The academic community of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague met on Monday, 28th November 2022, in the auditorium for the ceremonial assembly of the CZU Scientific Board.
This year, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague commemorates the 70th anniversary of its independent existence. And while the spring meeting of the CZU Scientific Board started the jubilee year, the autumn one symbolically closed it.
"From the point of view of the quality of science, research and education, the year 2022 is very successful for our university," emphasized the Rector, Prof. Petr Sklenička and reminded that CZU ranked at shared fourth place among Czech schools in the two most crucial world university rankings, which is a move up by two to three places among our best universities over the past five years. In another world ranking, where sustainability is evaluated in addition to the quality of education, the University finished third.
"I am not in the habit of overestimating these rankings, but I consider them a more objective comparison than the Czech M17+ Methodology today because it is a comparison in an international context. In addition, we are happy about other facts that indicate that we are walking the right path towards excellence," said CZU Rector Prof. Petr Sklenička.
The assembly of the academic community is always an opportunity to present diplomas to new associate professors and doctors and to announce awards for significant achievements. At the beginning of the assembly, Prof. Petr Sklenička presented the award for lifelong contribution to the University to the Emeritus Rector Prof. Josef Kozák, and the appointment decree of Exceptional Professor to Constantin Stathopoulos, who manages the excellent DRIFT-FOOD project at CZU. Ten new associate professors and twenty-three Ph.D. graduates also received appointment decrees.
The Prize of the Ministry of Agriculture for the best dissertation went to five researchers, and the Prize of Prof. Stoklasa to six laureates and their supervisors. Rector's Prizes were also awarded for the publication activity of doctoral students (23 awarded), for the publication activity of employees (22 articles in Nature Index), and prizes for the best pedagogical workers (7 awarded).
In its 115 years of history, and especially in its 70 years of independent existence, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague has established itself among the best Czech universities. As mentioned by its current Rector, Prof. Petr Sklenička, "the number of international Horizon-type projects is increasing; we won the ERA Chair project in the field of the food industry, Dr. Petr Keil received the prestigious (ERC) Consolidator Grant, two of the ten most cited scientists in the Czech Republic are from the Czech University of Life Sciences. This is the absolute peak, and immediately behind it, there are many other excellent performances," reminded Prof. Sklenička.
Let us also mention the large number of publications listed in the Nature Index ranking or placed in the first decile and the growing share of publications in the first quartile, representing more than 50 percent of all articles on the Web of Science, whose authors are CZU scientists.
"I would like to thank everyone responsible for what our University has achieved on its independent journey. Today, CZU is a quality brand, and we will continue to develop it with the knowledge of a huge responsibility. It significantly contributes to the growth of education not only in the Czech Republic and other countries where our graduates and students are recruited. And it is education that has the power to bring hope and concrete solutions in difficult times, the time we are currently living through," emphasized the Rector of the University, Prof. Petr Sklenička.
Prepared by: Lenka Prokopová
Photo: Petr Zmek
