On June 12, 2025, the 20th anniversary of the Field practices in human etology was celebrated in the amphitheatre on the Albertov steps. Teachers, former students, and also Romani residents from a village near the locality where the field course takes place gathered to celebrate this anniversary together.
The event was opened by the Romani band Sendreiovci. The rich program was hosted by Associate Professor Ivan Murin from Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica and the FHS UK, who, together with Professor Jan Havlíček, leads the Field practices in human etology. At the beginning, he thanked all teachers, alumni, and other course participants for coming to celebrate the anniversary, saying: “Without you, this field course would not be possible.”
Then he handed the microphone over to Jan Havlíček, who explained how the idea for a field course in human etology originated and how they came to choose this particular location. “Ivan suggested he had a suitable field site,” Jan Havlíček recalled with a smile, “but he wasn’t sure if we, folks from Prague, were ready for it.” He then went on to explain to the visitors how the course is conducted and what it involves.
Since 2005, the Field practices in human etology have been held in the village of Klenovec, which includes the Romani settlement of Dolinka, located 600 km from Prague in southern Slovakia. As part of this course, students have the opportunity to meet residents and try out some ethological and ethnographic methods in practice. As Jan Havlíček states, “Students have the chance to gain insight into a different culture and community, which is often shown only in a negative light in our society. Here, they can see the specific challenges faced by the Romani community. For some students, it's their first field experience, so they often experience a kind of culture shock, which is why we hold reflection sessions every evening.” In conclusion, he emphasised that this event would not be possible without the trust and cooperation of the local people.
That was also confirmed by Ivan Murin: “The environment is changing very quickly, and even after all these years, we realise how much we still don’t know. That is why we are grateful to our people from Dolinka, who have very successfully taken over our pedagogical roles
During the evening, former students and Romani individuals also performed and shared stories about their experiences. A greeting video from Romani children at the special elementary school in Klenovec was also shown. Although they were unable to attend in person in Prague, they were present in this way.
The event was a great success and well attended. Both course leaders were very satisfied with the entire occasion. “Many people came, and I’m pleased that even participants who took the course a long time ago, some as far back as 15 years ago, were present. It’s only six days, but the students remember it,” said Ivan Murin.