I moved to the Czech Republic for many reasons: an affordable education, great public transportation, and the beauty of Prague. However, one thing that never crossed my mind was Czech innovation. While the Czech Republic boasts modern luxuries that other developed countries have, the country isn’t known for transformative inventions or a creative mentality. If the Czech Republic hopes to grow its economy it must build technological expertise through educational reform to ensure its market competitiveness in a shifting world, and to reframe its national image.

As an American living in Prague, I see a clear difference in the mindset about innovation. In the United States I often heard success stories about inventors and entrepreneurs, and was encouraged to come up with bright, new ideas. In the Czech Republic I feel that this push towards innovation, particularly in schools, is missing. When I ask the children I nanny for if they did anything new or exciting at school they always answer with a resounding no. If the Czech Republic wishes to grow its economy, which it claims is a primary goal, then it must focus first and foremost on supporting education and entrepreneurship, particularly in science and technology. Fields such as AI and sustainable technology are the future, and the Czech Republic can harness expertise in these, if it can solve some deep-rooted issues within its education system first.