Where new stories begin!!!

For many years, Ostrava’s doors have been open to talented, creative, ambitious people from other countries, and the city strives to ensure that these new residents enjoy excellent conditions for their life, work and personal growth. ???

Ostrava Expat Centre is a unique organization that helps expats and their families get acquainted with life in the Moravian-Silesian Region, make new friends and feel at home in the local culture.

The Expat Centre was established in 2020. Funded by the City of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region, it has always had a clear goal: to attract talented people from all around the world, and to encourage them to stay here for the long term. ??

Do you know about all the services that the Expat Centre can offer to the international community? ??

And what expats can offer us? ??

Ostrava Expat Centre makes life and work easier for foreigners through innovative cooperation

Ostrava Expat Centre is run by the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre (MSIC - Moravskoslezské inova?ní centrum ). It helps expats who are moving to the region, offering expert advice as well as plenty of opportunities to meet and network with like-minded people ?? Ostrava Expat Centre acts as a bridge connecting international experts with Ostrava’s community – not only helping individuals, but also supporting companies’ efforts to help their new employees integrate and settle. ??

Ostrava Expat Centre offers relocation and adaptation services to companies, working in close conjunction with a range of partners – including the law firm 3ADVOKáTI , the accountants and consultants “In the Same Boat” (Na stejné lodi), the Centre for Support of Integration of Foreigners (CPIC), the Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU), the real estate specialist Tereza Klozíková , the Moravian-Silesian Employment Pact, the University of Ostrava, the Silesian University, Ostrava’s VSB Technical University, the “All Together” (V?ichni spolu) community centre, and expat communities.

??WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE CENTRE? Ostrava Expat Centre | Tyr?ova 20, Ostrava, 702 00

A team where cultures, languages and good humor mix

The team at the Ostrava Expat Centre has 8 members. ?? For the past 4 years, this compact team has succeeded in creating an open, friendly and supportive environment for all expats, providing a range of services as well as collaborating with expats in the city. The Expat Centre has a well-established system for recruiting students to internships, enabling them to become directly involved in the centre’s day-to-day activities.

“Did you know that you too can enjoy participating in a range of cultural festivals and workshops, or that you can listen to podcasts in which expats share their stories? ? ?? You might find here inspiration or the motivation to try out something new! ?? ??

From Lapec to Tonton: Strangers in Ostrava reveal their stories in a new podcast

At the beginning of this year the Ostrava Expat Centre launched its own podcast, presenting the stories and life experiences of local expats. Their stories reveal what life is like for expats in the Moravian-Silesian Region, the obstacles they have to overcome, and what they love most about our region.

Did you know that the Belgian David Girten, the owner of Ostrava’s iconic Lapeco restaurant, also plays the character of Uncle Tonton in Czech Television’s French-language courses for young children? Or that two expats – Elena and Natalia – are responsible for the design of Ostrava’s USE-IT map? Or that the Englishman Chris Hopkinson studied Czech at Oxford, and now teaches at Ostrava University?

Why not sit back and enjoy some of these podcasts, and discover some of the international talents living in our region! With Czech and English subtitles.

https://linktr.ee/ostravaexpatcentre

Ond?ej Dostál : How Ostrava, strategy and “fajn” expats make the city more worldly

“Where did the idea come from to create a centre that would help expats??

The idea dates back to 2018 and an international project called “In Focus”, which formed part of the European Commission’s Urbact network. Ostrava was a member of this network, alongside several other European cities. We chose the theme “Talent Attraction Management”, and it was the first time that the city had focused on attracting and retaining talent in a truly systematic and conceptual way. We took inspiration from cities such as Bilbao and Frankfurt, and we created an action plan listing all the essential activities and projects that we would have to implement in order to attract more talent to Ostrava. The Expat Centre was a flagship project of the action plan, and thanks to close collaboration with the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre, it eventually opened its doors in 2020.

“Why is the Expat Centre so important for Ostrava??

The Expat Centre is a flagship project of Ostrava’s Strategic Development Plan, which is communicated to the public under the brand name fajnOVA. The plan is a document setting out the city’s vision and goals up to 2030, and listing the projects that will help to make these goals a reality. Due to the changed socio-economic circumstances and the transformation of industry since 1989, Ostrava’s population has been shrinking for 35 years – and local political representatives, experts and the general public all share the vision that this trend needs to be stopped, and indeed reversed. The Expat Centre’s activities and services targeted at international experts and their families are an absolutely integral and essential part of these efforts, because they help encourage talented expats to stay here in the city as well as attracting them to relocate here.

“What added value do expats offer to the city??

For me, the presence of an international community is one of the symbols of every major city. People from other countries bring diversity, new stimuli, products and services – in gastronomy for example, but also in many other fields. They open local people’s eyes to new cultures, encouraging tolerance, openness and a cosmopolitan outlook. Of course, expats are also essential for every city and region from an economic perspective; this is especially true in times of low unemployment, when companies are unable to recruit new Czech employees – a situation which hinders their growth and development as well as having a negative impact on the regional and national economy.

“What is the future of the Ostrava Expat Centre??

More than four years after it opened, the Expat Centre has become an irreplaceable part of many expats’ lives, and the members of its team are often their friends or colleagues – clearly demonstrating what a wonderful team we have here. Besides assisting expats in various work or non-work situations, the team has also succeeded in integrating expats into Ostrava’s community life – and that sense of belonging is a key factor when expats are deciding whether to stay here. So the Expat Centre has encouraged many people to settle here long-term, and we’re also discussing which kinds of targeted activities will help us to attract talented people to live in Ostrava. I consider that to be our most important future task – but we’re aware that it will be a very challenging task unless we cultivate long-term collaborative links with expats living locally.

Work & Life Festival Ostrava: When Career and Fun Intertwine

Work & Life Ostrava is a festival that will be held on ?? 19 October 2024 at the ??Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, located on the University of Ostrava’s riverside campus in Ostrava city centre. The festival offers a platform for presenting job opportunities and life in Ostrava – the heart of the Moravian-Silesian Region. Participants will include employers and talented individuals from Czechia and neighbouring countries. The aim of the festival is to show that Ostrava and the region offer attractive job opportunities coupled with an excellent quality of life.

Entry to the festival is free.

We hope you’ll accept our invitation to attend – and to see for yourself that Ostrava is a city where new stories begin. More information about the festival will be published in the next few days on a special website.

If you’d like to participate actively in the festival (either as an individual or representing a company), please contact the project manager Alena Danielová : +420 730 181?891 or [email protected] .

So what are you waiting for? Come and experience Work & Life Ostrava for yourself and discover what the city has to offer! We look forward to seeing you!

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