The DRESS UP & STAY HOME conference concluded the first year of the Pilsen Region project
The final conference of the DRESS UP & STAY HOME project took place on December 1, 2025, at the Techmania Science Center in Pilsen. The event was attended by representatives of the Pilsen Region as well as students who had traveled to Japan this summer for a two-week program. The Commissioner General of the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, Ondřej Soška, joined the event remotely from Japan, while the Japanese Ambassador Kansuke Nagaoka spoke in person in Pilsen. The program featured panel discussions, the sharing of experiences, and inspiration on how to apply the acquired knowledge back home in the region.
The conference was officially opened in the presence of members of the Pilsen Region Council and distinguished guests from Japan. In his speech, the Ambassador of Japan emphasized how much he values cooperation with the Pilsen Region. According to him, the exchange of experience among young people is crucial not only for the development of education, but also for strengthening relationships in trade, innovation, and culture. He added that the stay of Czech students was also beneficial for their Japanese peers, as comparing everyday life and approaches to studying provides an excellent foundation for future cooperation.
On behalf of the Pilsen Region, Deputy Governor for Education and Sports Vladimír Kroc highlighted the importance of young people gaining experience abroad and bringing it back home: “We want young people from the Pilsen Region to explore the world, gain inspiration, and use it after returning home to contribute to the development of the region. Their ideas and energy are the driving force of future change.”
Councilor for Culture, Heritage Preservation and Tourism Libor Picka also expressed his appreciation, recalling the performance of the Pilsen Philharmonic at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan: “The hall for three thousand people, where the orchestra performed with the support of the Pilsen Region, filled up very quickly. It was a powerful demonstration that culture from the Pilsen Region has global potential.”
The Commissioner General of the Czech participation in EXPO 2025, Ondřej Soška, also addressed the conference via an online message. He thanked the Pilsen Region for its unique presentation in the Czech Pavilion, where the region supported concerts of the Pilsen Philharmonic and, together with a number of companies and institutions, represented the Czech Republic, including in the field of gastronomy. He also praised the courage to embark on the demanding Dress up & Stay home project:
“Supporting dozens of young people, preparing a program for them, ensuring safety, logistics, partners, facilities, and at the same time giving it meaning and structure – that is not just ‘one event’. It is an investment in the future of the region. And I am convinced that for the students, it is one of the best opportunities the region could offer.”
Soška also praised the Czech students he met in Osaka, noting their high level of knowledge and language skills, and added personal reflections:
“I myself became involved in student projects abroad already in high school. During my university studies, I spent three semesters at foreign universities. Looking back, without any exaggeration, this experience fundamentally shaped my professional life. Not because I learned ‘a few extra things,’ but because I learned to think differently, to rely on myself, and to see things from different perspectives. And above all - to understand that the world is much bigger than our bubble, our city, our region, our country. And that is exactly why it is worth stepping out into it.”
Students shared their experiences directly from Japan
The conference was attended mainly by students who had taken part in the fourteen-day program in Japan this summer. In individual thematic blocks focusing on transport, education, and healthcare, they compared what had impressed them in Japanese schools, how the system works there, what surprised them in everyday transport, and what technologies they had seen during their visit to EXPO 2025.
Their personal experiences were among the most valuable moments of the day, offering concrete insights into how the younger generation can perceive the world differently and what inspiration they can bring back to their region.
About the DRESS UP & STAY HOME project
The DRESS UP & STAY HOME project was created as an initiative of the Pilsen Region with the aim of supporting young people in gaining international experience and applying it back home. The main idea of the project is: Global thinking + Local acting = Regional wellbeing.
In 2025, 70 students from 35 secondary schools participated in the program. They were divided into four groups and gradually traveled to Japan for a two-week stay. The program included a visit to EXPO 2025 in Osaka, excursions to museums and technological centers in Tokyo, as well as visits to schools, companies, and cultural institutions.
The project is designed as a long-term initiative: each year it enables dozens of students to gain experience that strengthens their relationship with the region and motivates them to return after their studies and contribute to its development.
