MENDEL news 7/2024 (eng)

7-24 The Employee Newsletter of Mendel University in Brno

Renovated DODNA wine bistro open: Come and savour University wines!

The newly renovated DODNA wine bistro is open for business! The university wine shop has undergone a transformation, and now you can sit in a pleasant environment, enjoying University wines from Mendel University in Brno, the University Agriculture Enterprise in Žabčice, and the Faculty of Horticulture in Lednice, as well as light refreshments. Stop by for glass. You’ll find the bistro next to the Institute of Lifelong Learning at Zemědělská 5.

MENDELU highlights

University basketball derby: MENDELU vs. MUNI This November, get ready for another major sporting event: as part of the Czech University Basketball League, teams from two prestigious universities celebrating their 105th anniversaries this year will face off on the court: Mendel University in Brno and Masaryk University. The tip-off will take place at 6:00 on 13 November in the Small Hall at Vodova Starez Arena in Brno. Following what’s sure to be an exciting game, you can look forward to a student after-party, where fans of both teams will meet to celebrate this special occasion. Tickets are already available for purchase for the symbolic price of 105 Kč.

Welcome Week at MENDELU: 180 international students from around the world During Mendel University’s traditional Welcome Week, we welcomed 180 international students from around the world who have come to study for one or more semesters as part of Erasmus+ or international credit mobility programmes or as self-paying exchange students. The largest number of students come from Spain, Slovenia, and Georgia; we also have guests from Taiwan, Japan, and Australia.

The event was organized by Bohdana Čechová and the Erasmus Student Network team. The programme included a trip to Lednice, a wine tasting, a trip to Balcarka Cave (originally planned for Punkevní Cave, but changed due to flooding), and a visit to a ropes course.

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University Archive enriched with valuable materials about the history of University Agricultural Enterprise Žabčice The University Archive acquired a collection of documents related to the history of the University Agricultural Enterprise in Žabčice from Stanislava Žižlavská, a long-serving employee of the farm.

These materials mainly include photographs, some of which date back to the 1920s, and video recordings from the 1990s. They are a valuable addition to the archive, as before it contained very little in its collections about the history of the University Agricultural Enterprise in Žabčice. It is remarkable that the newly acquired archival materials have been preserved together for so long. Now they are stored in the archive’s depository at a stable temperature and humidity so that one day future generations will be able to use them to conduct research.

MENDELU highlights SUSTAINABLE MENDELU MENDELU SUPPORTS GREEN SKILLS AND SUSTAINABILITY Since the beginning of this year, Mendel University in Brno has been working on the project Support for Green Skills and Sustainability at MENDELU, which will be implemented until the end of 2025. THE project focuses on adapting educational programs in line with the Green Deal strategy at both national and international levels.

The aim is to prepare competitive graduates who will gain essential knowledge and develop key competencies during their studies at MENDELU, ensuring their successful integration into the job market. The university is also responding to employer needs by modernizing study programs and enhancing collaboration with industry partners.

One of the key activities of the project includes newly developed study programs. At the Faculty of AgriSciences, a new program in Ecotoxicology and Waste Management is undergoing the accreditation process. This program addresses current environmental challenges and offers career opportunities in corporate ecology, ecotoxicology, and waste processing. Graduates will be able to design modern technologies and comply with legislative requirements in the field of environmental protection.

The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology is launching the program Integrated Nature Conservation, which focuses on sustainable landscape management. Graduates will become experts in nature conservation and ecosystem management, particularly in the Central European landscape.

MEATLESS DAY: Let's support health, the planet, sustainability, and compassion We would like to invite you to participate in the university-wide event "1 Meatless Day," which will take place on October 4th in celebration of World Animal Day. On this day, a special vegetarian menu will be available in cafeteria X, promoting awareness of the ethical, environmental, and health benefits of plant-based diets.

MENDELU at VIDA! In collaboration with VIDA! Science Centre we have prepared an autumn series of scientific lectures and interactive activities for children and adults.

• POP SCIENCE from Friday, 15 November, to Sunday, 17 November 2024, the POP SCIENCE Festival will take place at VIDA! Science Centre, where you can look forward to science shows, interactive workshops, and inspiring lectures that will bring science closer to both children and adults. Two scientists from MENDELU will put on a science show: Jan Veselský’s “The biochemstry in us” and Pavel Fic’s “Water.” On Saturday, 16 November, the university will also have a presentation stand called “Mendel University: In the footprints of Gregor Johann Mendel,” where Adéla Starinská and Radim Zelinka will be working.

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• Cancer prevention days mENDELU will take part in awareness-raising activities focused on health and disease prevention. A lecture titled “Nanomedicine: Small particles, big hopes in the battle against cancer” will be held on 19 October, at 2:00 in the Science Theatre of VIDA! Science Centre as part of Cancer Prevention Days. The lecture will be given by Jana Kurcová from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the MENDELU Faculty of AgriSciences, winner of the Ph.D. MENDELU Talent and Ph.D. Brno Talent contests.

MENDELU highlights Internal quality evaluations

• Innovator the INNOVATOR event, intended for secondary school students and eighth- and ninth-graders, will take place on 25 October.

Lectures delivered by scientists from Mendel University in Brno will take place in the Science Theatre and in the VIDA! Science Centre multifunctional hall.

• “The world of augmented reality for everyone” – Ivo Písařovic • “Water in cities” – Michala Menšíková, Petra Oppeltová • “Plants imprisoned between four walls: How to grow plants indoors” – Tomáš Kopta • “Carbon and climate: How we are influencing the planet” – Ludmila Floková • “Methods for monitoring and studying large carnivores in the Czech Republic” – Šárka Frýbová • “Replacing teachers with artificial intelligence” – David Kryštof

Training session invitation: Hiring interviews made easy, fun, and effective

This year’s internal quality evaluations at MENDELU will be conducted following a new concept based on evaluating quality from the perspective of the quality of degree programmes. They are supplemented by evaluations focused on special topics. The goal is to ensure greater interconnectedness between different elements in the quality management system, that is, the evaluation of education activities implemented in degree programmes, the creative activities of academic employees teaching in degree programmes, associated support activities, whether in the form of information source availability or the use of university enterprises for research activities and gaining practice, and evaluating quality based on feedback from students and external experts. This system stands on three fundamental pillars: controlling and evaluating the quality of accredited degree programmes, quality evaluations focused on special topics, and feedback.

The Supplement to the Internal Evaluation Report, which is currently being commented on by university bodies, summarizes the most important recent quality management activities, including plans for developmental activities. This year’s quality evaluation produced some interesting information. For example, the number of graduates of two-year master’s programmes has continued to decline (in 2023 it decreased by 6.1 %). The number of applicants for PhD programmes also decreased (by 18.6 %), and the percentage of international students has also continued to drop (it is currently 16.8 %).

In contrast, the student-teacher ratio has risen since last year by 17.4 %, that is, to 16.2 students per one academic worker.

For more information about internal quality evaluation and the full text of the Supplement, see kvalita.mendelu.cz.

Wage Regulations and Internal Job Catalogue have been amended On 1 November 2024, revised versions of the Wage Regulations and the Internal Job Catalogue will go into effect. The main changes are in wage classes for academic professions and wage rates.

The amendments were made in part in keeping with the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports project for supporting improvement in pay conditions at public universities, which MENDELU joined in July of this year.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT 24. AUGUST – ČT, Týden v regionech – Proužky na páskovcích: HERE 2. SEPTEMBER – Novinky.cz – Lom Seč unikátní turistickou atrakcí: HERE

The Department of Human Resources Management is offering training to anyone who regularly or even occasionally takes part in hiring new employees as members of selection committees.

The training will teach you how to conduct job interviews that are more professional and efficient. You will learn how to best prepare, how to ask the right questions and give the right answers, assess the candidates’ responses to your questions, and compare candidates. The differences between interviewing internal and external candidates will also be covered. The course will be led

by Ida Peťková. Date: 19. November 2024. Time: 12:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Green Meeting Room (2nd floor of Building A). Capacity: 15 people. Registration.

17. SEPTEMBER – Agris.cz – Klimatická změna stírá rozdíly mezi ekologickým a konvenčním zemědělstvím: HERE 17. SEPTEMBER – Český rozhlas Brno – Netopýři jsou odolní vůči virům a bakteriím: HERE 24. SEPTEMBER – Břeclavský deník – Lednice ožila setkáním absolventů: HERE

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MENDELU highlights Library At the start of the semester, the Library organized tours for new students and University of the Third Age students. If you are a university employee interested in taking such a tour, don’t hesitate to contact the Library at knihovna@mendelu.cz. We would be glad to show you around the Library, explain how the collections are built, and answer all your questions.

For English-speaking students the Library is offering the Moodle course Referencing and avoiding plagiarism. It contains eight modules, which will teach students about citation etiquette and the principles of proper citation. The course is asynchronous and is accessible all year round, independent of the academic year calendar. Students can go through the course materials when they wish. In October, several seminars will be held: “How to write a thesis,” “Referencing and avoiding plagiarism,” and “Scientific information retrieval (databases, library catalogue, etc.)” You can find more information on the Library website.

Open Science Week: Get involved and discover the world of open science!

The Open Science Centre cordially invites you to Open Science Week (21–23 October 2024). You can look forward to online lectures and practical demonstrations. Join up online and discover the world of open science with us – meeting the requirements of grant agencies will now be a walk in the park!

We highly recommend the following topics: • How to manage data in research projects • Ethical issues and solutions when working with sensitive research data • Data repositories • Electronic lab journals • Citizen science Information and registration. Your Open Science Centre.

New manual makes managing project documentation easier in electronic records management system At the beginning of September, a new manual for managing project documentation in the electronic records management system was published. It was created by the Records and Archive Department in collaboration with the Project Department. The objective is to use the system’s automatic functions to make working with project documents as efficient as possible, but at the same time to make all documentation available in one place, in one system, and in one file. This solution offers several advantages: it allows users to search project documents and share across university units, and includes preconfigured approval processes and a system for safely managing the record-destruction process. Because project administration is extremely demanding in terms of documentation, multiple university workplaces and units are involved in these processes. At the same time, there are many different types of documents that must be delivered to grant providers in various ways. This manual is a springboard for clarifying documentation processes and how to revise them and make them more efficient.

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Library verifies journals in which MENDELU authors published in 2023 In total, 435 journals were examined. Three journals were determined to be suspicious, which means that they do not follow standard publishing practices and that their goal is not necessarily to support and develop the academic community.

The verification was conducting using data contained in Cabells’ Predatory Reports as of 28 June 2024. The result can be downloaded here. Do you want to learn more? Have a look at our website.

Education and Accreditation

New Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme project supports internationalization On 1 October 2024, a new project will be launched as part of the Johannes Amos Comenius Operational Programme: MSCA FELLOWSHIPS CZ MENDELU. The project will support mobility for two long-term placements for researchers whose projects submitted for the Horizon Europe: MSCA programme were highly rated but did not receive support due to funding limitations. This new project will enable one researcher from the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology to complete a placement at a prestigious institute in Austria and one foreign expert from India to complete a placement at the Faculty of AgriSciences. This project contributes to strengthening internationalization at MENDELU and supporting international cooperation in science and research.

GA GJM – Category C – Return projects The winning projects in this year’s internal grant competition of the Gregor Johann Mendel Grant Agency of Mendel University in Brno in Category C – Return Projects were Luďka Hanincová’s project “Optimalization and sustainability in wood processing: Efficient approaches and challenges in machining” (Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology) and Kristýna Šmerková’s project “Using antibacterial nanomaterials in agriculture and their impact on modulating the intestinal microflora of piglets” (Faculty of AgriSciences).

Both projects were launched on 1 September 2024.

MENDELU Ph.D. talent This year another competition for supplementary talent scholarships for students in their first years of doctoral studies at Mendel University in Brno will be held. The call for applications should be announced in November 2024. Doctoral students will be able to apply until the end of January 2025. Detailed information will be available on the Project Department’s website.

MENDELU PhD school: This week-long course is changing names!

The week-long course for doctoral students, which covers current topics about grants, publishing, internationalization, popularizing science, and employment, has a new name! It has been renamed MENDELU PhD Week (but it will continue to be a part of the MENDEL PhD school). The course will be held in November.

You can register today.

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

Miluše Gajdová

Ing. Aneta Bačová

Michal Benovics, Ph.D.

doc. Ing. Tomáš Binar, Ph.D.

Ing. Eliška Čermáková

Šatnářka Oddělení správy a údržby (PRO REK)

Akademická pracovnice – asistentka Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti (LDF)

Výzkumník projektu III Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti (LDF)

Akademický pracovník - docent Ústav techniky a automobilové dopravy (AF)

Účetní Oddělení finanční účtárny (EO REK)

Ing. Lumír Dobrovolný, Ph.D.

Mgr. Kamila Fitzová, DiS.

Pavla Gabrielová

Ing. Iva Hasíková

Ing. Pavel Horák

Garant kurzu KA3 Projektové oddělení (REK)

Referentka kvality Oddělení kvality (OVČK REK)

Šatnářka Oddělení správy a údržby (PRO REK)

Akademická pracovnice – lektorka Ústav financí a účetnictví (PEF)

Akademický pracovník – asistent Ústav zakládání a pěstění lesů (LDF)

Ing. Tomáš Jakúbek

Jana Jarošová

Ing. Jana Kneiflová

Ing. Andrea Králiková

Akademický pracovník - lektor Ústav informatiky (PEF)

Šatnářka Oddělení správy a údržby (PRO REK)

Odborná administrativní pracovnice Projektové oddělení (REK)

Akademická pracovnice – odborná asistentka Ústav marketingu a obchodu (PEF)

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

Ing. Petra Krupičková

Mgr. Štěpán Kubičík

Bc. Jakub Markvart

Ing. Tomáš Mikulec

Ing. Petr Mikuš, Ph.D.

Technička pro výzkum Ústav designu a nábytku (LDF)

Vedoucí oddělení Oddělení veřejných zakázek a nákupu (REK)

Akademický pracovník - lektor Ústav informatiky (PEF)

Technik pro výzkum Ústav designu a nábytku (LDF)

Akademický pracovník – odborný asistent Ústav podnikové ekonomiky (PEF)

prof. Ing. Danuše Nerudová, Ph.D.

Mgr. Antonie Ondrouchová, DiS.

Burenjargal Otgonsuren, Ph.D.

Ing. Daniel Pastorek, Ph.D.

MgA. Daniela Peclová

Akademická pracovnice – profesorka Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti (LDF)

Referentka vzdělávací činnosti Oddělení pro vzdělávací činnost (OVČK REK)

AP – výzkumná pracovnice Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti (LDF)

Akademický pracovník – odborný asistent Ústav financí a účetnictví (PEF)

Akademická pracovnice – asistentka Ústav marketingu a obchodu (PEF)

Ing. Miloš Trifkovič

Ing. Roman Valovič

Ing. Michal Vaněček

Ing. Lukáš Vyoral

Tareq Yakoub Hassan Hameduh, MSc.

Akademický pracovník – asistent Ústav ochrany lesů a myslivosti (LDF)

Akademický pracovník – lektor Ústav informatiky (PEF)

Technik pro výzkum Ústav designu a nábytku (LDF)

Zkušební technik Zkušebna stavebně truhlářských výrobků (LDF)

Výzkumník projektu II Ústav chemie a biochemie (AF)

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