the University actively cooperates with the Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, the Nitra Museum, Nitra Gallery, and the Nitra Community Foundation.
UK's international cooperation with foreign universities and organizations is strengthened by international bilateral and multilateral agreements, international educational and scientific projects, the standard organization of conferences and publication activities, and membership in various international organizations. The top priority of UKF in international cooperation is to ensure the admission of international students to UKF at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral level, but also to promote the mobilities (student and staff exchanges) within different scholarship programs.
