UCT Prague defended its second place among Czech universities and is ranked 358th in the world.

For the fouth time in a row, UCT Prague defended its second place among Czech universities in the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2023. 

The excellent result in the QS World University Rankings 2023 was most influenced by UCT Prague’s small student-to-academic instructor ratio. Individual support for education and the inherent involvement of students in the research process even earned UCT 29th place in the world and first in Czechia in this aspect of rankings system evaluation process.

“The fourth success in a row is, of course, a nice outcome of all the staff and students of our university. We strive to build a supportive and fair environment for everyone, where everyone can participate in scientific activities. But I understand that the ranking is just a number. It is more important that we work on ourselves and continue to improve,” said Pavel Matějka, UCT Prague Rector.

The international environment of the university, with a high number of students (by Czech standards) from abroad in recent years, contributed to the good ranking. The university has also recently attracted international academics who have linked their careers to UCT Prague. After last year, which was greatly affected by the pandemic situation, these indicators have increased again. In the overall result, this means that UCT Prague is ranked 230th in this criterion.

Other Czech universities were also successful in this year’s edition of the rankings. The largest Czech university, Charles University, placed in the 288-290 world ranking range. CTU Prague moved to the 378-379 ranking range; Masaryk University achieved 551-560; Palacký University in Olomouc, 651-700. A total of 16 Czech universities were ranked.

The full list of rankings and a description of the QS methodology can be found on the QS World University Rankings 2023 website.

With the support of the MIT-Czech Republic Seed Fund, Professor Karel Friess and his research group from UCT Prague’s Faculty of Chemical Engineering will collaborate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Functional Inorganic and Organic Materials research group on the Clean Energy Applications with Mixed-Matrix Membranes of 2D MOFs project, focused on the development of multifunctional 2D structured MOF (metal-organic frameworks) nanomaterials for applications in energy storage and gas separation.

“As part of the project, we will collaborate on the preparation, modification, and testing of unique 2D-MOF nanomaterials, which will be developed by an international partner, and the work at UCT Prague will focus on the use of the nanomaterials and their testing in composite membrane materials. The properties and capabilities of the prepared membranes will be tested for efficient separation of CO2 from gas mixtures or separation of oxygen from nitrogen or for energy storage in flexible materials. Exchange of students involved from both institutions is also planned. The project was conceived as a first step leading to the establishment of longer-term cooperation between MIT and UCT Prague teams,” says Professor Friess.

The project, with a 23,250 USD budget, will run from May 2022 to January 2024 and is administered by a partner from abroad.

MIT has long been one of the most respected universities in the world. In the QS Ranking 2023, the U.S. institute, where 85 Nobel Prize laureates and other important researchers have studied, MIT was ranked first. Scientific discoveries at MIT include, for example, the first chemical synthesis of penicillin, the development of radar, the discovery of elementary quark particles, and so on.

Professor Friess, from UCT Prague’s Department of Physical Chemistry, VŠCHT Prague, received an Award from the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports in 2020 for extraordinary research results, experimental development, and innovation. In 2021, as one of two successful applicants, he received a bilateral grant from the Czech Science Foundation and the South Korean National Research Foundation agency for a project to develop and test perfluorinated nanomaterials.

The MIT-Czech Republic Seed Fund is a new joint project from MISTI (the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives), the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic’s fund for international exchange with MIT students and researchers, and researchers from Czech universities.

Honorary doctorates and Emil Votoček Medals awarded by UCT Prague’s Rector during the celebration of 70 years of the University’s independence as an institution.

Marking the celebration of the 70th anniversary of UCT Prague’s independence as an institution, the UCT Prague Academic Council met on Friday, 23 September. During a ceremony at Strahov Monastery, UCT Prague’s Rector, Pavel Matějka, presented honorary doctorates to three distinguished researchers: the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CAS), Professor Eva Zažímalová; the Director of the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Phase Interfaces, Dr. Peter Seeberger; and the former Director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Dr. Zdeněk Hostomský.

During a ceremonial meeting of the Academic Council, Professor Martin Hof and Professor Aleš Procházka also received Emil Votoček Medals from the Rector.

“Celebrations of important anniversaries also provide appropriate occasions for honouring important researchers. With the three Honorary Doctorates and two Emil Votoček Medals, we recognized exceptional Czech and European researchers who have contributed to enhancing UCT Prague’s reputation and with whom we will cooperate in the future. With these awards, we want to encourage their further engagement in the development of the European research area,” said UCT Prague’s Rector, Professor Pavel Matějka.

“I highly value the honorary doctorate from UCT Prague. The University is a leader in its field and has, since its inception, been ‘forging the path’ for new methods, approaches, and fostering fundamental discoveries. And very important is that it is—and always has been—open to cross-institutional and interdisciplinary cooperation,” said Professor Eva Zažímalová.

“Undoubtedly, the chemical fields constitute Czech scientific export goods, and with them, we achieve world-class results in the long term. And without over exaggerating, we can also certainly say that one of the epicentres of Czech chemistry is the Dejvice campus, where UCT Prague and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IOCB) are almost directly adjacent. The two institutions have numerous and close ties. It was a great honour to have led IOCB over the past 10 years and to help foster mutual cooperation, not only in the field of education and research, but also socially within the local academic community. And it is a great honour to receive an honorary UCT Prague doctorate,” said Dr. Zdeněk Hostomský about the award.

UCT Prague is partner in construction of the CHEMRESILIENCE Network in the newly established research centre.

Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) to become new major research center in the Central German Mining District

Concept initiated by Potsdam's Max Planck Institute wins federal and state competition in Germany for 1.25 billion euros in funding.

The concept for the "Center for the Transformation of Chemistry" (CTC), which will be one of two new large-scale research centers, was selected from nearly 100 ideas in the joint competition "Knowledge Creates Perspectives for the Region!" organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Free State of Saxony and the State of Saxony-Anhalt. The aim of the CTC is to transform the previously linear chemical industry into a sustainable circular economy. The idea for the CTC was developed and successfully advanced by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Peter H. Seeberger and Dr. Matthew Plutschack of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces.

Transformation of chemistry

The chemical industry is one of the most important industrial sectors in Germany and is fundamental to the value chains of numerous other economic sectors - chemistry is in 97% of all products. The high dependence of chemistry on fossil sources on the one hand as an energy supplier for manufacturing processes and on the other hand as a raw material base for chemical substances and products makes the existing system vulnerable to crises from price increases and uncertainties in the supply chains. "In order to secure the supply and activity of the entire economy in Germany as a business location, it is urgently necessary to rethink feedstocks, processes and products and to establish the hitherto linear chemical industry, which also produces large amounts of carbon dioxide as well as toxic waste and wastewater, as a resilient circular economy in the long term," says Peter H. Seeberger, director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, explaining the goals of the CTC. He adds, "Cost-effective and sustainable production processes mainly from renewable raw materials or recycled materials, while complying with the highest occupational safety and environmental standards and drastically shortened transport routes, must be ensured."

Without such a transformation of the chemical industry, European climate targets cannot be achieved, economic prosperity could not be maintained and future-proof employment opportunities will not be realized. The simultaneous achievement of climate, economic and employment targets and the preservation of a sustainable industrial location cannot be achieved by treating symptoms, but only through a structured, long-term transformation. "There are approaches in industry and science worldwide in this direction, but no comparable research center. The new large-scale research center will be a globally visible beacon of cutting-edge research and a breeding ground for new companies and spin-offs in the Central German mining region," says Peter H. Seeberger.

Establishment at the Delitzsch site in the Central German Chemistry Triangle

The CTC will be established in Delitzsch, about 20 km north of Leipzig, thus continuing the long tradition in the Halle/Merseburg/Bitterfeld chemistry triangle. Over the next few years, the CTC will be established on the site of the former sugar factory as the first research facility to date in the district of North Saxony. The campus with the new building of the large-scale research center, adjacent residential quarters and its own suburban train connection with links to Leipzig and Halle will allow a new district to grow in Delitzsch. Existing jobs will be secured and new ones created by the CTC and other settlements in Delitzsch and the region will follow.

The establishment and development of the CTC is supported by already more than 100 partners from academia, industry and society locally, in the Central German mining region, in Germany and worldwide. In close, interdisciplinary cooperation, the transformation of chemistry in research and industry will be advanced, but also, for example, new study, training and continuing education programs will be developed.

Shaping structural change after the coal phase-out

The CTC is being set up as part of the joint idea competition "Knowledge creates prospects for the region!" organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Free State of Saxony and the State of Saxony-Anhalt. Based on the "Structural Strengthening of Coal Regions Act", one large-scale research center each will be established in the Central German coalfield and in Lusatia in Saxony and will receive institutional funding of up to 170 million euros per year. The aim is to shape the structural change in the regions in a future-oriented way after the coal phase-out and to strengthen Germany as a location for science and innovation.

The 10^th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2022, www.rafa2022.eu) will take place in Prague, Czechia, on 6-9 September, 2022.

The RAFA organizers, the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague, Czechia) and Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), part of Wageningen University & Research (The Netherlands), would like to invite food scientists from academia together with representatives of industry, national and international agencies, control authorities, governmental and commercial laboratories to attend this event. The conference is chaired by Prof. Jana Hajslova, Prof. Michel Nielen and Dr. Stefan van Leeuwen, who are affiliated with the respective organizers.

RAFA has grown since the conference was launched in 2003. Previous events were usually attended by over 750 participants from more than 50 countries of Europe, Asia, America, Australia and Africa, and supported by more than 50 sponsors, exhibitors and media partners.

The RAFA 2022 symposium will provide an overview of contemporary trends in analytical & bioanalytical strategies in food quality and safety control and will discuss challenges and novel approaches in food and natural products analysis. The following recent and emerging issues will be addressed within the RAFA 2022 sessions: Multi-omics in food analysis; Food fraud, forensics and authenticity; Organic crops & foodstuffs; Bioactivity determination and identification; Micro- and nanoplastics in food; Human biomonitoring and exposure assessment; Portable on-site food analysis; Food legislation and food control; QA/QC & Chemometrics & Big data handling; Mycotoxins, marine and plant toxins in a changing climate; Process induced contaminants; Pesticide & veterinary drug residues; Environmental contaminants; Emerging alternative proteins: allergens and other issues; Metals & metalloids & speciation; Healthy nutrients & vitamins; Cannabinoids in food and supplements; Flavours in food engineering.

Workshops, Seminars, Tutorials

The conference programme will be accompanied by several satellite events on novel analytical strategies, including for example workshops on “Vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics”, and “Analysis of contaminants & migrants in circular food production”. Other session will include tutorial on “Data Quality and Smart Data Handling in Food Analysis”. An interactive seminar will discuss “Step by Step Strategies for Fast development of Smart Analytical Methods”. The EU Reference Laboratories Colloquium will include a workshop on “Experiences, Achievements and Challenges Addressed by EU Reference Laboratories”.

Vendor Seminars and Exhibition

Vendor seminars will be organised by leading companies to introduce recent instrumentation and analytical strategies for advanced food quality and safety control. An exhibition of modern instruments, laboratory equipment, reference materials, and consumables used in food analysis will be an important part of the symposium.

Opportunities for Young Scientist

A platform for young scientists will be offered to present their scientific work. Typically 20% of the contributed oral presentations are assigned to the next generation. RAFA 2022 Student Travel Grants will be provided. The best poster presentation(s) by a young scientist(s) will be awarded with the prestigious RAFA Poster Award and sponsored poster award(s).

In summary, RAFA 2022 will offer again a high-quality scientific programme with top-quality presentations followed by stimulating discussions, a series of satellite events, state-of-the-art exhibition and an attractive social programme. Scientific contributions will be presented by leading scientists through keynote lectures and by contributed oral and poster presentations. The RAFA 2022 programme will be tailored to provide a lot of opportunities for networking as well as exploration of the latest results of the food analysis community.

More details can be found on the RAFA 2022 website at www.rafa2022.eu.

Prof. Jana Hajslova, Department of Food Analysis and Nutrition, UCT Prague

and Prof. Michel Nielen & Dr. Stefan van Leeuwen, Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), part of Wageningen University & Research

RAFA 2022 chairs

On 23.8. a Taiwanese delegation of nine distinguished scientists from four Taiwanese universities visited the UCT Prague. The discussion during the meeting attended by the rector of the UCT Prague prof. Matějka and representatives of all four faculties was focused on scientific cooperation and the possibility of student exchange The delegation then visited the university brewery.

Taiwan Scientists Delegation

Prof Sinn-wen Chen (陳信文), National Tsing Hua University
Prof Bing-Joe Hwang (黃秉照) National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Prof Nae-lihWu (吳乃立) National Taiwan University
Prof Bing-Hung Chen (陳炳宏)National Cheng Kung University
Prof Kuo-lunTung (童國倫) National Taiwan University
Prof De-HaoTsai(蔡德豪) National Tsing Hua University
Prof Li-Hsien Yeh(葉禮賢) National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Prof Ho-HsiuChou(周鶴修) National Tsing Hua University
Prof Hong-weiYen (顏宏偉) Tunghai University

In July 2022, UCT Prague became a member of PRIDE Network (https://pride-network.eu/), an association for professionals in doctoral education. The mission of this association is focused on the professional development of administrative staff and academics who support or ensure the doctoral education agenda. Charles University was the first Czech university member and UCT became the second one.

The vision of constant quality improvement and international competitiveness led to joining another important organisation – EUA-CDE (EUA Council for Doctoral Education, https://eua-cde.org/). UCT Prague will officially become a member this October as the fifth Czech university after Palacký University in Olomouc, the University of Economics, Masaryk University and the Brno University of Technology. By promoting collaboration and exchange of good practices among its members and disseminating the outcomes of its work, EUA-CDE makes an important contribution to the development of doctoral education and research training in Europe. Its members enjoy many opportunities to exchange on issues of common interest and take part in shaping the doctoral education landscape of the future.

Being a member of the PRIDE Association and EUA-CDE marks an important milestone in doctoral studies at UCT mostly because UCT as a member of the Association of Research Universities (AVU ČR) emphasizes the quality of its doctoral studies intending to further improve its doctoral education. Fulfilling one of the goals of AVU ČR Charter “to support the quality and international dimension of doctoral study programs”, UCT strengthens its international position in the doctoral study field.

On 12 July, the Rector of UCT Praguee, Pavel Matějka, met with representatives of the Belarusian national minority and a representative of the Belarusian Student Association of the Czech Republic.

The subject of the meeting was an offer of cooperation from the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and recognized representatives of the Belarusian community in the Czech Republic in the matter of assistance to current and future Belarusian students of UCT Prague in view of the ban on the provision of technical assistance and other measures in connection with the war situation in Ukraine.

The parties agreed to help in the matter of possible verification of problematic cases and securing an opinion from the official representatives of the Belarusian national minority confirming that this is a person who shares the humanistic and democratic values of the European community. Students with Belarusian citizenship who will be affected by the measures in question and who are interested in benefiting can contact Alena Kovářová Cichanovič and Kryscina Šyjanok.

The parties agreed to help in the matter of possible verification of problematic cases and securing an opinion from the official representatives of the Belarusian national minority confirming that this is a person who shares the humanistic and democratic values of the European community. Students with Belarusian citizenship who will be affected by the measures in question and who are interested in benefiting can contact Alena Kovářová Cichanovič and Kryscina Šyjanok.

During the meeting, the possibilities of employment for students nearing the end of their studies and for creating research positions for doctoral students with Belarusian citizenship were also discussed. UCT Prague’s efforts will to enable them to carry out their basic research activities in full. Applied research funded by the Czech Science Foundation would be possible according to individual assessment. For applied research financed by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, the granting of exemptions does not seem realistic.

Finally, it was said that UCT Prague stands in solidarity with persecuted Belarusian students and is carefully following the fate of a political prisoner in Belarus who was supposed to apply to study chemistry in the Czechia. However, the University does not limit itself to supporting only publicly active representatives of the Belarusian student community, but strives to keep its doors open to all those from Belarus interested in studying here.

Professor Jean-Marie Lehn, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and holder of an honorary doctorate from UC T Prague, regularly visits the Czech Republic at the end of the academic year. We are glad that he also came to visit us at UCT Prague this year. First, he met with Rector Pavel Matějka and his former students, Professor Vladimír Setnička and Dr Petr Kovaříček. After that, in Uhelna, he talked with doctoral students for almost two hours about his experiences in the field of science and the position of women in science. The young scientists were also interested in how to get funding for research, if one is not a renowned scientist or conducting research in a “hot topic” area. Another subject discussed was the pursuit of publishing a large number of articles, which, however, can mean lower quality and often, even research validity.

We hope to meet Jean-Marie Lehn again in good health in one year!

On Tuesday, 28 June 2022, the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Korean H2Korea Alliance, an organization focusing on the development of the hydrogen economy in the Republic of Korea, in the presence of the Minister of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela, and the Korean Minister of Industry, Chang Yang Lee.

On behalf of the Czech side, the Memorandum was signed by the Vice-Chairman of the Board of HYTEP, Prof Martin Paidar, PhD, from the Department of Inorganic Technology at UCT Prague.

On the Korean side, the participants were the Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Glovis. Cooperation within the framework of the Memorandum is also open to other companies.

The purpose of the Memorandum is to support the development of hydrogen mobility in the Czech Republic through demonstration pilot projects that will focus on both the production of equipment and vehicles and their operation on Czech roads. Cooperation on the part of Czech companies should also ensure the construction and operation of hydrogen filling infrastructure and subsequent operations. The main goal of the Memorandum is to support hydrogen mobility particularly in freight and bus transport.

Aleš Doucek, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of HYTEP, emphasized: ‘The memorandum is the first step towards the development of closer cooperation between Czech and Korean companies in the field of hydrogen mobility and related infrastructure. Hydrogen is the fuel for emission-free transport. Its indisputable advantages, especially in the segments of long-distance truck and bus transport, lie in the ability to have a longer range and in fast refueling, which takes a maximum of 20 minutes for trucks compared to other technologies.’

The Korean side, led by the H2Korea Alliance, perceives cooperation as an opportunity to spread innovative hydrogen technologies to the Czech Republic and to search for potential partners for cooperation. The Republic of Korea itself has been supporting the development of the hydrogen economy for a long time, and thanks to this, it will be possible to fill up with hydrogen at more than 40 filling stations on Korean roads this year. The Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company also offers a hydrogen car powered by the Hyundai Nexo Fuel Cell, or the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell truck, which is already running commercially in Switzerland, for example.

‘This Memorandum is particularly important because it will strengthen cooperation in the field of hydrogen mobility between the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea. We believe it will help set a business model suitable for other projects to follow,’ emphasized Moon Jae-do, the Chairman of the H2Korea Alliance.

The electronic exercise book in the Organic Chemistry Portal from the University Chemistry and Technology in Prague recognized as the best project from the Czech Republic.

The Electronic Exercise Book in the Organic Chemistry Portal project from UCT Prague was awarded as the best project from the Czech Republic in the INTERNATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHER AWARD 2021/2022 competition organized by the Profformance consortium, which focuses on the development of teaching at universities. The award was presented on June 16, 2022, at a meeting in Budapest.

• Organic Chemistry Portal

About the Electronic Exercise Book in the Organic Chemistry Portal

The electronic exercise book in the Organic Chemistry Portal, which is available in Czech and English, was created at the Department of Organic Chemistry in cooperation with the UCT Prague’s Centre for Information Services (CIS). The main authors are Radek Cibulka, Hana Kotoučová, Ondřej Kundrát, Martin Mastný, and Markéta Rybáčková. However, it is necessary to mention the participation of more than a dozen master and doctoral students, who participated mainly in testing the tasks. The original version of the exercise book was programmed by Bedřich Košata.

The electronic exercise book in the Organic Chemistry Portal allows you to practice organic chemistry using the “language of formulas”, which is essential for understanding organic chemistry. Each task is not only graphically entered, but also requires a response in the form of a chemical formula, which the user actively draws. The answer is evaluated immediately after sending and, in case of a wrong answer, help appears. The exercise book can be used while studying or the user can be tested. The test is self-assembled, the number of examples and the test area can be selected (for example, alkenes or electrophilic aromatic substitution). In addition to online testing, you can insert user-selected sets of examples into a PDF document and prepare your own exercise book. Drawing formulas in a computer environment also allows you to get acquainted with one of the most common drawing programs used in many databases (Marvin JS editor). The electronic exercise book is part of the portal, which is ready for the possibility of inserting examples by other co-authors.

On Thursday, June 23, 2022, the awards of the French Embassy in the Czech Republic were presented, which are presented annually to young talented scientists in seven categories. Representatives of UCT Prague were able to rejoice in the success of three of them.

Jaroslav Aubrecht triumphed in the category of environmental and climate research with the work “Development of Cr-free environmentally-friendly hydrogenolysis catalysts to make ester hydrogenolysis sustainable”. Filip Antončík won second place in the chemistry category for his work “Next-generation high-temperature superconductors”, and Bronislav Jurásek finished third in the pharmacy category with his work “Analogs and Metabolites of New Psychoactive Substances”.

Dozens of candidates from across the Czech Republic traditionally enter the competition. Candidates are first selected by their institutions and then appear before a jury composed of Czech and French experts with defense of their work. The three best candidates will receive a financial reward in the form of a check donated by the relevant sponsoring company. In addition, the first two winners will receive a scholarship from the French Embassy in the Czech Republic for a month-long internship in a French lab of their choice.

The award ceremony takes place at the French Embassy in Prague, in the Buquoy Palace. The ceremony is chaired by the Ambassador of France to the Czech Republic and Jean-Marie Lehn, winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987, who was the initiator of the competition.