Master’s Programs
HUMANITIES
Program characteristics:
The follow-up master’s degree program in the Humanities focuses on the analysis of the nature of the main dimensions of human creative activity and their interrelationships in the European cultural environment. These dimensions are namely science, philosophy, religion, and art. The main benefit of this program is the analysis of the individual characteristic of each discipline; it allows the examination of particular discipline influences on the European cultural environment. Such specifics or characterizations are generally thematized in historical contexts, in conceptual and social changes regarding the interpretation of these dimensions and their mutual interactions, to point out the reasons leading to the current understanding of the form, meaning, and role of various creative activities of man. This approach highlights the interrelation between the changes in realization and the grasping of these activities and presents the complexity of the historical process of cultural changes in European civilization. In this way, the Humanities program helps students develop the ability to utilize the analytical and critical approach and apply them to scientific and philosophical concepts, spiritual trends, and artistic artifacts. It also shapes the ability to understand individual, mutually diverse creative activities and their outcomes in mutual interactions.
Profile and Employability:
The graduates are familiar with and able to interpret fundamental issues in the European spiritual tradition. Furthermore, they can reflect the cultural, social, and spiritual entrenchment in terms of their own tradition and thus even understand the traditions of others. They know how to analyze and evaluate source texts, material, and spiritual artifacts according to their structure and interconnectedness with history and contemporary European culture. The graduates can utilize such knowledge and acquired skills to solve practical issues of cultural, social, and administrative life of regions and propose non-traditional solutions to traditional and current problems. Their thinking is precise and clear; they are capable to accurately express their views regarding complex and controversial problems, capable of creative interpretation of philosophical and other source texts and secondary literature. Based on the critical reading of texts and other information sources, they can also lead an independent research activity. Furthermore, they are able to critically assess and evaluate various concepts and ideological movements and propose solutions to problems associated with their influence and activities. Each graduate can present the results of individual or team solutions for a historical or theoretical problem both to the expert or layman public in Czech and two other world languages (B2 level).
The graduates are ready to work in a large number of cultural, educational, and promotional institutions or organizations owing to the ability to conduct a critical analysis regarding the main dimensions of human creative activity and to formulate the connections among their results. Museums, galleries, historic preservation facilities, or organizations dealing with the access to and popularization of spiritual and material cultural heritage seem to be especially suitable as future places of employment for our graduates. Thanks to the acquired skills, knowledge, and competencies, the graduates are primarily equipped for conceptual planning or organizational activities in these institutions or organizations. Employment in the field of cultural journalism in media of various types is also recommended. The most successful graduates can continue their studies in a selected doctoral program.
The graduates can independently and rationally reflect on complex problems, construct logical arguments, and express themselves at a professional level. They demonstrate the ability to write, visualize and present stylistically and genre-diversified texts of both professional and popular characters, using digital tools and multimedia.
Employability:
The graduates are prepared for doctoral studies and they can pursue careers as academic researchers in the field of basic research. Furthermore, they can find employment in the commercial sphere, especially as a member of an interdisciplinary team focusing on applied research and experimental development in artificial intelligence and new technologies.
PHILOSOPHY FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Program characteristics:
The post-graduate master’s degree program Philosophy for Artificial Intelligence focuses on the current philosophy of science and technology and the philosophy of language and mind including cognitive sciences, cybernetics, and computer science, whereas it considers the conceptions and methods both the analytical and post-analytical philosophy and phenomenology and hermeneutics.
The aim is philosophical research of the nature and transformation of human thinking and language in the context of current developments in cybernetics and computer science, especially in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) – with a special focus on automatic speech recognition (ASR) and computer processing of natural language (NLP), human-machine interaction (HMI), automation, and Industry 4.0.
Such an interdisciplinary program connects basic philosophical research with practical knowledge and particular results provided by engineering disciplines, specifically cybernetics and computer science, which are traditionally promoted at the UWB. Thus, the historical approach to philosophy is shifted in the direction to a philosophical reflection of the current applied research and experimental development in information and communication technologies. The abstract theories and conceptions presented by philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of science are to be applied to specific phenomena and issues which arise due to the rapid development of new technologies.
Special attention is paid to artificial intelligence, for it currently permeates and resonates in all spheres of the human world – ranging from the scientific and technological through cultural and social to economic and political, and is surrounded by several unrealistic assumptions and controversial expectations.
Profile and Employability:
Professional knowledge:
The graduates of the program Philosophy for Artificial Intelligence demonstrate deep, interconnected knowledge of the current theories and methods of philosophy of language and mind, philosophy of science and technology, logic, epistemology, and ethics. Furthermore, they are familiar with the basic concepts of cognitive science and the applications of cybernetics and computer science, which are connected with artificial intelligence. They understand the transformation of human thinking and language in the context of human-machine interaction, robotics, and industrial automation. They comprehend the principles of functioning of both natural and artificial languages and their connection with human thinking and also know the operational principles of information and communication technologies, new electronic media, and networks. They demonstrate knowledge of the basic paradigms and definitions of AI and, therefore, can describe both the traditional and current philosophical arguments in the debate about AI, and explain the key thought experiments related to AI.
Professional Skills:
In terms of their philosophical research, which is primarily focused on the current issues regarding science and technology, the graduates are able to use the approaches of analytical and post-analytical tradition and combine them with the methods of phenomenology and hermeneutics. They can critically reflect on, analyze, and interpret epistemological, ontological, and ethical aspects of current developments in cybernetics and computer science, with a special focus on phenomena such as machine learning and neural networks, automatic speech recognition, natural language computing, cyberspace, virtual and augmented reality, intelligent control systems and Industry 4.0. They are familiar with new trends in the field of these technologies to the extent that they can at least roughly assess the practical feasibility and applicability of the proposed solutions. Moreover, they are competent to critically evaluate the technological possibilities of AI and present their ideas, conduct a logical-semantic analysis of the concept of AI in various discourses, and relate the phenomenon of AI to modern philosophical thinking.
General competencies:
The graduates can independently and rationally reflect on complex problems, construct logical arguments, and express themselves at a professional level. They demonstrate the ability to write, visualize and present stylistically and genre-diversified texts of both professional and popular character, using digital tools and multimedia.
Employability:
The graduates are prepared for doctoral studies and they can pursue careers as academic researchers in the field of basic research. Furthermore, they can find employment in the commercial sphere, especially as a member of an interdisciplinary team focusing on applied research and experimental development in artificial intelligence and new technologies.