VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava – is the fourth oldest institution of higher learning in the Czech Republic. Its predecessor was the Mining School in Příbram which came into existence by the emperor's decree in 1849. In 1945, the Mining University moved to Ostrava and since than it has been paying a key role in the development and restructuring of Northern Moravia and Silesia.
At the beginning of the 21st century VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava is undergoing dynamic development both in the process of education and in the research and development activities carried out in cooperation with the industrial and business sphere. Nowadays, with over 19,000 students studying bachelor, master and doctoral accredited programs at seven faculties, the school is the fourth largest university in the Czech Republic.