On Tuesday 7 February, ten students from five countries attended a seminar for Fischer Scholarship recipients, an annual Faculty of Science award to foreign students of doctoral study programmes. In addition to the scholarship recipients and their supervisors, the seminar was attended by several Vice-Deans of the Faculty of Science and the Vice-Rector for International Relations Jiří Stavovčík.
“Foreign doctoral students who have been awarded the Fischer Scholarship by the faculty presented the results of their research at the sixth year of the seminar. Actually, it should have already been the seventh year, but in 2021 the seminar was not held due to the covid-19 pandemic. Lectures covered a wide range of topics in geology, biophysics, analytical and physical chemistry, development studies, and molecular biology. Most of the lectures were accompanied by stimulating discussions involving guests as well as other students. It is gratifying that the quality of the lectures is increasing yearly,” said Miloslav Dušek, Vice-Dean for International Relations.
The young scientists from Spain, India, Morocco, Iran, and Iraq focused in their projects on e.g. the reactive oxygen species signaling in plants under abiotic stress, the simultaneous determination of five piperazine antihistamine drugs by HPLC-ECD, and the integration of hydrogeology and geochemistry for sustainable groundwater assessment, modelling, and management in the Zagros Basin in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Tina Pourpakdelfekr, a student from Iran, focused on the unequal distribution of measurable values within the Human Development Index (HDI). Using this metric, experts evaluate a country’s average achievements in three crucial aspects: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. “My studies at Palacký University began in 2019 as a Master’s student. The Foresight for Environment and Development study programme attracted me, and the relatively low cost of living in Olomouc was a factor in my decision to continue my education here. At the Department of Development and Environmental Studies, I really appreciate the friendly relationship between teachers and students. We are a team here and we support each other’s growth and development,” she added.
