On Friday, September 26, 2025, the Czech Republic will host Researchers’ Night again, the country’s most significant science outreach event. More than 130 institutions and companies in 73 cities will prepare programs focused on this year’s theme: Wealth. As always, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) will join this unique science show, offering forty program blocks. Curious visitors can look forward to interactive experiments, exciting screenings, workshops, and lectures full of surprising discoveries across the campus.
The festival celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, and its growing popularity proves that science does not belong only to researchers in laboratories. A symbolic reminder of this jubilee is a special anniversary tourist token, available at the information booth near the sundial on campus. Visitors can also collect wristbands, playing cards, or a small gift after gathering six stamps. Refreshments and souvenirs from the CZU Shop will also be available.
The reason organizers chose Wealth as the theme of this jubilee year is clear:
“A society is truly wealthy only when it makes full use of the wealth of the mind. Today, more than ever, it matters how we treat our cultural and natural wealth and how we use technology for our development. Science and research are an essential part of our lives, which is why this year we want to highlight above all the endless diversity of scientific inquiry,” says Dana Kardová, member of the national coordination team for Researchers’ Night. The theme also refers to the 700th anniversary of minting the first Czech gold coins, which brought the country an unprecedented economic boom.
On Friday, September 26, 2025, CZU will once again prepare a spectacular show full of learning and excitement. The campus will transform into a giant laboratory and open the doors to the world of science—fun, playful, and clever. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why last year, for the first time in history, Researchers’ Night drew more than 100,000 visitors.
This year, guests can choose from forty program blocks running from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a few special sessions:
Pub Quiz – 7:00–8:00 p.m., Faculty of Economics and Management (PEF)
Beer Brewing – 6:00 p.m. presentation at the Faculty of Engineering (lecture hall M1), followed by a 6:30 p.m. tour of the brewery
Hidden Wealth of Pyrophilous Insects – lectures at 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 p.m., Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences (FLD)
The Wealth of Wood, Science, and Victory – lectures at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m., FLD
Hidden Wealth: Rare Spices and Their Stories – guided tours at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ) at 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.; each tour limited to 30 participants; reservation required HERE. Reservations close on September 25 at noon.
Engagingly presenting science is not always easy. As Ondřej Fátor, head of marketing and CZU coordinator of Researchers’ Night, explains: “Imagine spending the entire year doing research, writing scientific articles for international journals, attending conferences—and then someone asks you to present the same thing to an audience that not only isn’t made up of experts but may even include people who haven’t started school yet. That’s a completely different discipline.”
Even so, researchers embrace this challenge with enthusiasm—perhaps because it offers a welcome change and an opportunity to engage audiences of all ages, including their potential future successors.
Highlights of CZU’s Program
The Faculty of Economics and Management has prepared several competitions connected to money, an undeniable symbol of wealth. One of them is a fun Pub Quiz, where participants can test their knowledge from the history of money to modern payments and win attractive prizes—such as meeting animals on campus or trying out a digital laser shooting range. The quiz runs from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Pavilion T. At any time, visitors can also take a photo with the faculty mascot, an owl.
The Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources invites guests to try on a lab coat and scientific equipment for a themed photo. Visitors can also explore insects as a nutritious and eco-friendly food source, discover the wealth of aquatic life, learn about plant health, or test the sensitivity of their sense of smell through simple sensory evaluations. Guests can have their body composition measured free of charge with an InBody 770 device and consult nutrition experts for tailored diet or lifestyle advice.
The Faculty of Engineering will showcase virtual reality, reveal the secrets of student beer brewing, and present the racing monoposts of the CULS Prague Formula Racing team, which successfully competes at home and abroad.
The Faculty of Environmental Sciences will focus on water wealth in the landscape, the role of pollinators, and the fascinating world of snow. Researchers will also explain what “keystone species” are, what natural processes they influence, and why they are crucial for ecosystems. How do scientists study apex predators or forest elephants, and how do these species impact their environments? These and many other questions will be answered during the evening, accompanied by fun games and quizzes for children and adults.
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences will present rare spices and their stories, aromatic plants, and treasures of African savannas, whose conservation is a lifelong mission for some of its scientists. Under the theme DNA Under the Microscope: From the Code of Life to Biodiversity Conservation, visitors will learn about the secrets of DNA and what it can reveal about plants and animals. A guided tour of the Plant Explant Laboratory will showcase plants cultivated in glass.
The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences will present the many forms of wealth the forest offers—such as the genetic diversity of native trees, the hidden wealth of pyrophilous insects, the wealth of the senses, and the wealth of wood, science, and victory. Why is wood itself such a valuable treasure? Visitors can find out firsthand by joining a design furniture workshop, choosing materials fopr a children’s bed or bookshelf, adding textures to a digital model, and generating a visualization of their design.
This night is always a great adventure and a unique opportunity to peek into the secrets of scientific discovery. “It’s an open day in late hours, so anyone interested in science, our university, or studying here will find something for themselves. And above all, it’s the only chance of the year to explore an open, lively campus thoroughly after dark. Words can’t capture it—you have to experience it!
We look forward to seeing you on Friday, September 26, between 5 and 9 p.m.,” says Ondřej Fátor.
You can find the detailed CZU program for Researchers’ Night 2025 HERE.
