The new facilities are located in Pavilion E24 in a new Masaryk University building at the Bohunice campus, close to the future BioPharma Hub. They were officially opened on Monday 12 January by MU Rector Martin Bareš, Dean of the Faculty of Science Tomáš Kašparovský and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Martin Repko. The move marks a major milestone for Bioskop, which has been operating at the university since 2012, and enables further growth and more systematic work with students interested in science and medicine.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Rector Bareš said that one of the Czech Republic’s greatest assets is its people, particularly young people, who represent the country’s future. He sees Bioskop as part of investing into our young people and our future.
“We want Masaryk University to be a place that opens the doors to knowledge for all generations. We believe that the path to an educated, confident and value-based society begins in childhood. We see the new Bioskop premises not just as modern teaching facilities, but as an environment where curiosity awakens, first scientific questions emerge and often even decisions about future studies and life directions are made. Children and young people are our future, and we want to be their partner on their journey to knowledge. I am proud that Masaryk University is a university for life,” said Bareš.
The deans of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine, both of which provide support for the centre, also wished Bioskop success in the years ahead.
Greater teaching capacity
Bioskop moved to its new home within the Bohunice campus last summer. The new premises have undergone gradual modernisation to allow for more intensive laboratory work, higher course capacity and a broader range of programmes.
The main benefit is a significant increase in capacity and greater operational stability. With two separate teaching laboratories, Bioskop can now run two courses at the same time. One laboratory is designed specifically for younger children up to the age of ten, while the other one serves older children and teenagers.
“Unlike before, we now have access to the premises throughout the day. This opens the door to activities beyond standard school teaching, such as clubs for talented students or summer schools,” says Bioskop head Petra Matulová, adding that the centre’s goal is to bring science closer to people so they can truly experience it, in line with Bioskop’s motto: “Hear and forget. See and remember. Try and understand.”
The expansion of activities has also brought staff growth. The permanent team now consists of six people, supported by around 30 lecturers who design and deliver the courses.
Science for everyone
Bioskop courses are aimed at children from the age of six, primary and secondary school students, teachers and the general public. They help dispel the myth that science is complicated and boring and show instead that it can be accessible, engaging and inspiring. Bioskop programmes have contributed to the success of many students in national and international competitions.
There are currently 15 courses on offer for primary schools and 16 for secondary schools. For the public, Bioskop runs year-round clubs, one-off themed courses and events, as well as summer schools.
“Most of our participants come from Brno, but we have also welcomed classes from the South Moravian Region, Vysočina and even from Ostrava and Slovakia,” says Matulová.
From the very beginning, the centre has also involved Lumír Krejčí, Chair of the Bioskop Scientific Board and a researcher at Masaryk University. “We felt the need to popularise science and to offer young people something like a training centre. About 14 years ago, my colleague Petr Svoboda drew my attention to the Vienna Open Lab, which already existed at the time. We visited it for inspiration and for ideas for our first courses,” says Krejčí.
Another role of Bioskop is to identify and motivate talented young people to pursue university studies, especially at Masaryk University. According to Krejčí, this has been very successful. “Thanks to Bioskop, we attract exceptionally talented children and young people – some of whom have since become our colleagues. The centre truly gives motivated individuals the chance to grow and to continue scientific work at our faculties and at other research institutions,” he said.
Krejčí is delighted with the new premises and hopes that after 13 years and more than 32,000 students passing through its doors, Bioskop will be able to develop in a more systematic way and achieve even greater success.