ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən, ˈæftɚ dˈɪfɪkəlt dɪskˈʌʃənz æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ænd ɪnðə pˈɑːɹləmənt ʌvðə slˈoʊvæk ɹᵻpˈʌblɪk, ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi splˈɪt ˌɪntʊ tˈuː ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndənt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾiz: pˈiː. dʒˈeɪ. ʃˈæfɑːɹɹˌɪk jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn kˈɑːʃɪs ænd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv pɹɪʃˈɑːv ɪn pɹɪʃˈɑːv.
In 1997, after difficult discussions at the University and in the Parliament of the Slovak Republic, the University split into two independent Universities: P. J. Šafárik University in Košice and University of Prešov in Prešov.