Science and Research
 

Prof. MUDr. Pavel Bravený, CSc., Vice-rector

The fact that research is an integral part of the work of every University teacher has constituted a motivation pressure. This year's funds for research derived from a number of centrally registered project grants in 1996 have significantly increased (30% of the total funds). The absence of research activities has a marked effect on the faculty's budget. In 1996 a project of the Ministry of Education and Physical Training entitled "Support for Science at Universities" was launched. It constituted a considerable financial support for investment and wages policies. Masaryk University approved to fund a total of five projects, 4 at the Faculty of Science and 1 at the Faculty of Medicine. These funds were used to purchase advanced instruments and to offer jobs and perspectives to a number of young talented people. Especially heart-warming is the development of some molecular biology laboratories.

But still there is no reason to be happy and contented. Great differences continue to exist in research intensity and level between University facilities. Not everybody realises that their branches of study bear the word "logos" in their names and that science is part of their responsibility. However, it must be pointed out that the character of research in experimental, clinical, standard-setting and linguistic disciplines is considerably different and can hardly be compared. This must be kept in mind while reading the comparative tables in the following part of the chapter. The fact that there are different numbers of research workers and teachers at the faculties is also important.

(1) Proceedings to confer the degree of Professor and Associate Professor

In 1996 the Academic Council of the University gathered six times to consider the proposals of faculties for conferring Professor degrees. A total of 21 proposals were submitted to the Academic Council, of which 3 did not receive the required number of votes and the proceedings were closed. Tables 1a and 1b present the number of successful Professor and Associate Professor proceedings at Masaryk University. As evident the number of female candidates was rather small and nearly one third of the proceedings related to workers from other institutes. The number of Professor proceedings has stabilised since the year 1991 (Table 1c) and more or less reflects the natural decline in professor numbers through retiring. The numbers of new Associate Professors are also constant.

Professors appointed in the year 1996

MU : Masaryk University

RNDr. Jan Gloser, CSc. - Faculty of Science - plant physiology
MUDr. Roman Janisch, DrSc. - Faculty of Medicine - biology
MUDr. Martina Kukletová, CSc. - dentistry
PhDr. Ivo Pospíšil, CSc. - Faculty of Arts - Russian literature
PhDr. Rudolf Šrámek, CSc. -Faculty of Education - Czech language
RNDr. Vladimír Vetterl, CSc.- Faculty of Science - biophysics
MUDr. Jiří Vorlíček, CSc. - Faculty of Medicine - internal medicine
RNDr. Jan Vřešťál, CSc. - Faculty of Science - physical chemistry

Others :

PhDr. Růžena Dostálová, CSc. - pensioner, classical philology
RNDr. Anton Hejduk, DrSc. - Trnava University - astrophysics
PhDr. Jaro Křivohlavý, CSc. - Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague - social psychology
PhDr. Jaroslav Pánek, DrSc. - Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague - Czech and Slovak history

Table 1a     Proceedings to confer the degree of Professor

Table 1b     Proceedings to confer the degree of Associate Professor

Table 1c     Proceedings to confer the degrees of Professor and Associate Professor

(2) Post-graduate studies

They are generally understood not only as higher education but also as cultivating the research future of universities. The number of post-graduate students has not markedly increased compared to the year 1995 (5.7% v.15% in the previous years) but the proportion of internal students has dramatically gone up (Table 2b), which is very enjoyable. In 1996 their numbers accounted for 26% owing to the Faculty of Informatics (79%) and the Faculty of Science (57%). Table 2b gives a quantitative analysis of post-graduate studies at the faculties. On the whole, post-graduate studies at Masaryk University qualitatively increased in the last year.

(3) Project grants

The awarding of grants constitutes a major source of research funding. We have got used to the existence of Grant Agencies, we have learned to fill in application forms, manage funds and not to become depressed when the project is not accepted. We know that grants are instruments for obtaining higher education and acquiring a reputation for an individual and a school.

The total number of grants awarded to scientific teams of Masaryk University in 1996 did not exceed the record number of the year 1995 but the sum of funds allocated was much higher. Grants were awarded to 5 projects of the programme "Support for Science at Universities" and a project "Supercomputer centre" in the Institute of Computer Technology. Table 3 summarises the number of grants awarded to faculties and the differences between faculties. Table 4 illustrates the development in the number of grants awarded throughout the years 1992-1996, including funds.

Now let us mention internal grants awarded from University financial resources to development projects of Masaryk University. In 1996 there were 3 projects that demanded large sums:

Support for ISSOM (doc. Dr. Z. Stránský) 150 000 CZK

Library and Information Centre of MU (Dr. M. Bartošek, Institute of Computer Science) 300 000 CZK

2 Post-graduate scholarships - molecular biology (doc. Dr. J. Relichová, Faculty of Science) 200 000 CZK

A total of 9 projects were funded and the total sum was 840 000 CZK

(4) Evaluation

Means a critical view of the University. Its importance is more and more appreciated and its conclusions are still increasingly used by faculties for evaluation of their activities. Evaluation is performed by the Division of Science of Masaryk University although it penetrates to such areas as education, international relations and personnel management. In this chapter we will only deal with data related to research work ( scientific publications and science organisation).

Table 2a     Post-graduate studies at Masaryk University (as on 31 October 1996)

Table 2b     Development of post-graduate studies

Table 3a     Grants at Masaryk University in 1996

Table 3b     Grants 1996 - research co-workers

Table 4a     Grant development in 1992 - 1996

Note: * incl. 2 submitted by Rector's Office, Masaryk University

Table 4b     Development of financial resources for grants at MU

Table 5a shows the publishing activity or strong points of faculties. The Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Teacher Training publish bulletins or popularisation articles, the Faculty of Science publishes original studies (highly appreciated) in foreign journals . To have a clear picture of publication activity Table 5b gives the result of lines 4 - 7 of Table 5a (original studies) in relation to the number of research and educational staff of faculties. Table 5a is an attempt to illustrate the tendency in the category of publications with the highest impact. Though the understanding of the categories may be different than it used to be, the Table clearly shows as well as other evaluation data - a certain stabilisation compared with the previous year. Let us hope that the data of quality will indicate that this is not stagnation.

The figures in brackets show the number of memberships in committees and editorships of foreign journals.

For the first time the evaluation has covered artistic skills (Table 8). The artistic skills usually come under the Departments of the Faculty of Teacher Training and the Faculty of Arts. However, faculties in which artistic skills are not directly involved can boast as well.

(5) Prizes and awards

In 1996 Masaryk University conferred three honorary doctorates. The first honorary doctorate in mathematical science (the first honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Informatics) was granted to Dr. E. Knuth, Emeritus Professor of Stanford University, prominent expert in informatics. The doctorate in law was granted to Dr. R. Ryssdale, Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the doctorate in fine arts was conferred upon Antonín Tučapský, composer and choir master, Professor of Music at Trinity College in London (on proposal of the Faculty of Teacher Training on the occasion of its 50^th anniversary).

Gold Medals of Masaryk University were awarded to Prof. Dr. J. Mezník (Faculty of Arts), Prof. Dr. L. Pospíšil (Faculty of Medicine), Dr. R. Musil (Faculty of Science), Prof. Dr. M. Buček (Faculty of Teacher Training) and two foreign specialists - Dr. O. Konvička on proposal of the Faculty of Science and Prof. D. Björner.

Silver Medals of Masaryk University were given to doc. Dr. O. Říha after holding the office of Vice-Rector for six years and another five prominent figures - Prof. Dr. J. Peňáz (Faculty of Medicine), Prof. Dr. P. Hauser (Faculty of Teacher Training), doc. Dr. V. Vařejková (Faculty of Teacher Training), doc. Dr. J. Vicherek (Faculty of Science) and doc. Dr. V. Židlický (Faculty of Arts). On the proposal of the Faculty of Arts the silver medal was also awarded to B. Jefferson, Cultural Attaché of the British Embassy in Prague.

Two members of the academic staff of Masaryk University were granted honorary doctorates: Prof. Dr. R. Pražák, a present-day ambassador to Hungary, at the University in Miskolc and Prof. Dr. A. Svoboda, Head of the Biological Institute of the Faculty of Medicine, at the University in Szeged.

Foreign prizes and awards were conferred on Prof. Dr. P. Ježek and a team of doctors (USA), Prof. Dr. J. Sejbal, Faculty of Economics and Administration (Austria and Romania), doc. Dr. M. Potáček was appointed Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Dr. R. Marek (both from the Faculty of Science) was granted Prix di Chimie (France). Five workers were granted prizes in Slovakia: Ing. P. Chovan and doc. Ing. Čejková (Faculty of Economics and Administration), doc. Dr. V. Řehořek (Faculty of Science) and finally doc. Dr. J. Bejček, Prof. Dr. P. Hajn and doc. Dr. I. Telec from the Faculty of Law.

Table 5a  Publications

Note:

* 9 of which were abroad

** 7 of which were abroad

*** 14 of which were abroad

Table 5b

Table 5c     Original publications published abroad

Table 6     Participation in science organisation

Table 7     Artistic achievements

Note:

* 14 of which were abroad

         ** 4 of which were abroad

         *** 4 of which were abroad