Introductory word of the Dean
Dear colleagues,
The start of the 2024/2025 academic year was significantly impacted by the devastating floods that affected our country. As a result, it was necessary to cancel the first week of classes and the teaching staff had to adjust the course plans accordingly, which they ultimately managed without major disruptions to the semester. Unfortunately, the annual Garden Party that marks the start of the academic year also had to be cancelled. On September 26, the ever-popular Dean’s Barbecue did take place, however, and I am pleased to say that student participation during which the faculty welcomed 4,600 visitors, who were undeterred by the rain and enjoyed the program prepared at our 62 stands.
I am also delighted to announce that Jiří Herman, a former graduate and long-time educator at SCI MUNI, received the MU Silver Medal from the Rector, Martin Bareš, during the ceremonial opening of the 2024/2025academic year. Additionally, Barbora Hutňan Chattová, a lecturer at the SCI MUNI Institute of Botany and Zoology, was awarded the Rector's Prize for outstanding teaching in the field of natural sciences and medicine.
It is also a great honour for our faculty that Daniel Nývlt received the Order of Bernardo O'Higgins, a decoration awarded by the State of Chile, for his contributions to Antarctic research.
In the newsletter, you can read about other interesting events that took place at the faculty over the summer. For example, you can read about the inspirational experiences of participants at the International Earth Science Olympiad in China, where they travelled with representatives from the SCI MUNI Institute of Geological Sciences. In an interview with Jan Šmarda, we commemorate what would have been the birthday of Professor Jana Šmardová in August and talk about the new website dedicated to her work. I am very glad that her legacy continues to attract interest from readers around the world.
I wish you enjoyable reading and pleasant autumn days.
Tomáš Kašparovský
Dean of the Faculty of Science, MU