Dr. Miroslav Šobr specializes in hydrology, limnology, and natural hazards. He is a beloved educator and participates in teaching both bachelor's and master's courses, including the challenging Planetary Geography, which he has supervised since 2018. He is actively involved in teaching hydrology and regional geography of Asia, drawing on his field experience from Lake Baikal and Central Asia. He enjoys leading field exercises and practical tasks within the Geography Olympiad, which he has helped organize since 2013. His teaching emphasizes discussion, practical examples, and a fair approach to students.
Aeolian Islands, peak of volcano Vulcano, 391 m above sea level, source: M. Šobr archive.
You have been recognised for outstanding assessment across all 14 courses taught in the Geography Department in many ways, including improving trends in the overall assessment of guarantor courses, for which I congratulate you most sincerely. What does the award mean to you, and are any of the subjects you teach your favourite/closest to your heart?
I really appreciate the award, it made me happy. I always try to get feedback from the students about the teaching and I analyse their observations and try to modify and improve some topics for the next year's teaching. In 2018, I was entrusted with teaching the Planetary Geography course, where I had only participated in part of the exercises until then. During the first two years, I intensively collected feedback from students outside of the student survey in order to qualitatively move the subject to a higher level. This is a subject for future geography teachers who have biology, history, physical education or mathematics as a second subject. Most of them (except the mathematicians, of course) chose this subject with the expectation that they would never see mathematics again. And suddenly they have an exercise for a subject that still counts. It's a challenge for me to show them that it's not as difficult as it seems at first, and that it's quite important for their future teaching practice. I love teaching all the subjects I teach (although some I only teach once or twice a semester), but it is Planetary Geography that has grown on me the most over the last few years, even though it is not a popular subject with my students. I also enjoy teaching regional geography of Asia and oceanography.
Field training and field work are highly valued by students, what do you think makes this learning so valuable for them?
Even as a student, I always looked forward to field trainings, field trips and field measurements for my diploma thesis. You get to feel and try out methods that are usually only discussed in theory in the classroom, and it is often hard to imagine how they are actually done in practice. In the field course we divide the students into smaller groups so that we can pay more attention to each one, answer questions and give advice. Also, during the field training, there is usually a good group of students and teachers together and the students leave satisfied.
As well as teaching, you are involved in many interesting projects both in Czechia and abroad. Which research projects are you currently most involved in?
Last year, we finished a research project in my 'home' Šumava, where I managed to measure flows in our study catchments during the big flood in September. Since 2019, I have been working with the Povodí Ohře company, with whom we have already worked on several smaller projects related to mapping dam siltation, hydrological drought monitoring, preparation of revitalisation projects and, last but not least, water quality. I am working on the PERUN project, which deals with hydrological drought. I plan to follow up on previous foreign research projects in the Ťan-Šan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, which dealt with dangerous high mountain lakes (which can affect downhill settlements with their potential overflow) and changes in the hydrological regime in glaciated areas.
What do you think is key in university teaching to impress students?
Being able to explain complex processes and phenomena in a way that students can understand. I always try to supplement my teaching with some practical examples or even real-life experiences. In Physical Geography, we have the added advantage of fieldwork, which most students enjoy, look forward to and get a lot out of. In teaching seminars I try to discuss the topic with the students.
What led you to study and then teach physical geography subjects?
I always liked geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, just science at school. At the Gymnasium in Sušice I was probably most influenced by our geography teacher Mgr. Ivan Kratochvíl, so I studied geography and cartography. During my university studies I was most impressed by Prof. Bohumír Janský and his lectures on hydrology and regional physical geography. What I like about physical geography is the interconnectedness of different fields. I had my first taste of teaching during my postgraduate studies and I immediately loved it. When I was choosing a university, my second choice was to teach geography and mathematics, and I was accepted, but I preferred geography here in Albertov. I was lucky enough to have many great teachers in my school days, whose methods and teaching style (and sometimes their "catchphrases") I have picked up and tried to apply.
Finally, I would like to ask what would attract potential future students to study Physical Geography, or what topics could you currently offer?
The Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology covers a wide range of topics, which are clearly listed on the Department's website. Most of the qualifying work involves field work, where data is collected and then analysed. Our department has gradually been equipped with modern instruments, which we try to show to students during their research. This year we are planning to start the construction of an experimental basin where we hope to conduct practical teaching in the future. I can attract students to topics related to hydrological extremes (droughts and floods), but also to topics suitable for future geography teachers, whom I direct to topics in hydrology or, more recently, planetary geography.
Thank you very much for this interview and I wish you many more successes in your teaching and research activities.
Kateřina Fraindová
Selected student comments from the 2023/2024 academic year
Very well-structured lessons and interesting explanations.
The teacher was very helpful in explaining everything and answering all my questions. I appreciate his patience and clarity of explanation.
I took Planetary Geography, Hydrogeography with Dr. Šobr. For me super, very helpful.
I think what I appreciated most about the course was the teacher. Dr. Šobr is undoubtedly a capacity and he approached the subject in a very interesting way, often highlighting practical applications of an otherwise often purely theoretical subject. The willingness to help with anything related to the subject and to explain any ambiguities is also very pleasant.
Dr. Šobr always explains everything so perfectly that even a person who avoided mathematics all through high school will come to a simple understanding of some parts.