News from UP

The NATO Science Technology Organization collaborative panels, one of the key advisory bodies of the alliance for defence research and innovation, met in May at Palacký University. The prestigious conference was hosted by the UP Faculty of Arts, which thus joined the ranks of selected European institutions that have had the opportunity to participate in the organisation of an international scientific meeting within the North Atlantic Alliance.

NATO SCI and SET panel meetings are usually held twice a year, and their organisation is taken care of by individual NATO member states in turn. Due to their number, the Czech Republic takes over the organisation approximately once every fifteen years. This year, an offer to hold the meeting outside the capital city was accepted, allowing the centre of international science diplomacy to move temporarily to Olomouc.

Commenting on the meeting, John-Mikal Størdal, Director of the NATO Collaboration Support Office (CSO), said, “Conferences such as this SCI and SET panel meeting provide valuable scientific topics and research initiatives that have a direct impact on the capability of the Alliance’s forces in terms of actual deployment. They contribute to strengthening NATO’s ability to counter potential threats and to meet its defence and security commitments.”

The meeting was attended by more than 100 representatives from NATO member countries, including top defence research experts, analysts, and international research structures representatives. “We value the Alliance and we are grateful for our membership, especially in these turbulent times. It should be noted that mainly defence researchers came to Olomouc. Palacký University scientists were thus given a unique opportunity to present their results at this forum, which was essentially closed to the public, and to apply for broad cooperation and further grant support. I am very glad that linguists representing my home Faculty of Arts could also actively participate,” said Jan Stejskal, UP Faculty of Arts Dean.

Discussions took place not only in the premises of the Faculty of Arts, but also in the Rector’s Office historic fresco conference room, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Fort Science interactive centre. The conference programme was accompanied by educational and cultural activities.

Special thanks for their support – along with personal attendance – go to UP Rector Michael Kohajda and his predecessor Martin Procházka. “It is certainly a great honour for our university to participate in the organisation of an event where the Alliance’s advisory bodies representatives could meet, and I’d love to thank all my colleagues who contributed to the success of the event. At the same time, it was a great opportunity for us to present ourselves as a reliable partner for possible collaboration with the top international structures of the Alliance that is so crucial for freedom and security in the world,” added Rector Kohajda. The students and organisers from the Faculty of Arts, who gained valuable experience in organising an international meeting of this format, also played a significant role in making the event a resounding success.

Killing bacteria using light. That’s how simple surface disinfection could become in the future. That’s why scientists from EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology), CATRIN at Palacký University, and the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET) at VSB–TUO have begun developing a special coating whose antimicrobial effect can be activated by infrared light. This material is also gentle on the skin and environmentally friendly – and it could become a new weapon in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Its first practical use is currently being prepared in the field of dentistry. The results were published in the journal EcoMat.

A novel material that is eco-friendly, biocompatible, and metal-free is designed to rapidly and locally eliminate microorganisms. It is based on polyvinyl alcohol—a biocompatible plastic commonly used, for example, in the food industry. “A specially synthesized, nitrogen-enriched graphene acid has been incorporated into this matrix. Thanks to its chemical properties, it has significant antimicrobial potential. Its full effect is unleashed when exposed to near-infrared light. The material then employs a dual strategy: it converts light energy into heat, which kills bacteria, and at the same time generates oxygen radicals that disrupt the membranes of pathogens,” explained Radek Zbořil from CATRIN and CEET.

The advantage of this approach is that it works entirely differently from conventional antibiotics. The material thus protects against a wide spectrum of microorganisms without contributing to the development of resistance. “Our laboratory tests clearly confirmed the material’s effectiveness against both bacteria and viruses. Surfaces that frequently come into contact with infectious agents—such as door handles in hospitals or furnishing in operating theatres—are particularly well-suited for this innovation,” said Giacomo Reina from EMPA.

The first practical use of the new coating is being developed for dental medicine. EMPA is collaborating with the Center for Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich to develop a dental splint with firmly embedded graphene acid. Since near-infrared light penetrates several centimetres into tissue, the splint can be placed in the mouth, repeatedly activated by an external light source, and used to destroy microorganisms inside the oral cavity. Oral microflora is an especially tough opponent—complex bacterial communities hide in hard-to-reach niches, protected by layers of their own mucus. Antibiotics and conventional disinfectants struggle to penetrate these biofilms. This allows bacteria to damage teeth or even cause serious infections elsewhere in the body.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and emerging viruses pose an increasingly serious threat to the global healthcare system. They are associated with approximately 5 million deaths annually, with the COVID-19 pandemic alone accounting for over 20 million fatalities. Scientists are therefore seeking new strategies to combat these pathogens. One of their goals is to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria and viruses through smart materials and technologies.

Several months ago, an Irish Corner was opened in the department library of the Department of English and American Studies, FF UP with the participation of the Irish ambassador Alan Gibbons, our former Rector Martin Procházka and additional representatives from our university, the city of Olomouc and the Olomouc Region. This cooperation with the only native English speaking country remaining in the European Union continued on May 24 with a concert of traditional Irish music by the Prague based band Conamara Chaos in Jazz Tibet Club in Olomouc.

Conamara Chaos is a folk band led by Doc. Radvan Markus, lecturer in Irish language and literature at Charles University. Doc. Markus has also been teaching the Irish language part-time at the Department of English and American Studies in Olomouc for over ten years. Apart from his academic pursuits, he is also a renowned translator (having received the Magnesia Litera award in 2017 for his translation from Irish to Czech of Máirtín Ó Cadhain novel Cré na Cille (Graveyard Clay in English, in Czech Hřbitovní hlína) and last but not least a talented musician. Doc. Markus plays the flute, the recorder, the Irish whistle and even the bouzouki. His wife, Jana Markusová plays the violin, Martin Jankovec the guitar and Ladislav Veselý the bodhrán. Vocals and the stand-up bass are provided by Svatka Hlávková Štěpánková. The name of the band makes reference to a region in the west of Ireland as well as to part of the planet Jupiter’s moon Europa. They recently released a CD entitled Anord consisting of a mix of traditional tunes and their own compositions. These, and other songs, were performed at the concert in Jazz Tibet. Further information about the band: www.conamarachaos.cz.

The concert was organised and sponsored by both the university and the city of Olomouc. From the university side, financial support was provided by the Rectorate, the Faculty of Arts and the Department of English and American Studies. Special thanks go out to Ms. Tereza Kalousková, from the International Department, for her assistance with the organisation. The City of Olomouc also provided financing and support and thanks once again go to the members of the Department of Foreign Relations, specifically Ms. Hana Ederová and her team. The Lord Mayor of Olomouc, Mr. Miroslav Žbánek, even attended the event and said a few words of support prior to the concert. There was a full audience, consisting of people of a range of nationalities and ages, for the approximate two hour show. Many of the adults and children danced through much of the performance. Our thanks also go out to Mr. Roman Fojtášek, the manager of the club, for his assistance with the organisation of the concert.

The evening was enjoyed by all, both audience and performers, and provided further proof of the rich connection between Ireland and Czechia. It will hopefully lead to further cooperation on the university, city and regional levels.

Scientists from the Joint Laboratory of Optics, a workplace of Palacký University Olomouc and the Institute of Physics at the Czech Academy of Sciences, are the first in the world to experimentally confirm the relation between the quantum state of uncertainty and quantum entanglement, theoretically predicted by physicists from Japan and Taiwan. The result of this scientific work, published in the prestigious journal Springer Nature, introduces a completely new perspective on the previously unknown implications of how nature functions at the quantum level.

“In quantum physics, there are very peculiar rules according to which, say, a measurement will affect the measured state and the result of a measurement can be random. So we never know in advance how our measurements will turn out. On the other hand, we do know that there is a phenomenon that is crucial for a number of applications in quantum physics, and that is quantum entanglement. Now what we have been able to discover is a fairly fundamental relation between the uncertainty inherent in quantum measurement and quantum entanglement. We have literally found an equation, or rather an inequality, that reveals a relation between these two fundamental concepts in quantum physics,” said Karel Lemr of the Joint Laboratory of Optics.

An experiment was carried out in the Olomouc laboratory in which physicists prepared special quantum entangled states of light. Using photon pairs, they created states upon which they then made measurements. The outcomes confirmed the validity of the theoretically predicted inequality.

“We have found and confirmed a new law of quantum physics. We have been able to validate the theoretical framework experimentally, which is a significant advance in fundamental research. It helps us better understand how the world around us works at the quantum level," added Antonín Černoch, who collaborated on the experiment.

Read the full article here.

The question of how to deal with an ageing workforce is becoming pressing, considering the demographic situation in developed countries. The challenges faced by employees who entered the labour market several decades ago are being addressed by experts within the international project COST Action LeverAge. The meeting, bringing together over a hundred researchers from this initiative, is currently being hosted by Palacký University.

“The ability to adapt to the ever-accelerating changes in the labour market is one of the greatest challenges we face,” says Dr. Hila Axelrad, a researcher at Reichman University in Israel and one of the conference participants.

What is your main area of research and scientific focus?

I am a senior scholar at the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy of Reichman University, Israel, which is a think tank dedicated to shaping socio-economic policies through impactful research and strategic initiatives. Specifically, my work explores issues such as age discrimination, employment and unemployment trends among older workers, retirement transitions, and workforce participation in later life.

What is your role within the COST Action LeverAge network?

I am an active member of two working groups within this network. One is focused on the multi-age workforce and its organization, and the other covers career development in later life, as well as retirement.

Over the past year, I’ve also been involved in several collaborative initiatives within the network, resulting in co-authoring a publication, contributing to a book chapter, and organizing a symposium at an international conference. The current meeting in Olomouc presents a valuable opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and further advance our shared research and project development.

Why is it important that such a large international and multidisciplinary group of experts is focusing on the issue of an ageing workforce?

Ageing populations pose a major economic and social challenge for many developed countries. A cross-national, interdisciplinary collaboration allows us to exchange diverse insights from different countries, evidence-based practices, and policy perspectives. It fosters knowledge transfer and joint learning that can help promote employment opportunities for older adults, combat age discrimination, and support inclusive and sustainable social policies.

What is the biggest challenge we will face in connection with the demographic situation and an ageing workforce?

One of the most pressing challenges is the need for older workers to adapt to a rapidly evolving labour market shaped by technological advancement and the rise of AI. Many of these workers entered the workforce decades ago, under very different conditions. Today, they must continuously update their skills and adapt to remain competitive and relevant in the labour market. This is not easy for many of them, and our work is to find ways to help them – from the perspective of employers, governments, and younger colleagues.

 

What are you most looking forward to during your stay in Olomouc?

Beyond experiencing the city, which I’ve heard is both beautiful and culturally rich, I am especially looking forward to meeting colleagues and friends, both old and new. I hope to deepen existing collaborations, initiate new ones, and engage in meaningful dialogue that will expand our shared knowledge and impact in the field. Especially after COVID, we truly appreciate every opportunity to meet in person.

Once again, Palacký University Olomouc wants to award its best teachers. The second year of the university-wide competition UP Teaching Awards has been announced, whereby students themselves can nominate their teachers. Nominations can be submitted until October this year. As in the first year, the award will have two categories based on the length of teaching experience. The best teachers can receive either the Junior Teaching Award if they have been teaching for less than five years, or the Senior Teaching Award if they have been teaching longer.

Last year’s pilot edition established a new tradition, aiming to acknowledge the educational efforts of individual teachers from various faculties. “What is crucial is the involvement of students in this competition. They are the ones who select the teachers they consider not only professionally accomplished but also innovative and inspiring. I believe their feedback is very important for all teachers as it motivates them in their further work,” said Jitka Petrová, Vice-Rector for Studies and Lifelong Learning.

To submit proposals, students use the university’s evaluation system, which they are familiar with. They are asked to employ five criteria to evaluate the selected teacher. They should consider, for example, whether the teacher is an expert in their field or innovative enough to master new technologies. Once the nominations have been concluded, the five teachers with the most votes in each category will move on to the next round of the competition. Subsequently, they will present themselves and their work to the UP Teaching Board with a prepared portfolio. The board will then select the winner in each category. Prizes for the most popular Palacký University teachers will be awarded in February 2026 at a ceremony during UP Academic Week.

More than eight hundred students participated in the first year, nominating three hundred teachers. The winners were two teachers from the Faculty of Education. I Kamil Kopecký from the Department of Czech Language and Literature won in the senior category, and Kateřina Valchářová from the Institute of Education and Social Studies won in the junior category.

“The very fact that I won was an immense surprise for me – I really did not expect that. After the competition results were announced, I was also surprised that other universities started to approach me with requests for lectures on how to teach and what is the key to engaging students. This is a question I often think about, and I actually think the number one key is that I really enjoy going to the class and seeing the students – and that I often find great inspiration in their views and opinions. It has also energised and reassured me that what I’m doing is meaningful and that students feel that their time, such a valuable resource, is not being wasted in my classes,” said Valchářová when asked about the importance of the award for her future work.

Through this competition, the university is also trying to highlight the importance of quality teaching. “The introduction of the annual process of awarding outstanding teaching activities is part of the Programme for the Support of Strategic Management of Higher Education Institutions for 2022–2025. The course of the competition can be followed on the Centre of Excellence in Education website and is regularly reported by the university media,” said Klára Tesaříková Čermáková, Head of the UP Continuing Education and Teaching Innovations Office, the guarantor of the competition.

The first year of the competition has been documented in detail here.

Digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and new technologies are fundamentally changing the way we live, work, and communicate. And so Palacký University Olomouc has now launched the new Digital Society, Social Innovation and Global Citizenship (DIGISOC) Master’s degree programme, jointly developed with the University of Innsbruck and University of Naples Federico II. It will provide students with key skills for the future via some of the best experts from the three universities in order to understand not only technology, but also its impact on society. Its accreditation was approved by the UP Internal Assessment Board at the end of April and applications are being accepted until the end of June.

The DIGISOC study programme responds to the growing need for professionals able to navigate the dynamically changing environment of the digital society. The study will be conducted entirely in English and in a hybrid format combining online learning with in-person classes in blocks. International mobility, internships, and summer schools are also part of the programme. Students will thus gain not only academic knowledge, but also valuable intercultural experience and the ability to work in international teams at universities, as well as in companies and other institutions.

At UP, the course will be held under the auspices of the Faculty of Law in cooperation with the Faculties of Science and Arts. Palacký University will be the guarantor of education in law (including international and digital law), social and economic geography, and media and communication, with the participation of the University of Naples Federico II. The latter will also provide education in sociology and social education. The University of Innsbruck will be responsible for digital humanities, IT, and digital platforms.

Emphasis will be placed on the development of critical thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, and the ability to use digital tools in the context of socially responsible innovation. Graduates may find employment in a variety of fields – from public administration and the non-profit sector to technology companies and international organisations.

“The study programme is one of the key outputs of the EURIDICE project. I am pleased that we have managed to achieve this milestone so that the first students can enrol this September. Another output of the project will be, for example, lifelong learning courses for academics and the public, which will be acknowledged with microcertificates,” says Markéta Šemberová, the Euridice project coordinator at UP.

The EURIDICE project, and thus the study programme, would not have been possible without the prior establishment of close cooperation in Aurora, the European university network. “We are thus fulfilling the European Commission’s intention for European universities to cooperate closely not only in science and research but also in education, for example in the form of joint study programmes. At the same time, we are applying for the prestigious European Degree Label certification, which ensures the recognition of diplomas in all EU countries and increases the competitiveness of graduates on the international labour market,” adds Michal Malacka, principal investigator of the EURIDICE project at UP.

Those interested in enrolling in the DIGISOC programme can look forward to classes led by experts from various European universities, access to current research, and the opportunity to become part of an active international community. Applications are open until the end of June, and online information sessions are also available. Further information is available here.

Czech universities have been supporting the development of Ukrainian studies, raising awareness of Ukrainian culture, language, and history, and the mutual exchange of experts and students. Cooperation in these areas with the Foundation of the President of Ukraine for Support of Education, Science and Sports has been formalised during a meeting between the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, the Czech Minister of Education, Mikuláš Bek, and the representatives of four Czech universities, including Palacký University.

UP Rector Michael Kohajda signed a Letter of Intent at the meeting. This document expresses the university’s commitment to initiate negotiations with the Foundation of the President of Ukraine on closer cooperation in education and research with the aim of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, which will form the basis for such cooperation in the future within the framework of the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies.

This coalition brings together Ukrainian studies centres around the world. Its activities aim to support their development, including Crimean Tatar studies, and to popularise Ukrainian culture, language, and history abroad; among other things as a counterweight to the disinformation spread by Russian propaganda.

Masaryk University has also signed such a Letter of Intent; meanwhile, representatives of Charles University and the University of Hradec Králové have signed Memorandums of Cooperation with the Foundation of the President of Ukraine, thus becoming members of the coalition.

There are currently 268 Ukrainian students studying at Palacký University Olomouc, with most of them at the Faculties of Arts and Science. Their number has doubled in the last three years. “Many students and academics from Ukraine are already part of our university community today, and their interest in UP is growing, for which we are happy indeed. It was a true honour and a pleasure to meet Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of that war-torn country. I am proud that we are among those universities who have been helping Ukraine from the very beginning. In the future, we also want to cooperate towards the development of Ukrainian studies, and the main partner of UP in this respect will be our Faculty of Arts and its Department of Slavonic Studies,” said UP Rector Kohajda.

The meeting with the First Lady of Ukraine was also attended by the UP Faculty of Arts Dean, Jan Stejskal, and Uljana Cholodová from the Ukrainian Studies Section at the UP Faculty of Arts Department of Slavonic Studies.

Jurist Michael Kohajda takes over the rector’s mace of Palacký University in Olomouc. He replaces doctor Martin Procházka as the head of the oldest Moravian university. He will lead this institution dedicated to education and scientific research, the third largest public university in the country with four thousand employees and 23 thousand students, for the next four years.

“By the end of 2025 we must have completed a strategy for the development of the university for the next five years, which must be approved by the university authorities and submitted to the Czech Ministry of Education. By September at the latest, we also need to prepare everything related to the reform of doctoral studies, which is due to the amendment to the Higher Education Act that came into force in March. And last but not least, I have promised to make maximum progress in resolving the dispute between the UP Faculty of Science and the CATRIN institute of higher education no later than one year after taking office,” the new rector said, summarising his plans for the upcoming months.

Along with him, a new team of vice-rectors will also take over the leadership of UP. “As of the first of May, five vice-rectors will be entrusted with their duties, while the remaining two members will join the new team by September at the latest, due to their obligations to current employers,” said Rector Kohajda.

The International Relations Division will be headed by Ivona Barešová, an Anglicist and Japanologist; the Studies and Lifelong Learning Division will be headed by Jitka Petrová, an educator focused on educational diagnostics and methodology; the Doctoral Studies and Junior Science Division will be headed by Miroslav Dopita, an expert in sociology, andragogy, and research in education and training; the Science, Creative Activities and Knowledge Transfer Division  will be headed by molecular geneticist Jiří Drábek; and the Communications and Social Responsibility Division will be headed by Matěj Dostálek, director of Fort Science, the science centre at the UP Faculty of Science.

The UP Academic Senate elected Kohajda to head the university at its January meeting, when fourteen senators gave him their votes in the second round of the secret ballot. Kohajda received his appointment decree at Prague Castle from the hands of Czech President Petr Pavel in mid-April. The UP Rector’s term of office is four years, so Kohajda will lead Palacký University until 30 April 2029.

In the modern era of the reinstated university in Olomouc, altogether fifteen rectors have headed it since 1946: 13 men and 2 women. Kohajda will become the sixteenth.

doc. JUDr. Michael Kohajda, Ph.D. (b. 1981)

He graduated from the UP Faculty of Law (UP FL) with a Master’s degree in Law and Legal Science. He obtained his doctoral degree and received his habilitation in Financial Law at the Charles University Faculty of Law. He has taught at UP FL for almost twenty years. Since 2020, he has held the position of Vice-Dean – (first for Doctoral Studies, Qualification Procedures, and Finances, including investments; currently he is Vice-Dean for External Relations and Investments). He is a member of the UP FL Scholarly Board and several other boards at the law faculties in Olomouc and Prague.

His research and publication activities focus on financial law, especially on public budgets, taxation, banking, insurance, and capital markets. His main professional interest involves financial system rules and supervision. In recent years, he has also focused on the legal rules related to the issuance and handling of crypto assets. Since 2024 he has been the principal investigator of the Czech Science Foundation standard project Crypto Assets as a Threat to Sovereignty. As regards international cooperation, he has undertaken a number of international research and teaching stays in Europe, the USA, and Australia. In addition to his academic activities, he has a successful legal practice.

In order to contribute to the development of society, he has been involved in politics. Between 2014 and 2022, he was a member of the Šumperk City Council, where he focused on budget policy and investments. In 2021, thanks to preferential votes, he won a seat in the Parliament of the Czech Republic for the Olomouc Region. He serves, among others, as a member of the Budget Committee in the Parliament. He was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies’ special investigative commission on the tragic event that took place at the Charles University Faculty of Arts in December 2023.

 

Scientists from the Department of Optics at the Palacký University Faculty of Science have introduced a new microscopic technique, marking a fundamental shift in the rules of cellular imaging. It allows for rapid, contactless, and non-invasive analysis of cells in high definition. Their results have been published in the prestigious scientific journal Optica.

Their method allows capturing the interior structure of cells with a resolution of 250 nanometres and a phase accuracy below 2 nanometres. It can thus capture optical path differences corresponding to the size of just a few molecules. In addition, it works with conventional non-coherent illumination and thus eliminates artifact interference, allowing for sharper and more rapid imaging. Thanks to the new optical arrangement, the method is vibration resistant and ideal for consistent time-lapse measurements.

“We have shown that lateral shearing digital holographic microscopy can work even in conventional lighting, with shearing distances exceeding the coherence area of the illumination source. By doing so, we are opening up new possibilities for rapid, contactless, and non-invasive analysis of cells with high precision,” said the article’s main author, Jaromír Běhal.

The successful publication of their research results is a springboard for the resolution of a Postdoc Individual Fellowship Incoming grant by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic – MAGICY (Machine‑learning Assisted tomoGraphic phase Imaging flow CYtometry) – which Jaromír Běhal received after returning from a two-and-a-half-year postdoctoral stay in the group under Prof Pietro Ferraro in Naples.

The new research group, Advanced Functional Imaging (AFI), under Běhal’s helm will now focus on connecting quantitative phase microscopy with flow tomographic cytometry and AI. Their goal is to detect and sort individual cells in real time and create their 3D models within a fraction of a second.

“The newly-developed technology makes possible cellular analysis without the use of staining agents to obtain precise, nanometre-accurate information on the thickness and refractive index of subcellular structures,” said Miroslav Ježek, head of the QOLO group. “Jaromír has done a tremendous job. In just a short time after returning from Italy, he has built his own team and been awarded an important grant. For our QOLO group, it is a great honour to be there with him and to support his start as a junior group leader,” Ježek added, in appreciation of the scientific work of his younger colleague.

Financing: The research was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (project no. 25-17712I).

Links:

Optica article

QOLO Laboratory at the UP Faculty of Science Department of Optics

This year’s edition of one of the biggest European festivals of popular science documentaries – Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) – has just wound up at Palacký University. Its 60th jubilee, with the theme Work in Progress, had 8,139 accredited visitors and 500 events to choose from.

Audiences had the unique opportunity to view films reflecting hot trends in global audiovisual production and those used as a medium for basic communication of scientific research. “AFO’s sixty years is proof that combining science, film, and human curiosity truly makes a lot of sense. The festival is the result of the shared passion of many generations and a massive amount of teamwork. We would like to thank everyone who has been and are a part of it,” summarised AFO director Eva Navrátilová.

And what is trending now in popular science?

The International Competition jury chose Turtle Walker as the Best International Science Documentary Film. This portrait of the Indian turtle researcher Satish Bhaskara is a fascinating study of scientific enthusiasm, curiosity, and discovery. “This was our European premiere, and the film had a wonderful reception. We spent years preparing the film. It’s a tender story, and we’re happy that it has inspired others, showing how a person can put their heart and hard work into something as a legacy to influence future generations. Today we desperately need such stories, because so much is going on and people can sometimes be overwhelmed by it all,” said Jill Ferguson, the film’s producer.

As part of the Science Communication Award, the jury also awarded Special Mention to The Forest by British director and producer Jamie E. Lochhead, which tells the story of the misinterpretation of the findings that our planet is capable of accommodating another trillion trees, highlighting the importance of proper communication of scientific data. First Prize for Science Communication went to the Canadian film Animal Pride, which deals with diverse forms of love in nature.

The Czech & Slovak Competition offered a wide range of diverse topics

The jury awarded four prizes. The prize for the Best Czech & Slovak film went to Zuzana Piussi’s documentary The Scent Trail. The film presents a disturbing flaw in the Czech justice system and stands as an excellent example of a thorough investigative documentary approach. Lapilli stands out as a formal opposite. This Slovak experimental film constitutes a visual poem and a form of therapy for director Paula Ďurinová. The film received Honourable Mention. The Best Science Communication Award went to David Čálek for Doctor on a Trip. “Science documentary films are not mainly what I do, this was kind of an exception. But when I saw the films in the competition, I thought that this film belonged here, because it’s about psychological well-being and treating depression, combining Western medicine with the shamanic traditions of the Amazon. Thank you for this award, I really appreciate it,” the director said.

Short Film Competition

The Best Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition went to Wetlands – Life Blood. The film presents the audience with the genius loci of wetlands and organisms that live there. The short film Testerep received Honourable Mention. It uses modern technology to reconstruct historical landscapes that no longer exist.

New at AFO this year was the Immersive Competition

Honourable Mention went to the project Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories. The programme screened at the Fort Science planetarium tells the story of an astronomer and folklorist Wilfred Buck navigating the night sky. The Best Immersive Work Award went to the augmented reality project Turbulence: Jamais Vu. It simulates an inner ear disorder and disrupts the viewers’ senses to represent what it is like to live with such a condition. The Best First or Second Science Documentary Award, another new category, went to the film Burkitt.

“Philosopher Mark Fisher has written that ‘real wealth is the collective capacity to produce, care, and enjoy’. Since its inception, AFO as a film festival has also been about that. The importance of science itself and of science documentaries lies in the fact that they carefully examine reality and attempt to discover the facts in it, whatever they may be,” Ondřej Kazík, programme director of the festival, pointed out. He also added that this year’s festival, among other things, offered an exhibition of a new subgenre of documentaries as well as reflections on its own history.

And what did the audiences vote for?

The Audience Award went to Sběratelé kratomu (The Kratom Collectors). This Czech medium-length documentary examines the phenomenon of a substance, which is a medicine for some and a recreational drug for others. “AFO is something I’ve always admired – the combination of science and art. This is what influenced my decision to study multimedia production at Silesian University in Opava. This festival sets the bar for all of us. I’m overjoyed by this award,” said Libor Cinegr, director of The Kratom Collectors, expressing his enthusiasm. The film had its world premiere in Olomouc.

This year, the company Sandbox Films again awarded the best projects of participants in the Camp4Science programme. Honourable Mention and a prize of 10,000 USD went to the projects Yet the Faces and Snow Globe. First Prize and an award of 25,000 USD went to the project The Archipelago  – a powerful coming of age story. “I love AFO, this is my fifth time here. It’s a place which is all about the audiences and the filmmakers, which makes it unique. It’s obvious that people come here because they are interested, they want to talk about things. Popular science is something that really matters to them, and they want to try new things,” said Jessica Harrop, co-founder of Sandbox Films and a mentor at Camp4Science.

The Student Jury Award was given to the emotionally-charged, character-driven documentary Light Darkness Light in which blind priest Ian Nichols undergoes a bionic eye implant in order to see again.

Academia Film Olomouc – AFO is a festival aimed at documentary films which are about science, social themes, scientists, scientific findings, ethics connected to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, and approaches to education. The aim of the festival is also to show that film, television, and other audiovisual work continues to be the most effective medium to popularise science.

Localy adapted crop genotypes and organic farming may be the answer to climate change.  This is according to the first ever study investigating the impact of drought on yield and seed quality of different common bean genotypes, published in the European Journal of Agronomy. In this paper, scientists from the Czech Institute for Research and Advanced Technologies – CATRIN at Palacký University, together with colleagues from Spain and the USA, summarize the results of a pioneering three-year field experiment in both organic farming and conventional management. They showed that drought and agriculture practices significantly affect both yield and quality of beans, with extreme temperatures being a key factor.

Common bean is an important crop for sustainable food security. With climate change and increasing drought, farmers face a number of challenges in ensuring sufficient production. Selecting appropriate genotypes adapted to climate change, including drought, within different management systems is a viable strategy to mitigate the impacts of such conditions.

“The aim of the study was to evaluate different common bean genotypes – both landraces and commercially available ones – under different environmental conditions, different management systems and irrigation methods to understand how different growing conditions affect their yield and seed quality,” said one of the authors of the paper, Nuria De Diego of CATRIN.

During the three-year field experiment, researchers grew twelve different genotypes under irrigated and rainfed conditions using conventional and organic farming practices. They evaluated plant physiological responses, seed yield and quality parameters and their associations to identify potential biomarkers suitable for identifying resistant genotypes.

“The research has shown that both drought and management significantly affect bean yield and quality, with temperature extremes being a key factor affecting the observed parameters. Under irrigation, organic farming achieved comparable yields to conventional management and improved seed quality under conditions without irrigation. The landrace Arrocina de Álava was found to be drought tolerant with higher seed quality when grown without irrigation. This underlines the importance of landraces for the selection of genotypes resistant to climate change,” the scientist outlined some of the findings of the research.

The study has also confirmed that carbon isotope discrimination in seeds (Δ13C) is a reliable indicator for selecting stress-tolerant genotypes and highlighted the effect of extreme temperatures on seed fat and energy content. It also shows that it is essential to incorporate climate resilience considerations into crop breeding and the selection of agricultural practices.

CATRIN scientists collaborated on the research with colleagues from the University of the Basque Country and Auburn University.

Czech President Petr Pavel appointed the new rector of Palacký University Olomouc at Prague Castle. On 1 May, jurist Michael Kohajda is going to take over the leadership of the second oldest university in the country.

The term of office of the current UP rector, Dr Martin Procházka, terminates on the last day of April. The very next day, 1 May, Michael Kohajda will take over the office. The UP Academic Senate elected him to head the university at its January meeting, when fourteen senators gave him their votes in the second round of the secret ballot.

The election results and the protocol on the UP Rector election, along with the documents for the appointment, were handed over by the President of the UP Academic Senate, Irena Smolová, to the Czech Minister of Education. He submitted the documents to the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, which set the date of the ceremony for 15 April.

The UP Rector’s term of office is four years, so Michael Kohajda will head Palacký University Olomouc until 30 April 2029.

In the modern era of the reinstated university in Olomouc, altogether fifteen rectors have headed it since 1946: 13 men and 2 women. Kohajda will become the sixteenth. The university he will manage currently has roughly twenty-three thousand students studying at eight faculties and more than four thousand employees.

doc. JUDr. Michael Kohajda, Ph.D. (b. 1981)

He graduated from the UP Faculty of Law (UP FL) with a Master’s degree in Law and Legal Science. He obtained his doctoral degree and received his habilitation in Financial Law at the Charles University Faculty of Law. He has taught at UP FL for almost twenty years. Since 2020, he has held the position of Vice-Dean – (first for Doctoral Studies, Qualification Procedures, and Finances, including investments; currently he is Vice-Dean for External Relations and Investments). He is a member of the UP FL Scholarly Board and several other boards at the law faculties in Olomouc and Prague.

His research and publication activities focus on financial law, especially on public budgets, taxation, banking, insurance, and capital markets. His main professional interest involves financial system rules and supervision. In recent years, he has also focused on the legal rules related to the issuance and handling of crypto assets. Since 2024 he has been the principal investigator of the Czech Science Foundation standard project Crypto Assets as a Threat to Sovereignty. As regards international cooperation, he has undertaken a number of international research and teaching stays in Europe, the USA, and Australia. In addition to his academic activities, he has a successful legal practice.

In order to contribute to the development of society, he has been involved in politics. Between 2014 and 2022, he was a member of the Šumperk City Council, where he focused on budget policy and investments. In 2021, thanks to preferential votes, he won a seat in the Parliament of the Czech Republic for the Olomouc Region. He serves, among others, as a member of the Budget Committee in the Parliament. He was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies’ special investigative commission on the tragic event that took place at the Charles University Faculty of Arts in December 2023.

The sixtieth jubilee of the international Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) festival of popular science documentaries, taking place from 22–27 April, will bring a selection of the best Czech and international films to Olomouc. This year its scope has expanded to new forms of storytelling – for instance extended and virtual reality, fulldome films, and desktop documentaries. The organisers have loaded the 2025 edition with strong themes, prominent personalities, and sections connecting science with everyday life.

The programme boasts over 500 items. Attendees can look forward to film screenings, debates, workshops, exhibitions, walks, concerts and DJ sets, a mobile planetarium, plus a university brewery beer tasting and an original science game for families with children.

Prominent international personalities in the fields of documentary, experimental, and immersive films will visit Olomouc. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, a film director and artist working with NASA, will introduce her new film Doppelgängers³, which recently premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival in the USA.

Belgian director and astrophysicist Vincent Langouche will present his film Testerep. Brooklyn auteurs Sean Paulsen and Brad Wickham will introduce the international premiere of their short film Habbal et al., while the Australian duo of Ben Joseph Andrews and Emma Roberts will present their immersive project Turbulence: Jamais Vu.

The artist Sister Sylvester, who has performed in festivals in Venice, Amsterdam, and New York, will present her project Drinking Brecht, which she describes as an automated laboratory performance. Australian MC, presenter, edu-tainer, and children’s book author Lee Constable – also famous for her Antarctica: The Twitch-u-mentary, an eight-hour livestreamed experience on her Twitch channel – will also be on hand in Olomouc.

Czech films play a big role

“In the Czechoslovak competition, I’m looking forward to the film Lapilli by first-time Slovak director Paula Ďurinová; and the meditation on the fascinating creatures Lichens are the Way by Ondřej Vavrečka, which is having its premiere at AFO, together with the film Czechia Deforested. David Čálek’s Doctor on a Trip shows the breakthrough research being done by Dr Tomáš Páleníček and his international scientific team on the use of psychedelic substances in therapy. The very topical Because of Bear series by director Mira Rema will have its festival premiere at AFO; the Slovak government has approved the culling of 350 bears this very month, and the series gives you the background on this controversial topic,” said programme director Ondřej Kazík.

In the Roomies section, zoologist and ecologist Anna Vedralová –who has inspired the public to protect “unloved” creatures such as spiders, frogs, and insects – will be in attendance. The Beer Culture section will introduce Milan Starec, a historian and brewer who has also brought back historic brewing techologies. The emotional Touch section will offer reflections on physical contact and human intimacy in the digital age.

Current audiovisual trends and archival curios

The exhibition File Explorer: I Like the Pictures in Your Living Room bridges two venues – Gallery XY and Vitrína Deniska – showcasing audiovisual works that use computer screen-capturing techniques in office-like settings. “We’re interested in how the digital environment changes one’s perspective on films, images, and narrative. The art exhibition allows for posing these questions in a slightly differently way than in a cinema,” says the main programmer, Zdeněk Rychtera. The digital present is balanced by a retrospective experience in the Videoforum 2025 exhibition at the Olomouc Regional Museum. Using period technology and the original format of Academia Video Olomouc projection booths, archival films from the 80s, 90s, and 00s  will be brought back to life.

Full Moon lights up the music scene

The carefully prepared musical line-up will introduce artists who are unafraid of unexpected musical confrontations. This year, AFO has started a new collaboration with Full Moon Zine, bringing to the festival its feeling for contemporary musical currents. “This year’s line-up maps a terrain full of undiscovered treasures; at the same time the attentive ear will detect several remarkable déjà vus,” revealed Kateřina Sovová, on behalf of the organisers, adding that futuristic pop musician Mart Avi of Estonia will make his Czech debut at AFO.

“We have built the programme with an accent on local, contemporary names, regardless of genre or other barriers. Names such as Dukla, Kodiki, SJ Yellow, and Temný Rudo are among the very best performers currently on the Czech scene, and artists like OGmiaG and Dasa are definitely up-and-coming. For example Slovak musican Erika Rein’s album Kamibe was recently nominated in three categories for the Radio_Head Awards,” said Michal Pařízek, editor-in-chief of Full Moon Zine. The musical programme will take place outside under an awning on the Town Bailey adjacent to the Konvikt Arts Centre.

Children’s events at AFO

This year’s AFO Junior programme, in cooperation with Fort Science, the Czech Academy of Sciences and Czech Television, explores what remains hidden to the ordinary eye – from microscopic organisms and other hidden aspects of our everyday lives to the distant universe. The programme also reflects the themes of the other festival sections and offers a comprehensive view of science and the world from different perspectives.

“I have two children, and their perspective on the world often opens up new horizons for me. Their perceptions are dramatically different from those of adults and force me to discover new perspectives. It was this principle that inspired me this year to call the children’s section Beyond the Visible. What is hidden beyond that which we do not see or perceive? The theme incorporates a whole spectrum of phenomena, from natural ones undetectable to the naked eye, to the invisible mechanisms of our thoughts, emotions, and creativity,” said programmer Ksenia Hain.

AFO at 60

Sixty years ago, AFO’s founders were inspired by a similar event in Padua, Italy, also located at the university there. The idea for AFO came from Short Film Prague and the Czech Academy of Sciences. From its humble origins, the festival has come a gigantic way, becoming the longest continously running European festival of popular science films. Each year, well-known personalities not only in the field of filmmaking come to Olomouc to meet some nine thousand accredited audience members.

Visit afo.cz for the festival progamme, where you can also sign up for three levels of accreditation: Basic (free), the new Teleport with reserved seating, Music is Science  (live music pass), and two VIP packages, Star and Galaxy.

Before AFO starts, you can make the waiting more pleasant by going to its Watch and Know platform. This online library of films and more is the perfect place for anyone who wants to learn, discover interesting stories, and tune into the science documentary atmosphere.

The full programme is available here.

A review article in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics summarizes the computational methods currently used to study and design lipid-based drug carriers (LNCs). The article was co-authored by researchers from CATRIN at Palacký University, IT4Innovations at VSB-TUO and colleagues from French universities and Sanofi. The valuable insights gained from integrating experimental and theoretical approaches can contribute to improving the properties of lipid nanocarriers, thereby ensuring more effective and safer drug therapy.

Liposomes and lipid nanoparticles are used to transport drugs into cells. Thanks to computational methods, researchers can explore the structure of these nanoparticles and the individual steps involved in their transport.

“These insights are crucial for designing new and efficient therapeutics that enhance the effectiveness of drug delivery systems. Our review article examines how computational methods, particularly molecular dynamics simulations, can reveal complex relationships between the composition, structure and function of LNCs. Additionally, we present the potential of machine learning—data-driven learning—in the design of lipid carriers,” summarized the key contributions of the article its first author, Markéta Paloncýová from CATRIN.

The researchers also utilized the computing power of supercomputers at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center. The study, which was conducted with the support of the TECHSCALE, MINIGRAPH and REFRESH projects, is accompanied by a supplementary cover art in the journal.

LNCs are nanoparticles composed of lipids used for delivering active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in medicine. Their advantage lies in their ability to transport even water-insoluble substances, protect the body from certain adverse drug effects and safeguard fragile molecules such as nucleic acids or proteins. They enhance treatment effectiveness by enabling targeted drug delivery to specific locations in the body. In modern medicine, LNCs are used, for example, in mRNA vaccines and targeted cancer therapy.

Olomouc will once again become the centre of world science cinematography thanks to the Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) international festival, which takes place from 22 to 27 April. More than 600 films from 61 countries were submitted to this year’s competition, out of which the programme committee selected the best 67 films. They will compete for a financial prize and a trophy, an original glass kaleidoscope by Martin Hlubuček. 

The international competition will present a journey into the depths of human existence, where scientific knowledge is intertwined with philosophical reflections on ageing, death, as well as physical transformation, which can turn into a personal struggle with one’s own body. For instance, Adonis (dir. Jérémie Battaglia) examines the changing perception of masculinity in contemporary society through the phenomenon of bodybuilding and the use of anabolic steroids.

Director Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian will come to Olomouc to present the documentary Doppelgängers³, which deals with the theme of space colonisation for the sake of the queer community. “This competition is unique in its diversity of formats and filmmaking approaches. The variety of topics and narrative modes opens up possibilities for the presentation of scientific research and science communication, making it an opportunity for all those seeking inspiration and new perspectives on the world, regardless of age or life experience,” said assistant programmer Kristýna Dytrychová.

An aesthetic reflection on light as a scientific and artistic phenomenon is presented in Tracing Light (dir. Thomas Riedelsheimer). Its co-author Leslie Hills will personally present the film to the festival audience. Environmental and biodiversity issues are addressed in Animal Pride (dir. Rio Mitchell), focusing on the diverse relationships in the animal kingdom. “Although science has been observing queer behaviour in animals for quite some time, it has long been marginalised. The documentary brings this overlooked part of nature to life, challenging established ideas, and showing that nature is much more diverse than traditionally perceived,” added Dytrychová.

Czech & Slovak competition reflects current social challenges

The film Doctor on a Trip (dir. David Čálek) documents scientific research into the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca in the context of the treatment of mental disorders. Stone Axe Path (dir. Tomáš Kratochvíl) reconstructs prehistoric rituals and ways of working with natural materials.

The philosophical film Lichens Are the Way (dir. Ondřej Vavrečka) explores the adaptability of these organisms in contrast to the hectic lifestyle of modern society. And the documentary Lapilli (dir. Paula Ďurinová) combines environmental themes with a personal story of mourning and the search for balance through nature.

Short films: diverse perspectives on science 

The documentary The Bird in My Backyard (dir. Ryan Wilkes) follows the life cycle of fascinating creatures – hummingbirds.

Climate change in the context of cultural heritage is analysed in Nittaituq (dir. Camille Poirier, Mathilde Poirier, Flore Sergeant), while astronomy is the focus of Habbal et al. (dir. Sean Paulsen & Brad Wickham). “Audiences will observe both the universe and microscopic organisms, visit animals in the garden and on the computer, discover extinct islands, walk on glaciers, and face the effects of climate change. The varied range of themes is matched by their execution, where playful aesthetics and styles combining cinematographic art, animation, and archival footage merge,” noted the section’s programmer Magdaléna Jedličková. 

First ever immersive media competition in AFO

A new competition section reflects the growing importance of immersive technologies. “We will bring together art, science, and social interaction. Visitors will be immersed in virtual worlds using headsets, thus becoming, for example, part of a collective experiment in genetics or an individual simulation of how a person suffering from a specific disease feels,” said programmer Dominik Vontor, introducing the innovation.

The Academia Film Olomouc festival, organised by Palacký University, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. It will commemorate this important anniversary with a unique retrospective and a publication co-produced by the UP Press. Before the festival begins, those interested can expand their horizons and make the wait more pleasant thanks to the Watch and Know platform. This online library is the ideal place for all those who want to educate themselves, discover interesting stories, and tune in to the film festival vibe which will await us in April. For more information, please visit the festival’s website.

From February 17 to 21, Aurora Alliance hosted its first international conference on the vital role of higher education in global peacebuilding. Organised by Karazin University Peace Education Hub, led by Palacky University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the conference resulted from collaboration with Karazin Kharkiv University, the University of Innsbruck, and the Berghof Foundation, a key player in peace education. 

Globally, higher education institutions face challenges from conflicts, human rights abuses, and restrictions on academic freedom. Many are pressured to respond to calls for solidarity from students and faculty. There is also growing societal distrust in science, just 5 years before the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals deadline. The 2022 Sustainable Development Goals Report showed concerning progress, indicating that interconnected crises threaten the Agenda and humanity’s survival.

Dr Selma Porbić, UP's Aurora Institutional coordinator and Lead of the Karazin Peace Education Hub in Aurora, noted that Aurora Universities organized this conference to foster discussions on the global situation and enhance collaborative peacebuilding. While the SDGs are integrated into many educational and research programs, the challenge remains how to influence societies and genuinely address the escalating global threats.

She further emphasised the necessity of the conference “The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding”, as demonstrated by the overwhelming response and attendance of over 300 participants: “Of the 200 papers submitted, we welcomed 147 speakers from more than 20 countries: international experts, scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students from Aurora universities, alongside our longstanding partners and many new and potential collaborators.”

The programme featured 10 keynote speakers, 3 plenary sessions, 22 academic panels, 8 roundtables, 18 workshops, and numerous exhibitions and films. Keynote speakers included Madeleine Rees (Women's International League), Beatrix Austin (Berghof Foundation), Frank Geary (Scholars at Risk Europe), Oleksandra Matviichuk (Center for Civil Liberties Ukraine), Ian S. Manzi (Global Children's Issues), Marko Lehti (Tampere Peace Research Institute), Savo Heleta (South African Peacebuilding scholar), and Norbert Koppensteiner (Kroc Institute).

The conference topics encompassed peace agendas in the most urgent humanitarian contexts, including Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, and the DRC, and the realities of education following global atrocities. Participants examined critical lessons learned and strategies for managing collective trauma and long-term societal recovery from contemporary and historical perspectives.

In our ongoing support of Karazin University, a key institution on the front lines in Ukraine, 18 scholars were granted Aurora scholarships to attend the conference. Additionally, Aurora Universities assisted Rector Tetyana Kaganovska and her team of Vice Rectors in participating in the conference. 

“Reflecting on the conference, we are pleased that this conference has connected our efforts to establish the Peace Education Hub and support Karazin University with a​ diverse community of practitioners and policy experts in humanitarian, development, and peace studies. This is vital for our future support to partners in Ukraine and Aurora universities, focusing on academic collaborations while also engaging all stakeholders beyond academia,” said Selma Porobić.

For the tenth time, the most talented students have the opportunity to receive support from the UP Endowment Fund (UP EF) for their projects. The new call for applications, which offers financial contributions of up to €8,000, is open from 1 March to 2 May 2025.

The UP EF has been helping gifted students since 2015. Over that time, it has helped 76 talented young people to carry out their scientific research or creative projects, and distributed more than €280,000 among them. The Fund supports projects of students enrolled in Master’s and doctoral programmes. They can use the contribution for travel, accommodation, purchase of literature and necessary tools, research software, and conference fees.

Projects are selected by the Fund’s Board of Directors and evaluated according to several criteria: originality and novelty, contribution to the field, social utility, practical application, international impact of the research, results and their presentation. A social or health disadvantage is an additional criterion for assessing applications.

“We guide the scholarship holders throughout the duration of the project and often for much longer. In addition to the money needed to implement the project, thanks to the cooperation with the UP Career Centre, they also become members of the Talented Palacký community. They are given opportunities to develop their skills and abilities in courses, learn to communicate science with us, participate in prestigious international competitions, present their results at the Academia Film Olomouc film festival every year, and get the chance to address their themes with us through coaching and career counselling,” explained Katrin Stark, EF Talent Coordinator.

The Fund is able to support talented students thanks to the support of corporate and individual donors. The general partners of the Fund are Komerční banka [Commercial Bank] and Sigma Group. Other major donors include Veolia Czech Republic and the Helena Morávková Foundation. “We greatly appreciate the long-term support of our partners and individual donors from among the academic community and university alumni. Thanks to them, dozens of students have already been able to engage in collaborations with top institutes around the world, participate in high-profile conferences, develop new approaches, methods, and drugs, publish and even patent their discoveries, publish books, create works of art, develop their skills, and win many prestigious awards,” said UP EF Director Jiří Rudolf.

What students who have received support in the past appreciate is that it is not just financial support, but an entire, sophisticated system of instruction. “I’m very grateful for the subsequent support I’ve received from the Talented Palacký programme – in the form of personal coaching, inspiring workshops, and networking programmes. I can say with certainty that the fact that I became a UP EF scholarship holder in 2023 had a huge impact on my future personal and professional development alike. This support has also resulted in several awards that I greatly appreciate – whether it’s the 3rd place in the national round of the FameLab science popularisation competition or a prestigious award from the Czech Ministry of Education. Another illustration is the fact that I am one of the selected participants in this year’s Leadership Matters! course, where I’m gaining invaluable experience which I’m already using in my work as a scientist and team leader. In short, being a UP EF scholarship holder has unlocked doors on my career path that I never dreamed of before,” said Eliška Zgarbová from the UP Faculty of Science.

Marta Sýkorová of the Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology was able to publish an interesting book. “Without this support, this project of mine would have remained in a drawer for a long time and wouldn’t have been able to evolve as it has now. My book of Very Bad Fairy Tales is already sold in many bookstores across the country. In addition, a weekend self-development course for women based on one of these fairy tales has been created and more courses are in the works. My positive experience with the UP Endowment Fund does not only involve the finances and technical implementation, but also their approach and incredible support and execution throughout all phases of implementation,” noted Sýkorová.

Detailed information on the UP Endowment Fund’s current call, which is open from 1 March to 2 May 2025, can be found on the Fund’s website, along with the application registration system. The Succeed in the Call webinar for interested applicants will take place on 11 March 2025 from 4 to 5 pm. Participants can register via the UP Portal. Fund Coordinator Katrin Stark can be approached with inquiries at katrin.stark@upol.cz. It is also recommended to follow UP EF on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).

According to the findings of the HBSC study, whose researchers are based at the UP Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology (UP CMFT), Czech children and teenagers are sleeping less each year. For the first time in history, the average weekday sleep duration has fallen below eight hours. Only one half of Czech schoolchildren get the recommended amount of sleep. They are thus suffering from a sleep deficit so great that it cannot be compensated at the weekend. The discrepancy between the weekday and weekend sleep patterns of some schoolchildren has become a phenomenon called social jet lag.

Czech children and teenagers are experiencing a gradual reduction in sleep duration. On weekdays, they spend an average of 7 hours and 57 minutes sleeping. Since the last data collection in 2018, the sleep duration of children aged 11–15 has decreased by 11 minutes. Compared to national data from 2014, the difference is already more than 20 minutes. This means one in two school children (49%) are sleeping less than the recommended minimum, whereas in 2014, only 35% of schoolchildren fell into this category.

“Sleep is vital for children’s healthy development, as well as school performance and overall life satisfaction. In contrast, poor quality or insufficient sleep is directly linked to a wide range of problems, including an increased risk of mental health problems. Research shows that children in the Czech Republic perceive the world as a dangerous place and, unfortunately, there is a growing level of anxiety and depression, and an increasing number of suicide attempts by children. Therefore, instead of constantly ‘putting out fires’, we need to focus on coordinated prevention, educate children and parents about sleep hygiene, and make sure that mental health services are accessible to all those in need. Our top priority remains that all children are provided with the conditions for a happy and healthy childhood,” said Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, the Czech Government Commissioner for Human Rights.

They sleep better at the weekend – but then there’s social jet lag

The situation is better on weekends, holidays, and public holidays. Children sleep an average of 9 hours and 31 minutes, that is an hour and a half longer than on school days, and roughly two-thirds of them (65% of boys and 67% of girls) meet sleep recommendations. However, even weekend sleep is gradually getting shorter. Compared to 2018 research data, children sleep 12 minutes less on their days of leisure.

                                   

11 y.o.   

13 y.o.   

15 y.o.

schooldays

weekends

schooldays

weekends

schooldays

weekends

Going to bed

9:51 pm

11:06 pm

10:32 pm

11:48 pm

11:02 pm

0:12 am

Getting up

6:25 am

8:52 am

6:24 am

9:19 am

6:26 am

9:28 am

Sleep duration

8 h 34 min

9 h 46 min

7 h 52 min

9 h 31 min

7 h 24 min

9 h 17 min

 

Moreover, “catching up on sleep” at the weekends indicates social jet lag, i.e. the mismatch between biological rhythms and social obligations – i.e., the beginning of the school day in the case of schoolchildren. If the difference between weekend and weekday sleep exceeds 2 hours, which is the case for 37% of fifth-graders, 51% of seventh-graders, and 55% of ninth-graders, children are at risk of increased health risks. These include depressive states, feelings of irritability and nervousness, and being overweight or obese. Researchers also point to a link between social jet lag and increased substance use.

“Late bedtime is an important indicator. For children who go to bed very late, our statistics show a 3–6 times higher risk of regular smoking or repeated drunkenness. Increased health risks are faced both by those who experience a significant deficit accumulated during the week, as well as by those who cut their sleep even shorter on weekends compared to school days,” points out Petr Baďura, data analyst for the Czech part of the global HBSC study from the Olomouc University Social Health Institute (OUSHI) at UP CMFT.

Trend: Children going to bed later

Czech children are going to bed increasingly later. In the case of seventh and ninth graders, the number of those who go to bed after midnight has doubled since 2014 (from 6% to 13% in 13-year-olds and from 12% to 22% in 15-year-olds). The decreasing overall sleep duration is due to the postponement of the moment when children fall asleep. The time when school starts, which means the time of getting up in the morning on weekdays, has not changed much in Czech schools over the years. This raises the question of whether starting school later would help to increase sleep duration or reduce the incidence of social jet lag.

“Although it is not directly the subject of our research, this question cannot be avoided when looking at the data. We think the answer to it is ‘Yes’. For one thing, children’s sleep duration is shortened by falling asleep later. On the other hand, it is limited by getting up early for school. Change makes sense at both ends. We need to work with children, but also with us adults, to improve habits related to falling asleep. But changing the wake-up time, i.e. starting school later, is a perfectly valid consideration and should not be ignored,” says Michal Kalman, head of the HBSC research team.

Sleep in the light of the screen

What is the relationship between sleep and screen time? The latest data shows that schoolchildren who meet sleep recommendations spend less time in front of a screen on average than their peers who spend less time sleeping. Or vice versa – schoolchildren who are in control of their screen time are more likely to meet sleep recommendations. At the same time, 11–15-year-olds who sleep more on weekends, or less than on school days (increased risk of social jet lag), more likely become “problematic” social media users and gamers.

“Reduced sleep duration in adolescents is a growing public health problem with serious consequences for mental and physical wellbeing. Almost half of Czech schoolchildren sleep less than recommended, thus increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, obesity, and substance abuse. Evidence shows that starting the school day later, improving sleep habits, and reducing screen time can have a positive impact. WHO encourages legislators, educators, and families to take action to promote healthy sleep habits in children and ensure a better future for them,” said Zsofia Pusztai, Head of the WHO Office in the Czech Republic.

Further details and materials on the topic can be found on the Healthy Generation website.

The HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children) epidemiological study looks at a wide range of lifestyle aspects of children and teenagers aged 11–15 in the Czech Republic and nearly 50 other countries worldwide. It is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). The research team from Palacký University Olomouc has been studying factors affecting the health of Czech schoolchildren aged 11, 13, and 15 for a long period of time. In the current research, data was collected from nearly 15,000 children in 250 schools of different types across the Czech Republic. The extensive research among Czech schoolchildren was supported by the EU under the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme – Top Research.

The University of Innsbruck is currently hosting an international conference of the Aurora network entitled The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding. Palacký University Rector and Aurora President Martin Procházka took the opportunity to meet with University of Innsbruck Rector Veronika Sexl, who will take over the leadership of Aurora after the end of his presidential term.

During the meeting, they discussed preparations for the handover of the agenda and also how to ensure the continuity of Palacký University’s participation in the Aurora leadership, both at the global network and the closer alliance levels. “To my great pleasure, we agreed on the importance of Palacký University for the alliance and also that it is vital that Olomouc’s university continues to be a part of the highest leadership of Aurora,” said Procházka.

The conference The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding brought 150 experts from all over the world to Innsbruck between 17 and 21 February. It was backed by the Creation of Karazin University Peace Education Hub, an Aurora working group led by Palacký University, which aims to support V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, an Aurora associated partner. Nonetheless, the conference programme was dedicated to peacekeeping efforts in the global context.

Out of 180 submitted papers, 144 were accepted, including 8 papers from Palacký University. These address various aspects of the roles and responsibilities of universities in preventing war conflicts and maintaining peace in society. In addition, they address the implications that conflicts have for affected populations and how to foster educational institutions in war zones and post-conflict societies.

The five-day programme featured 10 plenary lectures, discussion panels, workshops, and other networking opportunities to meet, learn from each other, and share knowledge. A detailed programme as well as streamed selected lectures are available on the conference website.