Dear PhD students, dear Postdocs!
Summer will soon be over. To set you in a positive mood for the beginning of the autumn semester, we are sending you a brand new Newsletter before it starts. Together, we will look at what's new at Masaryk University and what's coming up for you! I hope you will take the time to read it and that it will get you started for the new semester. We look forward to seeing you!
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The PhD Day is Getting Close, Don't Forget to Register and Come!
The PhD Day 2023 will be packed with information, news and special guests. You will be introduced to postgraduate studies from the point of view of currently studying PhD students, who you can then personally ask about what you are interested in - for example, during a coffee break. Or just come, and see what news is coming up for PhD students in the future. The event is highly relevant not only for PhD students (namely for those at the beginning of their PhD study), but also for undergraduate MSc students who are considering PhD studies. However, everyone interested is warmly welcome as well! PhD Day will be on-site and will be held in English.
"Start your PhD studies with right step and come to PhD day 2023"
When: October 6, 2023, at 9:00 Where: University campus library + campus corridor - Bohunice
You can look forward to the following:
- Sharing stay abroad experiences – Mobility programs and grants through the eyes of a student and an administrator
- The MMD programme and what you don't know about it..
- Presentation of Brno PhD Talent competition
- Supporting of PhD students - Introduction to Mentoring and TAC
- Besides other things, you can also look forward to a friendly atmosphere, competition or a coffee break.
Registration is required to attend the PhD Day!
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Anything you would like to ask the current PhD students?
Send us your question to e-mail: noskova@sci.muni.cz, and your questions will be answered during the PhD Day 2023.
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MUNI Mendel Doctorandus
Are you trying to get the most out of your PhD studies?
Apply for the MUNI Mendel Doctorandus programme!
The programme is designed for outstanding students who want to push the set standards even higher during their doctoral studies at MU through the completion of interdisciplinary lectures, a mentoring programme and other developmental activities preparing for future career paths. Students are offered the possibility of an extended three-month internship abroad, thus opening a path to the European Doctorate or MMD International certificate.
More information about the MUNI Mendel Doctorandus programme can be found on the website.
The admission process for MUNI Mendel Doctorandus programme is now open! Deadline for submitting the application: September 24, 2023.
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Workshops for PhD Students and Postdocs
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Workshop Respect at Universities I.
The practically oriented, interactive workshop aimed at providing employees with information and tools that comprise a preventive component in addressing sexual harassment, bullying, and violence in academic environments. The workshop serves as an introduction to the topic of sexual harassment. Together, we will discuss what can be considered as sexual harassment and violence, on both the part of university employees and university students. We will explore what to do if you witness problematic behavior, how to interact with victims and perpetrators of these pathological behaviors, and whom to turn to for help. You will engage in role-playing scenarios, be presented with practical information from both the Czech Republic and abroad, share attitudes and opinions, and all leave better equipped to not be part of the problem.
When: September 13, 2023 (9:00 – 12:30) Where: On-line Held in Czech
- For Foreign PhD students:
When: September 18, 2023 (9:00 – 12:30) Where: CERPEK training room (room no. 328), Komenského náměstí 2, Brno. Held in English / in person
The workshop capacity is limited
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We cordially invite you to the planned English training course, which have been tailor-made in cooperation with CERPEK for foreign employees of the Faculty of Science of MU.
The interactive and practically focused workshop "Leadership Basics" helps leaders and specialists acquire four key leadership skills which can be used in team communication, project management or chairing meetings. Participants will have the opportunity to try out individual skills in solving model situations from real practice.
When: November 1, 2023 (9:00 – 13:00) Where: Campus Bohunice / B17/ 432 Held in English
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Please pay attention to the latest information on the Employee Portal - section Education and Development. Here, you will find many employee training opportunities, guides and applications to help make some mandatory tasks easier.
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Summer School for PhD Students
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The National Library of Technology (NTK) cordially invite you to the second Doctoral Summer School for Early-Career Researchers. The event will take place on September 15 - 16, 2023 in Prague and is organised by NTK in collaboration with the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (UCT Prague), Czech Association of Doctoral Researchers (ČAD) and Committee for Doctoral Studies under the Student Chamber of the Council of the Higher Education Institutions (SK RVŠ).
Where: The National Library of Technology / Prague When: September 15 - 16, 2023
Deadline for registration: September 5, 2023
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Interdisciplinary Courses for PhD Students and Postdocs
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BIOTOP / SPARK / INNOLEC
Join other Early Stage Researchers (PhD students + Postdocs but all interested are invited) and broaden your horizons in the many interdisciplinary courses organised by MUNI. You can choose from a wide range of focuses; the main highlights we would like to recommend are: BIOTOP - seminar aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry and present various career options in the field of Life Sciences.
INNOLEC - INNOvation LECtures, where experts share their knowledge in various specialized research areas through engaging lectures and interactive workshops. Network with top research scholars and share best practices to take your skills to the next level. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best!
The last of the three recommended workshops is the shared platform of the SPARK Europe Education training programme, which offers transferable skills training. Lectures focus on translating research into practice, applying entrepreneurial thinking and business reasoning. The webinar is online only.
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Life Science Seminar - Autumn 2023
Register for the Life Science Seminar Series: Join other PhD and MSc students for interesting interdisciplinary lectures led by renowned scientists who will share their knowledge with Masaryk University students! The seminar series is mainly focused on currently growing fields which combine modern methods of biophysics, computational modeling, imaging, biochemistry and molecular biology with "more classical" disciplines such as microbiology, cell biology, physiology, genetics, toxicology, developmental and evolutionary biology and medicine.
Registration for lectures in IS under code XD011!
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Online Course FRESHERS: Skills for Research Careers
FRESHERS aims to provide to student's professional erudition complementary knowledge in the field of management and organization of R&D. The course tries to strengthen the skills and capacity of researchers to engage in national and international projects and research structures. The course is suitable for young researchers, primarily for PhD students.
Eight lectures (participation in 7 lessons - three credits given) Held in English
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You are Cordially Invited to Social Events for Autumn 2023:
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The Martina Roeselová Memorial Fellowship helps young scientists in the field of natural sciences balance competitive scientific work with high-quality care for preschool-age children. Stipends are awarded for a single calendar year in the amount of CZK 150,000 - they are primarily intended for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at the beginning of their career in a difficult life situation, who are the primary caregiver of a preschool child, and at the same time conduct competitive research in the field of natural sciences at universities or research institutes in the Czech Republic. Deadline for applications: September 22, 2023
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Decisions on awarding scholarships will be delivered to students electronically via the Masaryk University Information System (IS).
Scholarships cannot be paid until the decision becomes legally binding. The decision will become legally binding 30 days after the delivery of the decision because, according to the Higher Education Act, the student has the right to request a re-evaluation of the decision made regarding the scholarship in these 30 days. Therefore, the decision does not come into force until this period has expired.
The student can speed up the whole process of payment of the scholarship by declaring that he/she waives the right to review the decision. This declaration is part of the online "confirmation of acceptance" in IS MUNI.
Contact person: Iva Klímová
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Interesting Reading from the Faculty of Science / MU
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The Success of our Student Barbora Hrnčířová in NATO's Science and Technology Organization (STO) Competition
Barbora Hrnčířová (student of Department of Microbiology), who is also a member of the MUNI Mendel Doctorandus programme, succeeded in the national round of selection of candidates who will represent their countries at the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO).
The Early Career Scientist Event will take place in September in Helsinki as part of the autumn meeting of the NATO Science and Technology Committee. Barbora will present the research area "Unlocking the potential of inedible plant biomass using microbial engineering and synthetic biology". For more info about the NATO STO can be found at this link.
We will bring you the recent interview with Barbora in the next issue of the Newsletter for ESR.
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Photo: Helena Brunnerová
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The New Facility at MU Moves Scientific Research Ahead with the Use of AI
Fast and the only one in the Czech Republic - it is the new NVIDIA DGX H100 system at Masaryk University. Thanks to this device, which can process enormous amounts of data at the same time, scientists can progress, for example, in the detection of neurodegenerative diseases or simplify the automatic translation of texts into different languages.
The NVIDIA DGX H100 system is a unique new device located at Masaryk University. It is exceptional precisely because of its performance which is equal to almost 200,000 gaming computers - although the system itself is no bigger than two microwave ovens. Its power lies in its eight graphics cards, which are placed close together and communicate quickly. As a result, the system can process complex algorithms on all the cards simultaneously. What would take months on a regular computer, this device can calculate in days and, in case of simple problems, even hours. It will help scientists who need to solve complex analyses for their research to streamline their work. Or it is also beneficial for processing and evaluating large amounts of data by experts to train artificial intelligence.
The system installed at Masaryk University can help accelerate research in medicine, protein engineering, or language sciences. For example, it can predict the shape of a complex protein, knowledge of which is essential for developing new drugs. It will also find applications in language models and speech recognition as we know it from existing voice assistants. "This cutting-edge device will enable Czech scientists to create excellent results in the field of AI," says Lukáš Hejtmánek, team leader of the team managing the NVIDIA DGX H100 system at Masaryk University.
Scientists who want to use this facility for research do not need to be physically present in Brno. They can connect online from all corners of the Czech Republic. The system is part of the large research infrastructure e-INFRA CZ, which provides national technical facilities for storing and processing research data. Each research organisation subscribes to the infrastructure association and can use this unique computing power according to its needs. "The availability of such a high-performance facility represents a huge opportunity for both established and emerging Czech scientists whose research requires the processing of huge data by artificial intelligence," adds Matej Antol, e-INFRA CZ integration manager from Masaryk University.
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Photo: Marie Hošťálková
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Sites we recommend to follow:
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