Thursday 12.12.2024
The Rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková awarded four personalities with commemorative medals of Charles University. She presented them to the laureates at this year's last meeting of the Scientific Council of Charles University on Thursday 12 December. The gold medal was awarded to Professor Jan Černý and the silver medal to Dr Lenka Libusová, both from the Department of Cell Biology. The gold medal was also awarded to Lenka Henebergová, a member of the Rector's College for Social Affairs and Sustainable Development, and the silver medal to Kateřina Holubová from the Faculty of Arts, both in connection with the events of last December at the Faculty of Arts.
The Gold Commemorative Medal of the Charles University for popularization of science and support of talents was awarded to Professor Jan Černý from the Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University. His work in the field of talent support and popularization of science is at an excellent level and incredibly broad in scope. He is the chairman of the Central Commission of the Biological Olympiad, he was the head of the Czech delegation for the International Biological Olympiad (2002-2013), European Union Science Olympiad (2007-2012, 2017), European Olympiad of Experimental Science (2022 and 2023). He organized the European Union Science Olympiad in 2012 and the European Olympiad of Experimental Science in 2022. He is also a member of the author team of the Biology Olympiad study texts.
Jan Černý is also a board member of the BIOSCOP project at Masaryk University. In 2000-2005, he was a guarantor of the professional programme of the Open Science, Open Science for Regions and Attestation in Biology for the 3rd Millennium projects. He is the author of dozens of popularization articles in Lidové noviny and the magazine Vesmír, where he is also a member of the editorial board. He has repeatedly appeared on the Czech Radio Plus programme Laboratory. At the University of the Third Age he runs a course for the elderly and their grandchildren called World of the Cell. He is a guarantor of the programme Progress in Biology at the Faculty of Science of Charles University aimed at future candidates for study and their teachers. Every year he gives about twenty popularization lectures, whose recordings have tens of thousands of views on the Internet.
Jan Černý is also a board member of the BIOSCOP project at Masaryk University. In 2000-2005, he was a guarantor of the professional programme of the Open Science, Open Science for Regions and Attestation in Biology for the 3rd Millennium projects. He is the author of dozens of popularization articles in Lidové noviny and the magazine Vesmír, where he is also a member of the editorial board. He has repeatedly appeared on the Czech Radio Plus programme Laboratory. At the University of the Third Age he runs a course for the elderly and their grandchildren called World of the Cell. He is a guarantor of the programme Progress in Biology at the Faculty of Science of Charles University aimed at future candidates for study and their teachers. Every year he gives about twenty popularization lectures, whose recordings have tens of thousands of views on the Internet.
To illustrate how important an element in the development of the relationship between man and science are the Olympiads, Professor Jan Černý invited the audience to sign up everyone who has ever participated in one of the Olympiads. Almost the whole hall raised their hands.
"Trying to offer young people a safety net of extracurricular activities at an age that is absolutely crucial to the development of their talents is important. I know this from our students who claim to have been influenced by subject Olympiads even in their career decisions. I very much appreciate this medal. I also take it as a message that will recharge our batteries in all the battles we are waging to promote the nurturing of talent. Times are not easy, we are experiencing a crisis of critical thinking. I would almost like to take a saw and cut the medal into a thousand pieces, that's about the number of people who are part of the story that I am the head of. It's an amazing experience with a group of people who don't have to be governed because they're motivated, they're altruistic, they're often former participants in the Biology or other Olympics. My role is just not to spoil the whole thing," thanked Professor Jan Černý not only for winning the medal, but for the cooperation of all his colleagues.
"Trying to offer young people a safety net of extracurricular activities at an age that is absolutely crucial to the development of their talents is important. I know this from our students who claim to have been influenced by subject Olympiads even in their career decisions. I very much appreciate this medal. I also take it as a message that will recharge our batteries in all the battles we are waging to promote the nurturing of talent. Times are not easy, we are experiencing a crisis of critical thinking. I would almost like to take a saw and cut the medal into a thousand pieces, that's about the number of people who are part of the story that I am the head of. It's an amazing experience with a group of people who don't have to be governed because they're motivated, they're altruistic, they're often former participants in the Biology or other Olympics. My role is just not to spoil the whole thing," thanked Professor Jan Černý not only for winning the medal, but for the cooperation of all his colleagues.
Among them is Lenka Libusová, who, like Jan Černý, works at the Department of Cell Biology at the Faculty of Science of Charles University. The Rector of Charles University Milena Králíčková awarded her a silver commemorative medal for the organization of the International Biology Olympiad.
Lenka Libusová has been a member or leader of the Czech delegation to the International Biological Olympiad since 2013. She also served as the head of the Coordination Centre of this Olympiad. Since 2017, she has been a member of the Steering Committee of the International Biological Olympiad (the highest position in this international competition involving more than 80 countries around the world) for four years from 2022.
Lenka Libusová is also active in other international science competitions for talented high school students: since 2013 she has repeatedly been a mentor for biology at the European Union Science Olympiad and in 2022 she co-organised the European Olympiad of Experimental Science, a pan-European competition.
"The Biology Olympiad meant an awful lot to me during my student years. It has done a lot of good for me. My role in the International Biology Olympiad is also to pass on this goodness, to inspire other people not only from the Czech Republic but from all countries around the world and hope that it will be as important for them as it was for me. It is an award for the whole Biological Olympiad, not only for me," smiled Lenka Libusová.
Lenka Libusová has been a member or leader of the Czech delegation to the International Biological Olympiad since 2013. She also served as the head of the Coordination Centre of this Olympiad. Since 2017, she has been a member of the Steering Committee of the International Biological Olympiad (the highest position in this international competition involving more than 80 countries around the world) for four years from 2022.
Lenka Libusová is also active in other international science competitions for talented high school students: since 2013 she has repeatedly been a mentor for biology at the European Union Science Olympiad and in 2022 she co-organised the European Olympiad of Experimental Science, a pan-European competition.
"The Biology Olympiad meant an awful lot to me during my student years. It has done a lot of good for me. My role in the International Biology Olympiad is also to pass on this goodness, to inspire other people not only from the Czech Republic but from all countries around the world and hope that it will be as important for them as it was for me. It is an award for the whole Biological Olympiad, not only for me," smiled Lenka Libusová.
