MENDEL news 9/2023 (eng)

9-23 The Employee Newsletter of Mendel University in Brno

Christmas punch with the rector Come enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and accept an invitation to the Emil Foundation’s stand at the Brno Christmas market on Moravian Square by the statue of Jobst. On Thursday, 14 December, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. volunteers from Mendel University will be working at the stand run by the Emil Foundation. Working in cooperation with the foundation, the University aims to help support a mountain-climbing club for children and adults with autism that is run by the Adventor association. Let us be inspired by this opportunity for volunteering, getting involved, and spreading holiday cheer. We look forward to seeing you there!

MENDELU highlights

Call for applications for international placements in 2024/2025 The MENDELU International Office has announced a call for applications for student placements abroad in the 2024/2025 academic year as part of the Erasmus+ and Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programmes and bilateral agreements. The first round will take place from 11 December 2023 to 29 January 2024. During this time, a campaign promoting these placements will be running, and academics can become involved in it during their classes. The winners will be announced on 6 March 2024. For more information, follow the International’s Office website and social media channels.

MultiSport price to increase January On 1 January 2024, the price of the MultiSport programme will go up. New and existing MultiSport users will now pay 940 Kč monthly for an employee card. The new price for an additional card for an adult will be 1,600 Kč, and for a child (up to 15 years of age), 500 Kč. Even though the price of these cards is increasing, they are still a great value. In addition to granting entrance to sports and exercise facilities, they can also be used two times a day to rent a bicycle through Bikesharing. The card can also be used for laser tag, miniature golf, dancing, saunas, InBody measurements, and entrance to some castles and palaces. Existing users will be asked to update their payroll deduction form if they decide to continue taking advantage of the MultiSport card. For more information about the card, see here.

Referencing, Citing, and Plagiarism course in Moodle The Library has launched an e-learning course in Moodle titled Referencing, Citing, and Plagiarism - ZS23. It is intended primarily for students enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s programmes.

It contains eight modules that introduce citation ethics and the fundamentals of proper citation. Part of the course is devoted to the citation style recommended by the Library. The course is asynchronous, and students can go through it at their own convenience. Students interested in acquiring a certificate must take the whole course and get at least 70% on the final test.

2

Seminars on ethics in research We would like to invite you to a seminar titled Ethical Aspects of Research with Human Subjects (register here) to be held on 8 December 2023 from 10:00 to 12:00 in Building M (Room M2.11).

The seminar will cover, among other things, the fundamentals of informed consent, methods for protecting personal data and ensuring confidentiality, critical aspects of working with sensitive data, and potential risks associated with research. On Friday, 15 December 2023 (10:00–12:00, in Room M2.11), a seminar titled Publication Ethics (register here) will be held with the goal of supporting transparency and integrity in research writing and at the same time providing practical guidelines for dealing with ethical dilemmas associated with publishing research findings. Mgr. Helena Klimusová, Ph.D., from the Department of Psychology of Masaryk University will lecture at both seminars.

MENDELU highlights SUSTAINABLE MENDELU

A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: GOLDEN DRAGONFLYS AWARDED FOR FIRST TIME This year, the Golden Dragonfly Czech Social Business Awards were awarded for the first time to businesses that not only seek commercial success but also contribute to positive social changes.

Doc. Ing. Sylvie Formánková, Ph.D., the founder of the MENDELU Centre for Social Responsibility, was a member of the expert committee that played a key role in evaluating submitted projects. Her expertise contributed to the selection of winners in two categories: Person of the Year and Institute of the Year.

A gala was held on 3 November, in Czernin Palace in Prague, where the winners were announced.

University wines from the Academic Wine Shop The Academic Wine Shop, which you’ll find in Building E, has updated the list of wines it has on offer. The shop is also now offering a special collection of six wines produced by the University, all of which are bottle-aged, or archive, wines. This collection includes a 2016 late-harvest Souvignier gries, a 2016 Sauvignon kabinett, and a 2017 Chardonnay kabinett. Red wines include a 2016 Blaufränkisch and a 2018 St. Laurent. Because these are all dry wines, the set also comes with a 2019 semi-sweet Hibernal, selected grapes. This set costs 716 Kč.

Evening study hall For more than a month now, students can use the Library’s evening study hall. This space contains three study rooms that are open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Students and employees can also use this space for swapping books and other items. You can use your card to open the study hall.

TO NEJDŮLEŽITĚJŠÍ Z MÉDIÍ

Thanks for taking part in 2023 MENDELU Employee Satisfaction Survey

15 November – novinky.cz – Pelety z mangových pecek v Kambodži: HERE

In total, 27 % of MENDELU employees took part in a survey focused on satisfaction with working at the University. We are currently processing the data, and the findings will be published by the end of the year. We appreciate people’s willingness to share their opinions about and attitudes towards the development of our University.

18 November – lidovky.cz – Záchrana mongolské osady před pouštní dunou: HERE

3

15 November – medium.seznam.cz – Paježura Attenboroughova se ukázala v Indonésii: HERE

20 November – iDNES.cz – Lov vlků chovatelům ovcí nepomohl: HERE

MENDELU highlights

MENDELU Ph.D. talent competition announced!

On 15 November 2023, a two-round competition for talent scholarships for doctoral students at MENDELU kicked off. Students who convince the impartial expert committee about the excellence of their findings and the quality of their proposed research project will be awarded a talent scholarship. The deadline for registering for the first round is 31 January 2024 at 12:00 noon.

For more information about the competition, visit the website of the Project Centre.

MENDELU Ph.D. school In November a weeklong course was held for students not only in their first year of doctoral studies at MENDELU. It was attended by 22 people. Participants learned a lot of useful information about projects, publishing, science popularization, and matters related to employment. During the course, they had the opportunity to practice speaking with a reporter on camera, under the guidance of Czech Television reporter and newsreader Ivana Bártová.

The students gave this experience positive evaluations. The next MENDEL Ph.D. School is scheduled for spring 2024. For more information, see the Project Centre website.

4

Reward for secondary-school advisors The advisors of high school students whose projects qualify for the national round of the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize will be awarded 10,000 Kč. This international competition focused on water and sustainability is a showcase of quality and innovation in research and scientific work conducted by high school students.

Pictures of new employees For more MENDELU job offers click here.

Ing. Štěpán Beránek

Ing. Richard Danko

Luděk Fadrhonc

Ing. Andrej Gono

Technický pracovník Ústav nauky o dřevě a dřevařských technologií (LDF)

Asistent Ústav vinohradnictví a vinařství (ZF)

Referent oddělení energetiky Oddělení energetiky (PRO REK)

Asistent Ústav informatiky (PEF)

Soňa Kehmová, MA

Ing. Dominika Krausková

Ema Mantlová

Ing. Kristýna Pasnišinová

Knihovnice specialistka – datová stevardka Open Science Centrum (ÚVIS CP)

Lektorka Ústav hospodářské úpravy lesů a aplikované geoinformatiky (LDF)

Referentka rozpočtu a dotací Oddělení rozpočtu (OK REK)

Asistentka rektora Kancelář rektora (REK)

Ing. Michaela Šarmírová

Ing. Vojtěch Štulc

Bc. Markéta Zachová

Ing. Nikola Žižlavská

Referentka rozpočtu a dotací Oddělení rozpočtu (OK REK)

Technik pro výzkum Ústav agrochemie, půdoznalství, mikrobiologie a výživy rostlin (AF)

Archivářka Univerzitní archiv (OSASP REK)

Lektorka Ústav hospodářské úpravy lesů a aplikované geoinformatiky (LDF)

5