Žurnál Magazine Here

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Magazine of Palacký University Olomouc, 2017/2

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Unveiling the Mystery

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2 — UP archaeologist reveals the secrets of medieval Islamic architecture in a war-stricken region 6 — Inclusion Fair offers opportunities for educating Roma pre-schoolers 6 — Research results published in a new book: Muslims in Czechia 7 — UP awards Austrian lawyer Armin Stolz 7 — Faculty of Health Sciences led once more by Jaroslav Vomáčka 8 — Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry welcomes two generations of its graduates, including the first Diamond Jubilee 8 — Experts from the Faculty of Education helping via Dear Readers theatre therapy in Russia 9 — Thanks to a European grant, RCPTM embarks on new In recent years UP has been research significantly transformed, in 9 — 10th International Teaching Week at the Faculty all conceivable aspects. UP has of Physical Culture become a sought-after workplace 10 — Rewrite the textbooks! The first non-metallic magnet for scientists from abroad who developed in Olomouc are attracted to Olomouc by the 11 — The uninvited avian guest on the pages of a new book university’s reputation, splendid 12 — Scientists from Olomouc help to save infrastructure, the level of safety in endangered medicinal plants in South Africa Czechia, the beauty of the city and 13 — Geneticists have isolated the DNA of the canonic the competitive financial conditions. Czech author Božena Němcová. Will it reveal her origins? 14 — Olomouc Baroque Festival celebrations guarantee They say that people vote with their one-of-a-kind experiences feet. They leave places without 15 — Portrait – Marta Lucie Cincialová prospects and go to places where 18 — Success they can realise their ambitions 22 — Kaleidoscope of News Briefs and dreams. Palacký University is gradually becoming an attractive 24 — Photostory – Academia Film Olomouc destination, especially for young 25 — Interview – Lumír Kantor: Every day I am amazed at what we are able to do scientists from all over the world who take part in large research 28 — Palacký University can entice even the best “players” in science projects. The growing international 31 — Experience – My Study Year Abroad in 2016 character of UP is strengthening 33 — Graduate – Marinella Danosová: I love being in internal competition, thus increasing the thick of it its quality. At the same time, co- 35 — Lifestyle – UP Botanical Garden – A source of operation with international knowledge and a place of recreation colleagues has taught us tolerance 36 — Reportage – Courses and expeditions spice up studies and respect for those who speak 38 — Heritage – Prof Phil Dr Friedrich Franz, OPraem foreign languages and come from 39 — Reflection – Nigeria different cultural circles. And this is a sine qua non prerequisite for 40 — University in the social fabric the development of a civil and free society in this country. title page: The vanished city of Old Makhmur – surface topography of visible remnants of a church, ca. 8–9th century photo: Czech Archaeological Mission in Northern Iraq archive Jaroslav Miller Rector, Palacký University

Satellites, GPS, and Courage UP archaeologist reveals the secrets of Medieval Islamic architecture in a war-stricken region

The desire to lift the veil of mystery surrounding the medieval architecture in the Middle East was aroused in him after a scholarship in Cairo, Egypt. Ever since Karel Nováček, a Palacký University archaeologist, saw its buildings, he has been intensely working on revealing new findings about medieval Islamic architecture, including the unique architecture in Mosul. Its architecture from the Islamic era, standing unjustly in the shadow of famous antique monuments in Iraqi Kurdistan, has much in common with medieval architecture in Europe and has been vanishing from the world’s sight in the aftermath of war.

2 žurnál 2017 “Cairo is a textbook on Islamic architec- which however the majority of the local ture. This is where I realised, seventeen population remained Christian. He estab- Karel Nováček (b. 1968) years ago, how largely its buildings are re- lished the Czech Archaeological Mission Originally an archaeologist lated to our European architecture in me- in Northern Iraq and in addition to that, he with specialisation on dieval times. And how woefully little is often visits this region as a member of var- medieval times in the Czech known about them,” says Nováček, cur- ious international teams. lands. A member of the rently at the Department of History, UP He is employed in a region which is as- Department of History Faculty of Arts. When he made his first sociated in the media with the war against at the UP Faculty of Arts. study visit to the land of the pyramids, he the so-called Islamic State. Karel Nováček Since 2006 he has also was a postgraduate student in Architec- emphasises that history and presence are been investigating the medieval urban network in ture History at Czech Technical University not so black and white as on television. northeastern Mesopotamia. in Prague and “genuine” archaeology was “Our team has regularly been to Erbil, lo- He is the main author of still far in the distance. cated a mere 90 km from Mosul. Where- a monograph published in In Egypt, the young scientist noticed that as Mosul has been inaccessible to Western Oxford, Medieval Urban objects which may not be attractive to the researchers since 2003, Erbil is a rapidly Landscape in Northeastern ordinary tourist may be as informative as growing, civilised, and safe city, until re- Mesopotamia. Thanks also to an entire textbook for a construction histo- cently living off their petroleum bonds,” his research, an exposition rian. “In the 1980s, Cairo suffered a major points out Nováček. During their mis- called Architecture in Danger earthquake. People left many buildings to sions he and his colleagues are usually ac- was installed in the Science their fates. The upper floors collapsed onto commodated in concrete houses in Chris- and Art Gallery of the Czech the ground floors, of which only shells re- tian as well as Muslim neighbourhoods. Academy of Sciences in mained. Later on people began to re-settle “There is less noise and consumerism In order to inform visitors on in those historical houses and entire streets Muslim neighbourhoods than in Chris- the architectural heritage in various ways. A construction historian tian ones,” compares the archaeologist. of the city, devastated by today has a unique opportunity to observe During his weeks-long stays he is in the ideologically motivated how the historical houses developed until everyday contact with the locals. His ex- attack by the radical Islamic the present. After a comparison with what perience has been good. “Local people are State. The exposition showed I knew from medieval Europe, I made a de- open-minded; they will talk cordially with visitors how architectural cision then to explore those medieval cit- you. I have never experienced anyone mak- sights can be explored ies of the Middle East more profoundly,” ing a negative comment concerning Eu- “from a distance”. Thanks recalls Nováček on one of the decisive mo- rope. I even think that with all the war, eco- to Czech experts, some ments of his career. And today he still per- nomic, and existential problems, they have of the destroyed Mosul ceives archaeology through architecture. gained a better perspective on life. Almost monuments retained their everyone in Erbil has a relative who died original appearance in the exposition – albeit in digital War gives you another perspective at the front during fights with the radicals form. For some time he had been looking for an- from IS. Nonetheless, local people are able other opportunity to get closer to Islamic to face problems with a certain calmness. architecture. When he was offered a job It is very enlightening for a European to ex- in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2006, he did not hes- perience their detached perspective. They itate. Since then he has dedicated all his know what matters in life. I really don’t research to the Islamic era, the period be- think that we Europeans are happier in Satellites, GPS, and Courage tween the 7th and 19th centuries, during general,” claims Nováček.

Ancient cemetery in a mountain valley near Makhmur, containing about 5,000 visible graves.

žurnál 2017 3 Archaeologists with satellites documentation of what can be seen on Central Tigris, inaccessible on a long-term Archaeologists today definitely need more the surface,” says Nováček. basis. Similarly, they cannot approach the than just the traditional tape measure, Neither top-notch technology nor many largest city of Northern Iraq, Mosul, whose trowel, and shovel. Karel Nováček’s team years of experience are however any guar- destruction is being mapped by the archae- includes a specialist on the use of satellite antee that the archaeologist will encounter ologists only via satellite imagery. images. “Lenka Starková, a specialist on a historical site. “The most powerful mo- “The radical Islamists have destroyed landscape archaeology and work with sat- ment is when you personally find out that 47 architectural historical sites. Apart ellite data, is one of the pillars of the team. the remains of the settlement are exact- from two exceptions, they had all served Modern technologies including satellite ly where you had expected them to be and religious purposes – the vast majority were images are vital for our work today,” adds also that they’re from the period you ex- Islamic mosques, mausoleums, tombs, Karel Nováček. plore,” as the archaeologist described the and graves. The consequences are devas- He is a European pioneer among those moment of suspense. Satellite images only tating. Mosul has lost invaluable historical who take an interest in medieval Islamic show the presence of some anthropogenic buildings from the 12th and 13th centuries architecture. “Those who had travelled traces after vanished settlements and larg- which had created its skyline and specific to Mesopotamia usually studied the As- er structures. Those, however, may well be appearance.” According to the Olomouc syrian era, the Bronze Age, or even old- only 30 years old – or they may date back to scientist, Mosul’s architecture is absolute- er periods. The latest layer of settlement the Neolithic Age. The range may be even ly unique, because the architects who built was of interest to barely anyone. And this ten thousand years. these structures had extensive experience is how information on approximately fif- “When you hit the period you explore, with Christian architecture and trans- teen vanished cities, still visible in the ter- a series of connections begin to rev up in ferred such features to the Shiite architec- rain, was lost to the world,” says the UP your mind, and your scientific imagination ture in Mosul. archaeologist about precious archaeo- is unleashed at full throttle. It is an extraor- “It is tragic how the diversity of the logical sites. He has been collecting data dinary and very precious moment,” con- world’s heritage has been decreased. The on the unique historic structures in Iraqi fesses Nováček. He never worries about the architectural phenomenon of Mosul, un- Kurdistan for many years now. He and his danger around him, although he knows he paralleled in the whole of global culture, team make expeditions out of their base may bump into poisonous spiders, scorpi- has not even been properly documented,” in Erbil and explore sites which might ons, and other dangerous creatures. laments Nováček. Documentation of Mo- conceal a historic masterpiece, with their “I have talismans from my kids for good sul’s buildings is scattered in various col- hunches based on the satellite images. luck. The biggest threat for me are the local lections, often private; only a very small The satellite image reveals the size of the stray and very intrusive dogs. I have always portion appears on the Internet. archaeological site, its approximate age feared dogs,” he smiles. “We are trying to collect everything we and condition. Then they use GPS for fur- can. We have been thoroughly document- ther orientation. Digital models: the future of ing the destruction of the city. We have ex- “Just to give you a better idea, we’re Mosul architecture amined private collections and used the talking about an area which is the size of Not all sites are accessible to Czech archae- estates of researchers who had visited Mo- the greater Pilsen Region. There are al- ologists such as the ones around Erbil. The sul before us. We also contact people who most a dozen historical cities that inter- region has been stricken by war and some come from Mosul and used to work or still

est us. First we make a basic survey and of the city ruins are located in the area of work there,” says the archaeologist about Czech the of Archive Archaeological Northernphotos: in Mission Iraq

4 žurnál 2017  The vanished city of Old Makhmur, a hillock hiding a vanished castle – probably a Christian aristocrat’s residence – from the era shortly after the advent of Islam.

 The vanished city of Old Makhmur – surface discoveries of ceramic shards provide priceless information on dating this part of the site.

  A digital model of the terrain shows Old Makhmur in the basin of the Central Tigrid, the remains of which are unusually well preserved on the surface of the terrain. The town vanished in the 9th century, some two hundred years after the advent of Islam. Its core could be the historically known church and monastery Bet Margana (red area), which was later extended by vast, unfortified urban districts (in green). The settlement was surrounded by square- shaped castles of the local Christian nobility (red-dotted lines).

their rescue mission, incomparable to the work in the terrain around Erbil.

Cautious optimist Despite the deluge of negative news, the UP archaeologist also highlights a positive moment now: “In 2016 I came across a book that contained maps from Mo- sul’s new local plan and registered all historical sites and sacral buildings. It allowed me to detect four more constructions that had escaped our attention. And when I recently compared a satellite image from Au- gust 2015 with an image from September 2016, I was relieved to see that destruction in Mosul has stopped,” says Nováček. He is only slightly optimistic, however, since he knows that the liberation operation in pro- gress will inevitably lead to more damage. Furthermore, he does not believe that the destroyed objects would be properly recon- structed any time soon. It took the gigantic destruction of Mosul and the annihilation of the region’s cultural heritage to attract the attention of several foreign research teams, which began to investigate the monuments from the Islam- ic era. Karel Nováček has been successfully collaborating with them, and so he will travel to Erbil again in September 2017 in order to take part in discovering the remains of the neglected Islamic medieval era. Thanks to recently launched collaboration between Palacký University and the Historic Preser- vation Inspectorate in Kirkuk, he will also educate local young archaeologists. “We want to teach them how to better preserve the historical heritage of their country.”

žurnál 2017 5 8 faculties 1 university

Inclusion Fair offers opportunities for educating Roma pre-schoolers

Supporting the admission of Roma ed could attend lectures on the subject The project Preparing Roma Children children into the educational system of inclusive education and special edu- and Children from Socially Marginalised was the main goal of the Inclusion Fair, cational activities held in a profession- Groups in the Olomouc Region and its Sur- which took place in Olomouc and was al seminar. roundings for Education through the Help hosted by the Sts Cyril and Methodi- “We want to move the starting line of Volunteers while Paying Attention to us Faculty of Theology with its part- for pre-schoolers, who do not have so Spiritual Needs (ROMSPIDO) was sup- ners in the ROMSPIDO project. The many prejudices as their elders in the ported by the Czech Ministry of Education, first year of this public-professional society’s majority, to enter the educa- Youth and Sports; European Structural event was aimed at working with pre- tional system on the same level as those and Investment Funds; and the Operation- school children. It offered presenta- who have been prepared for elementary al Programme “Research, Development tions by non-profit organisations and school and also further education,” ex- and Innovation”. In the coming years, it will partners of the project, a workshop plained the co-ordinator of the project, also be aimed at middle school students and for pre-schoolers, films, and a perfor- a professional at the Institute of Social “friendly workers” – work positions offered mance by a Roma band. Those interest- Health at CMFT, Zdeněk Meier. to Roma in the local sector. (mav)

Research results published in a new book: Muslims in Czechia

Palacký University contributed in the cre- lic eye and through the media, and the ation of a nearly 500-page book, Muslims fourth to the interpretations by Muslims in Czechia: Establishing Muslims and Is- themselves. Moreover, it is a contribution lam in the Public Sphere. Daniel Topinka, to the discussion which has been recent- from the Department of Sociology, An- ly triggered in Czech society,” said Daniel dragogy and Cultural Anthropology of Topinka. The book is also dedicated for ex- the Faculty of Arts, offers a colourful ample to the situation of Muslims in hospi- overview of Muslims living in the Czech tals, spas and prisons, Muslim cemeteries, Republic in the book. ritual slaughter, and the image of Muslims The book accompanies the reader in textbooks and the media. The informa- through the research stages which took tion found in the book will be of benefit not place beforehand. It is divided into four only to academics, but also to readers who main parts. “The first part is dedicated to are state and local administration employ- Muslims and Islam post-1989, the second ees and those in non-profit organisations. to Muslims and Islam in the perspective The publication, the work of a dozen au- of public affairs management, the third thors over the years 2013–2016, was pub- to Muslims and Islam seen in the published by Barrister & Principal. (map)

6 žurnál 2017 UP awards Austrian lawyer Armin Stolz

One more name has been entered onto the medal was attended by the Vice-Dean the prestigious list of UP Medal of Hon- for Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes our holders. The medal was given to the at the UP Faculty of Law, Maxim Tomo- leading Austrian expert on comparative szek, and Stolz’s closest collaborator, constitutional and administrative law, Michal Malacka of the Department of Armin Stolz, who works at Karl-Fran- International and European Law. “It is zens-Universität in Graz. He received a great honour for me, and a joy to accept the award for his long-term co-oper- this medal. I have been working with you ation with the UP Faculty of Law and since the early 1990s, since the inception for spreading the good name of Olo- of your faculty. We’ve done quite a deal of mouc’s university abroad. work in that time. The faculty is standing The Austrian lawyer and academic was on solid feet now, it is known abroad, and nominated by the Faculty of Law. “Armin still expanding,” said Armin Stolz. Stolz has been collaborating with our fac- “Prof Stolz supported the re-estab- ulty for over twenty years, and it has been lished faculty by co-organising the summer very close co-operation, important for schools in Olomouc and Graz, exchange our teaching. He significantly contribut- stays, creating the Austrian Library, real- ed, and still contributes, to spreading the ising courses in constitutional comparison good name of Palacký University abroad law, and also connecting the faculty with and to the development of its internation- the foreign co-operation of Karl-Fran- al prestige,” explained Dean Zdenka Pa- zens-Universität in Graz,” Michal Malacka poušková. The ceremonial awarding of noted. (eha)

Faculty of Health Sciences led once more by Jaroslav Vomáčka

On March first, the former and now cur- Dean Vomáčka in his second term velop the professional qualifications of rent dean, Jaroslav Vomáčka, took charge wants to aim at further development and its academic workers. He wants to devote of the leadership of the UP Faculty of stabilisation of the faculty in all areas. intense attention to academic, develop- Health Sciences. The Academic Senate Under his leadership, the faculty ought mental, and research activities, and im- nominated him for the period 2017–2021 to expand its offer of new fields of study prove their close ties to economic and so- and he was named Dean by Rector Jaro- taught in English as well as in Czech, sup- cial work. One component of this should slav Miller. port student foreign study stays, and de- be developing and finding new academics by expanding the doctoral study programmes and deepening international co-operation. One of the important steps in the coming years will be preparing a building project and realising the construction of a new faculty headquarters. “Constructing a new, modern building is key for the material-technical unifica- tion of the faculty, and for the development and expansion of the structure of fields of study and study programmes. Several fields are already prepared for accreditation and for their development, and at the same time for the development of the Centre of Science and Edu- cation and the Centre of Practical Expe- rience it is absolutely necessary to have adequate spatial capacity,” explained

photos: Mazochová Velena | Eva Hrudníková Jaroslav Vomáčka. (mav)

žurnál 2017 7 8 faculties 1 university

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry welcomes two generations of its graduates, including the first Diamond Jubilee

Respect, admiration, and strong emotions mond graduates together with the faculty al regimes and finally experienced democ- ruled the atmosphere of the Diamond Ju- leadership. racy – and with it, that our faculty’s reputa- bilee, which took place for the first time at Jaroslav Rybka, Director Emeritus of tion is rising and out of it have come many Palacký University’s Faculty of Medicine the World Health Organization’s Centre for European and world discoveries,” he em- and Dentistry. After sixty years, seven- the Study of Diabetes and leader of the Di- phasised. The unique experience was also teen graduates from 1957 renewed their abetes Centre at the hospital in Zlín, rem- attended by the Class of 1987, which met ceremonial oaths. “You are some of our inisced on his student years in the 1950s. on the same day in Olomouc for their tradi- most important graduates, because you “There were 240 of us entering our stud- tional event Roots/Radicēs. In addition to were there at the faculty’s beginnings and ies, and 105 of us graduated. We decided to their informal meeting, the programme in- throughout your careers you have spread study medicine and after all the twists and cluded lectures by graduates from the class the university’s good name,” said Rec- turns which infused that period of power, as well as a performance by a saxophone tor Jaroslav Miler, who welcomed the dia- it was a lucky decision. We endured sever- quintet. (mav)

Experts from the Faculty of Education helping via theatre therapy in Russia

Therapists from the Faculty of Education theatre therapy can really help in such sit- travelled to help deprived children who live uations. Thanks to them, children begin to in foster families in Armavir, Russia. They be creative, and they are capable of taking also showed how healing is possible via responsibility for their lives,” said Oldřich theatre therapy. Müller. Together with other colleagues, Old- Ten therapeutic days meant intense řich Müller and Martin D. Polínek from work for the drama therapists from UP, but the Institute of Special Education Studies the end of their stay belonged to the theat- worked with children in a new SOS chil- rical presentation. “It was probably the big- dren’s village. At present, there are 80 chil- gest event which we have done within the dren with special needs living there. Some auspices of UP. I am glad that the half-hour of them no longer have parents, others presentation, ‘Support Me’, was a success. were abused, some of them were born with Drama therapy and theatre therapy are foetal alcohol syndrome. However, all have not very widespread in Russia, and that is something in common: problems estab- why the experts there wanted to see it in ac-

lishing relationships. “Drama therapy and tion,” added Martin D. Polínek. (map) photos: Oldřich Müller archive | Viktor Čáp Mazochová | Velena | Martin Višňa

8 žurnál 2017 Thanks to a European grant, RCPTM embarks on new research

Scientists at the Regional Centre for Ad- optimising the anodic photocatalysts, and vanced Technologies and Materials improving their qualities. (RCPTM) began to focus on the develop- “Despite many advantages, such as their ment of hybrid nanomaterials, which make low price, non-toxicity, availability in great possible effective solar water splitting and amounts and chemical stability, these ma- obtaining hydrogen as a significant main- terials exhibit several drawbacks, which at tainable energy source. Thanks to sup- present prevent their high-capacity use in port from the operational programme “Re- the production of green, cheap energy. The search, Development and Education”, the project’s goal is to eliminate these draw- new team is dedicating itself to the prob- backs by a combination of metal oxides lem, led by a world expert in the areas of with nanocrystalline materials, which we material chemistry, photoelectric chemis- have been studying in our centre for some try and renewable energy, Patrik Schmuki. time,” explained RCPTM Director Radek Hydrogen is considered the energy Zbořil on their goals. The emergent hy- source of the future, one gentle on the en- brid structures increase the effectiveness vironment. Olomouc scientists are aiming of the photocatalyst process, and even in- at a method which would make it possible crease the volume of hydrogen created. to obtain it from water by using solar ener- This should help these new technologies gy in what is called the photoelectric chem- enter into real practise. Participating in the ical process. They are making use of prov- project are colleagues from the USA, Den- en and inexpensive materials, such as iron mark, Switzerland, France, and South Ko- oxide and titanium dioxide, primarily for rea. (srd)

10th International Teaching Week at the Faculty of Physical Culture

The teaching reins at the Faculty of cal and practical lessons held in English ment, aqua gymnastics, simple games Physical Culture were taken over at the met with twelve teachers from six coun- which develop co-operation and logical beginning of April by foreign lecturers tries, including South Africa, Israel, and thinking, and the workshop Football for during the 10th International Teaching Romania. Themes included the relation- Peace. Week at FPC UP. Students in theoreti- ship between geocaching and move- The 1st International Teaching Week took place in November 2012 after courses in English were required at the faculty. This significant change in the conception of teaching foreign languages took place within the framework of the ESF project “Internationalisation of the Faculty of Physical Culture at Palacký Universi- ty Olomouc”. “Within ten such weeks at our faculty, seventy lecturers from nearly thirty countries took part in teaching advanced subjects for almost 3000 students; the teaching was not focused only on English. Moreover, we try to place an emphasis on activating forms of teaching,” commented Zuzana Hanelová, the advisor for foreign relations, and the head of the above-mentioned programme. Organisation of the 10th Internation- al Teaching Week was also shared by the Department of Developmental and En- vironmental Studies at the UP Faculty of Science. (vim)

žurnál 2017 9 text: Martina Šaradínová discovery ilustration: Martin Pykal | photos: RCPTM

An illustration of the first organic magnet on the basis of graphene with magnetic properties at room temperature. Rewrite the textbooks! The first non-metallic magnet developed in Olomouc

A dream of many generations of researchers has been fulfilled by a discovery made by scientists at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) at Palacký University Olo- mouc. By using graphene, an ultra-thin form of carbon, these scientists prepared the first non-metallic magnet that retains its magnetic properties up to room temperature. Its potential applications are vast, particularly in the fields of biomedicine and electronics. The report of the Czech scientists, disproving old beliefs, was published in the prestigious Nature Communications journal.

All magnetic materials used until now have seen as a huge advancement in the capabili- carry free electrons,” said Michal Otyep- been based on metals or their compounds. ties of organic magnets,” said Radek Zbořil, ka, a co-creator of the theoretical model, However, the aim of Olomouc scientists the lead author of the project and Director of whose work on the project was conduct- was to prepare an organic magnet. In its RCPTM. ed within the framework of a prestigious development, they placed their bet on a ma- European Research Council (ERC) grant. terial of the last decade they had bounti- A theoretical model was developed “I am pleased that the very first work on the ful experience with: graphene – a single The work arose solely from contributions topics addressed by the ERC project has two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms. by Olomouc scientists, who also developed yielded such important results,” he added. “For several years, we have suspected a theoretical model to explain the origin of The path from this discovery to practical that the path to magnetic carbon could in- magnetism in these carbon materials. “In applications may be relatively long. Howev- volve graphene. Amazingly, by treating it metallic systems, magnetic phenomena re- er, the range of potential uses is enormous. with other non-metallic elements such as sult from the behaviour of electrons in the “I think that not only our team in Olomouc fluorine, hydrogen, and oxygen, we were atomic structure of metals. In the organ- but also the broad scientific community able to create a new source of magnetic mo- ic magnets that we have developed, the will want to exploit the huge surface area of ments that communicate with each other magnetic features emerge from the behav- graphene and the potential of combining its even at room temperature. This discovery is iour of non-metallic chemical radicals that unique conductivity and electronic proper-

10 žurnál 2017 A photograph of a new graphene Mapping of the new graphene A photograph derivative – hydroxofluorographene derivative – hydroxofluorographene – of a colloidal dispersion – made by high-resolution electron by means of combined atomic force of hydroxofluorographene. microscopy. microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.

ties with magnetism. There are not only po- Successful research into cent experiments in our labs have clearly tential applications in the fields of spintron- magnetism confirmed the possibility. We are currently ics and electronics, but also in medicine for At the end of 2016, the Olomouc research collaborating with Prof Pavel Hobza’s team targeted drug delivery and for separating team recently reported the discovery of the to develop detailed theoretical explanations molecules using external magnetic fields,” world’s smallest metal magnets, also in Na- for the unique behaviour of these molecular says Jiří Tuček, whose work focuses on sol- ture Communications. This will certainly not magnets. I am hoping that we’ll be, for the id-state magnetism. The Czech scientists be the team’s final contribution to research third time, faster than competing research are already collaborating with colleagues on magnetism. “We have taken several im- teams around the world, especially given from Japan and Belgium to look at applica- portant steps towards developing the first the potentially immense impact of organic tions of organic magnets and to develop ac- magnetic molecules whose magnetism can magnetic materials in fields such as molec- curate theoretical models. be manipulated at room temperature. Re- ular electronics and sensorics,” says Zbořil.

The uninvited avian guest on the pages of a new book

The life of the avian interloper, the tail and such technical quality. Oldřich Mi- prominent biologist, Tim Birkhead, in his common cuckoo, is introduced in a new kulica spent thousands of hours sitting in his review for BBC Wildlife appreciates “the ex- book entitled The Cuckoo – The Uninvited shelter and caught things unseen by any re- ceptional photographs, text and overall de- Guest, including unique pictures made searcher before,” revealed Grim. sign”. The co-authors of the text of the book by the photographer Oldřich Mikulica. It This popular science publication has at- as well as its concept, along with the Olo- was published by Wild Nature Press in the tracted very positive press even among ex- mouc ornithologist, were Norwegian orni- United Kingdom, and one of the authors perts, and it was selected by the UK journal thologist Bård G. Stokke and Karl Schul- summarising the results of many years of BBC Wildlife as “Book of the Month”. One ze-Hagen. (srd) research into this bird species is Tomáš Grim from the Department of Zoology at the UP Faculty of Science. The book shows the entire life cycle of the cuckoo, from laying the egg to hatching and taking care of the young in and out of the nest. “We have based our work on literature published from the eighteenth century until now, and some of the findings were updated during proofreading. We have included even previously unpublished and new opinions. In addition, we tried to rebut some of the traditional myths concerning cuckoos, and to present the reader with how research into such birds is made,” said Grim. Apart from thousands of articles, forty specialised books have been published on the common cuckoo. The most recent addition stands out distinctively, in particular due to unparalleled photographs. “Until today, no other book has been published that would capture the cuckoo’s life in such de-

žurnál 2017 11 text: Martina Šaradínová science photo: Gabriela Knýblová

Scientists from Olomouc help to save endangered medicinal plants in South Africa

Scientists from the Centre of the Region Haná the Czech-South African co-operation. These become endangered in the wild. Czech sci- for Biotechnological and Agricultural Re- new derivatives are of use when commonly entists collaborate with colleagues from the search (CRH) in Olomouc are contributing used and commercially available plant growth Research Center for Plant Growth and Devel- to the conservation of endangered species of regulators do not help. opment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. medicinal plants in South Africa. Within the Together they helped in the rescue of certain auspices of long-term co-operation with the Tailored plant hormones species of aloe, devil’s claw, pelargonium and Research Centre for Plant Growth and Devel- “Thanks to many years of research and work- other important medicinal plants. Scientists opment, University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pie- ing together, we are able to prepare plant hor- from Olomouc have contributed to about ten termaritzburg, South Africa, Czech scientists mones tailored for specific plant species for South African patents. have developed special derivatives of plant our partners today. We have already identified “It’s a great example of blending cut- hormones that stimulate plant growth in ster- potential problems, and we are able to identi- ting-edge basic and applied research. Over ile environments and support plant acclima- fy the cause at the molecular level. Therefore, time we arrived at the development of growth tization both in greenhouses and outdoors. for certain types of plants, we develop targeted regulators tailored to overcome specific tis- During fifteen years of fruitful collaboration, agents to prevent problems and appropriately sue-culture problems. Thanks to such plant Czech researchers have significantly contrib- stimulate plant growth,” said the head of the growth regulators, we are currently able to uted to the rescue of at least ten species of Department of Chemical Biology and Genet- gain even more material for the basic research endangered plants. A study which maps the ics of CRH, Karel Doležal. on endangered plants, so the research is even latest result of the partnership was recently Scientists must also ensure that the plant more systematic. We prepare exact molecules published in the journal Plant Growth Regu- will be able to acclimate to a normal environ- for our South African collaborators and con- lation. ment. “Acclimatization is one of the greatest versely, we obtain specially prepared samples South African researchers use a method problems when using this method of grow- of plants, in which we analyze endogenous of micropropagation in vitro to grow endan- ing plants. Our derivatives can, in many cas- plant hormones,” said Lucie Plíhalová of CRH. gered plants. The method is normally applied es, overcome these problems, because we Phytohormones, and particularly cytokinins, in commercial companies for growing house- are able to adjust compound properties pre- have been studied by scientists from Olomouc plants and orchids: a small part of the plant cisely. Plants cloned from the explant and in- for more than 20 years. Scientists are deal- is removed – an explant. The whole plant can troduced back into the natural environment ing with the possibilities of their application grow again under sterile conditions in vitro have absolutely the same genetic information in medicine, cosmetics and agriculture. For from this little explant. This process requires as the original plant from which the explant this reason, the laboratory holds many nation- a special medium that contains plant hor- was removed. This is another rule that must al and international patents related to these mones – especially cytokinins and auxins. be respected,” said Doležal. compounds. The Centre of the Region Hana These plant hormones stimulate cell division is a joint workplace of the Faculty of Science and scientists from Olomouc have been stud- Patents in South Africa of Palacký University Olomouc, the Institute ying these interesting compounds for a num- Researchers also focus on saving medici- of Experimental Botany of the Academy of ber of years. Important research results relat- nal plants. There is a huge demand for these Sciences of the Czech Republic and the Czech ed to these compounds have been applied in medicinal plants and therefore many of them Crop Research Institute.

12 žurnál 2017 research

text: Velena Mazochová photos: Velena Mazochová and from the archive of the Božena Němcová Museum in Česká Skalice

Geneticists have isolated the DNA of the canonic Czech author Božena Němcová. Will it reveal her origins?

Thanks to 21st century scientific methods, the mitochondrial DNA. Then we sequenced researchers have isolated 150-year-old DNA both samples in parallel and could confirm from the Czech writer Božena Němcová and that there was identical DNA found in the her son Hynek. It was made possible by the mitochondrial haplogroup H,” explained systematic analysis of genetic material by Vodička. a multi-disciplinary team led by an associate Thanks to identifying Božena Něm- professor at the Medical Genetics Depart- cová’s DNA, the scientists at the same time ment of the UP Faculty of Medicine and Den- gained a tool for its comparison for other po- tistry, Radek Vodička. tential genotypes. They could then confirm The scientists carried out complex genet- or reject the speculation on the hypotheti- ic research on samples taken from the writ- cal aristocratic origins of the Czech author, er’s and her son’s hair, deposited in the col- about whom some researchers have intro- lections of the Božena Němcová Museum in duced a rift in the genealogy of her family and Associate professor Radek Vodička at work. Česká Skalice. The needs of analysis required in schoolbooks. “We need to obtain the ge- just minute pieces of the preserved strands netic material on the female side, because mi- to be subjected to the decontamination pro- tochondrial DNA is passed down from moth- cedures. “With respect to that the hair over er to daughter, who then passes it on. In the the course of centuries has been touched by case of a mother and son, it is possible only a huge number of people, it was necessary to into the first generation. That is why we used carefully, but thoroughly, ensure that the for- both the samples of Němcová and Hynek in eign DNA was removed. At the same time we our research,” Vodička elaborated. had to take care not to damage the hair,” de- According to the Česká Skalice museum scribed Radek Vodička, who took part in the director, Milan Horký, who led the research design of the entire procedure. team, the next phase of research should be The aim of the analysis was to find the type aimed primarily at the genealogy of Božena of DNA which is located in the mitochondria Němcová’s official family and at obtaining – the cellular organelles occurring outside the genetic material from its female side. Only in cell nucleus. “As opposed to the cell nucleus, the case that comparison of this DNA with where the DNA is gradually degraded over that of Božena Němcová was not in agree- The strands of hair from time, mitochondrial DNA stays preserved. It ment, would the researchers then continue Božena Němcová deposited in can be preserved for centuries in a given sam- with the still unproven hypothesis about the the museum in Česká Skalice ple if it has not been exposed to moisture or different origins of the Czech writer. “Be- come from 1862 and are said some other hostile environment. Because cause we need mitochondrial DNA, i.e. just to have been cut right after Němcová’s hair was kept immediately after her on the female side, in the possible case of her death. Several examined death in a dry and dark en vironment, its struc- comparative work we would still have a long descriptions attest to this, ture was almost undamaged, as if it had been road of demanding genealogical research as well as the presence of freshly cut,” said Vodička. ahead of us,” Horký pointed out. The re- grey hair. The Němcová For obtaining and reading the mitochon- search team, in which are also represented family preserved Hynek’s hair drial DNA, the scientists chose an experi- experts from the Charles University Facul- as a memento of their mental method suitable for very small or even ty of Arts, the Museum of Czech Literature, prematurely departed son. In trace elements. “The method used, which is the Olomouc laboratories of Genexone and 1919, both strands of hair were also used by the FBI, first requires the hair to the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of given to the Božena Němcová be sufficiently ‘digested’ and then primarily Chemical Process Fundamentals, will elab- Museum in Česká Skalice by the keratin – the main protein in the hair – to orate the next direction in the research when the author’s daughter Dora. be broken down, thus freeing the remnants of they meet this summer.

žurnál 2017 13 university town text & photo: Milada Hronová

Olomouc Baroque Festival celebrations guarantee one-of-a-kind experiences

Twenty-three evenings, bringing six new- the Jaroměřice Count Questenberg. The the Olomouc composer Vít Zouhar, who is ly rehearsed full nights of entertainment opera Il Natal di Giove – by his secretary, also a member of the Department of Mu- with outstanding Czech and foreign solo- Karl Müller – will even have its modern sic Education at the Faculty of Education ists and actors. These are the Olomouc Ba- world premiere,” said Tomáš Hanzlík, and at the same time a vice-rector at UP, roque Festival, now in its fifth year, offer- from the Department of Music Education among others. ing exquisite experiences from July 7–30. at the Faculty of Education, who is also The Olomouc Baroque Festival’s pro- The Baroque setting is provided by the UP the artistic director of Ensemble Dami- ductions will boast over 70 profession- Arts Centre. an. He further said that three days of this al musicians, playing on historic instru- All the scores will be performed by the year’s celebrations will be dedicated to ments. Every night a quintet of machinists Ensemble Damian group. Part of this his Neo-Baroque opera Endymio, which will watch over the fluid set-changes of year’s festival will be made up of original Ba- will be followed in the evening by Yta in- unique replicas of Baroque theatre set- roque serenades, and the other part is made nocens. Both operas were composed by tings. The performances are accompa- up of Neo-Baroque operas, which have Hanzlík from Baroque librettos he found nied by an exhibition of historic Czech been created from historic librettos whose in the chateau of the Olomouc archbishops theatre curtains and guided tours of the original music has not been preserved. at Kroměříž. Also from the Kroměříž ar- Neo-Baroque St Sarkander Chapel and “We studied for instance two sere- chive is the libretto for the opera Coronide, the Baroque Church of St Michael, includ- nades which come from the collection of whose new christening was supervised by ing its tower.

PROGRAMME:

Lacrimae Alexandri magni: Tomáš Hanzlík (7–10 July) La Contesa dei Numi: Leonardo Vinci (11–14 July) Coronide: Vít Zouhar Harlekýnova dobrodružství [The Harlequin’s Adventure]: Tomáš Hanzlík (15–18 July) Ilnatal di Giove: Karel Müller (19–22 July) Endymio, Yta innocens: Tomáš Hanzlík La Senna festeggiante RV 693: Antonio Vivaldi (27–30 July)

14 žurnál 2017 portrait

text: Velena Mazochová photos: Gabriela Knýblová

Marta Lucie Cincialová

Mother Superior of the Merciful Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis in Olomouc and the Vice-Dean of the Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology at UP

žurnál 2017 15 A nun, theologian, and vice-dean. And also a former secret nov- Marta Lucie Cincialová (b. 1966) ice, now a tourist-pilgrim and occasional hairdresser, who likes running. Her story is one charged with energy, vitality, and love, Within the “underground” church she attended theologi- breaking the common preconceptions about the aesthetic world cal classes of ThDr Josef Zvěřína of nuns. And she is joyous from the richness of life. and her formative training culminated in her secret entry into orders in 1986. After “When somebody says ‘she lives like chapel. “It is a slightly oversized household finishing high school, she was a nun,’ most people think that that wom- and we need to earn money for its opera- certified in Interventional Radiology and worked in the an probably doesn’t have much fun in life. tions and maintenance. But we live quite Olomouc Teaching Hospital. But it’s all about how we understand ‘en- humbly, we have a joint bank account and She taught at the Healthcare joyment’. For me, it’s the art of receiv- our expenses are still smaller than our Sciences Middle School in Olo- ing joy from life, which I perceive as a gift earnings. So we can also support various mouc and at the Department and a challenge. Only what I am capable benevolent activities or specific families.” of Nuclear Medicine at the Institute for Further Education of appreciating is worth sacrificing for the The convent on Bishop’s Square is at the of Healthcare Workers in Brno. greater good, and so is giving up that ‘en- same time open to friends and collabora- At CMFT UP she completed joyment’. And then I enjoy that I can, that tors, and hosts events for the public. a Master’s degree in Christian I do not have to, that I want to,” says the The sisters are together daily for the Education, post-graduate sympathetic blonde with the charming morning session of prayers and meditation studies in Spiritual Theology at smile. “Asceticism for me is the study of and they also meet evenings for prayer and the Pontifical University Anto- nianum in Rome, and received inner order, balance, concentration, dis- group dinner. “And then there are those her doctorate in Systematic cipline. That is what brings me satisfac- rare free days, when we go out somewhere Theology from CMFT UP. tion in life. It’s quite simple: in my experi- or even just stay at home together. During As a member of the Congre- ence God is enough. He is in me and in the the day we mostly live out our employment gation of Merciful Sisters of world, where I look for Him and find Him, responsibilities.” Her congregation is an the Third Order of St Francis, and most of all, in the people around me.” apostolic or active one, and because they she is responsible for studies do not have their own mission – for exam- and formation and she is the Courageous and best choice ple a hospital or school – they work in vari- chairperson of the group working on a new Constitution for She chose the life of a nun in full conscience ous civil professions. “We earn a living just the order. Since 2005 she has and has never regretted it. “It doesn’t mean like everyone else – by working. Within the been a member of the General that a person never makes a wrong move, framework of religious charismata, this Board of the Congregation and doesn’t get stuck, nor get detoured. But means work in the social sphere: health- the Mother Superior of the I haven’t found anything better.” She has care and schools, or in the area of educa- Olomouc community. been lucky with the people who have had tion and pastoral work.” At CMFT UP she is employed an influence on her, and is grateful for being as an assistant professor in the raised in a family where faith was taken for Favourite teacher Department of Pastoral and granted, like “bread and butter”. Her mod- Her service has been connected for the past Spiritual Theology, and she also lectures at the Caritas College el in her time of searching was Mother The- 15 years with the Sts Cyril and Methodius of Social Work Olomouc and resa. “I told myself that when she dies, she Faculty of Theology at UP (CMFT), where at the Institute of Franciscan would have had a full life behind her. But the she works as an assistant professor at the Studies in Prague. She is inter- final path was my own doubts. I was eight- Department of Pastoral and Spiritual The- ested in the study of sources een and I was considering whether my life ology. “Spiritual theology is actually a re- of spirituality, the forms of initiate life, and Franciscan should play out in that I would enter into flection of the spiritual experience coming spirituality and mysticism. In marriage and life with the boy I was dating. from the content of faith, which is pro- her role as vice-dean, she is And I asked myself – is that all there is?” jected into our everyday lives. It is quite responsible for the division To choose the path of noviciate life in difficult, because it lays emphasis on au- of organisation, development, what was then Socialist Czechoslovakia thenticity, but it is also beautiful – the inter- external relations, and further education at CMFT UP. meant at the same time to have the cour- pretation of classic works of spiritual liter- age to enter the order secretly. “We knew ature, the spiritual experience of important we were taking a risk, which is why no- personages in church history, and the actu- body in my family except for my brother alization of their message is an enriching knew about it. But we did not consider that challenge.” we were doing a courageous deed; we were She loves to teach and students seek young and followed our own path.” her out. “They are lovely in their searching, their openness, and their doubts. Of- A slightly oversized household ten they are also quite confused, due to The community of four sisters and one the numbers of various spiritual direc- candidate on Olomouc’s Academic Street tions which they come across. I love those is reminiscent of a family household with moments of discussion when everything all the everyday duties, including cooking, comes out, and the inner questions carry cleaning, and upkeep on the house and the the germs of possible answers.”

16 žurnál 2017 As a vice-dean, she understands the role serted Greek island, or to the mountains. of creating good interpersonal relation- She spent part of last summer on an almost ships. “And even organisational affairs are 1000 km pilgrimage to Santiago de Com- something we experience in relationships postela. and the most important thing is to have She doesn’t get much time for her unusu- mutual trust, to want to communicate, or al hobby – “to make people better-looking” to say even unpleasant things. I’m lucky and to fix their hair. “I like to help people that a good atmosphere in the workplace find their natural beauty. It doesn’t have to is a prerequisite for good work, and I wish take much – fix the styling, make-up, or cut that our employees, teachers, and students their hair. I’m just an amateur, but the few would look forward to going to school. I am friends with families and children whom aware that the function of vice-dean is con- I occasionally meet to do their hair leave sat- nected with a certain power, but for me that isfied.” Sometimes she even goes to a half- is intended for service. I am joyous from the way house to cut homeless people’s hair: success of others and the feeling I get when “They usually come spanking clean, and it I am able to help them.” is lovely to see the transformation and them newly-charged and self-assured.” Rest without the veil She rests mostly in motion. She does Pi- The art of loving lates, swims, and runs. “I like running, it “I have plenty to learn, there is so much clears my head, I like the exhaustion after I do not know. Nevertheless – sometimes it being in motion. I love the endorphins.” comes down to only one thing: learning to She answers the question whether she runs love. I understand every day as an opportu- in her habit with amusement: “But that nity to learn to love, because thy neighbour, would lose the effect.” And adds: “Some- according to the Gospel, is a specific being, times it does get a bit tiresome to be seen so with whom I am speaking now, meeting, much in a habit. So sometimes I leave the working with, and whom I do not choose. veil at home, for instance if I go out at night In short, I cannot be all words about love for to meet friends.” Thus “incognito” she also the entire world, if I cannot stand the per- travels for several days a year to a half-de- son sitting next to me.”

“A sentence by Abbé Pierre really speaks to me: ‘Living is a short amount of time given over in freedom, if we choose, to learn to love in anticipation of the meeting with Eternal Love in the Forever beyond Patricie Plášilová Vít Hušek time.’ So, I still have some Master’s student in the field of CMFT Vice-Dean for Science and work to do….” Social Studies Teacher Training at Research, permanent deputy dean the UP Sts Cyril and Methodius I got to know Sister Lucie when I was Faculty of Theology still a student at the university in Ol- Lucie is a woman of action, always omouc, more than 20 years ago. I have there at the right time and place: the feeling that she hasn’t changed the CMFT Vice-Dean. much since then: I still feel her youth, optimism, and good spirits; she still has understanding and a kind word for those in the most diverse life situations. Lately I have gotten to know her as a fellow vice-dean and thanks to that I can appreciate with what kind of perspective she is able to manage even the most difficult work situation. I appreciate her reliability and honesty – she is able to communicate even unpleasant news directly and positively.

žurnál 2017 17 success

Successful project authors (left to right): Tomáš Pour, Tomáš Pohanka and Antonín Benc. Geoinformaticians succeed in a German contest

Doctoral students from the Department from the commercial sector as well as state agery. Our solution offers a bigger amount of Geoinformatics at the UP Faculty of administration. of data and saves both time and financ- Science, Antonín Benc, Tomáš Pour, and The postgrads have found a way how to es,” explained Antonín Benc. According Tomáš Pohanka, succeeded in the Farm- use the satellite imagery of the European to him, even the farmers will benefit from ing by Satellite Prize in Berlin. They Space Agency in agriculture. “We based the project. Thanks to satellite images and placed second with their project that al- our project on agricultural land evalua- their online analysis they’ll be able to de- lows a more efficient and cost-effective tion which is carried out annually in all tect unwanted changes in the development control of agricultural areas and crops EU countries. On the basis of this evalu- of crops. grown thereon via satellite imagery. Their ation, the farmer may apply for subsidies. The contest is organised by the Euro- success in an international competition The state administration oversees wheth- pean Environment Agency and Europe- has increased the chances that the project er the submitted information is in accord- an Global Navigation Satellite Systems will be applied in practice, and the authors ance with reality; however inspections Agency with the support of private com- have been contacted by representatives have been made randomly, via aerial im- panies. (srd)

Czech children increasingly obese, unlike in the West

While in Western Europe the increase Experts from the UP Faculty of Phys- of obesity has been put on hold, in the ical Culture significantly participated Czech Republic and most Eastern Eu- in the study. “Trends in the occurrence ropean countries the number of over- of overweight or obesity, sedentary be- weight children keeps growing. Current- haviour, and physical activities in Czech ly, a quarter of Czech boys and 13 percent children are strongly negative. Insuf- of girls are obese. Children from poorer ficient attention is paid to prevention families tend to be overweight or obese. and the amount of finances allocated for These are the conclusions of the interna- prevention is low,” said Zdeněk Hamřík. tional report by the WHO “Adolescent According to him, municipalities might obesity and related behaviours: trends be able to crucially affect the situation, and inequalities in the WHO European for instance by supporting children Region, 2002–2014”, based on the find- walking/biking to schools or by buildings of the HBSC study on the health and ing public infrastructures for sports and lifestyles of schoolchildren. recreation. (vim) photos: Department of Immunology archive | Karel Macků

18 žurnál 2017 Three Olomouc scientists on a prestigious list

The Regional Centre of Advanced Technol- computational and theoretical chemistry. ogies and Materials (RCPTM) at Palacký Patrik Schmuki has also repeatedly placed University has three representatives in the in the list made by Clarivate Analytics In- prestigious list of Highly Cited Researchers Cites™. He focuses on electrochemistry 2016. The chemist Pavel Hobza has been in the RCPTM; he is also employed at the featured for the third time successively; Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlan- two other RCPTM employees, foreign ex- gen-Nürnberg, Germany. RCPTM is also perts Patrik Schmuki and Rajender S. Var- associated with an expert on nanotechnol- ma, were also listed. ogies for environmental protection, Ra- “It is a demonstration of a huge scientific jender S. Varma, whose other workplace force, once we realise that a young and rela- is The United States Environmental Pro- tively small institute has three scientists in tection Agency (EPA). The list contains the such a prestigious list, whereas other big names of roughly 3 000 elite researchers on scientific institutes and universities with the basis of analysis of highly cited works long traditions are not represented at all,” from the Web of Science (ESI) in the years said Hobza, a world-renowned expert in 2004–2014. (srd)

Olomouc immunologists stand out among dozens of Czech and Slovak research teams

The experts from the Department of Im- tions had superior evaluations in sections tant presentations were new serum bio- munology at the UP Faculty of Medicine specialised in clinical aspects of immuno- markers associated with serious clinical and Dentistry came back garlanded with pathology, laboratory methods and their manifestations of systemic lupus and the success from a convention of Czech and contribution for practice, and onco-im- description of changes in serum profiles Slovak allergologists and clinical immu- munology, where they also placed third. after blood-forming stem cells transplant nologists. They won three victories and The awarded works presented the research in multiple myeloma, presented by doc- one third place in individual sections of the outcomes of serious autoimmune and hae- toral students Anna Petráčková and Pet- contest for best poster presentation. mato-oncological disorders such as sys- ra Schneiderová,” said Michal Křupka, an Olomouc immunologists succeeded temic lupus, multiple myeloma, and Hodg- assistant professor at the Department of in the competition of more than 70 post- kin’s lymphoma. Another award-winning Immunology and an author of one of the er presentations by Czech and Slovak re- work dealt with Lyme disease. award-winning posters. All in all, Olomouc search institutes. Their scientific presenta- “Nominated as among the most impor- researchers presented eight posters. (mav)

Successful first authors of awarded posters (left to right): Petra Schneiderová, Eva Kriegová, Michal Křupka and Anna Petráčková.

žurnál 2017 19 success Faculty of Law instrumental in the establishment of Work Group for Mediation

Support for broader use of mediation, Lenka Holá, from the Department of Pol- its embedding in the system, and the de- itics and Social Sciences at the UP Fac- velopment of the profession in the Czech ulty of Law, who runs the team. The oth- context – those are the main objectives er person from the Olomouc faculty who of the Work Group for Mediation at the is also a member of the group is former Czech Ministry of Justice. A significant dean Milana Hrušáková. The constitu- contribution to its establishment were the tion of the special group, which has been academic and professional events organ- in operation since the beginning of 2017, ised by the UP Faculty of Law. In addition, is permanent, and it includes representa- the faculty has two representatives in the tives of institutions and experts on media- group. tion from professional as well as academic The establishment of the work group spheres. The fundamental tasks the team has been long required in both theory has set up include the identification and and practice, which was confirmed by the analysis of the current issues in media- The UP Faculty of Law organises an events organised by the Olomouc Faculty tion in the Czech Republic, proposals for international conference on mediation. of Law – the international conference on the improvement of its use, support for mediation and ensuing round tables. “For the development of mediation in the areas me personally, the establishment of the of theory, research, and education, defi- work group confirms that the long-term nition of standards for execution of me- work we have done with my colleagues diation and the preparation of conditions makes sense. It is the first step towards for the foundation of a national bureau for a systemic application of mediation,” said mediation. (eha)

Faculty of Arts students succeed in National Model United Nations in New York

Kristína Pitoňáková and Patrik Zvirin- time they defended Poland’s interests, ský, students of the Department of Poli- and in order to receive the Outstand- tics and European Studies, took honours ing Position Paper, they had to study for their essay at the prestigious National the Polish stance to refugee policy in the Model United Nations conference in New domestic as well as international con- York. They received the Outstanding Po- text really thoroughly,” said their teach- sition Paper Award for their excellent rep- er, Ivana Častulíková, on their success- resentation of Polish interests in the refu- ful mission. According to her, Palacký gee area. University is the only Czech university “In the competition of 3,000 world- to take part regularly in this prestigious wide delegates, our students managed meeting and also the only Czech univer- one-hundred-percent success on an es- sity which teaches a course based on the say with a predetermined theme. This Model UN. (map) photos: Ivana Častulíková | Eva Hrudníková | Milada Hronová Mazochová | Velena

20 žurnál 2017 Vojtech Regec became a member of the Expert Group of the European Commission

Vojtech Regec, a docent at the Institute plement the new standards according to of Special Education Studies and Vice- the directive. Until 2016, this issue was re- Dean for Foreign Affairs at the UP Facul- solved separately on national levels. ty of Education, was named a member of “Many legal transactions today are the Expert Group of the European Com- done electronically, so the aim of the new mission. Its goal is to implement equal directive is to make that possible even to opportunities in electronic communica- the disabled. So when a blind or deaf per- tion for persons with disabilities. son will want to communicate with any Docent Regec has been investigating the office, the office must guarantee to pro- digital inclusion of people with disabilities vide the communication in an accessible for almost ten years. This problem is also form,” said Regec, who was hired as an dealt with by a new EU directive on making independent expert to supervise the issue the websites and mobile apps of public sec- in the EU expert group. The expert group tor bodies more accessible. A seven-mem- should help apply the directive in the en- ber Web Accessibility Directive Expert tire EU within three years. Afterwards, all Group was established because it has not related regulations will be obligatory in all been made clear how EU countries will im- EU countries. (map)

20 years of a successful transplant programme in Olomouc

Twenty years ago, the first transplan- Hospital and the UP Faculty of Medi- Head of the department and Vice-Dean tation of blood-forming cells was con- cine and Dentistry. of the UP Faculty of Medicine, Tomáš ducted in Olomouc. Since then more “The very idea, however, was born Papajík (in the photo) at the opening of than 1,200 patients with leukaemia, much earlier, and it was due to the pro- the evening lecture of the Society of the lymphomas, and other malignant dis- fessional erudition and great manageri- Czech Medical Society of J.E. Purkyně, eases of blood formation have gone al skills of Prof Karel Indrák. He realised organised by the department in collab- through the transplant programme at that you need to establish a strong team oration with the Haimaom Foundation the Department of Haematology and and obtain new premises in order to be- on the occasion of the 20th anniversary Oncology in the Olomouc Teaching gin writing a new history,” noted the of the commencement of the transplant programme. According to the director of the Trans- plantation Centre and Deputy Head of the Department of Haematology and Oncol- ogy, Edgar Faber, the future of blood formation cells transplantation aims, as other medical areas, at individualisation. “We will be increasingly able to ‘tailor’ an op- timal donor for the patient, and with the help of other examinations, we’ll be able to contribute to better selection of the donor, or use new medications during an adverse reaction of the graft against its host and other complications.” The programme also included a reca- pitulation of the activities conducted by the Haimaom Foundation for the Sup- port of Blood Bone Marrow Transplants, which is celebrating twenty years since its founding. (mav)

žurnál 2017 21 kaleidoscope Prize for saving a life

Medicinal Silybum marianum has three new varieties

Three new varieties of Silybum marianum, or milk thistle, often used by people with liver disorders, have been cultivated in the Miroslava Plchová from the UP Rec- Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechno- tor’s Office was awarded one of the logical and Agricultural Research in Ol- main prizes by the Czech Fair Play omouc, together with the company Teva Club for 2016. Last year during the re- Czech Industries. The new cultivars with lay race Bobr Cup in Litovel she saved varied content of active compounds – fla- the life of another cyclist who fell into vonoligans – were created on demand of the river while crossing it and re- the company for use in their pharmaceuti- mained unconscious lying under the cal programme. “The strains are grown for surface. Although her team was fight- their extract, which is added to prepara- ing for second place, she jumped into tions for regeneration of liver cells. These the water and pulled the man out. “In are used as a supporting treatment for pa- that moment, I didn’t care about the tients with liver disorders such as cirrho- race. I just put my bicycle down and sis. The cultivars were created in collab- ran to help the man. I finished the race oration with a commercial partner; our eventually; we kept on fighting and inventor’s share is 25% in one of them and ended up third,” said Miroslava Pl- 50% in the other two,” said the main inves- chová, in an account of the seconds tigator, Radoslav Koprna. (srd) that saved another racer’s life. (ipu)

Historians mapped Czech exiles

Three UP historians – Jaroslav Miller, Jana Burešová, and Miloš Trapl – wrote a book about the history of Czech exiles in Australia. “In 2010 I was a guest professor at the University of Western Australia in Perth and came across a Czech community, the offspring of 1948 and 1968 exiles. They had only a vague idea about their identity. At the same time, they had an archive of their exile club and did not know what to do with it,” said Jaroslav Mill- er. Together with his colleagues, he decided to fill in the blanks on the map of exile history. The book Czech Exile in Austral- ia, 1948–1989 was published by the Lidové Noviny press and supported by the Czech Science Foundation. (ipu)

photos: M. Navrátilová M. Šaradínová M. Višňa M. Hronová V. Mazochová E. Hrudníková

22 žurnál 2017 Faculty of Physical Culture hand-in-hand with Czech Olympic Committee kaleidoscope

The possibilities of mutual collaboration were negotiated by the representatives of the UP Faculty of Physical Culture and UP Rector Jaroslav Miller with the representatives of the Czech Olympic Committee, organisation President Jiří Kejval and Vice-President Zdeněk Haník. “In particular, we discussed our potential partnership in the programme Dual Career that would help top sportspersons who have finished their professional career to move on to the next phase of their careers and lives. We also talked about strategic communal planning and construction of sport infrastructure and about possible research topics for grant schemes,” said Dean Zby- něk Svozil. (vim)

Film on UP Ombudsperson debated with students

Czech Television filmed a documentary The Czech Ombudsperson Anna Šaba- about Palacký University on the occa- tová held a talk at the UP Faculty of Law sion of the 70th anniversary of its re-es- and discussed the issue of discrimination tablishment. “The university is per- with future lawyers. “The mission of my ceived as a locale where history meets office is to provide methodical help to vic- modern trends, as a space blending tims of discrimination, conduct research, with the beauty of Olomouc, as a scien- publish news, issue recommendations to tific institution and a specific commu- all issues related to discrimination, and nity,” said Vice-Rector Petr Bilík. The also ensure the exchange of available in- film features academic personalities formation with relevant European sub- such as the American Studies schol- jects,” said Šabatová. (eha) ar Josef Jařab and the haemato-oncol- ogist Karel Indrák, as well as famous alumni such as the former tennis star Czech and foreign experts discussed the safety and now psychologist Helena Suková. of healthcare in crisis situations The film Palacký University is available online in the iVysílání section on the Health Care in Danger was the topic of a meeting during which experts from several Czech Television website. (ipu) countries paid attention to the issue of violence against medical staff and wounded persons in war conflicts, ter- rorist attacks, and the current refugee crisis. It was organised by Palacký Uni- versity and the Olomouc Re- gion Medical Rescue Servic- es in collaboration with the Czech Red Cross and the In- ternational Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva as part of the 12th Olomouc Days of Urgent Medicine. (mav)

žurnál 2017 23 photo story

photos: Jan Hromádko

AFO: More than 5,600 registered visitors, almost 150 films, dozens of talk shows, seminars, concerts and workshops – that was the 52nd year of the international festival of science documentary films Academia Film Olomouc, organised by Palacký University Olomouc. The festival carried the motto “The Future Is Now” and was attended by guests from all over the world. AFO granted the Award for Outstanding Personal Contribution to the Popularisation of Science to the astronomer Jiří Grygar; among institutions, CERN – The European Organization for Nuclear Research – was awarded for science popularisation.

24 žurnál 2017 text: Ivana Pustějovská photos: Gabriela Knýblová interview

Lumír Kantor: Every day I am amazed at what we are able to do

žurnál 2017 25 Crucial here is his doctor’s white gown. Very the department, really enjoy. We opened up Lumír Kantor (b. 1962) few people are aware that it was once blue. our department as much as possible to fam- Doctor, 1990 graduate of That was when he was trained as an elec- ilies, we communicate with diverse organi- tric technician: he graduated from a techni- sations such as the non-profits Nedoklubko the UP Faculty of Medicine, cal university and went to work for the MEZ for prematurely born children and their par- since 1997 the Head of the electrical products company. A career in ents, the Society for Early Care, the society Neonatal Department of marketing awaited him. And blue was the for children with cleft lips Happy Smile, and the Olomouc University colour of his uniform. In order to fulfil his home hospice for children. We try to work dream of wearing hospital white, he had to with them. These are steps which would not Teaching Hospital. Twelve take a huge detour. This man, known as Bi- have been possible twenty years ago. We con- years Head of the Czech son to his camping friends, who loves wood- tinue to try to put the newborn in closer prox- Neonatal Society of the working (with basswood, especially) and imity to their parents. We dedicate ourselves Czech Medical Association classical music, eventually became a top spe- to what is called developmental care. For ex- cialist in his chosen field. His patients are not ample, we know that a child who is born in of J. E. Purkyně. In 2013, he complaining, because they are not able to. the 24th week of pregnancy has different co-founded the Foundation Some have only gone through twenty-four needs than a child who is born in the 27th Děti na dlani (Children in weeks of pregnancy, compared to the ordi- week of pregnancy, and so on. the Palm of Your Hand), nary forty. They weigh half a kilogramme and have to fight for their lives. But he and his where he is Chairman of ——How does such care look in practise? team are helping to fight for their fates. This I’ll give you a simple example. When we the Board. For twenty neonatologist, head of the Neonatal Depart- need to touch a baby, we have to disinfect our years he was also a court ment of the Olomouc Teaching Hospital, and hands. But before we touch it, we allow the expert in paediatrics; he since last year a Senator in the Czech Parlia- disinfectant to air for a bit. Why? For one rea- ment, is Lumír Kantor. lectures at the UP Faculty son, so that our hands don’t irritate the children in the incubator. It seems banal. But to- of Medicine. He is the ——There are huge opportunities in day we know that by this small gesture, these professional guarantor of medicine today. How have these chang- few seconds of delay, we are saving their mobile hospice care for the es entered your field – how was it pos- sense of smell. There are dozens of such de- non-profit Nejste sami (You sible to save children in the past and tails, which our nurses carry out daily. And how are you able to save them now? it is the nurses who give this work its human Are Not Alone). In 2016 he Neonatology has changed immensely. Under dimension. Would you like another exam- became a Senator in the communism, a new-born’s life did not have ple? We try to save children from needless Czech Parliament. He is an great value. If children were born very prema- stress. Imagine this: the baby is lying, its eyes independent member of turely, they died in undignified conditions. It are closed, and suddenly someone touches was this fight against the high mortality rate it. It startles. It gets afraid. This happens to the Christian Democratic to which we dedicated ourselves in the 1990s. grown-ups too. But what if it is only his mum, Senators’ Club. Thanks to our enthusiasm, the work per- wanting to caress the baby? And so we fig- formed by our personnel and improvements ured a way to differentiate when the mother in technical equipment, we were able to drop touches the baby and we touch the baby. First the rate of perinatal mortality – i.e. child mor- the mother touches the baby on a certain tality, those who are stillborn or die in the first place, the head perhaps. When she leaves the week of life – to beneath 4 per 1000. Thus less baby, she touches it on the same place. And than four children out of one thousand are she does this at every visit. The child then stillborn or die in the first week. By the end knows that it is her, and there is nothing to of the 1990s we had already reached the top fear. Then when we, who represent a certain global position in such care. Or to say it more danger from the child’s perspective, need to simply… only 1.2 out of one thousand live- touch the baby, we touch them in a different born children die during the first month of life! place. These are mere details which, howev- In later years we then began to count how er, work wonders. many children we have who suffer from long- term illnesses. According to the methodol- ——You even make use of technology, ogy of the European Association of Perina- you play the children back recordings tal Medicine, they are counted at age two. of their parents’ voices. Why? At this age we already know to what extent It is very difficult to measure something with their handicaps will be severe. We keep gath- newborns. They refuse to co-operate… but ering data and the data shows that the chil- seriously, we try to make use of any kind of dren’s results are improving. Many people natural state of things. My dissertation was criticise us for “manufacturing cripples” and on the theme of variability of the pulse rate for saving children who would otherwise die, in healthy newborns. From that data it was only to be seriously handicapped for life. But possible to read how the autonomic nervous the present data shows that is not true. Neo- system works in a baby; i.e. the sympathetic natology here has excellent results, and every nervous system, the parasympathetic nerv- day I am amazed at what we are able to do. ous system, and in what mutual proportions. So now we try to do the same for premature ——Has communication with the babies, and find differences in the autonomic parents changed? nervous system between mature and prema- From 2010, we entered into a new era which ture babies. Our head nurse worked on her I personally, and the majority of my staff in dissertation under my guidance on the im-

26 žurnál 2017 pact the mother’s voice has on a baby, which is one of the few exact values which can be measured. We have known for some time that the mother’s voice reacts in a drop in the child’s pulse. But that is a very rough indica- tor. Now we are able to measure that some of the delicate elements of the parasympathetic, the sympathetic, and the vegetative nervous systems change. It shows that the mother’s voice not only calms the child, but that this effect lingers even in the course of the next few minutes.

——A few years ago you brought in web- cams and offered parents the possibility of watching their child on-line. What were the reactions? I was inspired by our nurse and at the same time a colleague in IT by a German film. It took four years. To resolve the legal and organisational problems and to find spon- sors for the first two cameras – our director paid for the next ones. What is interesting ers carry their traumas to this day. Recently, through a lot with that mother, “I am go- is that our colleagues from other cities had after a lecture at the university’s University of ing to visit the family twice a week. This is a negative reaction. I think here it is easy to the Third Age programme, an older woman a rebel act, we don’t have the funding for it, see how technology outpaces philosophy. came up to me. She said that thirty years ago, we don’t even have a company car or other While I saw it as a positive thing, how par- she bore a girl who had no hands. She died af- equipment. Anyone want to go with me?” ents, grandparents could have contact with ter a month. That shy woman had two ques- Six nurses agreed on the spot. So we went the child, they saw it as negative. They said tions for me: “Did my daughter suffer?” and there, and the child prospered, even though that it could be used against the doctors and “Was there a point?” its prognosis was without hope. The par- nurses. I heard their opinions, that we were ents took the baby for walks, they were with preparing wrapped-up court cases, by pro- ——What did you say? it every day. After a month it died. The ex- viding evidence. But nobody asked why we I told her of what I was convinced. That cer- perience was incredibly important, not just were doing it. For example we were able to tainly there was no suffering, because not for the parents, but for us too. You asked help a father who was on a mission in Af- having hands does not hurt. A month-old about the point of such a short life. There ghanistan who could not be with his new- child does not even notice that handicap. And is your answer – that little boy lived one born. The child was born with complica- the point? That the girl, in that one month, month, and during the period of his life he tions and he could watch the child. Isn’t that lived an entire life. We have the feeling that led us to the idea of changing well-estab- worth it? The parents, just like with the pos- life must be lived from birth to old age. Dec- lished procedures, he forced us to think dif- sibility to play recordings to the child, were ades. But it can last only hours, and always ferently and inspired us to try harder and in favour of it. And that makes me happy. it is impacted or even often changes. When find new paths. The result was the founding And a few years later, the method was intro- I said that, the woman broke down into tears. of a children’s mobile hospice. The fourth in duced to Ústí nad Labem and Ostrava. We She said that after thirty years she finally felt the country. There’s one in Ostrava, one in were able to provide expertise on everything relief…. She sent me a modest collection of Brno, one in Prague, and since October Ne- we knew. Now you see in the media that the poetry expressing endless sorrow. She wrote jste sami – You Are Not Alone – in Olomouc. first such technology was installed in Ústí. it during that time. So know that a small child in even one hour Right… that’s three years after us…. of life can change more than some are able to ——What do you think the point of such do in their long, entire life. ——You are also dedicated to a short life is? children’s hospice. Why? Last year we had a child born who was car- ——You haven’t used the word, but Because it is necessary. Preparing children ried to term, but with such a serious meta- it’s a part of everything you do. Dignity. for inescapable death is a very serious affair. bolic disorder that basically every cell was Is it important for you to provide digni- I am one of the few who leads long debates on diseased. We knew that it would not live out fied care for your patients who are not these subjects. Over the last twenty years, in the year. Its mother had two wishes: to take yet thinking individuals? our department, hundreds such have died…. it for a stroll in a pram and to have the baby Of course. I have been inspired by Albert I have been carrying this thought in my head at home. We had never allowed anything like Schweitzer: “Reverence for Life” was his for some seventeen years. We were probably that before, but we decided to honour the re- phrase. And that goes hand-in-hand with the first in the country who let the child die in quests. My expert nurses gave the baby an dignity. He said “I am life that wills to live its parents’ arms. When I first read some time oxygen tank, put it into a pram and the moth- in the midst of life that wills to live”. And in the 1990s that the Dutch were doing this, er could take the baby for a stroll around the that can go still deeper and deeper. Simply it seemed strange and morbid. But it kept hospital. I spoke with the mother often, and the continuity of development. I am fond buzzing in my head: What if it makes sense? when I was sure that she accepted reality, of American Indians and their philosophy, A few months later we tried it and it was ob- I decided to grant her second wish. I asked at which values all the living and the non-liv- vious that for the parents, it was incredibly several children’s home hospices. What was ing. Water, air, animals, stones, and above all important. When I started as a doctor, we necessary, how does it work, etc. For in such mutually with oneself. So yes. Dignity is im- didn’t even show these children to their par- situations here, at present there are no rules. portant for me and I get really annoyed, when ents. “Better not,” they said in 1989. They Brno selflessly loaned us the necessary someone acts above someone else or without thought it was best. But those women-moth- equipment. I told my nurses, who had gone dignity to them.

žurnál 2017 27 career

Members of the international RCPTM team connected to the project Advanced Hybrid Nanostructures for Renewable Energy Applications. A key member of the group is the world-renowned expert in the area of photo- electrochemistry and renewable energy, Patrik Schmuki. His representative is Štěpán Kment (first from the left).

Palacký University can entice even the best “players” in science

Similarly as professional sportspersons, scientists often make strategic career choices, carefully picking the most renowned team with the best conditions and greatest personalities. Radek Zbořil, Director of the Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials (RCPTM) at the UP Faculty of Science, likes to use this analogy to compare the world of science and sport. At the same time, it is in fact a very good tip on how text: to recruit outstanding experts from abroad including the “best brains”. Martina Šaradínová Velena Mazochová The scientific centre led by him is proof that this strategy works. Foreign Milada Hronová scientists, however, are employed in many other scientific centres and photos: faculties of Palacký University. Gabriela Knýblová

28 žurnál 2017 Thanks to generous EU funding, the in- research centre with scientists from vari- frastructure of workplaces at UP has sig- ous disciplines and countries is very close “We must pay serious heed nificantly improved in the last few years, to my heart. The Centre has made a very to internationalisation. currently standing in comparison with in- long journey in a short time, and I am pos- Our students and incipient stitutes abroad. Regarding the number of itive that before long, it will be a model for scientists will be able to foreign scientific and academic workers, everyone,” claims Varma, who came to grow under the world’s elite the local scientific centres such as RCPTM, Olomouc to investigate the use of a broad experts, and their presence the Centre of the Region Haná for Bio- range of nanomaterials in catalysis and en- may attract other important technological and Agricultural Research vironmental technologies. researchers from abroad. (CRH), and the Institute of Molecular and The third RCPTM world-class expert is Also, competition brings Translational Medicine (IMTM) are lead- Patrik Schmuki, who is also employed at quality.” ers in this aspect, with the ratio of foreign the Friedrich-Alexander University in Er- workers around 20 percent. langen-Nürnberg, Germany. He is the key Radek Zbořil “We must pay serious heed to interna- person in the project “Advanced Hybrid Director of the RCPTM tionalisation. Our students and incipient Nanostructures for Renewable Energy Ap- scientists will be able to grow under the plications”, funded by the Operational Pro- world’s elite experts, and their presence gramme “Research, Development, Educa- may attract other important researchers tion”. Out of 105 projects that applied, 32 from abroad. Also, competition brings received funding. The 7-year-long RCPTM quality,” asserts Zbořil. project funded with €5 million, intercon- necting worldwide elite teams in nanoma- Three representatives in Highly terial research, received the highest evalu- Cited Researchers 2016 ation from them all. In engaging top scientists from abroad, RCPTM sets no small goals. Among oth- Betting on quality post-docs ers, three personalities were featured in the Approximately one-fifth of the foreign sci- prestigious list of Highly Cited Research- entists are employed in the Centre of the Re- ers 2016. Along with the “local” physi- gion Haná for Biotechnological and Agricul- cal chemist Pavel Hobza, there is also Ra- tural Research (CRH). The CRH Director jender S. Varma, whose other workplace is and also Dean of the Faculty of Science, Ivo the United States Environmental Protec- Frébort, lays emphasis especially on creat- tion Agency (EPA). ing post-doc positions for foreign scientists. “I am honoured to be associated with “We are capable of hiring world-renowned the Regional Centre of Advanced Tech- scientists from abroad; most recently, Jap- nologies and Materials. The vision of its anese professors Katsuyuki Tanizawa and leaders to develop a top-notch world-class Takashi R. Endo have worked here.

“I am fond of Olomouc, it is such a nice student town, with everything at hand. But most of all, I am fascinated by how science is done here. I particularly appreciate the large degree of independence in thinking and methods that I may apply during my research.” Viswanath Das

“I’m very happy in Czechia. As an academic I’m freer to make choices on what would be the subject of my research. Perhaps it will surprise you but one of the reasons I like living in the Czech Republic is that there is more freedom than in Germany.“ Jörg Krappmann

žurnál 2017 29 They participated in our research projects everything at hand. But most of all, I am and shared their abundant experience fascinated by how science is done here. “I am honoured to be even with the youngest graduates of our I particularly appreciate the large degree associated with the Regional doctoral programmes. Such outstand- of independence in thinking and meth- Centre of Advanced ing personalities, however, usually stay ods that I may apply during my research,” Technologies and Materials. only temporarily, usually due to their in- explained the scientist, who specialises The vision of its leaders to volvement in a project. What seems a bet- in 3D models of human tumours and re- develop a top-notch world- ter solution for us is to hire foreign scien- search into protein inhibitors that are in- class research centre with tists as post-doc fellows who may become volved in Alzheimer’s disease. He values scientists from various established here and stay permanently,” the opportunity to consult his work with disciplines and countries is suggests Frébort. colleagues who have achieved a great very close to my heart.“ A similar strategy has been applied by reputation in science. Rajender S. Varma the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. Graduated doctoral students from foreign The first German endowed “Olomouc is not an unknown universities have been using the opportu- professor in Czechia place, and its atmosphere nity to find employment in biomedical dis- When he arrived in the Czech Republic of a university town is ciplines within the all-university projects twenty-five years ago, German Studies extremely attractive to POST UP I and II. After graduation, more expert Jörg Krappmann thought it was them.“ than half of the students decided to con- just an adventure. He came to spend one Marián Modrianský tinue their research at the faculty in Olo- semester at the Department of German Vice-Dean of the FMD mouc. Studies at the Faculty of Arts – and stayed “Some were enticed by the names of top permanently. “I happened to personally experts, such as Jiří Bártek or Marián Ha- experience the reforms that followed af- jdúch. Not only professional factors, how- ter the Velvet Revolution. It was some- ever, had an impact on their decision to thing I’d never experience in Germany. stay in Olomouc. Many of them could have Also, it’d never occur to me that I would applied for positions at important Europe- be one of those who prepared fundamen- an institutes, but they are not comfortable tal changes in the curriculum and that with large agglomerations such as Lon- I’d stay here for twenty-five years,” con- don or vast laboratories such as in Heidel- fessed Krappmann. In 1997 he and his berg. Olomouc is not an unknown place, colleagues founded the Centre for Ger- and its atmosphere of a university town is man Moravian Literature and in 2000 he extremely attractive to them,” explained received an offer from the German Min- Marián Modrianský, Vice-Dean of the UP istry of Culture to establish an endowed Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. professorship in the Czech Republic. Krappmann was named Endowed Pro- New impetus for science as well fessor in 2002 and Palacký University as education became the first foreign university to re- The main contribution of foreign post- ceive a German endowed professor. doc fellows lies, according to Modrian- “I’m very happy in Czechia. As an aca- ský, in the new impetus they bring into demic I’m freer to make choices on what the world of science and research. “By would be the subject of my research. Per- having graduated from another educa- haps it will surprise you but one of the tional system and having obtained post- reasons I like living in the Czech Repub- graduate education abroad, they bring lic is that there is more freedom than in new ideas and concepts which affect Germany. The society here seems to be their research as well as the classes they more open, even more tolerant, to some teach. Currently we have an interesting degree,” added the German Studies ensemble of eight young talented scien- scholar who habilitated in the Czech Re- tists from Italy, the United Kingdom, In- public. He also got married in Olomouc dia, Slovenia and Poland. Most of them and started a family. focus on research into genetics and pro- Many more similar stories of foreign teomics,” said Modrianský. scientists unfold elsewhere at the univer- One of those employed as a post-doc sity. They are testimony to the fact that fellow in the Laboratory of Experimen- scientists are willing to move abroad for tal Medicine at IMTM is Viswanath Das the sake of high quality science and ed- from India, who defended his Ph.D. at ucation; also, facilities with top-notch Victoria University in Wellington, New technology play a role. In addition to this, Zealand, and has been working in Olo- however, one has to admit that foreign mouc for four years. “I am fond of Olo- experts simply like being in Olomouc. mouc, it is such a nice student town, with The genius loci lives on….

30 žurnál 2017 text: Eva Hrudníková photos: Gabriela Knýblová | Jan experience Borunský archive

My Study Year Abroad in 2016

Olomouc  Seoul  Olomouc  Manila  Olomouc

He learned how hot and spicy the foods I was pleasantly surprised at the high edu- English courses. The university regime served in South Korean restaurants are. He cational standards offered at the universi- seemed more strict to me than at home. did not get lost in Seoul, a city of ten mil- ty there.” He was enticed by the possibility Perhaps it is due to the state of hostilities lion. He experienced corruption in the Phil- of high quality studies connected with the which exists in North Korea. Young men ippines… and all during one year. And one chance of getting to know a country with have to serve for two years in the military,” should add that he is a passionate tourist. a completely different culture. says Jan Borunský, a fifth-year law student, For Jan Borunský certainly has travelling thinking aloud. in his soul. But primarily he is a student I saw the most guarded border in He likes that the Korean educational at the UP Faculty of Law, one who has the the world system uses a “curved” grading system, courage to fulfil his study dreams. And the result of Jan’s dreams and strong where the best student on any given test The majority of law students look at will? He spent the spring semester at pres- gets 100 percent and the rest are graded a map of the West when selecting a choice tigious Hankuk University of Foreign Stud- accordingly. “In the Czech system, grades of study stays and work experiences ies in Seoul, a partner school of UP. Studies are not so important during one’s studies. abroad, whereas Jan Borunský looked were four days a week, he lived on campus, They play no role in being hired. In Korea, East. “I began thinking about studying at and shared a room with a Korean. “School the most lucrative companies require a bet- an Asian university in 2015, when I was vis- is the top priority for Koreans. They invest ter-than-average grade. And that’s awfully iting Beijing with my brother, as a tourist. a lot into education, and pay for private motivating for students.”

žurnál 2017 31 He gives another comparison. This “They promised me interaction with Jan Borunský (b. 1991) time on the quality of teaching and teach- clients. When I arrived, they met me in Fifth-year law student at UP. ers. “I’m not afraid to say that Olomouc is the hall of the office and handed me over His Master’s thesis is on the comparable with the top universities in the to one of the lawyers. I could read briefs, European Parliament and world. At our faculty there are a number of compare legal reports, and take part in re- national parliaments in light academics whose expertise and way with solving specific cases,” he explained, and of the Treaty of Lisbon. His languages is first-rate.” chatted about a case when they helped an hobbies include travelling, He speaks of Korea as a country with Australian client start up a business in the sports, and music. a high quality of life, and safe. He sees Ko- Philippines. Successfully. This son of Pol- reans as very tolerant. “The only drawback ish emigrants is now cooking traditional for me is the spicy hot food,” he says. It took pierogies in Manila. him about a month to get used to it. “Wait- The legal language of the Philippines ers don’t speak English and the menus are is English. “This was a big advantage for only in Korean. So there was nothing left me. Legal documents are in English, court but pure random choice,” he reminisced on proceedings are in English.” He was in his trial-and-error method. court several times on the job. Someone He was not able to travel much; school expecting sombre court buildings in Ma- attendance was compulsory. Despite this, nila would be disappointed. “Courts there he experienced (in his own words) the are often housed in buildings in very bad most intense travel experience of his life. shape. In no way are they dominant city ed- “The university took us to the most guard- ifices – just the opposite.” And the perfor- ed border in the world, between North and mance of legal power there according to South Korea. It was literally just a few me- Borunský is just as dire. Bribes and corrup- tres from the demilitarised zone to North tion are an everyday way of life. Korea. On the North Korean side, from the When he looks back over the entire year first visible village, we could hear the prop- of 2016, he does not omit mentioning the aganda broadcasts.” When the semester role of his home law faculty. “The foreign ended and Jan could finally travel, instead studies department supported me from the he went back to Olomouc, to take his ex- beginning. Co-operation with them was ams. He managed them over the summer, excellent. They were even able to provide and then time for another dream…. me with a travel stipend on both trips, cov- ering a significant portion of the expenses. To a Law Office in the Philippines The dean allowed me an individual study  Main university building To fulfil this dream, Jan Borunský was plan, and the teachers were very helpful,” in Seoul, also housing the helped greatly by an Indonesian teacher added the future lawyer. And what did he Ceremonial Hall. under whom he studied Southeast Asian get out of that hectic year? “I got perspec-  38th Parallel, according to Law in Seoul. “We spoke during my stud- tive, experience, I had the opportunity for which Korea was divided ies and I said that I’d like go to some local professional comparison, I got to know after the war. institution for work experience and deep- a different culture. And I could add a few in- en my knowledge. He took my contact info teresting entries into my CV. Maybe I could  Core of the demilitarised and sent me a few tips.” In the end, Jan very go to work for Hyundai, the Korean auto- zone. In the foreground are South Korean soldiers; quickly settled on a small law firm in the mobile maker which has a factory close to in the background a North Philippines. He flew to Manila in Septem- where I live,” added the young man from Korean soldier. ber and spent almost three months there. Silesia.

32 žurnál 2017 text: Ivana Pustějovská photos: Gabriela Knýblová graduate

Marinella Danosová: I love being in the thick of it

žurnál 2017 33 Marinella Danosová (b. 1982) Graduate of the UP Faculty of Education, Teaching in Health- care Middle Schools. This certified paramedic works for the Olomouc Region Emergency Health Services, as an assistant professor at the UP Faculty of Sciences, and is president of the Czech Chamber of Paramedics.

Brakes squeal, the car makes an abrupt stop, ic – goes very well together. I need adrena- when the person is unconscious, it can hap- the doors open, a man and woman run out. line in my life, and if I only taught, I would pen that when giving them glucose they A petite blonde quickly slings a heavy back- miss the rush, I’m afraid I would fall into begin to come to and before they are fully pack over her shoulder, her partner carries a stereotype. But the moment I put on my conscious they can be aggressive, defend- nothing. A passing driver is so incensed by orange jumpsuit, that stops being a prob- ing themselves. Luckily I have never experi- the scene that he stops, rolls down his win- lem. Every situation is different and every- enced an intentional attack.” dow and shouts, “What’s the matter? Can’t one must make decisions on the spot, again you carry her backpack, big boy?” He can- and again. I love that, and it motivates me. Gratitude will find a way not, even though he feels awkward in that And then in teaching, I can make good use The moment she puts on her work uniform, moment and even if he had wanted to. It is of what I know well,” she says in her office at she becomes anonymous for many people. necessary to add two important details to the Faculty of Health Sciences. She is just a young woman who came in the the scene described above: the man and the She’s in “civilian” garb, an elegant dress, ambulance. She doesn't let it bother her. woman are wearing reflective orange jack- wearing black-rimmed glasses. But on the “When someone wants to give thanks, then ets, and they are running out of an ambu- coat stand by the door there is a reminder of they find out your name and maybe write lance. The man is the driver and the wom- the other Marinella: her orange paramedic’s a thank-you note. It happens. Not often, but an is a paramedic. “And a paramedic has jacket. She works up to fifteen 12-hour par- it’s heart-warming.” to carry her equipment herself. That rule is amedic shifts per month. She admits that as In addition to teaching and working as non-negotiable,” says Marinella Danosová a woman paramedic she must fight for her a paramedic, she also heads the Chamber with a smile. position in an overwhelmingly male world. of Paramedics, where she is the president. Her career might look at first glance “You have to prove that you can handle the This professional association has 270 mem- like a Rubik’s cube: variously coloured work, that you understand and know it. bers and Marinella Danosová has to meet squares mixed-up and apparently not be- Then they will respect you and you will be- with bureaucrats and to lobby. “They invite longing together. Apparently. But a few come part of the team.” us to meetings on legislation, and we try to correct moves, made at the right time, and When the phone goes off in the para- convey the diverse levels of need in our pro- everything fits together. In the beginning, medics’ operational headquarters, the dis- fession. We meet with various institutions in 1997 when she was fifteen, there was one patcher has to decide within a few seconds and ministries.” cube – her nursing studies at a healthcare whom to send into the field. They often have Like with everybody else, everything high school in Opava. Some years later, in to evaluate the situation according to insuf- comes at price. “I don’t have much free 2017, there are more professional cubes, ficient or confusing information. “The dis- time,” she admits. And she takes her work and they make up an interesting picture. patcher determines the priority and then home with her. Her partner is a flight para- They include her studies at the UP Facul- sends either a tandem – paramedic and driv- medic. “Sometimes we are saving lives up ty of Education, a certificate in paramedics er – or a triad, two plus a doctor,” the para- to supper time, and then we compare sto- from a technical university, work as a paramedic explains. She has experienced joyous ries.” And who looks out for the paramedic medic at the Olomouc Region Emergency moments, like delivering a child, and mo- at home? “We have a Staffordshire bull ter- Health Service, lecturing at the UP Faculty ments when it is too late for help. rier, Timmy, he’s kind of my canine therapy. of Health Sciences, and being president of The work of paramedics is physically and And walking him keeps me fit.” the chamber of paramedics. Lots of cubes, psychologically demanding. And today the And she needs that, for she has new with one resulting integral picture: helping risk of being attacked is increased. “It’s hap- plans: “Finish my Ph.D., expand my quali- others. pened to me twice during the five years I’ve fications as an urgent medicine paramedic, been a paramedic. You become more cau- help the faculty in the development of a new Orange to fight stereotypes tious and with certain types of patients you Bachelor’s programme in Paramedics… “I think that combining the theory which have to be very careful. In certain states we and then? We’ll see, but I am certainly not I teach future paramedics, and practise – for can expect aggression. For example when giving the ambulance up right now,” Mar- at the same time I work shifts as a paramed- someone has extremely low blood sugar, inella Danosová says, resolutely.

34 žurnál 2017 lifestyle

text: Martina Šaradínová photos: Gabriela Knýblová

UP Botanical Garden – A source of knowledge and a place of recreation

Should you seek an oasis of quiet in Olo- bacco. Even rock gardeners are pleased well as other disciplines. During the garden mouc, then you should head for the Botan- – they come to admire an old rock gar- season (April to October) it is open to the ical Garden of the Palacký University Fac- den from 1908 when the garden shed was public without charge and is teeming with ulty of Science. This green kingdom in the built, as well as the new slate garden. The activities overreaching its botanical ori- vicinity of Smetana Park is not only a rest- slate garden houses a growing collection entation: mothers with prams, kindergar- ing place but it also serves for education of mainly Balkan mountain flora, but even ten children and students mix with UP Go and scientific research. It is also a destina- the Caucasus, northern Turkey, Patagonia, Club players or enthusiasts from various tion of many amateur as well as profession- South African Lesotho and New Zealand student clubs. It was due to the initiative of al gardeners who have been able to mutu- have their representatives,” says the gar- students associated under the auspices of ally exchange and share seeds since the den’s director David Cigánek, enticingly. ČSOP Arion that the first seed bank in Olo- beginning of March in the local seed bank The botanical garden has a noteworthy mouc was opened therein; its goal is to pro- run by the Arion division of the Czech Un- history. It is a continuation of a monastic vide a non-commercial exchange of seeds ion for Nature Conservation (ČSOP). garden mentioned for the first time in 1787 of all kinds and cultivars among enthusi- The botanical garden covers an area of and used for the needs of the Medical and astic urban gardeners. Dozens of interest- over one acre. There are approximately Surgical Lyceum which was part of the 1,500 domestic and exotic plant species. university. After its dissolution, the garden ed growers have used it as a source of their A major part of Central European flora can has been gradually renovated since 1901 seeds this year – and in the autumn the seed be found there, such as species grown in at its current location thanks to the efforts bank should be replenished thanks to their flower gardens and parks on regular basis of the Botanical Society and to contribu- own harvests. – even rare ones. Considerable attention is tions by various benefactors it was main- dedicated to the flowers of the north-east- tained in excellent conditions practically ern part of North America. An integral part till the end of World War 2. The first plants of the botanical garden are species of value were donated by the custodians of botani- in human use – that is, cultural, medicinal, cal gardens in Lednice and Vienna-Schön- and aromatic herbs. brunn, and significant financial contribu- “Our visitors are often surprised to see tions were made by Czech and particularly how even well-known species of grains, German and Jewish intellectuals. After the legumes, vegetables, and plants for non- war, the city briefly took charge of the gar- food use look in their vegetative phase. den, and in 1956 it was transferred to the There is growing attention to chickpeas, then University of Pedagogy and three quinoa, our collection of chilli peppers or years later to the Faculty of Science. the two most often-grown varieties of to- The garden is used by students of botany as

žurnál 2017 35 reportage

Courses and expeditions spice up studies

With regard to the character of studies at leader, Dr Bank, turned to his students and text: Martin Višňa the Faculty of Physical Culture, it is obvi- said, ‘Whoever can’t keep up, does not be- photos: UP Faculty of ous that not everything can be learned in long on the first team,’ and disappeared in Physical Culture archive classrooms, gyms, or libraries. That is why the fog. He was not seen by anyone on that students are allowed to enrol in a num- day. To be exact, I know this story from my ber of training courses that provide them colleague Pavel Háp. I was in team no. 4, with priceless experience as well as lifelong but I could not keep up with our leader, memories. Dr Formánková, either,” confessed Šafář. Skiing comes to mind, but their offers go far beyond that. The training cours- The Captain Nálepka es also include snowboarding, windsurf- Commemorative Medal ing, cycling, white water trips, mountain “In the early morning, we woke up freez- hiking, and basic alpinism. Or technical ing, our camping mats frozen to the ground sports. “These are the remnants of sports in the tent, which had warmed up with our associated in Svazarm, the Union for breathing and microdrops made our sleep- Co-operation with the Army, the largest ing bags wet on the outside. Clear sky, but paramilitary organisation in Communist awfully cold, minus 13.5 °C. Getting out Czechoslovakia before 1989. Students are of the sleeping bag was a reward in itself, trained in shooting air rifles, archery, fin- jumping into frozen boots was worse, but swimming, radio orientation running, or there was the final stage of the trip ahead of summer biathlon,” clarified the course us.” This is how Barbora Fialová from Rec- guarantor, Michal Šafář. reology described their winter trek in the Not only technical sports are available at Low Tatras, reportedly the most demand- their destination, the training resort Past- ing course of them all. viny at the foot of the Orlické Mountains, Its guarantor, Michal Petr, admits it is where many current UP employees have true. “You’re either fully absorbed by the lost litres in perspiration. Reminiscing on winter landscape, which often creeps into his student years, Šafář tells a story from your skin, or you’re not present at all. There another resort. “There is a legendary sto- is nothing in between, you cannot lock ry about skiing on Mt Chopok. The course yourself up in your room and rest. The pur-

36 žurnál 2017 pose of the course for the participants is to experience how to work with such natural conditions with the aim of personal growth. Winter nature is a harsh master, gives immediate feedback, and cannot be sweet-talked,” explained Petr. Due to the better conditions, the recre- ologists take off for Slovakia, where snow is more certain and they can choose a trail further from civilisation. This year, they travelled on the ridge of the Bukovské Mountains all the way to the Ukraini- an border; some time ago, the Slovak Un- ion of Anti-Fascist Fighters even awarded the participants of the course on the Slo- vak National Uprising with their Captain Nálepka-Repkin Commemorative Medal.

Unparalleled in Europe Courses attended by students of Civ- il Defense are no bed of roses either. For instance, when they practise rescuing a drowning man from the freezing waters of the Lipno Dam. Their colleagues from the Department of Applied Physical Activities, on the other hand, may boast that their integrated winter training, providing students with practical experience and at the same time allow- ing handicapped children to enjoy winter sports, is unparalleled in Europe. This year in Kouty nad Desnou, they had some 150 participants, including children with vision or hearing impairments and wheelchair us- ers. “Our various target groups and provided services and also collaboration with sport associations of vision- and hearing-im- paired sportspersons make our course unparalleled in the Czech Republic, and as far as we know, even in all of Europe,” said the course guarantor, Ondřej Ješina.

Intense introductory courses The training courses include expedition projects that enable students to try out the realisation of a planned event from scratch to finish. In recent years, they have prac- tised team work during their voyage on a historical sailboat, and made non-traditional sport experiences accessible to handicapped persons during expeditions to the Alps or Norway. Needless to say, some students will never forget the introductory adaptation courses. “I reached the nadir of my mental and physical strength then – but I’d do it again, anytime. I never knew what was going to happen during my studies, and I lived in the magic of the moment. For me, and I believe for the others too, those were very essential times, the times of first university experiences,” revealed a second-year student, Kristýna Navrátilová.

žurnál 2017 37 heritage text: Jiří Fiala | repro: Žurnál UP

…now making quite accomplished daguerreotypes… Prof Phil Dr Friedrich Franz, OPraem

Dated 1 December 1796 in the parish regis- The art of the daguerreotype preserved, including a self-portrait (see ter of Vysoké Veselí, there is a record of the In 1839, the French artist and inventor photo), captured on the same apparatus christening of Jan Evangelista Franz, son Louis Daguerre (1787–1851) complet- as daguerreotypes of the Corpus Chris- born to Antonín Franz, “neighbour” living ed his long research into a photograph- ti Celebrations at the Vegetable Market in at no. 78, and Terezie Franzová, daughter ic technique named after its inventor, the Brno on 10 June 1841, now part of the col- “of Jan Žatecký of Czar in Hungary” (in the daguerreotype; in essence, a photograph- lections of the Moravian Museum in Brno record of the christening of Jan’s younger ic image captured on a plate coated with (see photo). brother František Xaver Franz on 19 Oc- silver iodide, exposed to light for 15 to 20 tober 1798, his father’s profession is listed minutes. The Czech-language periodical Dean of the Philosophical Faculty as “barley man”). In 1815, 19-year-old Jan Květy published an article as early as 9 July and Rector of Kaiser Franz Evangelista Franz was accepted as a novice 1840 that in Brno, “Dr Franz is now mak- University in Olomouc to the Premonstratensian monastery – the ing quite accomplished daguerreotypes, On 6 November 1842, Phil Dr Friedrich canonry of Sts Peter and Paul in Nová Říše, with many new images such as the church Franz, OPraem arrived as a professor of and after his three-year noviciate, he took in Zábrdovice, the Augustinian church physics and applied mathematics at the the order’s oath and was given the broth- and monastery, and more,” – which meant Philosophical Faculty of Kaiser Franz Uni- erly name of Fridericus (Friedrich, Fred- that at some point earlier, Ph. Dr. Frie- versity in Olomouc; apparently he had put erick). In 1820 Friedrich Franz, OPraem, drich Franz, OPraem had been acquainted daguerreotypes aside in order to focus was ordained as a priest in Brno; in 1831 he with the daguerreotype technique, which on his studies of the Earth’s magnetism. was promoted to a doctor of philosophy at had been perfected in the meantime by In 1844 and 1850 he was named Dean of the Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague, Daguerre’s pupil Antoine Claudet (1797– the Philosophical Faculty and in 1847 he and from 1824–1842 he worked as a pro- 1867). On 3 May 1841, the German-lan- helmed the Rector’s office of the universi- fessor of physics at the philosophical col- guage periodical Moravia, published in ty in Olomouc. His distinguished students lege in Brno. Brno, had the following: “Senior Profes- include the founder of genetics, Gregor Jo- sor of Philosophy in Brno, Dr Friedrich hann Mendel (1822–1884), whom Prof Franz, brought us a daguerreotype made Franz recommended in a personal letter to on 27 April with the Voigtländer daguerre- be accepted to the Augustinian order of St otype apparatus [i.e. an instrument made Thomas in Old Brno. After provincial elec- by the Viennese optician Peter Wilhelm tions on 31 May 1848, Prof Phil Dr Friedrich Friedrich, Knight von Voigtländer, 1812– Franz, OPraem was one of five representa- 1878)], the first portrait completed in one tives from the Olomouc university curia minute, and with tireless industry he is ex- elected to the Moravian Diet up until its ad- panding the range of this handsome and journment on 24 January 1849. After the successful invention. Bringing astonish- Philosophical Faculty was closed in 1851, ment and verisimilitude, the ray of light Phil Dr Friedrich Franz, OPraem went to draws human lines, capturing the slight- Salzburg, where he became the director of est movements of the face and facial ex- a high school, and in 1853 he was named pressions with an accuracy which cannot Abbot at the Premonstratensian monastery be achieved in any other way.” In the col- canonry of Sts Peter and Paul in Nová Říše. lections of the Moravian Gallery in Brno, Phil Dr Friedrich Franz, OPraem died there five Franz daguerreotype portraits are on 12 April 1860 as an abbot.

38 žurnál 2017 reflections

photo: Gabriela Knýblová

Joy Igoni came to Olomouc from Nigeria. She is a postgraduate student of Special Education at the UP Faculty of Education. She is in the third year of the programme.

Àyípadà lohun kans̩ os̩ o tó dúró lójú kan The only thing constant is change Ìrírí ayé nínú àwùjo̩ ọ̀ tun, máa ń fé̩ kí à tè̩ sí ibi àyípadà. Lái Being in a new environment often requires adapting to changes. fi ti ìrírí mánigbàgbé tí moní nígbà tí mo dé si olomouc lásíko Even though I arrived in Olomouc in the middle of a severe win- ọgìnnìtìn,̀ títí láéláé ni ìlú yìí yóò je̩ ò̩ kan lára, àwo̩ n ìhí tí mo ter, which was an unforgettable experience, the city will always fé̩ ràn. Àwo̩ n e̩ wà nnkan mánigbàgbé aje̩ mó̩ tàn ní àwo̩ n gbà- be one of the places dearest to my heart. I was astonished by the gede káàkirin ibi ìgbafé̩ ati nǹkan ojútò ìtàn, ni ó mú ìrírí mi beauty of its historical monuments, all those squares, parks, gbòòrò ni pa ilu yìí si. Idaké̩ ró̩ ró̩ ati ìmó̩ tótó olomouc ló yaá and museums. Olomouc is unique in how quiet and clean it is. só̩ tà gedebge. I love typical Czech cuisine such as goulash and dumplings or Pàápàá jù lo̩ àwo̩ n oúnje̩ Czech, àwo̩ n bii akàns̩ e búré̩ di, chicken steak and mashed potatoes. Thanks to the efficient public transportation system I’m able to manage my time better. omitooro o̩ be̩ màlúu, ànọ̀ mó̩ aláàs̩ áró àti e̩ ran adìye̩ àti àwo̩ n I enjoy meeting wonderful people from Czechia as well as other nǹkan míràn. Agbékalè̩ ìgbòkègbodò nǹkan ìrìnnà tó dúróorẹ jé foreign students – they’ll always have a place in my memories. kí n lè lo àsìkò mi bó ti tó̩ àti bó ti ye̩ . Ohun ìwúrí ni láti pàdé Celebrating a white Christmas was an amazing experience for àwo̩ n eèkàn ilu Czech, pè̩ lú àwo̩ n akékò̩ ó̩ ilè̩ òkèèrè, èyí tí ó fún me. Also, I would have never thought that I would get married ayé mi ní ìrírí manigbàgbé, ní pàtàkì aye ye kérésímesì funfun èyí ̩ ̩ in the beautiful historical building of the Olomouc Town Hall. tí wó̩ n s̩ e, kò lè kúrò ló̩ kàn mi títí láé. N kò tìílè gbàgbó̩ pé nínú Regarding my studies at the Institute of Special Education gbàngàn are̩ wà ìlu Olomouc ni mo ti s̩ e ìgbéyàwó mi. Studies at the UP Faculty of Education, I am maximally satis- Ìrírí tó re̩ wà ni kíkó̩ è̩ kó̩ ni ojútò àkàns̩ e è̩ kó̩ ni fásitì Pa- fied. Thanks to this I have come to know nice and understanding lacky ni Olomouc. Èyí ló fún mi ààyè lati pade àwo̩ n olùkó̩ ti teachers, officers at the International Relations Office, and my mùsèmúsè wo̩ n da músémúsé, àwo̩ n aláàkóso ó̩ físì ní àgbáyé schoolmates, and I gained knowledge, experience, and skills for atí àwo̩ n ake̩ gbé̩ mi tí wó̩ n jé̩ kí n ní ìmò̩ kún ìmò̩ , láfikún ni further academic growth. The use of electronic teaching tools ìmò̩ mi nínú ètò è̩ kó̩ pàápàá jù lo̩ inípa bí a ti ń lo è̩ ro̩ ìgbàlódé interested me especially. gé̩ gé̩ bí ohun èlò ìdánilé̩ kò̩ ó̩ . Being in Olomouc and studying at Palacký University has Mo le fo̩ wo̩ so̩ ya lori àyípadà òòrèkoore ati ànfààni eyi tí mo been a constantly enriching experience. I look forward with trust ri ní ìlu olomouc ati fásitì Palacky lápapò̩ . to what the future in this city will bring to me.

žurnál 2017 39 university in the social fabric

www.zurnal.upol.cz

“Every day I am amazed at what we are able to do,” confessed the neonatologist Lumír Kantor during an interview. His words inadvertently captured my feelings during the preparation of the UP Žurnál. With every new issue, I am still more and more amazed how many personalities and stories are hidden behind the UP brand. Scientists, lawyers, doctors, artists, teachers, theologians, athletes.... We have no idea how ubiquitous they are – they jump out of an ambulance to treat our head wounds; we can bump into them in the Middle East, where they search for lost cities under the scorching sun; they are ready to offer a hand when our souls feel lost. They wear white coats, paramedic’s jumpsuits, sport outfits, judge’s gowns, monastic habits, or plain T-shirts and jeans. No matter what they have got, they amaze. With their work, their enthusiasm, their endeavour, their visions.

Wishing you all amazing days with Palacký University,

Ivana Pustějovská, UP Media Editor-in-Chief

40 žurnál 2017 Genius loci… Discover the Summer Oﬀers in UPoint

UPoint – Palacký University Information Centre and Shop titulní strana obálky – hudebník, skladatel a pedagog Tomáš Hanzlík House of the Black Dog | Upper Square 12 | Olomouc foto na 1. a 3. straně obálky: Gabriela Knýblová www.upoint.upol.cz www.upol.cz BACHELOR PROGRAMMES: Humanities Chinese Philology | English Philology | Jewish and Israeli Studies Education Special Education – Afterschool Supervisor | Preschool Special Needs Education Teaching – Nursery School Teacher Training | Special Needs Education – Afterschool Education | Special Needs Education – Andragogy | Special Needs Education – Intervention | Special Needs Education – Drama Therapy

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www.upol.cz/en To see the complete offer please visit: www.study.upol.cz