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What does 2022 hold for Masaryk?

Here you will find an overview of the most important and interesting events that will be occurring at Masaryk University in 2022.

Celebrating the founder of genetics in 2022

This year, Masaryk University together with the city of Brno and other organizations will commemorate the 200th birthday of G. J. Mendel and will hold several events honouring his legacy. For example, in March visitors of Expo 2020 in Dubai will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the father of genetics. In the Czech pavilion, one room will be created by a symbolic thread calling to mind DNA, they will find original artifacts from MU’s Mendel Museum on display: a microscope and books that this great scientist used. To honour this significant milestone, Mendel Museum is preparing a new permanent exhibition about genetics that will entertain and inform visitors about Mendel’s experiments and discoveries and the foundations of genetics and molecular biology. This interactive exhibition will open in May. Guests can use apps and touch-screen games. In summer the Mendel Genetics Conference 2022 will be held. Leading researchers in biological and medical genetics, animal genetics, ethics, and microbiology will attend. The aim of the conference is to create opportunities for MU scientists to network with these experts.

Masaryk is creating a sustainable system

Ten faculties, ten paths to a sustainable university, one shared responsible culture. Respecting and developing the principles of sustainability correspond with the objectives of the MU Strategic Plan 2021–2028, and MU strives to perform as well as or better than other universities. In the recently published UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, which ranks universities based on social responsibility and sustainability, MU jumped 100 places; improved in the categories of infrastructure, waste, and education; and was rated among the best 150 universities.

Botanical garden to celebrate 100th birthday

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Botanical Garden of the MU Faculty of Science, which was founded in 1922 by Professor Josef Podpěra. The garden has been located at the same site on the corner of Kotlářská and Veveří Streets for an entire century. One of the garden’s goals is to present plants and biotopes to not only students and scientists but also members of the public. The Botanical Garden is famous for housing the largest water lily species, Victoria amazonica, and visitors will also find an enormous collection of bromeliads. To mark the anniversary of the garden, a brochure about its history has been published, and during the year a series of events and exhibitions will be held. The icing on the cake will be this July’s Mendel Festival, for which Mendel’s gardens and pea beds are being restored, as well as August’s 1920s-inspired Jazz Evening with a hat show performed by Radka Chabičovská’s Dantes Ladies’ Hat Club. A garden party for academic staff, where a tree marking the 100th anniversary of the garden will be planted, is also being planned.

ICRI 2022 scientific conference to open doors to public

In October, Brno will welcome the most influential personalities from the world of science and research. They will meet at the International Conference on Research Infrastructures, which will be organized by Masaryk University. ICRI 2022 is a platform for discussing current themes and trends related to research infrastructures. MU’s hosting ambitions this year are broader than ever before. Copenhagen, Athens, Cape Town, Vienna, Ottawa, and this year Brno. The South Moravian capital will be among the cities in which in recent years policymakers, stakeholders, and research infrastructure operators and users have met to formulate strategies and determine trends in science and research. Besides the sections that will form the usual part of the programme, the conference will also include an accompanying programme not only for registered attendees but also for the public. These additional events are being planned by the organizers in cooperation with the Brno Observatory and Planetarium and VIDA! Science Centre.

Sports faculty celebrates 20th anniversary

This year the Faculty of Sports Studies is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Physical education has a long history in Brno. It was first taught at Masaryk University in 1922 and found a home at the Faculty of Education in 1946. Between 1962 and 1978 physical education was taught via distance learning by the Faculty of Arts. In 2002 the Faculty of Sports Studies was established with the goal of understanding sport in its broadest context and transferring knowledge not only to students but also to the public. The events prepared for this year’s 20th anniversary celebrations will contribute to meeting these goals.

New canteens to offer raw food

Two new canteens will provide meals to MU students and employees. On 4 January, the canteen at the MU Faculty of Law re-opened after being closed for two years. It was fully renovated, and in addition to the ordinary wide range of dishes, it also now offers sushi, desserts, and appetizers. In the first half of 2022 a new canteen will open at the MU Faculty of Education. MU canteens, snack bars, and restaurants have seen significant improvements in the quality and diversity of dishes served over the past two years. At each canteen, diners can choose from at least 14 meals, including vegetarian and raw dishes.