“Education is often viewed as the Cinderella of the university system and does not provide faculty members with the same resources as traditional research grant projects, making it difficult to find direct motivation for them to devote time to preparing high-quality instruction. This support is absolutely essential for them to prepare their classes effectively while also pursuing their own professional development. The goal of this award is to shift the narrative—that teaching and research should go hand in hand—and to show that we value high-quality teachers,” said Michal Bulant, Vice Rector for Education and Quality at Masaryk University, in his opening remarks.
The Forum for Quality Teaching aims to support, inspire, and recognize educators who go beyond their regular duties in the development of teaching.
As part of this year’s Forum for Quality Teaching, organized by Masaryk University’s Center for the Development of Pedagogical Competencies (CERPEK), a total of eight educators were honored, with the Faculty of Science having the largest representation with three recipients. Two awards went to the Faculty of Law, and the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Informatics each had one recipient. The morning program concluded with a lecture by Elīna Gaile-Sarkane from Riga Technical University, followed by a discussion with the award-winning instructors about their paths to quality education.
The afternoon session consisted of interactive workshops divided into two parallel sessions focused on specific tools and approaches to teaching development. These covered a wide range of topics, from faculty development to support for beginning university instructors and methods for facilitating reflection in active learning, to the integration of AI tools for student engagement and practical work with the voice as a key teaching tool.
2026 AWARD
Olga Rotreklová
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Plant Biosystematics
