42 Prague, a new campus for an old city

Discover 42 Prague, the first 42 campus in Czech Republic, offering a unique learning experience for its students.

Capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, Prague is located at the very heart of the country. Founded in the 9th century, this “old city” with a beautiful medieval center is today a major player in the Tech and IT industries. International companies have been consolidating their business processes in Prague due to its economic viability, and the city is now known for its specialization in artificial intelligence research and development. Many companies have their sales offices in the US and their development headquarters in Prague, making it a hub for software development and AI.

Known notably for its beer, Czechia is also a country with a strong sporting spirit. Hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities are popular among the locals, and the country’s beautiful nature make it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Even outside of Prague, there are plenty of opportunities for people to enjoy the great outdoors and participate in various sports and activities.

The story of 42 Prague starts with another campus: 42 Wolfsburg. Their main sponsor, Volkswagen Group, impressed with the German campus success, decided to expand and go further. 42 Prague is sponsored by ŠKODA AUTO (Volkswagen Group) and reflects the company’s strategy of digital transformation. Other co-founding partners include companies Trask, CSOB and Microsoft for the philanthropic side of it. The official launch of 42 Prague was in May 2022. Over 2000 applications were submitted for its first two Piscines in October and November of the same year.

“This first year was fun! It’s definitely a life changing experience. Bringing a brand that was not familiar to the country at all before 42, with its complex concept, was quite a challenge. Thanks to the support of strong partners from the beginning, it was definitely a bit easier. We moved into our campus just a few weeks before the first Piscine. It created a very unique vibe where we as a team were just moving in together after working asynchronously and remotely on this project. It’s like we were co-creating this space together with our Pisciners.”
- Daria Hvizdalova, CEO of 42 Prague

The 42 Prague campus is in a “growing, hipster kind of area”: an old industrial area that is now being rebuilt. It is located on the 10th floor of a beautiful 18 story tower with a panoramic view of the city and the country. With 2 big clusters, 2 smaller ones, a conference room and a cozy lobby, everything is dedicated to the success of students. Furthermore, 42 Prague has a small library.

“I was assembling the library personally. I spent a lot of time and heart in it. You can find practical and tutorial educational books, connected to very concrete topics like C pointers or Kubernetes. But it also has a lot of STEM related literature in a combination of fiction and nonfiction. We try to inspire and bring the perspective of all the other important fields to the students. There is always somebody sitting, telling, talking!”
- Daria Hvizdalova, CEO of 42 Prague

“42 Prague is a unique campus! There is a real closeness between the staff members, the Pisciners and the students due to our size and date of creation. Plus, if you want to experience the ‘try, fail, succeed’ approach, it’s always better to embrace it with a Czech beer in hand!”
- Daria Hvizdalova, CEO of 42 Prague