At a two-day meeting in Olomouc, members of the Association of Deans of Science Faculties, along with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS, MŠMT in Czech), discussed the main changes planned under the framework of reforms in the training of secondary school teachers and changes in the funding of science and natural sciences. They also granted patronage for the publication of a Photographic Atlas of Plants of the Czech Republic.
The Deans of Science Faculties expressed their concern about planned changes in the framework requirements for education of secondary school teachers, which will see changes in the length of study (with a five-year study reduced to 4.5 years and 2.5 years for a subsequent Master’s study), and problems associated with the completion of internships. Nevertheless, they will continue to cooperate with the MEYS on preparation and implementation of the reforms.
The members of the association also drew attention to significant lack of funding to support education at universities, which could lead to drop in interest from young talent in the natural and technical sciences and to an outflow of quality workers to other sectors, and thus to a decline in the quality of education provided to future natural scientists and technicians.
The meeting of the Association of Deans of Science Faculties took place on June 8 and 9, 2023, in the premises of the Faculty of Science at Palacký University Olomouc and in the Fort Science (Pevnost poznání). The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Association and the Dean of Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science, Tomáš Kašparovský, the Dean of the University of Ostrava’s Faculty of Science, Zuzana Václavíková, the Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Water Protection of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Pavel Kozák, the Dean of the Faculty of Science of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, František Vácha, the Dean of the University of Hradec Králové’s Faculty of Science, Jan Kříž, the Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University, Mirko Rokyta, the Dean of the Faculty of Science at J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Michal Varady, the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Miloš Železný, the Dean of Charles University’s Faculty of Science, Jiří Zima, and the Dean of Natural Sciences Faculty at Palacký University Olomouc, Martin Kubala.
Honorary doctorates were awarded, by decision of the Scientific Council of Masaryk University, to Professor Thomas Robert Cech, who made a significant contribution to the formation of the field of biological sciences; and Professor Peter Wolfram Michor, who made a significant contribution to the development...
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