Mgr. Kateřina Zachovalová, Ph.D.

At Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science, she works as the Bursar of the Department of Geological Sciences. At the same time, she serves as Vice-Dean for Social Affairs and Sustainability. She is also a member of the Editorial Board and the Council for Sustainable Development at MU.

She completed her doctoral studies in Geology at MU. Over the long term, she has been involved in organizing the Geological Olympiad and focuses on supporting talented pupils at primary and secondary schools.

As Vice-Dean, you are responsible for social affairs and sustainability. What exactly does this agenda include?

My agenda is quite broad and connects several areas that share a common goal – creating a good environment for studying and working at the faculty. It also includes care for applicants and communication with schools. Activities that support talented pupils at primary and secondary schools, while also promoting the faculty, are closely linked to the agenda.

Another important area is coordinating education in AI and modern technologies.

At the same time, this agenda is new to me. Since I’m at the beginning of my term, it’s important for me first to get properly oriented, build on what already works at the faculty, and identify areas where there’s room for improvement.

What are your main priorities for the coming period?

One of the main priorities is strengthening support for students and staff and creating an environment that makes it easier to balance work and personal life. An important task is to finalize the faculty’s sustainability strategy, which will set concrete goals and steps for the coming years.

Equally important is cooperation with schools. We want pupils at primary and secondary schools to be aware of the study opportunities at our faculty and to have sufficient information when making decisions about university studies.

The development of AI education will also play a major role. It's a tool that’s rapidly changing the way we work and study, and the faculty must respond to it thoughtfully.

 

What do you see as the biggest challenge in this area right now?

The biggest challenge is to meaningfully connect all these areas, so they don’t function as separate agendas but as one coherent whole. Social support, sustainability, modern technologies, and talent development are closely interconnected.

It’s important to see these topics in context – for example, how support for students and staff affects their performance, how new technologies are changing education, or how cooperation with schools brings in new talent.

You mentioned strengthening support for both students and staff as a key priority. How can the social dimension of the faculty be supported in practice?

One thing currently in preparation is a methodology for returning from parental leave, which should help employees transition back into the workplace. At the same time, we are working to establish a children’s area that would make it easier for parents at the faculty to balance work and family life.

In the near future, we also want to launch a series of workshops for staff. Their specific focus will be based on identified needs.

We also want to pay close attention to supporting women in science. It is an area that deserves a systematic approach, not least because a scientific career is often difficult to combine with parental responsibilities. The goal is to create conditions that allow women to stay in science and continue to develop.

An important part of my agenda is also developing internal communication within the faculty, especially by improving how information about changes, educational opportunities, and personal development options is shared.

Part of your agenda is also promoting study opportunities at the faculty among secondary school students.

The faculty offers a wide range of educational activities not only for talented students but also for entire classes and schools.

Some of these activities have been launched recently, for example, project days for schools, when around 200 secondary school students visit us.

For us, it’s important to prepare a program that presents study opportunities at the faculty in a clear and engaging way, ideally in a fun and interactive format.

What needs to be addressed in the area of sustainability?

In sustainability, we want to take a long-term, conceptual approach to how the faculty operates, from both environmental and social perspectives. It’s not just about isolated measures, but about a comprehensive approach that includes sustainable teaching and education, research and doctoral studies, as well as internal culture and societal engagement.

It also involves a systematic approach to the faculty as a sustainable institution, with an emphasis on responsible resource management, energy efficiency, and waste management.

The goal is to set a clear strategy and concrete steps so that sustainability becomes a natural part of the faculty’s everyday functioning.

As you mentioned, your agenda also includes coordinating education in AI and modern technologies. What does that involve specifically?

In this area, I coordinate education in topics such as artificial intelligence. We are preparing a new educational portal that will offer academic and non-academic staff, as well as students, the opportunity for continuous online learning in using AI.

My agenda also includes the care for the faculty’s information resources, including cooperation with libraries. Together with the library at Kotlářská, we would also like to create a “makerspace” – a space for creative work together with the library at Kotlářská, we would also like to create a "makerspace" – a space for creative work that will be available to both staff and students.

What would you like to see changed after your term?

I would like the faculty to be even more open and accommodating to students and staff in different life situations – for example, parents of young children or those returning from parental leave.

At the same time, it should be more visible that the faculty actively works with young talent from primary and secondary school levels on.

What led you to take on this role?

I’ve been working on part of this agenda at the department level for about twelve years, so I have experience with how these activities work in practice. When the opportunity to develop them at the faculty level arose, I hesitated for a moment, knowing it would significantly increase my workload. Still, in the end, I decided to take on the challenge.

It felt like a natural step and an opportunity to move some of these topics forward on a broader scale.

What do you enjoy most about working at the faculty?

The variety. Every day is different, and you meet a wide range of interesting people from different fields. I enjoy that the work naturally sits at the intersection of education, science, and public communication.

What brings me the most satisfaction are activities that connect people. Whether it’s students, staff, or cooperation with schools, I always appreciate it when we create a space for sharing, collaboration, and new ideas.

What message would you like to give to students?

Don’t be afraid to come forward with ideas, suggestions, and problems. The creativity of young people has enormous value. It’s important not to be afraid to bring in new ideas, try things differently, and show that even established processes can be improved.

This kind of energy and willingness to push things forward is very important for the university environment.

The easiest way is to email me, call, or arrange a personal meeting.

At the same time, I’d like communication to be more than just one-way and formal. If students or colleagues have an idea, a comment, or even just a feeling that something could work better, they shouldn’t hesitate to speak up. I value every piece of feedback, because it’s often what leads to concrete steps that improve how the faculty works.