CEITEC MU: Fifteen years that transformed Masaryk University

Many of those present at the start say that what was originally an ambitious plan has gone far beyond their expectations. The CEITEC – Central European Institute of Technology – project was officially approved on 6 June 2011. The aim was to establish a world-class research centre in Brno that would stand up to international competition, attract talented scientists from abroad and connect excellent research across institutions and scientific disciplines. Today, CEITEC MU is home to world-renowned research teams and holders of prestigious ERC grants, and has become one of the symbols of the transformation of Czech science into an open and internationally competitive environment.

“Suddenly, we appeared on the international scientific map, catching the attention of both foreign and Czech researchers who had been working abroad. Looking back, I consider this to be the greatest added value. People began to take an interest in us. And they came seeking new challenges, cutting-edge equipment, and a new approach to scientific management and operation,” says Martin Bareš, MU Rector and formerly Vice-Rector for Development responsible for the CEITEC MU project.

From a concept to an internationally respected institution

While Martin Bareš highlights CEITEC MU’s ability to attract top scientists and open Masaryk University up to the world, Tomáš Hruda, an economist and manager who was one of the key figures at the project’s inception, is most proud about the success in building an institution that will have a long-term impact. “Naturally, I am delighted that we have CEITEC here, that it wasn’t just a one-off project for the duration of the required sustainability period. Given the governance model, that’s something of a miracle. I take almost childlike delight in its every prestigious grant, discovery and success, and I am very pleased that CEITEC MU is undoubtedly one of the leading scientific centres. A truly international, open and confident institution that silences the critics who claim that great things cannot be done in Brno,” Hruda says, barely containing his excitement.

Jiří Nantl shares a similar view of CEITEC MU’s development. He was involved in the initial discussions about CEITEC’s design while serving as Chancellor of Masaryk University and later head of the institute. He considers the fact that he helped to dispel the scepticism that had plagued the creation of new research centres from the outset to be one of his team’s greatest achievements. “As recently as 2015, there was a fairly strong view within the scientific community that these new research institutes would not succeed. When I became director of CEITEC MU in 2016, many people told me I was taking on a lost cause. That makes me all the more pleased that they were wrong. We have brought about a major cultural shift and succeeded in establishing the most ‘Western’ scientific institution in the Czech Republic, one that operates according to international standards,” recalls Nantl, for whom CEITEC MU is more than just one of his professional milestones. He has devoted a significant part of his career to CEITEC MU, and he acknowledges that this period has been one of the most formative in his professional life. He also sees CEITEC MU as a great learning experience, thanks to which he gained a broader understanding of the fields of life sciences and biological research. In his own words, it was here that he developed a deep connection to plant biology and research focused on sustainable agriculture, which the institute has long pursued.

CEITEC MU as a laboratory of excellence

The creation of CEITEC MU was driven by two things: the ambition to bring Czech science closer to the world’s leaders and the extraordinary opportunity to utilise European funding to build modern research infrastructure. The project, which is now regarded as one of the most successful initiatives funded by the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovation, enabled the creation of a cutting-edge research centre with international ambitions virtually from scratch. “If we hadn’t been part of the European Union at the time, we wouldn’t have been able to even consider such a project. It was EU funding that enabled the institute to be established on a scale that was extraordinary for the time. Masaryk University, as the main, most important and most significant partner and leader of the consortium, seized this opportunity comprehensively and with a long-term vision,” adds Bareš.

“CEITEC MU is a prime example of how a research centre specifically focused on conducting the best possible research can be established here in the Czech Republic,” continues Pavel Plevka, the current director of CEITEC MU.

A transformation going beyond the university

However, the significance of CEITEC MU is not limited to scientific discoveries or cutting-edge infrastructure. The institute has also become a laboratory for a new way of operating within the academic environment and has gradually influenced the culture of the whole of Masaryk University. It was here that principles began to take hold which are now considered an integral part of a modern research institution – openness to the world, international recruitment of researchers, an emphasis on quality, and the regular evaluation of research teams by independent experts from abroad. CEITEC MU was the first to establish an International Scientific Advisory Board and to introduce systematic evaluation of research groups, whose continued existence is contingent upon long-term scientific performance. Many of these principles subsequently inspired the functioning of the entire university. “CEITEC MU has played an exemplary role, and continues to do so. What was first introduced here – from the International Scientific Advisory Board to the regular evaluation of research groups – is now taken for granted at the entire Masaryk University,” adds Rector Martin Bareš.

The transformation initiated by CEITEC MU within the university gradually began to affect the city’s life as well. “I think the general public was also aware of CEITEC MU’s existence, even if they didn’t know exactly what was going on inside. But people knew that cutting-edge science was being carried out there. A big international community of people who came to Brno from all over the world has formed around it. In my view, CEITEC MU has thus made a significant contribution to the internationalisation of the city. It wasn’t just researchers and PhD students, but also experts who held leadership or managerial positions here, which was not at all common in the Czech academic environment at the time. This had a major impact on Masaryk University as well as on the whole of Brno,” notes Jiří Nantl. At the same time, CEITEC MU played a key role in fostering connections between academia and technology companies, thereby strengthening areas that are now among the most prominent components of Brno’s research ecosystem, including microscopy.

Crowning achievement of European science

One of the most visible signs of CEITEC MU’s international success is its success in securing prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants, which are often referred to as the crowning achievement of European science. Obtaining these grants was precisely one of the ambitions with which Masaryk University set out to establish the institute. This vision was symbolically confirmed in 2013 when virologist Pavel Plevka – now Director of CEITEC MU – was awarded an ERC Starting Grant, enabling him to establish his own research group. The following years showed that this was not a fluke, but the beginning of a long-term transformation of the research environment. For several years after that, CEITEC MU was the only biomedical research centre to successfully secure ERC grants.

“And they were secured by people who came from outside; they weren’t MU graduates, but they believed in our concept and the university. Although the Czech Republic wins fewer grants than the European Union average, Masaryk University is clearly leading the way,” explains Bareš. “I am pleased that this way of thinking, including how to approach grants, encourage applications, and ensure subsequent success, has created a domino effect across the faculties,” he adds.

Šárka Pospíšilová, Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies at MU, shares a similar view of CEITEC MU’s role: “Over the 15 years of its existence, CEITEC MU has established itself as one of the most successful and prominent research centres in the Czech Republic. It has secured a good reputation among European scientific institutions, and is rightly regarded as one of the most successful newly established research institutes in Central and Eastern Europe. At Masaryk University, CEITEC has become a pioneer in good scientific practice and the effective conditions for high-quality research, particularly in the areas of actively seeking out and hosting excellent researchers from abroad, participation in major international grants and research infrastructures, and the regular evaluation of research quality. CEITEC MU has made a significant contribution to improving the research environment at Masaryk University as a whole. It has also benefited Czech science by showing how to strengthen international cooperation, secure European grants, and create an environment for training a new generation of researchers.”

Science without borders

From the outset, the institute has attracted researchers from abroad, made English its standard working language and fostered an environment in which a new generation of researchers can flourish through the international CEITEC PhD School. It has also played a significant role in building international partnerships. CEITEC was instrumental in the creation of Alliance4Life, which connects leading biomedical and natural science centres in Central and Eastern Europe and supports the sharing of expertise in scientific excellence, research management and education. These links are precisely what form long-term collaborations that gradually extend beyond the institute’s own scope of activities.

“Alliance4Life is not just a joint platform of research institutions that exists only on paper. I am pleased it is giving rise to concrete cooperation and strategic partnerships. One example involves the University of Tartu, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Northern Europe, with which we are currently developing a strategic partnership that will see us collaborate not only in biomedicine, but also in the preservation of cultural heritage. One of the driving forces in this case was the links that Masaryk University has built through CEITEC MU,” explains Rector Martin Bareš.

Campus as a meeting place for disciplines

The success of CEITEC MU was influenced by one of the key early decisions: its location on the Bohunice University Campus. It is there that a unique environment has emerged, where researchers from various disciplines and institutions naturally come together – from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine, through the Faculty of Sports Studies, to Brno University Hospital.

“This concentration of top-class research teams, shared infrastructure and specialised facilities called for multi- and inter-disciplinarity, as well as added value for individual disciplines,” notes Bareš. Furthermore, the centre’s location in a single complex facilitates day-to-day collaboration between researchers and aligns with the model used by leading global research centres.

When science helps society

Although CEITEC MU’s primary focus is on basic research, the importance of its work for society has been demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when standard capacities were strained, its researchers became involved in testing and provided the necessary expertise to manage the crisis.

“The pandemic confirmed that applied research cannot exist without high-quality basic research, just as no scientist can continue to work without lifelong education. CEITEC MU was able to respond very quickly to society’s needs at that time and demonstrated how important long-term investment in science is,” recalls Rector Bareš. 

Cutting-edge infrastructure, new opportunities

Research at CEITEC MU focuses on key and promising areas of medical and natural sciences – molecular medicine, neuroscience, structural biology, plant genomics and proteomics. These areas are linked by shared laboratories (referred to as “core facilities”), which provide highly specialised methodological services not only to all CEITEC MU research teams, but also to other researchers from Masaryk University and many other institutions, including those abroad. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, as well as the professional expertise of the staff at the shared laboratories, researchers have access to excellent technical support and readily available methodological guidance.

“Some of the most demanding and frequently used technologies include cryogenic electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which enable the study of biomolecular structures at the atomic level. Other important fields include genomics and proteomics, which provide a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying various diseases and can contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as well as advancing personalised medicine. Bioinformatics and the analysis of biomedical data are also playing an increasingly significant role, as is the ever more effective use of artificial intelligence. This combination of state-of-the-art infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration and an international environment enables CEITEC MU to deliver significant scientific and technological breakthroughs,” notes Pospíšilová.

New opportunities for collaboration between researchers from CEITEC MU, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Science will arise in the autumn, when the Faculty of Pharmacy moves into the new MUNI BioPharma Hub complex on the Campus. This will further strengthen the link between basic research and its applications in clinical practice.

“CEITEC MU has a whole range of high-quality results from basic and preclinical research that have potential further applications in medicine. This is easy to say, but the path to actual products is a long one. The reconnection with the Faculty of Pharmacy, whose return to Masaryk University is a great asset, can significantly speed up this process – from laboratory discovery through development to future use in treating patients. I expect that, once people from various disciplines who work in a similar way start meeting on campus, many of the results emerging from CEITEC MU will find a faster path to practical applications, including the development of new medicines. This is something I not only hope for, but which I consider an essential next step in the development of the university campus,” concludes Martin Bareš.