Personalities

A researcher from the ��ɫֱ�� awarded the Česká hlava Award

Ing. Lenka Krejčíková — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:27:01 +0000

A researcher from the ��ɫֱ�� awarded the Česká hlava Award Ing. Lenka Kre… Tue, 12/19/2023 - 10:27

A researcher from the ��ɫֱ�� received one of the awards in the Czech Brains (Česká hlava) Awards, a prestigious national award for scientists. Ing. Barbora Kamenická, Ph.D. of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the ��ɫֱ�� received the Doctorandus Award in technical sciences. She received the award in recognition of her research into technology capable of eliminating drugs, dyes or other contaminants from water, and making them reusable. Barbora Kamenická is one of 7 laureates awarded this year.

“The Czech Brains Award means so much to me. It is great honour. Having said that, more than a recognition of my work, it is recognition of my research field. Water is a valuable asset and the award made it possible to communicate the message to the public,” says Barbora Kamenická of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the ��ɫֱ��, who has received the award.

“It is great honour for our faculty as well as the entire university to have such a talented colleague among us, who contributes to the research at the faculty. Barbora sets an example for other students and colleagues and her work has great potential to be applied in practice,” said prof. Ing. Petr Němec, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the ��ɫֱ��.

Barbora Kamenicka’s research deals with non-conventional methods of eliminating undesirable pollutants from water. The growth of industrial activities implies a rising amount of hazardous chemical substances present in water due to human activities. Barbora looks into different methods for eliminating organic halogen compounds from water. Such compounds are often toxic, carcinogenic or hormonally active, and thus pose a serious risk for the environment and human health. Barbora Kamenická has focused on the use of quaternary ammonium salts, biochar, metal alloys and other substances for effective and economic water decontamination.

The research consisted of a closed circle of subsequent steps involving separation and degradation of the undesirable halogenic pollutants from water, including recycling the waste streams, and led to the development of an effective and economical process for waste water treatment that may be used in practice.

The Czech Brains Award is the top national award for researchers in the Czech Republic. It is awarded annually for excellent research results, discoveries and innovation in several categories. Barbora Kamenická received the Doctorandus Award intended for PhD students with excellent research achievements that have a potential of practical application. Ing. Barbora Kamenická, Ph.D. works at the Institute of Environmental and Chemical Engineering of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the ��ɫֱ��. Her PhD dissertation was supervised by doc. Ing. Tomáš Weidlich, Ph.D.

In the past, the Czech Brains Award laureates included Antonín Holý, Josef Koutecký, Václav Hořejší, Pavel Hobza, Blanka Říhová, and many others.

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Three New Professors at the ��ɫֱ��

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 08:46:00 +0000

Three New Professors at the ��ɫֱ�� Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/26/2023 - 10:46

The ��ɫֱ�� has three new professors as of today. Scientifically and pedagogically, all three women work at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, each in a different field. Their appointment decree was personally handed over to them today at Prague Castle by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. There are more than seventy academic staff members with the highest academic rank of a professor working at the ��ɫֱ��.

"I would like to congratulate my colleagues on receiving the highest academic title. Our university can present itself with high-quality international scientific teams. I would also like to wish the newly appointed professors a lot of innovative ideas in scientific research and creative activities and a lot of success in educating students of our university," says the Rector of the ��ɫֱ��, Prof. Libor Čapek.

The new professors are Vice-Rector Petra Bajerová from the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Vice-Dean Liběna Tetřevová from the Department of Economy and Management of Chemical and Food Industry and Virginie Nazabal from the Department of Graphic Arts and Photophysics of the Faculty of Chemical Technology.

Prof. Ing. Petra Bajerová, PhD is a graduate of Technical Analytical and Physical Chemistry at the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, ��ɫֱ��, where she also completed her PhD studies in Analytical Chemistry and her habilitation in the same field, based on which she was appointed Associate Professor in 2015. Her main area of scientific interest is classical and green extraction techniques for isolating analytes from natural matrices and related separation techniques. She completed a long-term study stay at the University of Ghent, Belgium, and several short-term study and teaching stays in Italy, Spain, and Poland, among others. Since 2013, she has been involved in providing the theoretical and practical part of the national competition for talented students Hledáme nejlepšího mladého chemika (Looking for the best young chemist). Currently, she is Vice-Rector for External Relations at the ��ɫֱ��. Petra Bajerová was appointed professor in Food Technology at the proposal of Tomáš Bat'a University in Zlín.

Prof. Dr Virginie Nazabal is the Director of Research at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) of the University of Rennes, France, and an Associate Professor at the ��ɫֱ��. Her research interests are solid-state chemistry and materials science, focusing on the development of glassy and amorphous materials for optical and photonic applications. She is also interested in developing optical sensors for the infrared detection of specific molecules, especially for environmental applications. In recent years, Prof. Nazabal has also focused on Raman spectroscopy and spectroscopy in the infrared region of the spectrum. Since 2016, she has led the Commission for Research and Innovation Platforms at the University of Rennes. She is also involved in the European Partner University Infrastructure Project led by Masaryk University in Brno. Her extensive involvement in several national and international research projects (French National Grant Agency, GACR, H2020, Horizon Europe) has enabled her to collaborate in various consortia composed of academic and corporate partners. She has collaborated with a number of internationally highly renowned researchers and has supervised or co-supervised around twenty PhD students and ten postdocs. She has co-authored about 200 publications and 20 invited lectures. Virginia Nazabal was appointed Professor in Chemistry and Technology of Inorganic Materials at the ��ɫֱ��.

Prof. Ing. Liběna Tetřevová, PhD is dedicated to socially responsible behaviour and communication of companies. She works at the Department of Economy and Management of Chemical and Food Industry of the Faculty of Chemical Technology. Prof. Tetřevová is a graduate of the University of Economics in Prague. She defended her dissertation in Management and Economics of Enterprise at the ��ɫֱ�� with the topic of Corporate Bonds – a Perspective Source of Financing in the Czech Industry. She received her associate professor degree at the Technical University of Liberec. She previously worked at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of the ��ɫֱ��. She lectures on new trends in business economics and management, corporate social responsibility of chemical companies, corporate economics and management, and environmental management. She is the principal investigator of the research project "Towards Regenerative and Sustainable Development and Society," funded by the Fund for Bilateral Relations under the EEA and Norway Grants 2014–2021. She is the author or co-author of nine monographs, more than 75 scientific articles and 60 conference papers. She has worked at universities in Poland, Slovakia and Italy. Prof. Tetřevová is the Vice Dean for Internal Affairs of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of UPCE. She was appointed Professor in Business Economics and Management at the proposal of the Technical University of Liberec.

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The ��ɫֱ�� welcomed the Nobel Prize winner

Ing. Lenka Krejčíková — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 08:35:11 +0000

The ��ɫֱ�� welcomed the Nobel Prize winner Ing. Lenka Kre… Fri, 06/23/2023 - 10:35

The ��ɫֱ�� welcomed the Nobel Prize winner. The French chemist Jean-Marie Lehn read his lecture “Steps towards complex matter: Chemistry!” He was invited to UPCE by the Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, Professor Petr Němec.

Jean-Marie Lehn is an innovator in the field of organic chemistry. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987 together with D. J. Cram and Ch. J. Pedersen for the discovery of synthetic macrocyclic substances with selective properties for binding ions and molecules.

"We are honoured to welcome to the ��ɫֱ�� a world-class scientist, which Professor Lehn undoubtedly is. I believe that his visit will be an inspiration especially for our young scientists, academics and students," said Professor Němec, Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, before the lecture.

The Nobel Prize winner was heard by academics of the Faculty of Chemical Technology, and also by students of several high schools from Pardubice and participants of the Pharmacokinetic Seminar from the Czech Republic and abroad. Jakub Rychtecký, Deputy Mayor of Pardubice, who is responsible for education, was also a guest at the lecture.

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It's good to let off steam. Maybe on the railway.

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 13:48:07 +0000

It's good to let off steam. Maybe on the railway. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/04/2023 - 14:48

The best Czech triathlete, Radim Grebík, is an engine driver. This student of the Faculty of Transport Engineering decided to swap swimming, cycling and running for the railway, which he had dreamed of since he was a little boy.

You have been called the best Czech triathlete, yet you decided to leave the sport behind. Why?

I got into elite sports a few years ago by accident. Now, I'm at a certain level where I realise it's not my place. The best athletes think differently, are dedicated to their sport and work on the details to push their limits just that little bit further. But this is not who I am, so I decided to switch gears and be close to the sport only at national level. I always felt more at home on the railway, which is why I started working as an engine driver.

That’s a very brave decision... What did the people around you think?

I was worried about how the sporting community would take it. With Olympic qualifying starting this year, there were high hopes for me, and everyone took my pursuit of the Olympics for granted. I didn't admit it for a long time. However, when the reality of it all started to sink in, I had to admit that going down this path was not a priority for me. But I haven't encountered an outright negative reaction yet. I promised to stay close to triathlon.

Is it just a passion for trains, or is it also thinking about the future? You can only do top-level sport for a few years.

It's the feeling of doing something meaningful and seeing the results of your work. In my case, it’s about getting people to their work safely and on time in the morning, kids to school and maybe trips at the weekend. Unfortunately, professional sport has rarely brought me that.

Did you dream of working on the railway as a kid?

Well, yes, although we don't have anyone in the family who works on the railway. The railroad fascinated me with its order, organisation, railway community, and seeming flawlessness, which may sound somewhat funny today. I have always been interested in anything that moves, has a system and serves the public. I've watched public transport and wondered why services run the way they do, when they should best run and so on. "Transport" in Pardubice was the first goal as early as elementary school. At the same time, I was looking for a job as an engine driver because they should be the most responsible traffic-wise. In short, I was also attracted by the practice.

Indeed, a sports career doesn't fit into this plan…

It doesn't, but I'm not giving up completely. Movement is my thing. Even with work and school, I'd like to keep fit so I can still race with the boys. I've got far in triathlon, and it would be a shame to throw it all away. We'll see how I get on with training tailored to work. The spring races will give me some feedback.

When did you start doing triathlon?

In 2017, I nominated myself for the Children and Youth Olympics in Brno. That was the coincidence I mentioned earlier. I had been to the previous Olympics as a swimmer, which was a fantastic event. It's just that sports have age limits, and I mostly didn't fit into that range in 2017. That left only sailing and triathlon. The choice was obvious since I had no idea about sailing, whereas cycling and running were closer to my heart. So, I gave it a try.

The year 2017 is not so long ago, so you became a professional athlete in a very short time.

True, but I had the advantage of unknowingly training in all three triathlon disciplines up until then. The bicycle was my most common means of transportation, and I had enjoyed orienteering for a year before the triathlon. And in terms of swimming, I had some experience from an early age.

When did that turn into a professional career?

I got into full sports mode after graduating from high school in 2020. That's when the decision was made to take a year off from my studies and try out the professional regime. However, severe restrictions soon came due to the coronavirus pandemic, and my plans fell apart with them. Although we managed to create a training bubble in Zlín, the months were very uncertain.

What's the hardest thing about triathlon?

It's concentration, discipline and, last but not least, logistics. Triathlon is an honest sport; you have to combine three events during training. It's actually a bit of a balance because once you focus on one part, it soon shows in the other two.

But now you are pursuing your dream of studying at UPCE.

That's right. At a certain level, it became difficult for me in sports. I believe that it's good to let off steam elsewhere occasionally, so I decided to return to transport, and the first step was to apply to the ��ɫֱ��. Because of the international competitions, I chose to study as a distance student. Still, it's great. Every time I come to the faculty, I feel grateful to be here and learn so many new things. But this year wasn't enough, and I longed for some practical experience. So, I started working as an engine driver.

How do you combine triathlon and work now?

It's all getting settled, as I'm still in my practical training at work. It's not easy, but it's the way I chose to do it, so I'm trying to work hard.

So, is it education in the morning and training in the afternoon?

That's right. I still have races to do, so I try to move daily so as not to be a complete loser.

Even though you eased up on the gas, you improved your personal best in Italy at the World Cup race. What do you attribute that to?

The mind is powerful, and I think the mental pressure has decreased a lot lately. The tension has gone out of me. I didn't feel well among the pros, but in Italy, I raced as a railwayman from Olomouc (laughs). And there was also a promise to my coach that I would prepare honestly.

This season already counts toward qualification for the Olympics. Are you thinking about going there?

It's unimaginable for me. After this year's results, I may have been in a qualifying position, but to stay there means another year and a half of touring the top competitions around the world. I'll see what shape I'm in during spring, but I may just focus on the smaller races.

Have the Olympics ever been a dream of yours?

No. The value of the Olympics in society wasn’t so important to me for a long time. I was more in awe of its rich history. It wasn't until it became about me that I learned how the qualification system worked and what it entailed.

Triathlon has allowed you to travel and explore new places. Do you hope to do the same with trains?

Triathlon has taken me to beautiful, sometimes exotic places. But as a novice driver, I will have to be satisfied with the reach of local trains, especially in Moravia. That has its charm, and from the driver's seat, it's a different scene every time.

Do you have a dream railway you would like to ride as a driver?

As a "locoman", I would like to reach my hometown Vsetín one day. My favourite tracks include the one to Kouty nad Desnou or the corridor along the Tichá Orlice.

What have you already learned, and what is still waiting for you as an aspiring driver?

I often hear that it's like driving school or even more straightforward. You know where you're going and don't have to turn (laughs). But it's not like that; first, there is this huge responsibility. You have maybe 500 people behind you, and you must get them to their destination safely, so the training is comprehensive. It starts with shifts on the shop floor, where we learn how everything works and how to fix what. Now we have a course in Česká Třebová, where we get to know about traffic regulations, for example. That is followed by several weeks of active driving training. The whole course takes several months, and we have to take a test after each part. There are also exams at the end, and only after we have passed them successfully will we be allowed to get on the track itself.

Triathlete Radim Grebík is also involved in the UNIS (UNIversity Sport) scholarship programme. With this project, the ��ɫֱ�� supports students with exceptional sports ability. The aim is to provide student-athletes with conditions that will help them combine sports training with their studies and to raise awareness o

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Feminism is not a bad word

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 13:27:12 +0000

Feminism is not a bad word Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/04/2023 - 14:27

What did women write about in their diaries in the 19^th century? Why do people have such a negative view of feminism? Milena Lenderová, historian at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, deals with women's history and gender issues. "Even today, the view persists that women's domain is the home," she says.

You study the 19^th century. How did women live then?

The whole 19^th century is quite a long period. At its beginning, the situation for women was incomparable to that at the end of the century. Over the period of a hundred years, women came a long way. From the beginning of the century, when women's right to any education and the need for women's education was still questioned, to girls' grammar schools and women studying at universities.

What encouraged this progress?

The paradox is that women's emancipation is always pushed by a problem. It might be a crisis or a war conflict. In this case, it was the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, which turned into a human and demographic tragedy. Suddenly, there were many women:⁠ widows who should have been supporting their families but could do nothing, and there also were a lot of girls searching for a groom in vain. After the early 1860s, when there were only higher schools for girls, courses of the Women's Production Association appeared, aimed at improving women's qualifications. In 1870, the Teacher's Institute opened as the first girls' secondary school with a graduation exam.

You have studied in detail the diaries of young women and girls. What was interesting about them?

It was a kind of self-stylisation. We think the diaries are heartfelt. The manuscripts show clearly that the author was always writing for someone to read her text at some point. Since I was interested in the history of sexuality, I searched the diaries for information on this subject. But it was almost non-existent. And when we were dealing with the history of obstetrics, it was similar. For example, Eva Vrchlická wrote in her diary only: "This morning, I got a baby girl."

So, what did the women record?

Women's diaries view the reality from below. You get to know what they did, what they wore, what friends they had and other everyday things.

Was it common back then to keep a diary?

In an educated environment, even the children from about 12 had to keep a diary. When they reached their confessional age, they got a notebook and began to write under the watchful eye of their parents or governess. Girls were more persistent, but their memories usually ended with the birth of their first child. That's why we found more girlish concerns in them. Only in exceptional cases was a girl interested in politics and even wrote about it, so the diaries certainly do not serve as a source for reflecting on political events in the Czech lands.

Why did the children have to keep diaries?

Writing them led to responsibility and self-reflection. Recently, the third volume of the diary of Marie Červinková-Riegrová, granddaughter of František Palacký, was published. She kept it since she was eleven. Only parts of the diary from her adulthood, when she was a kind of a secretary to her father, František Ladislav Rieger – the founder of Czech politics – have been published. But we also have manuscripts from her early years, which are endearing in that every evening she asks whether she was good and behaved as expected that day. We find things like that she got into a bit of a fight with her brother or wasn't good and thought of bad things. These children were encouraged to think every day about what they had done and whether it had been in line with the norm in educated and wealthy circles. But over time, the supervision by parents faded a bit, so we can see even more exciting things that go beyond norm in the diaries. Even though children were more disciplined in the 19^th century, their memoirs contain notes like "we had a smoke with my friend today", "we had a beer" or "we scribbled on the desks".

What was a woman to a man then?

Instead, let's look at what a man was to a woman. He meant economic security for her. Back then, women had almost zero access to the labour market. Some were workers but would leave their work once they got married. After they had children, they became maids, laundresses, and the like. Until the last quarter of the 19^th century, qualified women's professions were non-existent, perhaps save for a private tutor or governess. Girls were raised to be good wives and their duty was to provide for the family. They made sure that the family members lived in a clean house, ate well, the place was warm, and the children were well-behaved. That was mainly the mother's business, whereas the father was just a sort of an arm of the law. At this time, marriage was more important for a woman than for a man.

So, was the marriage not based on love?

It depends very much on the social environment. Sovereign marriages were a matter of politics, with the main concerns being some political advantage, alliance, and the like. In nobility, it was more about the property, and the effort was to consolidate or expand land. Things got interesting in the wealthier middle classes. A man with a law degree could have looked for a reasonably well-off bride whose dowry he could use to open a solicitor's office. On the other hand, a doctor could use the dowry to open a practice. The economic aspect was powerful. But during the 19^th century, mutual affection, feelings and love began gaining ground.

What did women do in their spare time?

They didn't have much leisure time. It was said that idleness led to vice, so women were always supposed to be helpful. Although the family usually had a maid, the woman was expected to spend her free time doing something worthwhile, such as charity work. The wife of the aforementioned F.L. Rieger was constantly knitting stockings for poor children, organised kindergartens and nurseries, or cared for poor women and infants. Leisure time didn't appear in the women's world until later; women were to spend it reading or writing diaries.

A woman was said to be a daughter, sister, mother, companion and a mere appendage of the human race. What does it mean?

A woman had no legal personality and was always under a man's responsibility. First, it was her father, then her husband when she got married. This position was laid down in the Austrian Civil Code of 1811. A woman had no right to decide on the children she bore, not even the property she brought into the family. She did not have the right to vote until the beginning of the First Republic. In our environment, there's the ending -ová stipulating possessiveness, i.e. that you always belong to someone. That's why I kept my name. I didn't mind being my father's daughter, but I wouldn't want to be my husband's property anymore.

So, do you mind if women don't add that ending to their names?

I don't. However, it's a bit disturbing in the Czech environment. Instead, I mind the gender inflexion of foreign women's surnames. It seems to me like a violation of the bearer's autonomy. What does she care about the specifics of the Czech language? It annoys me when someone says Madeleine Albrightová. That wasn't her name.

We live in a country that was one of the first to enact gender equality. How are we doing today?

I think that we still don't have enough women in politics. This is not to say that I'm a quota advocate. In politics, it should be skills, knowledge and insight that make the difference. But if we look at current male politicians, we find this is not the case. And I don't know if quotas would help here. Since November 1989, there have been pitifully few prominent female Czech politicians who have left something behind that would spring to mind when their name is mentioned. But that is because there is still a lingering belief that a woman's world is the household. Yet, in Scandinavian countries, women in politics such as prime ministers and presidents, work well.

Equality between men and women is also one of the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council. Is it right that this topic is still being raised?

It is good that it's being talked about. But it has been in the Constitution that there are no advantages of gender or sex since 1920. Even in the First Republic, this did not work very well in practice, even though the president T.G. Masaryk was a great feminist, who had already been working on theoretical issues of feminism in the last decades of the 19^th century. There is still no question of complete equality. We have the legacy of communism that we are all equal, but we are not. Back then, a woman was equal to a man in that she could work eight hours and then go on an eight-hour housework spree. The idea that the household is the woman's domain persists. Moreover, it also appears in politics, for example, in some politicians' statements. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the current government is taking this issue seriously enough.

Is the word ‘feminism’ understood correctly in the Czech environment anymore?

No, it is still more of a swear word. When I published my first book, K hříchu i k modlitbě (On Sin and Prayer), which was about women in the 19th century, three renowned historians told me how nice it was and that it showed that I was not a feminist. But I am a feminist. The word still has a pejorative air in this country. The basic idea, which has been developing since the French Revolution, is that men and women are equal. That's nothing against anyone. Feminists don't want to eradicate men. They may like to drive them away from the sofas and the television, thus reminding them that looking after the family and the home is their business too. Still, they have no dystopian ideas about the domination of women. People are still unclear because they listen to simple information.

The mayor of Brno said she is not a feminist because she likes it when a man holds the door for her, pays for her coffee and helps her into her coat. Is that the right view of feminism?

It's completely unrelated. These situations are a matter of etiquette, not feminism. It's not just Czechs who have a problem with feminism, and an even bigger problem with etiquette, because they often don't know how to behave. Masaryk said: "Men and women are fully equal; only the physical difference can be recognised." Biological sex still plays a role, as women are physically weaker. Opening and holding doors have their roots in the days when doors were heavy. Our faculty today has a heavy security door that I sometimes struggle with. Giving someone priority is also a safety issue. We let an older adult and woman in first so that they would not get bruised in the doorway. Etiquette has rational roots. But the Czechs don't know it despite the excellent Mr. Špaček. They don't understand feminism or etiquette and put such nonsense into the world.

What are the goals of feminism then?

Equality of both sexes. And not only equality in legislation but also equality that is respected. It's a matter of education, reading, media and television. With my grandchildren, I sometimes watch ČT Déčko, and I would say that they are starting to do well there because girls are coming to the fore. It's not always the boy who is the smart, energetic and resourceful child. That's the way life is. If people respect this, gender equality will work. Otherwise, more decrees, regulations, and the like will not help. We've had equality of the sexes in our Constitution for over a hundred years.

Let's take another look at sexual harassment. One politician said it's a natural thing our ancestors did, and if they hadn't behaved that way, we wouldn't even be here…

It used to be natural to blow one's nose in the lordly way, which means on the ground. It was common not to wash too much, to eat with our hands and fatalistically accept the deaths of our children. Sexual harassment might have been a natural thing in the past, but our society has become somewhat more cultured. We wash, blow into a handkerchief, and shouldn't be sexually harassed. But it's a question of what sexual harassment is. Something is wrong if someone thinks that it is considered sexual harassment to open the door for a woman. Opening the door is not the same as a slap on the bottom. But an intelligent person, I think, understands that.

What would you wish for women?

I think every man with a sense of justice wishes for an end to the war. And that Russian war criminals are brought before the International Court of Human Rights. And I wish that not only for women, but for everyone.

prof. PhDr. Milena Lenderová, CSc. (1947)

She completed her studies in History and French at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where she also received her PhDr. and CSc. degrees.
She habilitated and became a professor at the University of South Bohemia.
She was the first to research the history of women and childhood from the perspective of historical anthropology in the Czech Republic.
She was the first dean of the Faculty of Humanities (later the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy).
She is the author or co-author of 25 publications and about 200 scientific studies.
In 2016, she won the Magnesia Litera Award for the publication Vše pro dítě! Válečné dětství 1914-1918 (All for the Child! War Childhood 1914-1918).
In her spare time, she devotes herself to her grandchildren and animals.

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Talk! Grammar can wait

Ing. Lenka Krejčíková — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 13:01:29 +0000

Talk! Grammar can wait Ing. Lenka Kre… Thu, 11/24/2022 - 14:01

The Help for English website has become popular among students and self-learners wishing to improve their English communication skills. Its creator, Marek Vít, is a well-known English teacher who graduated from the ��ɫֱ�� and works as a part-time teacher at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy.

How did Help for English start?

Back in 2005, I was an English teacher at the grammar school in Přelouč and needed to make materials for students’ home practice available online. I quickly developed a website and called it Help for English. It was nothing sophisticated, so when one of my students looked at it, he said that it was nice, but he could do better. So we made a deal to do it together. He was in charge of the programming part, and I was responsible for the content. My ambition was for the website to include everything that a student may need: tests, articles, information, reviews...

Did you imagine at that time that one day the website would have thousands of visitors?

I did not imagine that it would be such a success. When we had 100 visitors a day, I though that the website was doing great. Our competitors had 300 visitors a day. I thought that we would never achieve that. What we noticed very soon, though, was that the website was visited not only by students, but by other users as well. They posted comments, googled us and today we have around 20 000 visitors a day.

Why did you choose the name “Help for English”?

Back then, when I used some software and needed help, it was always called “Help for…” plus the name of the software. That was my inspiration; I replaced the name of the software for English. I am often asked whether it should not be with instead of for, so I keep explaining the motivation. For a while, I wondered whether I should have opted for a different name. In terms of grammar, it is correct. It means help for the English language. We do not help the English language, which does not need our help.

Maybe, it also helps English in a way. You prevent incorrect usage.

You are right in that students sometimes use the language in a way that the English language would actually appreciate the website (laughter). I have already given up with respect to any responsibility for pure language usage. I do not mind colloquial English. Some people, referred to as Grammar Nazis, would not tolerate that and say that it is incorrect. However, if something is used in everyday language, I am happy to use it, too. Just like there are some colloquial expressions in Czech that are widely used.

So, you want students to be able to use the language in everyday speech even if they break grammar rules, right?

It is definitely worth trying speaking and writing a language even if we make mistakes. Many people prefer not to speak because they are afraid that they are not good enough at it. They have often been taught at school that it is a terrible thing to make mistakes. For advanced students, correct use of language is, naturally, important. For example, students at our department must know grammar rules and must be able to apply them, but it is not the most important thing. Having said that, we try to have all material on our website absolutely correct.

What do users search for most often? Do they search for the same phenomena that are difficult for your students?

Posts about present perfect, which has always been intriguing, are searched for most often. It is closely followed by conditional clauses. My impression is that these phenomena are also most tricky at schools. Students must learn the rules and they look for help online. In my opinion, pronunciation is the biggest issue. People are often obsessed with grammar, but do not mind bad pronunciation. Sometimes their pronunciation is so bad that native speakers do not understand them. In general, Czech schools tend to focus on grammar and vocabulary drills, and overlook pronunciation.

You have been an English teacher for 25 years. Have you noticed any changes in the teaching methods?

Absolutely. One aspect has changed substantially. Students have the internet at their disposal with an unlimited amount of films, series, or games, so the English language is really close to them. Twenty-five years ago, many English teachers were not trained as English teachers. Their qualification was insufficient, they did not know how to teach a language, and maybe did not even master it. For example, my former Russian teacher started teaching English just after the Velvet Revolution, but she did not master it herself. In such cases, you can hardly focus on conversation if you do not master the language yourself. It is much easier to learn grammar and vocabulary from a textbook and pass it on to the pupils, which is not a good thing.

Today, you encounter English everywhere.

Yes. Back when I started teaching English, my pupils learned a language that they encountered hardly anywhere. Today, English is all around us, so it is much easier to learn it by listening. At schools, students often have much better practical knowledge of English than their teachers do. Teachers know the grammar, but students know the vocabulary and are able to use and pronounce it. They can put a sentence together in more ways than what is required by their teacher.

Is it a good idea to learn English through films and games? Grammar is often used incorrectly.

They are great because students learn the pronunciation. In an ideal scenario, they can add the grammar and rely on other ways to expand their vocabulary. What is effective is when students learn a particular phenomenon and then see it in a book or a film, which helps them master it and use it correctly. I do this myself. When I was learning English, it was much more difficult since there were few English books and films. I had no choice but to go to the cinema to watch all the silly English movies. I was sitting in the cinema with a paper in front of my eyes to cover the subtitles. I may have looked crazy, but it helped. I was also searching for English books in second-hand bookshops, and they were hard to find.

Let’s turn to you for a while, rather than English. What made you opt for the ��ɫֱ��?

So, coming back to English (laughter). I always liked English and wanted to learn it at primary school. However, I had to study Russian, which I hated. My Russian teacher told me not to think that I would ever master any other foreign language. But I was not good at Russian because I did not like it. At secondary school, my study of English became more intensive. That is why it was logical for me to apply for the English language programme in Pardubice.

Was it your ambition to become an English teacher?

Not really. When I was asked why I wanted to study the programme, my answer was that I wanted to share my passion for English with others. I do not know whether I believed it myself. However, as a second-year student, I taught extra classes to a teenager, and I started enjoying it. I enjoyed explaining things and looking for a student-friendly way of doing so rather than through rules and definitions. Later I started teaching in a small rural school. It was clear at that time that I would continue teaching.

Do you do other activities involving English such as translating or interpreting?

English is my life’s passion, but I do not enjoy translating. It is the most boring job that I have ever done. Even though I am an introvert, I prefer interaction with people at work. When teaching, I focus mainly on pronunciation coaching. My clients include teachers and Czech singers who sing English songs but wish to get rid of their Czech pronunciation. Recently, I have enjoyed teaching English to foreign students, such as Spanish students. Since I am learning Spanish myself, I understand why they make specific mistakes. They make different mistakes than Czech students. However, I teach less, since the development of the website and the English me add-on app is my full-time job.

You mentioned Spanish. Do you also speak other languages?

My wife and I have been learning Vietnamese for six months. It is completely different, so the progress is rather slow. When learning Vietnamese, you cannot rely on anything that you know from other languages.

Why Vietnamese?

We made the decision in the local grocery store (laughter). There are many Vietnamese-speaking people in the Czech Republic. They have always seemed unapproachable to me. Once, my wife and I went to a shop and the shop assistants were discussing something. We thought that it is an interesting language and we could give it a try. We found a native speaker from Hanoi online, and we have one online lesson a week. I like it when I say something in Vietnamese in a shop, like “Thank you” or “I will pay by card”, the owners start smiling immediately.

Do you also teach your children?

I have never taught my children. They did not want me to teach them English. But they learned English very well thanks to films, series, and games. They found their own way, which is yet more proof that these methods work.

So you did not raise your children bilingually, as is the trend today.

I am too much of a coward to do this. I imagined being a secondary school teacher in a small town, walking with a pushchair and speak English to my children. But I could not do that (laughter). But [raising children bilingually] is great. It works and children get used to another language more easily. However, it would be unnatural for me. When you talk to your children, you need to express a wide range of emotions, and in a foreign language you are limited. Even though I have a C2-level knowledge of English and I do not have difficulties expressing basically anything, it is not my native language - the mother tongue which carries the emotions.

So you prefer expressing emotions in Czech, right?

It is definitely my case since in a foreign language it can seem less warm.

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Operating a steam locomotive

Ing. Lenka Krejčíková — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:53:51 +0000

Operating a steam locomotive Ing. Lenka Kre… Thu, 11/24/2022 - 13:53

A stoker assisted by an interpreter. What may be unique in the world is the daily bread and butter for Ladislav Crha, a graduate of the Faculty of Transport Engineering, who operates a locomotive boiler at a narrow-gauge railway in Zittau. He is overcoming the language barrier fast.

Do you usually travel by train, other than at work?

I do. It was only last year that I bought my first car. I have been working as an engine driver for 15 years, and I have always used a train to commute to work. In the past, I used to work in freight transport and it was not such a big deal when I did not wake up on time and was late for work. I could take the next train. In passenger transport, passengers are waiting for their train so it must run on time. Once I overslept and had to take a taxi to the railway station to catch my train. At that time, I realised that I should buy a car to be on the safe side (laughter).

What are the roots of your passion for railways?

My father, who is also an engine driver, introduced me to the world of railways. When I was a young boy, he used to take me to work. When I was 5 years old, I wanted him to let me start a diesel train. I was absolutely excited about trains and fell in love with them. Even today I enjoy driving a train and the view of the tracks in front of the engine.

What was your journey to becoming an engine driver?

In fact, it was not an easy journey. When I was in the fifth grade, I was diagnosed with short-sightedness. At that moment, everything collapsed for me and my biggest dream disappeared. According to the rules existing in 1989, engine drivers were not allowed to wear glasses, and were supposed to belong to the so-called Sensory Function Category No. 1. Unlike train dispatchers, who could wear glasses, and could belong to Sensory Function Category No. 2. I thought that I would not be able to become an engine driver, so I started studying to become a train dispatcher.

But in the end, you are an engine driver.

Thanks to medical development. Towards the end of my studies at the ��ɫֱ��, where I studied the Transport Means programme, I found out that I could undergo laser surgery to have my eye issue remedied. So again I hoped to become an engine driver one day.

What was it that you had to do to become an engine driver?

After finishing school, I started working at the Railway Authority where I learned what was involved. I was also a member of a Local Railway Club in Kamenický Šenov, which was licensed for training, so I could start my training there. I had to pass statutory exams and do a practical board train driving exam. In 2007, I met all the requirements and started working for České dráhy, the national railway company.

You are also licensed to drive a steam locomotive. Did you need any other licenses to do that?

Yes, I was licensed for diesel traction only, so I could only drive diesel engines. When I worked in freight transport, an engine driver from Turnov Railway Club joined our team. We used to meet in the cloakroom in Liberec and he suggested that I go and drive the 310 steam locomotive around Turnov.

And so you did.

At the beginning, I only worked there part-time and received training as a stoker. After completing a certain number of hours, I sat for more exams and became certified to operate locomotive boilers. That was the beginning of a new phase. At that moment, I could go to the right side of the driver’s compartment, which is reserved exclusively for the engine drivers. Once again, I had to learn to operate a steam locomotive and pass exams to become a steam locomotive driver.

In Germany, you started working as a stoker. It may be seen as a move backwards, or not?

It may seem like this, and understandably so. The situation is different to car driving regulations, where the Czech driving license is also valid in Germany. Different railway regulations are in place abroad, and they are written in German; the signal system and the practices are also slightly different. They checked all my certificates and licenses, which were sufficient to work as a stoker. But even so, they wanted to make sure that I could actually do it. When you let someone operate a train, you must be sure that they are competent.

How did you get the job? Does Germany suffer from a lack of steam locomotive drivers?

I was told about it by a colleague from a German association who knew that many people would be retiring. Maybe some consider it a badly paid job for Germans, because it is a dirty job. Your hands are dirty with oil all the time. Others may be interested, but shy away from the responsibility. Driving a locomotive or a train involves great responsibility, and very few people are willing to assume such a responsibility.

So they rather employed a Czech driver even though they had to find an interpreter. Is this customary practice?

Absolutely not. In fact, they said that it was unique. To play it safe, I was assisted by two interpreters during the first month. They took turns to make sure I get proper training. I speak some German, but I do not understand everything, so they translated my communication with the engine driver.

Do you plan to learn German?

Definitely, I have already started. It is not only about everyday communication, but I must learn some technical terminology. I understand that I must go and oil the engine, but I still have a lot of gaps. In the first place, I must learn everything related to engines. Only then can I learn some extras to be able to talk about female beauty, for example (laughter).

What does the job of a stoker involve?

To take care of the boiler and produce steam for the steam engine to run. In short, to make sure that there is always enough steam available for the locomotive to run. To produce steam in the boiler, there must be water inside and you must stoke it with black coal. In the driver’s compartment, there are usually two water gauges which allow you to monitor the level of water in the boiler. The most important thing is to monitor that the water level does not decrease below the threshold. A stoker may stoke insufficiently and the pressure drops; however, that is not such an issue as the lack of water. That would qualify for revoking the license because the engine may even explode.

Is it your ambition to qualify as a driver of that locomotive?

It is. But I have worked there only since May, so there is still time. I will let it take its natural course. To do some engine driving, I sometimes work as an engine driver in the Czech Republic. It also helps me refresh my knowledge of Czech regulations and stay in good train driving shape.

At the moment you work at the Zittau Narrow-Gauge Railway. Can you tell us something about it?

It is a narrow-gauge railway in Germany, close to the Czech border. In the Saxony region, such railways started to be built after 1880, especially in less developed regions and in the mountains. As early as 1884, they built a narrow-gauge railway to Raichenau (today’s Bogatynia in Poland) and Markersdorf (today’s Markosice in Poland), near the Czech village of Heřmanice. That was connected to a narrow-gauge railway from Frýdlant to Heřmanice, so you could travel from Frýdlant all the way to Zittau. A turnout to Oybin was built in 1890. The part from Zittau to Oybin and Jonsdorf, spa towns, exists even today.

Do the locomotives operate there on a daily basis?

Yes, every day. Back in the times of Eastern Germany, there was a shortage of petrol and diesel, so steam locomotives were in operation. After 1990, the railway was no longer convenient for daily commuters, so it is used for tourism and historical trains. But some children use it to commute to school. Don’t think, however, that you can arrive at the station at 4.30 in the morning and then a steam locomotive arrives; that is no longer the case.

What attracts the tourists?

For example, roofless cars are used so you can enjoy the views of the countryside. Tourists enjoy that. They may inhale the smoke from the steam engines and enjoy the authentic atmosphere (laughter), but also listen to the sound of the engine. The railway to the spa towns goes uphill, so the engine makes itself heard.

In addition to this unique position, you are also a member of the Frýdlant Railway Club. What is the mission of the club?

All my life, I have been living in Frýdlant and there used to be a narrow-gauge railway between Frýdlant and Heřmanice. After the war, the area between Zittau and Heřmanice became part of Poland, and international transport was stopped. Until 1976, the trains operated only within Czechoslovakia. When I was a young boy, the tracks could still be seen. Over time, birches and other self-sown trees started to grow on the railway line. In the 1990s, the tracks disappeared completely. What is left is only the embankment and many photos that we collected. However, I have been excited about it since my childhood. I knew that there used to be a narrow-gauge railway in my region. The club was founded in 2004 with the ambition to renew the operations on the track. The current priority is installing the track from the station to the depot, which houses a museum. We would like to restore the Frýdlant-Heřmanice railway line as much as possible. We have already done a bit.

What are your memories of your studies at the ��ɫֱ��?

When I enrolled in the first year in 1997, I knew I would have to study all the time. But I enjoyed student life as well. In the evenings, we used to meet people from the whole university, which I like thinking back to. Then I moved to Česká Třebová, where the Department of Transport Means was based. There were only seven students in the programme, so the atmosphere was very family-like. We could stay at the university even overnight, to use the computers. It was all about railways.

What lessons did you take from the university for life?

The ability to use books and textbooks to learn. At secondary school, I was given books that I found hard to understand. On the contrary, at university I learned to go to the library, take five books and extract all I needed from them. Most importantly, I understood the content thanks to my university studies. In fact, I finally understood what I had been taught at secondary school and what the long formulas meant. I still take advantage of that. I understood the technical aspects and I keep coming back to what I learned at university.

Do you have a railway-related dream? Any particular track or engine?

I go to work to play with trains and get paid to do that. That is a dream come true. I went to Zittau to experience regular steam engine operation, which I do now. The only dream left is becoming a steam engine driver at the narrow-gauge railway. I could do that until my retirement. I do not dream about operating super-fast trains; I enjoy railways more on local and regional tracks, which is a marginal area in terms of transport these days.

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A more environmentally friendly campus

Ing. Lenka Krejčíková — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:48:29 +0000

A more environmentally friendly campus Ing. Lenka Kre… Thu, 11/24/2022 - 13:48

Beehives next to the dining halls. Solar panels on the roof. Cups instead of plastic bottles. Liběna Tetřevová, a researcher from the Faculty of Chemical Technology, has seen that such things can be reality at a university. Her project dealing with universities’ social responsibility draws on her inspiration from the BI Norwegian Business School.

What came as the biggest surprise at BI?

Porcelain cups and glasses placed next to bins. That was one of the first things that surprised me. BI uses them to replace plastics and disposable packaging, which they wish to get rid of by the end of the year. When using the kitchenettes or water dispensers, students may take a cup that will be left next to the bin to be re-used. That was my top finding. I am afraid, however, that such a solution would not be viable in the Czech Republic today since the cups would get destroyed and lost.

What does social responsibility mean for you?

For me, it is the responsibility of the management and employees, and students in the case of universities, with respect to the community and the environment. Social responsibility involves three areas. In the economic area, a company, a university, or a municipality should be socially responsible to the owners, investors, clients, suppliers, public authorities, and the public. For universities, this also involves the enhancement of relations with students, who are their clients, as well as with other universities. The social area involves the relationship with the employees and includes donations, sponsorships, or volunteer work.

And the third area?

The third area is the environment, which involves emission reductions, the use of renewable sources of energy, recycling or organising “green” conferences. The organisers of such conferences do their best to reduce their environmental impact, and thus recommend that the participants use sustainable means of transport, do not print any materials and the proceedings are only electronic. BI Norwegian Business School organises such conferences.

In Norway, you collected examples of best practices of social sustainability. What was the outcome?

The project involves an exchange of best practices of socially responsible activities. We try to map out best practices from the perspective of companies, universities, and municipalities. We are not interested only in the activities themselves, but also in how they are presented. For example, a socially responsible university may be more helpful if it shares information about its activities, and thus is an inspiration for others.

What are other areas of BI’s social responsibility?

What I particularly like about BI is that they first started applying the responsibility approach to themselves, and only then started teaching about it. The head of BI says that if they want their students to internalise the responsibility and sustainability approach, they must follow it themselves. BI monitors 17 UN sustainable development goals, with 3 goals being a focus, namely quality education, gender equality and climate action. They try to incorporate these goals into all areas of their activity.

What specific steps did BI introduce?

They try to integrate social responsibility and sustainable growth into all subjects. They also offer courses directly related to this topic, courses of ethics or sustainable development. For example, I found a course on sustainable business in Africa exciting; it involves a student trip to Tanzania where students visit businesses, a university, and NGOs. In these countries, social responsibility is in its infancy. But BI has students from all over the world. They aim to show the differences in social responsibility across countries, spark interest and initiate discussion about the need to develop sustainability in African countries. But you can see sustainability efforts even in school canteens. They take great care to select the food that is served. All their suppliers are eco-certified and offer local food, including vegetarian food.

What else did you notice in their campus?

I was surprised by the beehives on the canteen roof that are designed to enhance biodiversity. In terms of environmental responsibility, there are many examples that could serve as inspiration for Czech universities. The Oslo school campus uses geothermal energy for heating, and the energy consumption has been reduced by 30% since 2006. Other campuses use either solar panels or seawater. The school also intends to reduce emissions. Between 2017 and 2019, the emissions were cut by 21.6%. All campuses hold the Eco-Lighthouse certification, which is the most widely used Norwegian environment certification.

You have also mentioned that BI tries to make students and employees use environmentally friendly means of transport. How do they do that?

There are public transport stops as well as stations for shared bikes and scooters around the campus. If employees travel to work by car, they have to pay a small parking fee. Only owners of electric cars park for free. They also try to limit business trips to the minimum, so meetings were widely held online even before the pandemic. In addition, air travel quotas for employees were introduced, which compensates some 39% of emissions a year.

What is the situation at Czech universities compared to BI?

I believe there is a lot to learn. Some universities have their own beehives already, but in general, Czech universities’ socially responsible engagement is rather limited. Even if a university is active in the field, others do not know about it. We do not share best practices much. However, the pandemic has helped us to be more responsible. Testing capacities started being shared, and it was a stimulus for cooperation. We reduced our travel, meetings started being held online, not everything got printed and an electronic copy sent by e-mail sufficed. What is important is that universities guide students to be socially responsible. We are working with prospective employees and managers, and if they internalise the approach, they will be able to apply it in practice.

What could be the way forward in terms of social responsibility for the ��ɫֱ��?

We have started with our teaching activities, since some courses incorporate the ideas of social responsibility. The Faculty of Chemical Technology offers a programme called Sustainable Development in Chemistry and Technology. I see it feasible that such programmes focusing on social responsibility and sustainable development are offered by other faculties. Research-wise, first steps have been taken that need to be further developed. To give a specific example applicable to the ��ɫֱ�� as a whole, a good start would be a more systematic approach to waste separation.

Is it possible to make the university campus more environmentally friendly and sustainable?

The campus consists of many buildings which lend themselves to the installation of solar panels. Given the rising energy prices, the use of renewables would be not only ecological, but also more economical. We could also try having more plants and flowerbeds in the campus, which is rather easy. Or re-using furniture. The departments and faculties scrap furniture that could be used elsewhere. Just taking a photo of such furniture and marketing it online would prolong its life. It would be discarded only when no one is interested.

Can students also contribute to social responsibility?

There are many things they can do, starting with how they make their way to school. Personally, as an eco-minded individual and researcher dealing with social responsibility, I would love to see a small parking fee for on-campus parking being considered. Students would not like it, probably, but it could make them refrain from going to school by car; or alternatively, car-sharing, which is also environment-friendly, could be used more often. It is often the case that a single student uses a car. Students could also start saving paper by not printing everything. All students have a laptop or a tablet so they do not need a printed version in most of the cases. But there are many more options.

So, is it enough to make little changes in our daily lives?

Indeed, for example, I can apply social responsibility to my shopping decision-making, but I can also take part in improvements of our campus, volunteer work or donations. There is a wide range of activities. They may find inspiration in the courses of social responsibility and sustainable production and consumption offered by our university.

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How did the FHS come about? The Story of its Creation through the Eyes of its Founder.

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 08:16:59 +0000

How did the FHS come about? The Story of its Creation through the Eyes of its Founder. Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/28/2022 - 10:16

The Faculty of Health Studies celebrated 15 years since its foundation this year. The idea to build a faculty originated in Dr Arnošt Pellant's head during his work in Pardubice Hospital. What was the journey from the first idea to welcoming the first students? Come and read the interview with the first Dean of the FHS.

Do you remember what was happening in your life in May 2007?

Of course, I remember the events of May 2007. Particularly when reading work records and looking at photographs from that time, a number of memories come to mind. It was the time when I became the first Dean of the Faculty of Health Studies.

However, the faculty was preceded by establishing the Institute of Health Studies five years earlier. Why was it founded then?

We have to go back to 1996 when I took the position of the head of the ENT department at Pardubice Hospital with a single fundamental goal. I wanted to prove that my new workplace would be able to match the clinical one in the future. Not only in professional terms but also in the university teaching of ear, nose and throat medicine and in scientific research work, which I lacked very much after I had arrived at the new department.

How did you achieve this?

During one meeting with Jiří Denkstein from the Department of Explosives, Faculty of Chemical Technology, we also discussed whether their graduates shouldn't also have a better knowledge of the effects of explosions on the human body. Also, we talked about ionising radiation, first aid in the case of acid-burning of the swallowing and respiratory tract, and the effects of medication or illegal drugs. In the same year, a three-semester course was added to the curriculum, which was in great demand and was also popular with students from other faculties. I still have the attendance lists from 1998.

So, you could start teaching again.

Not only could I teach again, but also my long-secret wish emerged. Would it be possible for some of the departments of Pardubice Hospital to get the status of a clinical department, similarly to what it is like in university hospitals? The idea was on the table, but it was still too early to implement.

What happened next?

Independently of this, representatives of the then Higher Vocational and Secondary Medical School in Pardubice and the management of the University, and subsequently even the director of Pardubice Hospital, came together to discuss the possibility of establishing a university study that would professionally prepare future general nurses and midwives. All those present agreed with the idea as they were aware of the social importance of university teaching of non-medical health professions and its significance for the development of the ��ɫֱ�� and Pardubice Hospital. Afterwards, I was approached by the rector Miroslav Ludwig to ask if I'd be interested in taking part in leading the preparation of a Bachelor's programme called Nursing and coordinating its teaching.

You accepted this offer.

I did, as I realised that being linked to the University, the hospital in Pardubice could become not only a university basis and medical centre of the whole Pardubice Region, but it would also gain a more advantageous position on a national scale. I found it very important that the hospital could provide facilities for practical teaching and experts for theoretical and practical education. That would also greatly strengthen the idea of establishing clinical departments.

The first study programmes accredited at the Institute of Health Studies were General Nursing and Midwifery. Why these?

Introducing a study programme in any field, you need a sufficient number of students. For this reason, these two crucial programmes of non-medical health care were chosen. In addition, Midwifery continued the long tradition of training midwives in Pardubice, which began in the 1930s, and the later training of certified midwives taught at the Higher School of Health in Pardubice.

When the first students graduated in 2007, the institute became a faculty. What had to be done to make this happen?

Preparations for the faculty followed immediately after establishing the Institute of Health Studies. I still remember the Vice-Rector Jiří Cakl saying: "… and now, within five years, there could be a faculty." It struck me like a bolt from the blue. The requirement to establish the faculty placed many challenges before us. It was necessary to ensure enough students for the faculty to become independent and economically self-sufficient. We also had to prepare and get accredited in other fields of study and even provide a sufficient number of quality professionals, including habilitated teachers.

Eventually, you also succeeded in setting up clinics within the hospital. These used to be a privilege of university hospitals. Is Pardubice an exception?

When the first three clinics were established in 2002, there were perhaps only two or three exceptions in the country. I don't know the exact figure. However, once our clinics were established, several friends from other universities asked me how we'd done it. At that time, there was only undergraduate medical education at medical faculties. That's why this step was so exceptional. For better understanding, I should explain how a clinic or clinical department differs from an ordinary hospital ward. In addition to providing undergraduate teaching and a medical faculty, a clinic does scientific work, publishes, has foreign contacts, organises conferences and congresses, and has to meet the strict criteria of the ministries of health and education. We fulfilled such conditions without fail, including that medical students from Hradec Králové, who had completed pre-state exam internships in Pardubice, came to practice with us. It was analogous to a relationship between a university hospital and a medical faculty – in our case, between Pardubice Hospital and the Institute, later the Faculty of Health Studies, ��ɫֱ��. The same status was granted to the Neurology and Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinics at Pardubice Hospital in 2008. Today, when many universities educate students in non-medical fields and have their Bachelor's, Master's and even PhD programmes accredited, the situation is probably a bit easier. Anyway, there're still an isolated number of non-faculty departments that have been granted clinic status.

This year marks 20 years since establishing the University's Institute of Health Studies and 15 years since the establishment of the faculty. Looking back, how do you assess the development?

In retrospect, I regret to say that the faculty's rapid establishment, development and operation cost the key staff a lot of time and energy, which was to the detriment of their habilitation. It took its toll on the completion of both PhD programmes. In fact, the lack of habilitated staff did not allow the accreditation of new programmes. I firmly believe that older experienced academics and representatives of the younger generation alike will be able to habilitate successfully in the near future. It's undoubtedly true that the establishment of the Institute and later the Faculty of Health Studies, as well as the legislative acknowledgement of the three clinical departments, helped Pardubice Hospital gain importance on a national scale.

Hundreds of students have taken your classes over the years. Do you meet any of them in your professional carrier? How does it feel?

Every teacher is glad when a former student approaches him, especially when the student says that the studies helped him find a job and that he likes to remember his school days. Many of our students end up at rather distant workplaces, so these meetings are not so frequent, but they are all the warmer.

What would you wish for your faculty in the future?

The answer is straightforward. I wish for solidarity and friendly relations of all staff, diligence, perseverance, and interest in the professional growth of all academics.

prof. MUDr. Arnošt Pellant, DrSc. (1943)

One of the leading Czech otorhinolaryngologists, he has contributed to the development of the field at the regional, national and international levels. He was one of the first ENT specialists to use ultrasound diagnostics in the throat some 50 years ago. Since 1996, he has been a professor in the field. From 1966, he worked at a department of the Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Hradec Králové, which he left in 1996 to work at the ENT department of Pardubice Hospital. There, he became a head physician and later the head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. He boasts 30 years of teaching experience. In 2002, he became the Institute of Health Studies leader, only to become the first Dean of the new Faculty of Health Studies in 2007. He served two terms in the position and is still active on the faculty today.

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Boss No. 10 - Tomáš Foltýn, director of the National Library

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 09:34:10 +0000

Boss No. 10 - Tomáš Foltýn, director of the National Library Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/28/2021 - 11:34

Seven and half a million volumes. The oldest and the most valuable books in our country. Precious incunabula and parchment manuscripts. This is our cultural heritage stored in the collection of the National Library of the Czech Republic. As of this may, the complete operation of this important institution will fall under the management of its new general director, Tomáš Foltýn, who is a graduate of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. He will thus become the tenth post-revolution director. His vision of the Library is crystallising, including the one about the design of a new building. “It should become a showcase of the Czech librarianship,” he says.

When did you first visit the National Library?

Unfortunately, I can’t remember. Anyway, as a student, I had a reader’s card, which I still may find somewhere at home. Since I studied at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy in Pardubice, I used to visit other libraries – the local University Library and the Regional Library or the Research Library in Hradec Králové.

Have you had a clear idea of which direction you wanted to take since the beginning of your studies?

When you enter a university after secondary school, you don’t think about what will happen in five years. I joined the Department of Historical Sciences with the idea to focus on this area from the broadest point of view, whether it is research work oriented towards our history or employment in memory institutions.

What did you study?

In my bachelor’s studies, I devoted myself to cultural history specialised in museology, whereas in the master’s programme, I focused on regional history.

However, you graduated from the Business Academy in Beroun before that.

I did. It was a school that prepared well for future studies at universities with an economic or legal focus. I also applied for a similar type of school. I didn’t get to my dream studies as I always missed a little bit. Although I passed the entrance examinations successfully, the competition was quite stiff as my generation was that of the baby boomers.

Before university, I studied languages, namely English and German. Foreign languages are essential for any branch of study. But I also enjoyed reading, was interested in history, liked to go sightseeing. That’s why I applied to Pardubice the following year, which I’ve never regretted. Studying at the ��ɫֱ�� was very inspiring for me, and it gave me a lot for life.

When you began to study at the ��ɫֱ��, you were a member of an interesting and perspective team of today’s Dean, Jiří Kubeš. What was your focus?

It was aristocratic families, especially in the post-White Mountain period, the education of aristocrats and the phenomenon of Grand Tours, but also some other aspects of noble life. Thanks to a healthy atmosphere and support from Jiří Kubeš, many professional studies were created and published by the students themselves. There was also positive pressure from management towards the students to keep presenting their results. I think that it’s good for the future of university students to get used to acting in the scientific community, use language and argue for their research, whether in the form of annotations or by attending scientific conferences.

Just like you got used to when you published professional articles and collected points in historical competitions…

Successful representation of the Institute of History at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy reaches far back to the past. And I was neither the first nor the last. In 2005, I finished second in the national student competition called History, where I introduced the results of my Bachelor thesis about Grand Tours, especially from the point of travel institutions. Thanks to the support of foreign student educational stays, I was able to do research in Viennese archives and devote myself to the study of the Baroque nobility, which culminated with my diploma thesis.

Did you stay in touch with your classmates after the studies?

Yes. We still come together with some. It’s another added value of university study.

And what about memories of your teachers? Stories about some of them are often around a long time after graduation…

I can remember Prof. Jiří Škabrada, who focused on historic buildings. We had unforgettable lectures with him on how the buildings developed. We went on a study trip around east Bohemia. We visited old buildings and cottages and admired how well they had been handcrafted. It was an incredible experience.

I love to recollect the lectures on the Middle Ages with Associate Professor Teplý, who managed to involve us in the issue with his enthusiasm. At the times of my studies, the team of teachers at the Institute of History was perfect. They encouraged students, worked intensively with them, and there was an overall good atmosphere. The years spent there were very nice in terms of study and personal ties.

Has cooperation between the Institute of History and the National Library been outlined yet?

There have been several interconnections between the Institute of History and the National Library so far. On optional lectures, our colleagues and we introduced students of the ��ɫֱ�� to digitisation. Some experts in librarianship participated in professional conferences organised by the Institute.

Concerning my new position, I’d like to continue this cooperation in a broader spectrum of universities. There is, for example, Digital Humanities, which is a very progressive trend in the research of historical data. Thanks to computer technology, it’s possible to analyse a large number of texts and look for contexts in them, which would otherwise be very difficult to do by ordinary reading. Memory institutions have a lot to offer in terms of their content but also when it comes to the experience of their research and expert employees who process the data. Their knowledge can be effectively linked with bachelor’s and master’s degree education.

Will you draft any of the students to the Library?

There’re several graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy already working for us in the Library.

Your work calendar is bustling now. You must hand over the director’s agenda of the Division of Fund Management and prepare for your new role as the general director of the National Library. What is going to change?

We’ll see when I become the director. My current agenda is not small. It includes many responsibilities towards conceptual and methodological issues. I cooperate with other libraries, and our Division solves practical procedures of various library activities, research projects, and other activities. I’ll move from a narrower focus, connected to digitisation, fund protection, and fund management, to global issues as I’ll also be in charge of new agendas related to, for example, education and economy. I may not deal with partial agendas, but being the director will give me a broader overview of what’s going on.

Leaving the Division of Fund Management will not be in the name of “burning my boats behind me”; that I’ll finish at the end of April and won’t deal with anything anymore. I’ll stay at hand to my successor, Anna Vandasová, for some time. I’m sure it’ll similarly work on the part of the current director of the National Library, Vít Richter. We have a schedule of when and how to hand the individual agendas over.

Do you know how many directors of the National Library of the Czech Republic were there before you?

Not exactly. I guess it’ll be around ten – if I also count the post-revolutionary directors. The Library got its name in 1995.

You will be the fortieth director of the Library since 1777. What are your plans?

I wish the National Library offered services and activities that the user community expects from us. At present, these services are mainly connected with the digital world. None of us knows how the pandemic will evolve. Digital services have proved to be essential for the operation of institutions of our type. Here, we would like to continue in what the Library already offers. Digitisation projects, like Manuscriptorium, Kramerius, or Webarchiv, have a nationwide reach and European prestige.

I would also like that all the backbone services provided by the National Library be further developed. For example, there’s a top-rated service called Ask your Library, where users can ask experts on various topics. You can see questions on various professional issues and some “lighter questions”; for example, where the Little Mole (i.e. a famous animated character) has his loo.

I’d also like to encourage activities aimed at supporting research. The National Library of the Czech Republic has unique collections, and it often serves as a library of last resort, where readers come to look for a document unavailable elsewhere. We have important collections for social but also natural sciences. Our continuous goal must be to provide professionals and students with the necessary and relevant information, possibly with some added value, and effectively.

How many volumes does the Library have?

In terms of book volumes reported in the annual report, the Library had about 7.5 million volumes at the end of last year. The collections are built across various disciplines. The Library contains medieval parchment manuscripts, incunabula, and plenty of documents, most of them electronic. There’s also the web archive as an inherent part of the National Library. In the future, we should develop activities around a compulsory electronic copy. The span of the collections is virtually limitless.

For example, there’s an ongoing internal discussion within the Library’s management concerning the possibility of a full-fledged study room for maps and large formats. This decision isn’t linked to the study of the collections itself. Still, it will also involve a radical change in the management of the collections, the register of documents that may belong here, or their supplementation. Once again, we come to connect with the digital world, where a number of maps have already been digitised.

How did the pandemic situation affect the Library?

The whole society lives with the Covid and so do our libraries. They respond to government regulations, for example, by opening permitted “buttery hatches”. After its short operation on the premises of the National Library, the institution decided to close this kind of window, thus sending a signal to society that we consider government regulations to be necessary. If the government measures state that we should not gather and move freely, it doesn’t make sense to invite our users to come to Klementinum. On the contrary, we strengthened the digital services of the National Library and generally the libraries as a whole – thanks to the current access to Kramerius in the so-called Covid regime or the previous Kramerius university regime.

Has the number of people using your digital services increased?

According to the data available so far, which we prepare for our statistical reports, there has been an apparent increase in our digital services, especially concerning the unique possibilities of making available the results of digitisation of modern documents. Specific data will be available in the annual report of the Czech National Library for 2020.

What can you offer to your users?

The role of the National Library is somewhat different from that of city or university libraries, which accentuate another type of services and are in closer contact with their users. Our mission is primarily to preserve and make available our collections in the long term. Of course, we also organise online workshops, training, sizeable traditional library conferences visited by hundreds of people, and provide libraries with valuable methodical and standardisation services.

There were plans for a new building for the National Library in Letná, and one of the designs was by the architect Jan Kaplický. But what should a library look like to meet the latest trends?

It is a conceptual question. We can’t limit ourselves only to a new building for the National Library. The plans before 2007 reflected the needs of the then librarianship and the trends in force at the time. We cannot accept the project of 2004. We need to talk about the construction of the National Library in connection with the strategy of the entire settlement structure of the Library for the future. The National Library of the Czech Republic already has several buildings. Klementinum, which is a historic building with undeniable genius loci, and the depository in Hostivař with modern workplaces associated with processing documents, digitisation, and protection of the collections.

Primarily, the new building should become a showcase of the Czech librarianship in the future. Simultaneously, it should be a symbol that the Czech Republic is aware of the need for an educated population and information literacy support and wants to support culture in its entirety. The new building should be connected to modern services.

Your vision?

My vision is gradually crystallising. It’s based on the assumption that the National Library should use Klementinum for its representation, and the collections that essentially belong to Klementinum should be stored there. They are historical and musical documents and the documents of the Slavonic Library. There should be adequate space for education, a large lecture hall, and exhibition spaces that would accentuate the spirit of Klementinum, whether in relation to the Jesuit order or the history of book culture in our country.

In Hostivař, the technical part, i.e. the large document repositories not used for reference, will remain. There could even be a space reserve for the other institutions. Also, there could be technology workshops, the protection centre of library collections, or a large data warehouse.

The new building of the Czech National Library should be a place of modern services with added value and easy availability of deposited funds and a space designed for meetings, education, and personal growth of the public.

What is the rarest piece of the Library?

The question of the rarest collections is very complicated. Generally speaking, the most invaluable gem stored in the Czech National Library collections is the Codex Vyssegradensis. However, each researcher or collection manager values a different document. For me, it is an invaluable and comprehensive collection of Baroque theses of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. The historical collections are simply priceless.

How many books do you have at home? And what are you reading at the moment?

I have a pretty large number of books, just as any librarian. I don’t have much time for reading these days. Still, I’m planning to read Shakespearova Anglie (Shakespeare’s England) by Martin Hilský, Rozpojené státy (The Disunited States), which is a probe into the present-day USA by Martin Řezníček, and finally Fredrik Backman’s humorous bestseller Úzkosti a jejich lidé (Anxious People).

Mgr. Tomáš Foltýn (1982)

After studying at the Business Academy in Beroun, he obtained his master’s degree at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, ��ɫֱ��. During his studies, he completed an internship abroad at the University of Vienna. In 2007, he began working at the National Library as a librarian, and three years later, he became the head of the Department of Metadata Creation and Management. At the same time, in 2012, he was in charge of the Department of Strategic Planning for the Digitisation of Library Collections. From 2013, he worked as a director of the Fund Management Department. Since May 2021, he has been the new general director of the National Library of the Czech Republic. He is married, lives in Prague and has two children. He likes riding his mountain bike, skiing, playing badminton and floorball. Besides reading, he is also fond of good food, beer and wine, and listening to music.

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