News from UP

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.

There are dozens of them across Europe already, and they are distributed densely and fairly evenly. Now more of them are beginning to appear, even from outside Europe. We are referring to the partner universities of the UP Faculty of Law. Most recently, thanks to a successful mission by Martin Faix, Vice-Dean for International Affairs, two prestigious universities in India – O.P. Jindal Global University and Symbiosis International University – have joined this network.

“In Asia, we have so far only had partners in Taiwan, especially National Taiwan University, the oldest and most prestigious university on the island. India, the most populous country in the world, struck us as another suitable country for establishing academic contacts,” explained Faix, adding that the faculty always tries to identify schools that are among the best in a given region.

A trip last year to India resulted in a double success. Both universities visited signed a framework cooperation agreement with the Olomouc faculty. “O.P. Jindal Global University, which is the best private university in India and whose law faculty is ranked 72nd in the world, has a large campus in Delhi. Its law faculty alone has five thousand students. Symbiosis Law School has several campuses across India. I had the opportunity to visit one in Delhi and another in Pune, and the law school in Pune is one of the top five in India,” noted Faix. The signed framework agreements allow for the development of cooperation in student and academic exchanges and scientific research.

The agreements are not just a piece of paper – the first results are already starting to materialise. “A student from O.P. Jindal Global University will come for an exchange visit in the winter semester of the next academic year. Then in 2026, we plan a special summer school tailored for Indian students focusing on Central Europe, its path to democracy, and European Union issues. It is however possible that their students will already be involved in the summer schools we are preparing for this year," said Faix, adding that there are always a few spots reserved for ‘domestic’ students at the international summer schools in Olomouc. “We will inform our academic community about the existing opportunities for trips to Indian universities in due course,” added the vice-dean.

Speaking of beyond Europe, law faculty representatives have recently managed to negotiate close cooperation with the aforementioned Taiwanese universities and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. An agreement with the University of Illinois Chicago is on the way. The Olomouc faculty has a very good negotiating position thanks to the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings where it is among the top 300 law schools.

Markéta Paloncýová has achieved a long-awaited success in the GAČR grant competition. Together with her colleague Petra Kührová, she will build on her extensive research on lipids in a new project funded by the Czech Science Foundation. Beginning this year, they will embark on a three-year project titled “In-silico Workflow for Lipid-Mediated Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Delivery Systems”, with a budget of 5.1 million Czech koruna. The project aims to develop a validated protocol for molecular dynamics simulations of lipid systems, enabling scientists to study lipid systems through computer modelling.

Lipid systems, such as liposomes and lipid nanoparticles, are highly promising tools in modern medicine. They help minimize the adverse effects of certain drugs and enable the delivery of substances—such as mRNA—that were previously undeliverable.

“As part of the project, we will design tools for the in-silico study of lipids using computer simulations, modelling and data analysis. We will develop lipid libraries, a tool for constructing complex lipid structures containing active pharmaceutical ingredients, and test an optimized simulation protocol. Our goal is to provide the scientific community with a reliable set of tools to simulate lipid systems and predict their properties computationally,” explained Paloncýová.

A computational chemist, Markéta has been studying lipids since her master’s degree. She became particularly interested in lipid nanoparticles in 2021 while researching the influence of lipid composition on the storage and transport conditions of mRNA vaccines. It was during this time that she began collaborating closely with Petra Kührová. Their project combines expertise from two distinct fields—lipid and nucleic acid simulations.

“I see enormous potential in RNA medicine for both treatment and prevention, but lipid nanoparticles still hold many unknowns. Without thorough testing, we cannot accurately predict the effectiveness of different compositions and preparation methods—especially due to cargo loss (RNA) during delivery to the target. I believe high-quality computational modelling can accelerate this process, but it requires highly complex models. With this project, we aim to make such modelling possible,” she added. According to her, these models could ultimately help scientists understand how lipid nanoparticles interact with various biological structures.

This GAČR project marks Markéta’s first success in the competition after an earlier unsuccessful attempt. “After receiving the evaluation of my previous proposal, I swore I would never go through the process again. But in the end, my colleague and I decided to persevere and give it another shot. This grant is proof that persistence pays off—even when it feels hopeless. Giving up too soon would have been a shame,” she concluded.

Since January 2025, the Czech Science Foundation has funded 474 new scientific projects. CATRIN researchers submitted five applications in this call, two of which were successful. In addition to Markéta Paloncýová’s project, funding was also awarded to Sergi Kalytchuk for his project, “Tailored fluorescent carbon dots engineered for targeted biosensing.”

Palacký University’s international festival of popular science documentary films Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) will celebrate 60 years of its existence. Rather than taking a nostalgic retrospective, however, the jubilee edition, which takes place from 22– 27 April 2025, looks boldly ahead to the future. This year’s motto “Work in Progress” will remind us that this event is a metaphor for the changing world around us and for constantly evolving scientific disciplines. Visitors can look forward to hundreds of films as well as the opportunity to meet their creators.

The jubilee edition will introduce a number of innovations in the programme. For the first time, the programming team has included an immersive media competition to highlight the growing importance of virtual and augmented reality. Audiences will discover the fascinating world of new VR and XR films and interactive projects. The juries in the International Competition and Czech & Slovak Competition will now recognise not only the films’ educational value but also their filmmaking and artistic impact.

“We aim to foster documentary filmmaking in all its forms and appreciate its diversity. Another new feature is the competition for debut and second films in medium and feature lengths. We would like to give the spotlight to new, emerging talents in the of science documentary genre,” said Ondřej Kazík, AFO Head of Programming.

The festival will once again feature talks, film screenings, workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and walks, as well as an interactive programme for the whole family at Olomouc’s Upper Square. The world’s top figures in science popularisation will come to town. Camp 4Science will focus on how to share scientific knowledge in attractive and comprehensible ways.

The search for truth as a lifelong process

The umbrella of the non-competitive section of this year’s edition is Fieldwork, which will focus on the construction of truth in documentary films and science. From the laboratory to field research, this section will explore the very nature of how science works and the methods by which scientists and documentary filmmakers explore the world and provide relevant and compelling testimonies about it. In addition, AFO will mark its anniversary with a unique retrospective – each festival day will be dedicated to documentaries from one decade of the past sixty years.

“We will cooperate with the Czech National Film Archive and the Czech Television archives. An entire section will be interlinked with a book on AFO’s history and enriched with elements of dramatisation and living history techniques. For example, we will build a video library where visitors will be able to play vintage films on VHS tapes and DVDs. The cardinal question we want to investigate is: How has the communication of science and education through film evolved since the 1960s to the present day?” added programmer Zdeněk Rychtera.

The AFO visual identity: once again an integral part of the programme

This year’s visual identity presents a concept inspired by the process of development and research. Three overlapping layers symbolise the individual stages of this process – the first, the oldest layer, refers to the beginning of contemplation or exploration of a given phenomenon. The second layer depicts the current state of affairs, or a key turning point in the field. The third and final layer shows the direction in which the phenomenon is headed.

Lawyer Michael Kohajda will become the new rector of Palacký University Olomouc – so decided the UP Academic Senate in a secret ballot. After the official appointment by the Czech president, Associate Professor Michael Kohajda will head the university for the next four years, from 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2029.

Six candidates competed for the position of UP Rector: recreationist Ivo Jirásek from the UP Faculty of Physical Culture, lawyer Michael Kohajda from the UP Faculty of Law, physicist Jakub Navařík from UP CATRIN, physicist Tomáš Opatrný from the UP Faculty of Science, gynaecologist, obstetrician, geneticist, and current rector Martin Procházka, and psychologist and priest Peter Tavel from the UP Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology. In their five-minute speeches, they presented their ideas of where UP should be heading in the four years to come. Then during a 90-minute debate, they answered inquiries concerning their visions for their respective teams of vice-rectors, university funding, salary policy, security, and internal communication.

The new Palacký University rector was elected in the second round. The UP Academic Senate made the decision between lawyer Michael Kohajda, who received nine senators’ votes in the first round, and physicist Tomáš Opatrný, who had eight votes. In the second round, Kohajda received fourteen votes. According to the rules, a minimum of thirteen votes is required for election.

“Thank you very much for your votes, thanks to everyone who has supported me. I will try not to let you down. My thanks also go to the current rector Martin Procházka for everything he has done for our university,” said Kohajda after the announcement of the result.

By the election, the UP Academic Senate proposes the elected candidate for appointment to the President of the Czech Republic. The election results and the protocol on the UP Rector election, along with the documents for the appointment, will be handed over by the President of the UP Academic Senate to the Czech Minister of Education.

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 been academically involved at UP FL for almost twenty years. Since 2020, he has held the position of Vice-Dean – (first for doctoral studies, qualification procedures, and finance, including investments; currently 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 the Sovereign. As part of 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.

A new research project of the Department of Biotechnology at the Faculty of Science Palacký University Olomouc is aimed at increasing the resistance of alfalfa to cold, drought and soil salinity, in which scientists will use the latest findings in the field of genetic engineering. The Olomouc experts will cooperate with the group of Professor Tibor Pechan, who works at Mississippi State University in the USA. The project "Experimental use of mitogen-activated protein kinases and modern interdisciplinary approaches for the prospective improvement of alfalfa resistance to cold, drought and salinity" will last 46 months. The work of the scientists was financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with an amount of almost 7.5 million CZK.

Alfalfa is one of the most important legumes in the world, and farmers grow it on more than 34 million hectares. Alfalfa prevents soil erosion, improves its fertility and structure, and helps reduce contamination of surface and groundwater. At the same time, it provides fodder and high-quality proteins and nutritional supplements for human nutrition, as it contains valuable antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, and vitamins. In addition, thanks to its symbiosis with soil bacteria of the genus Sinorhizobium, alfalfa can fix large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen. Alfalfa thus enriches the soil with this important chemical element, which reduces the amount of industrial fertilizers used that negatively affect the ecosystem.

However, changing climate conditions, drought, increasing amounts of salt in the soil, and low temperatures can significantly limit these beneficial properties of alfalfa. Experts estimate that up to 20 percent of irrigated soils are affected by salinization, and excessive drying affects more than 30 percent of arable land. Summer heat waves combined with drought severely damage agricultural crops, including alfalfa. Resistance to cold is crucial for alfalfa to overwinter, because autumn and spring frosts limit the yield of green biomass the most.

According to the principal investigator Jozef Šamaj from the Department of Biotechnology of the Faculty of Science, the research project focused on alfalfa therefore responds to the demand of farmers for a targeted increase in the tolerance of important crops to cold, drought and soil salinity in the Czech Republic and the USA. Sustainable production of agricultural crops requires the development of new genotypes that will bring high-quality and stable yields with high biomass production, while at the same time resisting changing climatic conditions.

The scientists therefore decided to increase the resistance of alfalfa using genetic engineering. “We want to reveal the functional mechanism by which the signalling of stress stimuli from the external environment, specifically through stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (SIMK), affects the formation of stomata and leaf epidermis, and thus also the production parameters of alfalfa. Using genetic engineering focused on SIMK, we will then be able to increase the resistance of alfalfa to cold, drought and soil salinity,” said Jozef Šamaj. In their work, the scientists will also use modern gene editing and modification technologies, for example using CRISPR/Cas9, RNA interference and overexpression, along with phenotyping, multi-omics approaches and advanced microscopy.

“In the USA, there is no problem with the application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in agricultural crops, which represents another added value. This is also the reason why, due to the non-flexible EU legislation, we are solving our project in cooperation with a partner in the USA,” said Jozef Šamaj. According to him, this highly innovative research will contribute to solving the long-term goals of developing new generations of resistant alfalfa. At the same time, it will significantly expand the successful long-term cooperation with the American partner, which has so far led to 17 joint publications in prestigious international journals.

Various aspects of contemporary urban life, especially those problematic ones that raise concerns for the future or that already generate certain challenges, will be examined by scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences and experts from Palacký University. Together, they have started research via a project entitled Urbanity: Inequality, Adaptation, and Urban Public Space in the Historical Perspective.

The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic together with Palacký University Olomouc succeeded in the call of the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme (OP JAK) focusing on the social sciences and humanities. The two institutions were awarded €6 million to work on a four-year interdisciplinary project Urbanity: Inequality, Adaptation, and Urban Public Space in the Historical Perspective.

“The result of our work should be a consistent picture of what towns went through in the past, what they had to face, how they actually faced it, and what it all means for them in terms of the future. We want to prepare a classification of towns by the type of impact, by the type of threat, and by the type of vulnerability and/or resilience. We know that some towns are markedly better off, while others are worse off. We want to understand and explain why this is so and offer a certain set of recommendations for the present,” said Karel Nováček from the UP Faculty of Arts Department of History on behalf of the part of the Palacký University team, which will receive €1.5 million out of the total funding. In addition to researchers from the Department of History, the Palacký University group will also be represented by the Department of Psychology and the Department of Sociology, Andragogy, and Cultural Anthropology, as well as the Department of Geoinformatics from the UP Faculty of Science.

The experts will focus mainly on the territory of the Czech Republic, however some case studies originate from abroad, so they are going to deal with towns in the Central European context. Nováček’s team will also contribute with a case study that investigates the development of medieval towns in northern Iraq from the long-term view. Nováček, an archaeologist, has been studying this region, where specific climatic conditions resulted in striking vulnerability of towns, for a long time. The researchers will go all the way back to the Iron Age, when the first large urban settlements were established. They will investigate their spatial formation, their mutual relationships within various cooperating networks, etc. However, the main focus of the research will be on the more recent periods: the Middle Ages, the early modern period, and the 20th century.

“With the exception of Iraq, we will be conducting mostly comparative research. We want to interpret the results we already have and put them into new contexts,” Nováček said. The research group expects that the new interdisciplinary project, one of the first attempts to bring together different kinds of research dealing with similar issues from different perspectives (history, archaeology, sociology, social geography, psychology, political science), could take advantage of their synergistic effect.

The project is divided into three thematic parts, which are further subdivided into a number of more specific issues. Nearly fifty researchers will be involved.

“In the first part, entitled Urban Public Space as a Space of Conflict and Creativity, we’ll explore the meaning and role of public spaces in towns. These play an important role in urban life as environments where something is created, where power is demonstrated, and where both positive and negative interactions between people occur. For instance, the Institute of Contemporary History at the Czech Academy of Sciences will address a range of issues related to public life in socialist cities, where roots of the current state of affairs can be traced back. It is necessary to reflect on this in depth and then propose ways to better treat public space and the life that is associated with it,” said the scientist from the UP Faculty of Arts.

The second part, entitled Urban Inequality, will focus on how this environment generates inequality among people. “In the past as well as today, there have been few urban societies in the world that were or are built on egalitarian ideals and where common practice can maintain some degree of equality among people. It’s therefore possible to say that the city equals inequality among people, and that the larger the city, the more inequality it tends to create. The greatest megalopolises in the world represent differences that are sometimes abysmal. A large part of the project is thus focused on describing and exploring inequality. We will address questions such as: In which areas of the city is inequality created? How is it manifested? Is it hidden, or rather evident? Are there ways to mitigate inequality in urban space?” Nováček noted.

The third part of the research can be summarised in one word: Threats. In this part, researchers will focus on what threats and challenges towns faced in the past. “These could have been various natural disasters, earthquakes, fires, or various demographic events such as epidemics, famine, and so on. There are interesting studies that we want to compare and connect. We are interested in how towns in different cultural contexts and different times have been able to prevent threats, and once they occurred, how they have been able to deal with them. Many such threats are still relevant today,” said Nováček in closing.

The work on the ambitious project Urbanity: Inequality, Adaptation, and Urban Public Space in the Historical Perspective, starts in January 2025 and will be concluded in 2028. Although the project is primarily scientific and will deliver scientific results such as publications in peer-reviewed journals and monographs, it will also result in activities for the public, such as exhibitions, films, popular publications, and a geographical application that could facilitate the understanding of spatial and topographical qualities of cities. The research team also aims to make recommendations to state and local governments.

Urbanity: Inequality, adaptation, and urban public space in the historical perspective.

Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme.

Principal coordinator: Institute of Contemporary History at the Czech Academy of Sciences. Partner institutions: Institute of Philosophy at the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Arts.

Registration number: CZ.02.01.01/00/23_025/0008735.

A graphene material for energy storage in supercapacitors, developed by scientists at the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN) of Palacký University Olomouc, is moving closer to real-world applications. This advancement is thanks to Atomiver, a newly established spin-out company, which aims to refine the carbon material into a market-ready product and explore its commercial potential. The material is already secured by a Japanese patent, with additional patents in progress.

An electrode material based on nitrogen-enriched graphene—a two-dimensional material composed of a single layer of carbon—was created by researchers in Olomouc seven years ago. Over the following years, its significant potential for electrical energy storage, particularly in supercapacitors, was confirmed. Supercapacitors offer a compelling alternative to widely used lithium-ion batteries. CATRIN researchers have since worked on developing a prototype device with unique properties as part of the prestigious TRANS2DCHEM project, funded by the European Innovation Council. This effort involved collaboration with Bar-Ilan University in Israel and the Italian company ITELCOND. Establishing Atomiver was the next logical step in the material’s journey toward commercialization.

“Given the excellent properties of our material, we decided to advance to the next phase of commercialization. Our goal is to produce nitrogen-doped graphene in bulk without compromising its quality and integrate it into supercapacitors designed for the target market. At a time of growing global energy demand and increasing need for efficient and stable energy storage solutions, our electrode material holds great promise,” said Michal Otyepka, co-author of the technology and co-owner of the spin-out. Supercapacitors incorporating this material may one day support critical applications such as ensuring the safe operation of large data centers, IoT networks, transportation systems, energy grids, space electronics, and even implanted medical devices.

The current gold standard for energy storage—rechargeable lithium-ion batteries—faces limitations in power density and safety in some applications. In contrast, the Olomouc team has developed a safe electrode material offering unprecedented energy and power density. In laboratory tests, supercapacitors using this material achieved energy density of up to 200 Wh/L and demonstrated exceptional performance potential in power density of up to 52 kW/L, far surpassing existing technologies. “Boosting the energy density of supercapacitors beyond 40 Wh/L represents a major technological breakthrough, enabling broader applications requiring high performance,” Otyepka added.

Recently, Atomiver signed a licensing agreement with Palacký University, granting the company rights to utilize the university’s know-how in return for compensation. “Spin-out companies are critical for transforming unique ideas into market-ready technologies. They guide innovations through the incubation phase, where the technology is rigorously tested in the market and refined into a competitive product. This process, which demands speed and intensive communication with commercial partners, is challenging within an academic environment,” explained Jiří Navrátil from the CATRIN Technology Transfer Office. Translating research into practical applications is a cornerstone of CATRIN’s mission, alongside high-quality research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and international partnerships.

“The CATRIN team has built an exceptional technological foundation, and Atomiver’s mission is to carry this research forward to commercialization. It is a privilege to lead this project as we transition from research to product. We’ve already received strong interest from commercial partners, and our immediate goals include closing the first investment round and establishing a robust supply chain within the European Union,” said Andrew Hladký, CEO of Atomiver.

The significance and potential impact of the technology are underscored by Atomiver’s acceptance into the NATO DIANA acceleration programme, which selected only 74 companies out of more than 2,600 applicants. CzechInvest has also supported Atomiver through the Technology Incubation program, providing further funding for its development.

Since the beginning of July, the Palacký University Olomouc Department of Geoinformatics and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have been collaborating on the BorderData project, which will focus on researching cross-border links in the areas of labour market, real estate, traffic flow, and mobility using innovative data sources.

The project aims to overcome the limitations of traditional statistical methods by using new modern data sources and analytical techniques. These sources include social media data analysis, web scraping in the real estate market, the use of location data from mobile operators, and car tracking.

“Even though we have relatively high-quality statistical data on both the German and Czech sides, in many respects it is simply not enough. Our goal is to go beyond the limits of existing official statistics and explore the potential of non-traditional data sources for the purposes of cross-border cooperation,” said Vít Pászto, the project’s principal investigator.

The international project team plans to conduct case studies to develop a methodology for improving spatial monitoring of geographical phenomena and processes in regional development. The results will be published in peer-reviewed articles and should benefit local entities as well as facilitate broader international research collaboration.

“The cooperation with our German colleagues has a very interesting dynamic because we have already been successful with another joint project. In a broader consortium, we managed to obtain a rather prestigious contract within the framework of the pan-European ESPON calls,” concluded Pászto.

The BoarderData project (LUABA24029) was supported by the INTER-EXCELLENCE programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. More information about the project can be found here.

Lack of physical activity and excessive sitting, watching inappropriate content, social isolation, cyberbullying… All of these and even more risks associated with the unhealthy use of digital technologies, as well as the complex development of children’s resilience to them, will be targeted by a multidisciplinary team led by researchers from the UP Faculty of Physical Culture under the project ReDiKid: Children in the Digital World. The results of the four-year project funded by the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme will find their applications in the fields of education, legislation, and prevention of risky behaviour.

The research activities, which also aim to strengthen children’s physical, mental, and social adaptability to the changing conditions of the contemporary world, will focus mainly on children aged 9–11. “This period represents a critical stage of development when children begin to use digital technologies intensively, which significantly affects their digital literacy, social interactions, and online behaviours. In addition, at this age, fundamental psychological and cognitive changes begin to occur, which shape their ability to respond to digital challenges and risks,” explained the project’s principal investigator, Prof Jana Pelclová from the Institute of Active Lifestyle at the Palacký University Olomouc Faculty of Physical Education.

“Our goal is not only to grasp the phenomenon of resilience in children theoretically, but also to gain new knowledge related to the relationship between resilience and risk behaviours, analysing external and internal factors such as physical behaviour, digital literacy, and the school environment. We will also conduct laboratory investigations on psychophysiological aspects of resilience, i.e. the ability to overcome adverse situations, and use ambulatory data collection to gain unique insights into individuals’ behaviour in natural settings and the impact of digital media on their mental resilience,” she added.

The kernel of the multidisciplinary research team is made up of researchers from the UP Faculty of Physical Culture, while colleagues from other departments of Palacký University, such as the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Arts, will also contribute their expertise in the areas of mental and physical health and the legal aspects of the use of digital technologies. Research activities will also involve experts from Masaryk University in Brno, the University of Hradec Králové, and researchers from renowned foreign institutions such as Yale University and Victoria University, Australia.

The findings will be used to develop targeted intervention and education programmes aimed at developing physical, mental, and social resilience in children and adolescents, by means of promoting physical activity, healthy sleep habits, digital literacy, and social skills. Planned workshops and seminars will be aimed at parents, educators, and professionals working with children and adolescents.

The results of the project will also include methodologies that should set new standards for research on resilience and on the physical and digital behaviours of children in the Czech as well as international environment; conducted legal analyses should have an impact on the adjustment of the Czech legal framework in order to better protect children in the digital environment.

“I am very excited and delighted about this project, however not only because it is the only project under the auspices of Palacký University that succeeded in the call focused on social sciences and humanities. I am very grateful to Prof Pelclová and all those who have participated in the work that has been done so far, and I look forward to the results that will contribute to a healthier future for children,” said Michal Šafář, Dean of the UP Faculty of Physical Culture.

The four-year project ReDiKid: Resilient Children in the Digital World (reg. no. CZ.02.01.01/00/23_025/0008686) is funded by the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme within the call Social Sciences and Humanities: People and Humanity in the Global Challenges of Today. The cost of research activities is estimated at €6 million.

Representatives of the Experientia Foundation and Palacký University have signed a contract on a start-up grant, which will focus on the development of chemical tools for the study of biomolecules in living systems and targeted influence on biological processes. The start-up grant was awarded to Athanasios Markos, a graduate of the Faculty of Science, who will lead his own research group at the Department of Organic Chemistry from January 2025.

“We are developing chemical tools to study biochemical processes. We seek to gain a deeper understanding of how these processes work in living organisms and use the knowledge we gain to develop new drugs and diagnostic tools,” said Markos about his research.

The contract for the start-up grant was signed by the Foundation’s director, Anna Slaninová, together with Palacký University Rector Martin Procházka and Athanasios Markos from the Department of Organic Chemistry. The meeting was also attended by Mr and Mrs Dvořák, founders of the Experientia Foundation. “We are delighted that two scientists from the Palacký University Faculty of Science have already received our prestigious start-up grant. They are young, ambitious chemists with experience gained from top foreign laboratories. And what is even more important for us, they want to make Olomouc a significant place on the map of world chemistry and a centre of excellence,” said the Dvořáks.

The idea of creating molecules useful for biological research under physiological conditions, i.e. directly in living systems, originated in Prague. Thanks to this procedure, scientists will be able to avoid biased information or undesirable effects. “It was at the time when I came back from my internship in Zurich to visit my wife. We want our methods to be able to be used in plants, animals, and bacteria – virtually in any living system. I firmly believe that with the support of a start-up grant from the Experientia Foundation, we will manage to develop methods that will be useful for the scientific community,” added the young scientist.

The graduate in Organic Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, thanks to the Experientia Foundation, worked at ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. “It is great that our department has been able to establish a second junior group in the last two years with the support of the Experientia Foundation. It is also gratifying that these are our successful graduates who bring back experience gained from prestigious universities abroad. Both Athanasios Markos and Ondřej Kováč are a great promise for the department for future development – not only in science, but also in terms of teaching,” added Miroslav Soural, Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry.

Palacký University scientists have described the mechanism by which bacteria develop resistance to silver nanoparticles – which means antibiotics can now restore the power they once had. The experts found out that bacteria exposed to silver nanoparticles produce abundant amounts of substances that force the silver nanoparticles to clump together – and by doing so, they lose their antibacterial effect. The researchers have also found a way to prevent the bacteria from gaining resistance to the silver nanoparticles. These new findings could greatly help in the ongoing efforts to combat the growing resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics, which severely complicates the treatment of bacterial infections. The results of the Olomouc scientists’ work were published in the journal Communications Biology.

The long-term over-prescribing of antibiotics, typical of the end of the last century in particular, has resulted in the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. In recent years, chemists, microbiologists, and physicians have therefore become increasingly interested in the antibacterial effects of silver nanoparticles, which have gradually become part of many commercial products with antibacterial effects. Scientists from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the UP Faculty of Science and from the Department of Microbiology at the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry were once among the first researchers in the world to demonstrate the great antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles as well as their ability to restore the effectiveness of inactive conventional antibiotics against resistant bacteria.

Bacteria versus nanosilver

However, bacterial resistance may not only be a problem for antibiotics, but also for the silver nanoparticles themselves. Scientists from the Faculties of Science and Medicine in Olomouc have been working on this challenge for the last ten years. In 2018, they were the first in the world to describe how the mechanism of resistance of Gram-negative bacterium E. coli to silver nanoparticles emerges and develops. After repeated administration of nanosilver, this bacterium increases its production of a protein called flagellin, which causes the nanoparticles to aggregate and subsequently lose their antibacterial properties.

The fact is that the flagellin protein has adhesive properties and thus acts as a kind of glue that holds the silver particles together. This results in large clusters of nanoparticles that lose all of their antibacterial activity. The Olomouc scientists published this groundbreaking discovery in the journal Nature Nanotechnology in 2018. With almost 700 citations, their work has received enormous acclaim among experts.

However, the research didn’t stop there. Subsequently, scientists from the UP Faculty of Science, in collaboration with their colleagues from the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN), investigated the mechanism of resistance of Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to silver nanoparticles, which also induced the aggregation of nanoparticles.

“In this case, the aggregation of silver nanoparticles could not have been triggered by the flagellin protein, as S. aureus does not possess it. After extensive and challenging research, we discovered and described the mechanism by which this bacterium also resists the effects of nanosilver. This time it was the excessive formation of bacterial biofilm, which has a similar impact on silver nanoparticles as flagellin,” said Lucie Hochvaldová from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the UP Faculty of Science.

The power of pomegranates

The UP research team also started looking for a way to overcome this bacterial resistance. Once they described the resistance mechanism in detail, they became able to find a way to prevent the aggregation of nanoparticles around the bacteria. “We achieved this by adding substances to the nanosilver that simultaneously inhibit both the flagellin production in E. coli and the bacterial biofilm formation in S. aureus. Such properties are exhibited by substances contained, for example, in pomegranate rind extract,” said Aleš Panáček from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the UP Faculty of Science.

The moment this extract was applied together with silver nanoparticles, the bacteria stopped forming flagellin or biofilm to a sufficient extent, thus losing the ability to make nanosilver particles aggregate and develop resistance to their effects. However, the researchers have found yet another way to overcome the bacterial resistance to silver nanoparticles – this time through increasing their stability by binding them to graphene. The firm bond that binds the silver nanoparticles to the surface of graphene stabilises them so much that the flagellin and/or biofilm produced by the bacteria cannot aggregate the particles, and thus they preserve their high antibacterial activity.

“Our research will certainly improve our understanding of the bacterial resistance mechanisms to nanostructured materials, which differ from resistance mechanisms to conventional antibiotics. It also provides potential strategies to combat bacteria causing serious infectious diseases, counteract rising bacterial resistance complicating treatments, and develop more effective antimicrobial treatments. We believe that this work will stimulate a series of detailed experimental investigations involving research on the development of bacterial resistance to antibacterial nanoparticulate materials as well as further search for ways to fight it,” added Milan Kolář from the Department of Microbiology at the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

A research team from Palacký University CATRIN and VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, in collaboration with the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Indian Institute of Technology Jammu, has developed an innovative approach to the separation of noble gases using two-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene materials. This new method has the potential to significantly reduce the costs of noble gas production, potentially revolutionizing industrial processes. It also paves the way for novel medical applications, such as the storage and transport of therapeutic gases. The study was published in the journal Small.

“Thanks to our extensive experience in 2D fluorographene chemistry at CATRIN, we successfully integrated nitrogen precisely into the graphene structure. This modification has endowed the material with unique properties, including ‘nanochannels’ and varying ratios of nitrogen atoms incorporated into the graphene lattice, significantly enhancing its ability to separate xenon from krypton,” explained Veronika Šedajová, the first author of the study.

Theoretical calculations performed on the KAROLINA supercomputer in Ostrava, along with experimental data from the American and Indian laboratories, revealed that these materials exhibit up to 50% higher selectivity for xenon compared to krypton. This increased selectivity is attributed to the stronger non-covalent interactions between xenon and nitrogen within the graphene lattice, which improves the adsorption and separation of noble gases. Additionally, other variants of nitrogen-doped graphene were synthesized using environmentally friendly solvents, further refining the materials’ properties.

Noble gases like xenon (Xe) and krypton (Kr) are essential in many cutting-edge technologies, including medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing, and the space industry. However, xenon is exceedingly rare, comprising only about 0.08 ppm of the Earth’s atmosphere, making its extraction both energy- and cost-intensive. Current methods, such as cryogenic air distillation, are inefficient, prompting scientists to seek new, more effective techniques for noble gas separation.

“This research demonstrates that advancements in modern materials chemistry can be key to addressing global challenges, such as the efficient utilization of scarce resources, while also supporting the sustainable development of industry and science. Notably, one of the nitrogen-doped graphene derivatives we’ve used has already found applications in areas like energy storage for supercapacitors,” concluded Michal Otyepka, a corresponding author of the study.

For more details, you can access the full study here.

The award of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for outstanding students and graduates of the study programme and for extraordinary achievements was awarded to Eliška Zgarbová, a graduate of the UP Faculty of Science. She received the award from Minister Mikuláš Bek and Radka Wildová, Chief Director of the Higher Education, Science and Research Section, at the Liechtenstein Palace in Prague. Ten laureates in total were awarded.

“When I learned that Palacký University nominated me for this award, I was very proud to represent a university with more than twenty thousand students. The fact that I was chosen by a committee of the Ministry of Education was unimaginable. It’s such a beautiful end to my studies, the symbolic icing on the cake. I appreciate the award immensely. I would like to thank my supervisor, Radim Vrzal from the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, who had a great deal to do with shaping my scientific career. He is a person with a huge passion for science, which he can transfer to students and motivate them. The way I view science, write papers, and work in the lab is a credit to him. I would also like to thank the UP Endowment Fund for their support and nomination,” said Zgarbová.

“As coordinator of the UP Endowment Fund, I had the honour to get to know Eliška better and to observe her extraordinary involvement in research, educational and popularization activities. Eliška was a scholarship recipient of the Fund in 2023. She completed a research internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where, thanks to the financial support of the Fund, she was able to implement her project focused on the study of organoid technology in the field of Crohn’s disease research. While carrying out her project, she was involved in development and educational activities offered by the Talented Palacký programme at our university, beyond the scope of her duties. In addition to her academic work, Eliška is significantly involved in the non-profit sector, primarily through scouting, where she works as a club leader and organiser of volunteer activities. Her long-term involvement in aid during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrates her strong sense of responsibility and social commitment. It has been a pleasure to support her and I believe that she deserves this prestigious award, and that her future career will continue to bring significant results for the scientific community and beyond,” said Katrin Stark.

The Ministry award is given to outstanding students or graduates of a Bachelor’s, Master’s or doctoral study programme for outstanding achievements in their studies or in scientific, research, development and innovation, artistic or other creative activities related to their studies in a given study programme. The prize is also awarded to a student or graduate for an extraordinary act of civic bravery, responsibility, or dedication. Proposals for the award can be sent to the Ministry by university rectors.

Eliška Zgarbová first studied Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at the Faculty of Science, and in her PhD programme, she focussed on molecular and cell biology, specifically on the effect of derivatives on aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity in prostatic cell lines. In 2023, she became the overall winner of the 20th annual Student Scientific Competition for the Dean’s Award in the Faculty of Science, and in 2024, she won third place in the FameLab “stand-up” science competition (reported here).

“Eliška possesses excellent professional and personal qualities such as diligence, reliability and conscientiousness. Her willingness to help anyone, anytime, has led to her always having warm relationships with the members of the department and students. I am very grateful to have been able to guide and work with her and I hope that she will continue to develop her still hidden potential,” added Radim Vrzal from the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics.

One of the highest administrative positions at Palacký University Olomouc is changing hands. Current bursar Petra Jungová will be replaced by Josef Suchánek. As the head of the Bursar’s Office, he will be in charge of the university’s economic and internal administration.

“I have asked the current bursar, Petra Jungová, to take part in stabilising the Public Tender Office. Simultaneously, I’d like to thank her for her work for the university to date. I am glad that Josef Suchánek has accepted my offer to head the Bursar’s Office. I expect him to manage the agenda effectively and strengthen the position of our university – not only in the region but also at the national level. I believe that he will use his rich experience and contacts that he has gained during his professional career, especially in the management of the Olomouc Region, to the benefit of Palacký University,” said UP Rector Martin Procházka.

Josef Suchánek came to the university nine years ago when he became the director of UP Accommodation and Dining Facilities (UP ADF). Previously, he worked in the management of a multinational wholesale chain, however he took a break from his work at the university four years ago to serve as Governor of the Olomouc Region. He returned to head UP ADF less than a month ago.

“I very much appreciate the UP Rector’s trust. It is an honour and a challenge for me, especially because I am entering my new role right before the end of the fiscal year, which is not an easy period at such a large public institution. However, I can offer my previous experience of managing divisions of a commercial company, of running a large university office, and of managing a whole region, all of which involved administrative as well as financial management. Each of these positions had its own specifics; I learned a great deal and will therefore try to apply my knowledge to the financial management of the university as a whole. I am looking forward to the job, and I take helm of the Bursar’s Office with respect and humbleness,” said Suchánek.

UP Rector Martin Procházka has entrusted Josef Suchánek with the management of the economic and administrative agenda from the beginning of December this year. The open hiring process for the position of UP Bursar will be held in the first quarter of the next calendar year.