MENDEL news 8/2025 (eng) by MENDELU

The Employee Newsletter of Mendel University in Brno

Growing interest in studying at MENDELU

In 2025, more than 13,400 applications for studying at Mendel University in Brno were submitted, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent. The growing number of applications is also reflected in the number of students enrolling at MENDELU; this year, this figure was nearly 4,800, the most new students we have welcomed for at least the past 10 years. Applicants have long shown the greatest interest in studying at the Faculty of Business and Economics, where the most popular bachelor's programme is Economics and Management. Other attractive bachelor’s degree programmes at MENDELU include Business and Service Management, Finance, Garden Engineering, Applied Pedagogical Studies, International Regional Studies, Regional Development, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, and Open Informatics. A full report on the results of the admissions process will be submitted to the Rector’s Advisory Board in November.

Happening at MENDELU

Academic Senate elects

Martin Klimánek new rector

On 3 November, the Academic Senate elected Martin Klimánek the new rector of Mendel University in Brno. He is currently serving as the vice-rector for strategy and sustainability. On 31 March 2026, he will take over at the helm of the university from Jan Mareš. Klimánek ran against the current rector, Jan Mareš, to become the 35th rector of MENDELU. Klimánek was elected in the first round, receiving 24 votes from the 31 senators present.

The new rector plans to focus on the following main issues:

• growth of the quality of creative outputs and knowledge transfer through collaboration with school enterprises as living laboratories

• modern teaching trends and lifelong learning to enhance the quality and competitiveness of our graduates

• implementation of ESG standards for sustainability and social responsibility

• strengthening infrastructure and increasing resilience with an integrated approach to AI

• setting up a career system and related systems for adaptation and a safe working environment

• popularization of science and dialogue with both professional and general audiences in our areas of expertise

Martin Klimánek was born in Brno in July of 1977. He graduated from Matyáš Lerch Grammar School in Brno and subsequently studied forest engineering at what was then known as Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno. He specializes in applied geoinformatics in precision forestry and spatial decision support. He has been working full-time at the university since 2003; in 2006 he received his Ph.D. and was then appointed head of the Department of Applied Geoinformatics at the MENDELU Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology. In 2013 he defended his habilitation thesis in the field of Forest Management and since 2014 has served as vice-rector for three terms. During his first term, he was responsible for educational activities; during his second, strategy, development, and specialized facilities; and now he has a similar portfolio that also includes sustainability.

Happening at MENDELU

EATING HEALTHY MADE EASY WITH MARGIT SLIMÁKOVÁ

More than 40 people interested in sustainability met on 8 October 2025 in the auditorium of the rector’s office to hear PharmDr. Margit Slimáková speak; she is a leading Czech expert on preventive healthcare and nutrition. Slimáková presented her approach to healthy eating based on a simple but fundamental idea – eating real food. She emphasized that healthy eating does not mean counting calories or applying strict restrictions, but choosing high-quality, minimally processed foods that naturally benefit the body.

The discussion also touched on wider health issues –and Slimáková reminded the audience that medical care accounts for only about 10 percent of what keeps us healthy. A significantly larger role is played by lifestyle, the environment, and social factors, as confirmed by analyses conducted by the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international organizations. According to Slimáková, this fact underlines the importance of prevention, everyday self-care, and conscious decisions about what we eat, how we sleep, and how we manage stress.

Attendees appreciated above all the speaker’s practical tips, which can be simply applied in real life, and the openness with which she responded to questions from the audience. The meeting also included a tasting of healthy refreshments provided by the Brno-based company Sly Fox. The entire morning was marked by a very positive atmosphere and confirmed that nutrition has a firm place in sustainability – after all, a healthy body, a healthy environment, and a healthy society are inseparable.

Students’ Day

On Monday, 17 November, Mendel University will take part in the Brněnský sedmnáctý festival, which is held every year to mark Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day. Our university will have a stand in the festival’s Brno university zone on Kobližná Street, near Náměstí svobody, that will be open from 13:00 to 17:00. Visitors can look forward to activities focused on freedom and democracy prepared by the MENDELU Communications and Marketing Office team. The Brněnský sedmnáctý festival is a day-long event offering music, discussions, and activities. It ends at 20:00.

Quality officer meeting in Křtiny

The second meeting of administrative workers focused on quality at universities will be held at Křtiny Chateau on 27 and 28 November. This year’s topics will include evaluating the quality of offered degree programmes and involving students in the quality assurance and evaluation system. This platform for quality officers was created last autumn as a professional community for administrative workers and other employees involved in assuring and evaluating quality in higher education. The platform was established by Mendel University in Brno, Masaryk University, and the University of Ostrava. It currently has nearly 60 members representing 22 public universities and one private school. You can find more information on the kvalitanavs.cz website.

HEROES in Halmstad

On 21 to 23 October, approximately 140 representatives from nine European universities met in Högskolan and Halmstad, Sweden, to take part in the biannual conference of the HEROES alliance of European universities. The meeting brought together academics, employees, and students, who jointly assessed accomplishments made so far and established further steps towards achieving a more connected, innovative, and resilient European university community. The discussion in Halmstad focused on the creation of a joint framework for quality assurance, new possibilities for deepening cooperation in education and research, and preparations for the next stage of joint education activities for employees, which will be launched in 2026. Alliance partners also exchanged ideas as part of the HEROES Sandbox, an experimental platform supporting small projects concentrated on resilience, well-being, and community building.

MENDELU hosts Bursars’ Club

Mendel University in Brno organized a meeting of the Bursars’ Club on 15 and 16 October, which was attended by more than 20 bursars from Czech universities. Guests from the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports made presentations. It took place at the Křtiny Chateau.

Happening at MENDELU

MENDELU at VIDA!

The INOVÁTOR event will be held in the multifunctional hall of VIDA! Science Centre on Monday, 24 November, and on Thursday, 27 November. It is intended for secondary school students as well as eighth and ninth graders in elementary school. Attendees can look forward to several lectures by experts from Mendel University in Brno:

• Students’ attention spans influenced by teachers’ teaching styles – Mgr. David Kryštof, Ph.D. (Institute for Lifelong Learning)

• Consumer behaviour for the future: Reuse, upcycling, and slow fashion – Ing. Irena Baláková, Ph.D. (Faculty of Business and Economics)

• Invasive animal and plant species are changing the character of the Czech landscape: Do we still have time to reverse the situation? – RNDr. Ondřej Mikulka, Ph.D. (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology)

• Antioxidants and their use in foods – doc. Ing. Ivo Soural, Ph.D. (Faculty of Horticulture)

• Food vending machines and the future of shopping in rural areas – Ing. Zdeněk Šilhan, Ph.D. and Ing. Markéta Chaloupková, Ph.D. (Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies)

• Agriculture 4.0: Using modern technology in agriculture –Ing. Vlastimil Slaný, Ph.D. (Faculty of AgriSciences) and Ing. Robert Rouš (Faculty of Business and Economics)

16th Stop at the Fishpond

Chateau: “Angelic Christmas”

On Friday, 12 December 2025, MENDELU is organizing a trip to the opening of the Christmas exhibition “Angelic Christmas” at the Fishpond Chateau in Lednice. You can look forward to floral arrangements by students from the MENDELU Faculty of Horticulture, corn husk dolls, a small Christmas market (payment in cash or with QR code), and workshops for children. You can sign up for a spot on a bus that will leave Brno for Lednice here. The registration form will be active until 10 December. The bus will depart from Building A at 12:00 and will return at approximately 16:30. Registered participants will be sent a confirmation email with details on 11 December.

Fundraising for Veterans Day

Veterans Day is celebrated throughout the world on 11 November in commemoration of the end of World War I. Poppy flowers, which covered the graves of soldiers who fell on the Western Front, are the symbol of this holiday. On this day, you can meet volunteers in the streets carrying donation boxes and poppy flowers. You can also give money at permanent donation points from 1 to 30 November 2025, one of which is the Library of Mendel University in Brno. You can put cash in the collection boxes in Library A in Brno or in the library in Lednice, or send money by QR code. Wear a poppy flower as a symbol of respect for veterans and other freedom fighters. Read more about the fundraising drive here

Edenred – Expiration of funds

Please check how much money you have on your card and make sure that none of your funds will expire by the end of 2025. Funds added to a card from 1 January to 30 September are always good to the end of that same year. Funds added from 1 October to 31 December are good to the end of the following year. When making card transactions, the oldest funds on the account are automatically debited. You can fully control your card with your online account or through the mobile app – www.edenred.cz

Price of MultiSport card for 2026

On 1 January 2026 the price of the employee MultiSport card will go up. Despite the price change, we believe that the MultiSport card will continue to be an attractive choice for employees, thanks to the ever-expanding list of sport and relaxation activities it offers. You can use the MultiSport card at more than 2,300 exercise and relaxation facilities in more than 400 cities and towns in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. You are entitled to one free entry every day, so you can pick what you want to do based on how you are feeling, whether it is fitness, swimming, or the sauna. Moreover, thanks to the MyMultiSport programme, you can gain access to discounts, special events, inspiring tips, and useful videos that will help you take full advantage of your card. You can connect your employee card to one companion card for an adult and up to three children’s cards.

New price list as of 1 January 2026

Employee card: 1,137 Kč/month.

Companion card (for adult): 1,600 Kč/month

Children’s card (to 15 years of age): 500 Kč/month

See more infomration here

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

2 October – Novinky.cz – Botanical garden suffers from lack of water HERE

10 October – Agris.cz – MENDELU opens food counselling centre: HERE

17 October – Sciencemag.cz – Bacterial infection of plants can be detected already in seed: HERE

18 October – iBrno.cz – New courses focused on innovation and precision medicine: HERE

23 October – Brňan.cz – Greatest weakness in employees over 55 is certain IT knowledge: HERE

Happening at MENDELU

University basketball showdown

Mendel University in Brno will face off against Masaryk University as part of the University Basketball League on 12 November at 18:00. The match will be played in the small hall of Starez Vodova Arena. The game will start with a ceremonial tip-off between the rectors of both universities. A student afterparty will take place following the game. Come and cheer on your university!

My MENDELU app, for students and employees

For quick access to information from the university, we recommend using the My MENDELU mobile app. The My MENDELU app is a critical information tool for students and employees. The following modules are currently available:

• Timetable: Provides instant access to your personal course timetable.

• Food menu: Displays current daily and weekly menus at university canteens.

• News: Provides news and notifications from the rector’s office, faculties, and other university departments and offices.

• Important news: Provides urgent information about emergencies and safety, such as accidents, electricity outages, and safety warnings directly from university management.

• Interactive campus map: Enables you to find your way around campus and to look up the location of specific rooms, offices, services (printers, vending machines), and the closest public transport stops.

• New employee guide (Onboarding): A digital guide that helps you get to know the university, guides you through key places, and provides practical information for an easy start.

• Alumni Club: Helps maintain contact with alumni, provides information about special events, and supports the professional network associated with the university.

• SOS function: In an emergency (e.g., an accident or fire) it allows you to immediately send an urgent message with your exact location directly to the university’s emergency task force.

The app is constantly being developed, and in the future we plan on adding new functions and modules to meet employee needs. In early 2026, both platforms will offer options to track hours worked and submit vacation requests. The app can be downloaded for free on Google Play (for Android) and on the App Store (for iOS).

School Agricultural Enterprise visits MENDELU campus in Brno

On Friday, 17 October 2025, Mendel University in Brno welcomed our colleagues from the School Agricultural Enterprise on campus. Twelve people from the farm came to Brno, where they had the opportunity to visit the university’s different departments and see what goes on in them. The visitors got to see the university from different perspectives. The day began with a group walk through the campus, during which our colleagues visited the Mendel Design Lab, the dean’s office, a meeting room featuring university insignia and ceremonial gowns, the Rector’s office, the auditorium, and the zoological collections. They also stopped by the university library, where they learned about the services it offers, its plans for future growth, and its collections. After lunch in Building X, the visit continued at the fisheries department, the Food Technology Department, and finally the Botanical Garden and Arboretum, where the visitors learned about innovative technologies and university operations.

Strategic issues at off-campus meeting of Internal Evaluation Board meeting

An off-campus meeting of the Internal Evaluation Board was held on 30 and 31 October 2025. Participants of this two-day meeting had the opportunity to address current issues and discuss new challenges and external changes. At the meeting, the board discussed, among other things, thematic quality assessments for 2026, a proposal to optimize the assessment of degree programmes within the framework of institutional accreditation, and a plan for developing degree programmes at MENDELU. Also discussed were legislative changes and information from the newly founded National Accreditation Bureau for higher education.

BUSHMAN offers

40 percent discount

Dear colleagues, in cooperation with the BUSHMAN company, specializing in outdoor and leisure clothing and gear, we have arranged a discount for you when you purchase items from the bushman.cz e-shop. You can apply a discount code to get 40 percent off all non-discounted items. The discount code is valid all November. For the discount code and other details, see the brochure here

Happening at MENDELU

Meeting of records management employees

A meeting for university employees working in records management and archives is traditionally held every year in September. It is an opportunity to share experiences, find inspiration, and compare how different universities are performing in these areas. MENDELU took an active part in this year’s meeting. Ondřej Mitrík gave a presentation about promoting records management services. Based on his experience at MENDELU, he presented a different approach to communication and the results of a questionnaire survey among system users. Pavel Zálešák took part in a panel titled “Experience with software for archival processing”. This is currently a topical subject in archival science – describing archived materials using metadata in database systems leads to the more effective processing of universities’ archival legacies and making such materials accessible to the public.

Are you changing health insurance providers?

If you change your health insurance provider after 1 January 2026, don’t forget to report this change to your employer within eight days. Inform your HR office about the change by filling in and signing the form titled “Reporting changes in personal data”. Failure to meet this deadline may result in financial penalties for both the employer and the employee. You can change health insurance providers two times per year, before 1 July and before 1 January.

Mobility Days at MENDELU

Mobility Days took place at MENDELU on 14 October. This event, held as part of celebrations in honour of Erasmus and international mobility, provided participants an opportunity to learn about study and work placements abroad. The weather was excellent, and participants enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere, listening to conversations and dancing to a DJ. The event was organized by the MENDELU International Relations Office in cooperation with Brno for You, Europe Direct Brno, Eurocentrum Brno, and ESN MENDELU. Thanks to their support, Mobility Days was not only informational but also fun. We would like to thank everyone who took part, and we look forward to next year’s event!

Taking and transferring leave

As the end of the year approaches, we would like to remind you of the regulations regarding taking time off at MENDELU. According to the Labour Code, an employer is obliged to grant paid time off to an employee in the same year in which the employee is entitled to such time off. In some statutory cases, such as obstacles to work on the employee’s part (illness, maternal or parental leave) or due to urgent business needs on the employer’s part, leave can be transferred to the following calendar year. At MENDELU, employees can transfer at most two weeks of leave to the following calendar year by submitting a written request. We would therefore like to ask all employees to check how much leave they have already taken and plan how to use the rest. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Department of Human Resources Management. For more information, see here.

Open Science and interim reports for Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and Czech Science Foundation projects

Are you planning to write an interim or final report for a Technology Agency of the Czech Republic/Czech Science Foundation project and don’t know how to create a data management plan (DMP)? Or do you need to make sure you have met the funder’s open science requirements?

Tuesday, 25 November 2025, 10:00–11:00, MS TEAMS

For more information, see here Registration

New service for PhD students: Data management plans for dissertations

PhD students can use a simple data management plan template that has been created specifically for them. The template will help you keep track of your research data throughout the entire dissertation process. Just fill out this form or write us an email to arrange a meeting with the university data steward. You will get recommendations for storing, managing, and sharing data, in addition to tips on how to assure data quality in specific fields. Create your own data management plan and keep it up to date –it will help organize your work and the data for your dissertation.

Data repositories and open data sharing not only for projects

Do you need to make your research data public in a data repository so you can share a link to them in a final report? Are you planning on publishing in a journal that requires the open sharing of research data used in a paper?

Thursday, 27 November 2025, 13:00-14:00, MS TEAMS

For more information Registration

From the world of science and research

Open Science Week

Open Science Week 2025 is here, and registration has been launched! Dates: 10 to 12 November; Place: online through Zoom. Schedule available here. Register here

You can look forward to three days full of lectures, demonstrations, and discussions about open science, FAIR data, open access, citizen science, and more.

The event will culminate on Wednesday with an afternoon panel discussion about the future of open science in the Czech Republic.

Free online courses focused on innovation and precision medicine

Are you looking for a way to combine research and innovation with practice? Do you want to gain experience that will open doors to the worlds of biotechnology and business? Then do we have a wonderful opportunity for you! InnovPrecMed, a European project led by Mendel University in Brno, is launching two new free online courses in English. They combine research with business practice and offer participants the opportunity to learn about the basics of innovation and precision medicine, while developing practical skills applicable in studies, research, and professional life. The courses are open to all students and academic and non-academic staff members who want to learn new things and effectively apply them in practice. Participants can choose one course or enrol in both, and thus learn about innovation and precision medicine.

Courses offered:

• Innovation Training Course: learn about how the innovation ecosystem works and develop your creativity and interdisciplinary skills.

• Deep Tech Precision Medicine Training Course: gain an overview of the dynamic field of precision medicine, from biology to AI and ethics.

Both courses will take place fully online. Participants who successfully complete them will receive a certificate of completion and can join a free mentoring programme. You can register for the courses on the project’s website here. If you have any questions, get in touch with Julia Daňková

Effective Scientific Writing: A workshop for PhD students

The Research and Development Department invites all PhD students to a workshop focused on effective academic writing. The workshop will be led by prof. RNDr. Jan Hanousek, CSc., DSc. from the Faculty of Business and Economics.

Workshop participants will learn about theoretical and practical aspects of effective academic writing. During the workshop, attendees will focus on the following topics and more:

• analysing short texts

• writing a concise text

• properly structuring a text

• the most frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

• Q&A and discussion Register here

Ing. Jana Asszonyi

Project researcher II Department of Crop Science, Breeding and Plant Medicine (FA)

Pictures of new employees

For more MENDELU job offers click here.

Mgr. Lucie Brandalíková

Lawyer specializing in open science

Open Science Centre (Department of Scientific and Pedagogical Information and Services)

Vojtěch Hlavačka

Expert administrative staff for technology transfer Department of Technology Transfer (Department of Scientific and Pedagogical Information and Services)