The CAS has undergone a demanding evaluation of its research activities
3 May 2016
The Czech Academy of Sciences concluded the evaluation of the research and professional activities of its 54 Institutes for the period 2010–2014. It was the most detailed evaluation ever not only of the Czech Academy of Sciences itself but in all of the Czech Republic. It was based on a method never before used in the Czech Republic, which lay in foreign experts within the individual research fields assessing the professional activities of the scientific teams in the international context. The works of Czech researchers was assessed by over 1,400 experts, who came from fifty countries, most often from Germany, the United States and France.
Current Issues of Mozart Research
25 Apr 2016
Under the auspices of the president of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prof. Jiří Drahoš, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Mozart Society in Czech Republic and the Don Juan Archiv in Vienna held the international “Current Issues of Mozart Research” conference, marking this year’s 260th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birth and the 225th anniversary of his death. It was held on 16 and 17 April 2016 in the main building of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. In his opening salutary speech, the Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences, Dr. Pavel Baran, informed the foreign participants that upon its foundation back in 1890 the institution was called the Academy of Sciences and Arts, and added that its initiator, the architect Josef Hlávka, had 30 years previously built the Hofoper in Vienna. Hlávka was closely personally associated with the composer Antonín Dvořák, which resulted in, among other things, the creation of the Mass in D major, “Lužany”.
The Conclusions of the Conference “Overcoming Global Threats”
13 Apr 2016
The conference “Overcoming Global Threats: Enhancing Inter-cultural Dialogue, Stability and Peace”, organized under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Lubomír Zaorálek, was held on the 13–14th April 2016. It aimed at addressing the issues of overcoming global threats, developing inter-cultural and intra-cultural dialogue, including inter-religious and intra-religious respect and discussions, enhancing justice, mutual cooperation and stability.
Analysis of satellite imagery reveals the unprecedented scope of destruction of historical monuments in Mosul
25 Feb 2016
In reaction to serious threats to the Mosul architectural sites from ISIS (Daesh), a team of Czech scientists from the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, has launched the project "Monuments of Mosul in Danger". The aim is to document and research Mosul architectural sites that have been destroyed by this terrorist organization since June 2014. As the first output of the project the team has released an interactive map of monuments destroyed thus far, which was created through analysis of satellite imagery.
Partnership of top scientists from the Academy and members of the European Parliament
12 Feb 2016
A meeting of top European scientists with members of the European Parliament (EP) was held in Brussels, January 25 – 27, 2016 (so-called Brussels week). One of the selected scientists, Mgr. Martin Friák, Ph.D., from the Institute of Physics of Materials in Brno, was chosen for scientific advising by member of EP Ing. Evžen Tošenovský, dr. h. c., who is the vice chair of the Science and Technology Options Assessment panel of the EP. Doctor Friák got acquainted with the important role played by science in the legislative processes of the EP, e.g. via the European Parliamentary Research Service. Member of EP Tošenovský was interested in the development of new materials and doctor Friák introduced him the new strategy of the Czech Academy of Sciences Strategy 21. The meeting laid the foundation for their long-term cooperation.
Bats in Eurasia tolerate a disease deadly in North America
29 Jan 2016
Czech White-Nose Syndrome Team together with international collaborators discovered that mechanisms of tolerance protect Palearctic bats from white-nose syndrome (WNS), the disease that caused mass die-off in North America. The discovery provides hope for the future of bats in North American ecosystems.
New Concept for Digital Data Storage
14 Jan 2016
International research team demonstrates electrical switching of an antiferromagnet
Ferromagnets and antiferromagnets are the two common forms of magnetically ordered materials. Traditionally we thought that magnetism can be easily controlled and utilized only in ferromagnets. Researchers from the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and Germany change this perception by demonstrating electrical switching of magnetization in an antiferromagnetic microchip. The work was published online by the journal Science on 14 January 2016 (DOI: 10.1126/science.aab1031).
Workshop on natural hazards attracted sixty experts to the Academy of Sciences, Prague
7 Dec 2015
More than sixty experts from the Czech Republic attended workshop held in the main building of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague on 3. 12. 2015. It was dedicated to appealing topic of “Natural hazards around us – opinions of European experts on natural and social environment changes”. The audience included not only experts from field of Earth Sciences but also professionals from civil protection, local governments, private companies and member of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The lecturers were focused on landslides, debris flows, rock falls and their negative impacts on society.
Klára Benešovská was awarded the Knight of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
23 Nov 2015
The art historian PhDr. Klára Benešovská, CSc., Head of the Department of Mediaeval Art at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, was made a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Chevalier de l’Ordre de Mérite du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg) in Prague, on the premises of the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the Czech Republic, Estonia and the Ukraine, on Wednesday, 18 November, 2015. The order of knighthood was conferred by Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Duke of Nassau, and Dr. Benešovská received it at the hands of Her Excellency Michèle Pranchère-Tomassini, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
AugerPrime Inauguration
16 Nov 2015
Celebrating 15 years of achievements and signature ceremony of a new International Agreement for the next 10 years
During November 14-17, 2015, the Pierre Auger Collaboration celebrates the inauguration of AugerPrime. Spread over an area of 3000 km2 in the 'yellow pampa' in western Argentina, Auger is the largest cosmic ray experiment in the world. AugerPrime allows the Czech researchers to contribute to discerning the mysteries of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays until 2025.
