MENDEL news 5/2026 (eng)

The Employee Newsletter of Mendel University in Brno

Happening at MENDELU

RECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Dear colleagues,

We are in the final weeks of the summer semester and approaching the midpoint of this year. It is a natural moment to take stock at the halfway mark, but within the university leadership we continue to work intensively on a whole range of key topics and materials required for the university's operation.

The highest priority remains the documentation for the university budget, which we have repeatedly revised and refined following discussions with the faculty deans and the MENDELU Academic Senate, in response to the comments raised. The final version is now ready to be submitted to the MENDELU Academic Senate on 15 June. Our goal is to end the budgetary provisional arrangement and thereby create space to begin discussions on the budgetary rules for 2027. THESE rules must fundamentally reflect the changes we are planning in order to improve the assessment of our results within the comprehensive evaluation according to the methodology.

The results of the higher education institution scaling were published in recent days on the RVVI website, without our university being officially informed. It is therefore confirmed that we remain in the "C" rating category. The funder's statement indicates that the MEP assessment was systematically overrated and that the Ministry of Education does not consider the proposed improvement in the rating to be fully justified. We disagree with this conclusion and will challenge it, as we consider the argumentation to be insufficiently substantiated and, in some respects,

deliberately skewed at the national level. At the same time, the analysis of the K indicator continues – this indicator significantly influences the level of funding flowing to the university. In some areas we have already formulated specific recommendations on how to improve our rating. This is further linked to amendments to the Strategic Intent Implementation Plan (PRSZ) and individual projects of the Programme for Strategic Management Support (PPSŘ), so that the funds from this programme are allocated according to the priorities for achieving the PRSZ objectives. We are simultaneously seeking necessary reserves and savings across all PPSŘ projects. These very topics were the focus of a full-day working meeting of the leadership, which I convened on 30 May, during which we discussed all nine strategic areas of the current PRSZ and adopted specific conclusions for the way forward.

In closing, I would like to thank all of you who contributed to the preparation and conduct of the Monitoring of Internationalisation of Czech Higher Education (MICHE), which took place here at MENDELU on 25 and 26 May. In a short space of time, the supporting materials and the entire programme for the repeat monitoring visit were successfully prepared. The feedback from the reviewers on-site focused precisely on the excellent organisation of the proceedings, the substantive nature of the discussions, and our openness during the talks. It was a very fine demonstration of how well we are able to collaborate and work towards a shared goal. We should receive the draft evaluation report within approximately six weeks, after which we will provide comments on the recommendations and continue to communicate further.

Our university is a rich and vibrant ecosystem, and I believe that through our teamwork we will achieve greater success. Wishing you pleasant summer days – and may we all thrive in working together!

Martin Klimánek

The Third Edition of the MENDELU Dragon Boat Race Attracted Hundreds of Employees

The Brno Reservoir once again served as the venue for the traditional dragon boat race of Mendel University in Brno. The third edition of this popular team-building event for MENDELU employees took place at the Water Sports Centre at Rakovec and attracted approximately 350 participants. Ten crews made up of staff members from various university departments competed in the race. In addition to the races themselves, a supporting programme was also prepared. Those interested could try out dynamic Kin-ball, for example, or the increasingly popular game of Cornhole. The event thus offered space not only for sporting competition, but also for informal social interaction among staff from across the university. Alongside the main race, special category awards were also presented. The FRRMS crew took the award for best team appearance in the Fashion Police category. The best team chant was performed by the Rektopádla crew, while the title of Biggest Castaway went to the Beziluzí team, whose boat capsized during one of the heats and whose members had to make their way back to shore with the assistance of the water rescue service. Despite this unexpected turn of events, the crew received recognition for their fighting spirit. The Fair Play award went to the captain of the Beziluzí team, who, true to the spirit of a proper captain, was the last to leave the boat.

In the main competition, the Eisgrub crew successfully defended their title from last year. Second place went to the Mokrý zadky team, and third place to Dračince. The remaining finishing order was as follows: Agronauti, Chemické bestie, Lesní šípy, Rektopádla, FRRMS, Splašení šneci, and Beziluzí.

Happening at MENDELU

Brno Libraries Day

Brno is a city of libraries, and as such it presented itself for the fourth time with a rich programme and wide range of offerings. The Library of Mendel University in Brno was part of it!

MENDELU on Television in the Republika Srpska (BiH)

From 20 to 24 April 2027, staff members of the MENDELU Department of International Relations and Internationalisation attended a meeting of employees from partner universities at the University of Banja Luka. The host university, with which MENDELU has an established and successfully developing cooperation — not only within the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme — prepared a rich programme featuring workshops on the topics of Inclusion, Wellbeing, Artificial Intelligence, and European University Alliances. The programme also included a so-called international mobility opportunities fair, where staff and students of the partner university were able to learn about the possibilities for outgoing mobility and cooperation with MENDELU, in particular through the Erasmus+ and CEEPUS programmes. The event was also broadcast by the RTRS television channel, the public broadcasting company of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning that not only students of the host university, but also the general public, were able to learn about mobility opportunities and mobility programmes in general.

MENDELU at the HEROES Meeting in Vilnius

A delegation of 13 MENDELU representatives attended the biannual meeting of the HEROES alliance in Vilnius, where partners from across nine countries gathered to discuss the future direction of the alliance in the areas of education, research, mobility, and communication. One of the outcomes of the meeting was the presentation of the first HEROES Research Magazine, which summarises research activities from across the alliance. Also among the latest news is a new episode of the HEROES podcast, bringing further perspectives on developments within the alliance.

Happening at MENDELU

MENDELU as a Partner of a Conference Featuring a Nobel

Prize Laureate

Mendel University in Brno was a partner of the international conference Traversing the Galactic Center in Space and Time, dedicated to research into the centre of our Galaxy. The keynote speaker was Prof. Andrea Ghez, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics 2020 for her groundbreaking research into the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. MENDELU was represented at the conference by Dr. Tomáš Ondro, who took part in the academic programme and represented the university among leading scientists from around the world working in the fields of astrophysics and space research.

Mendel Festival

From 12 to 19 July 2026, the Mendel Festival will take place in Brno, connecting the legacy of the founder of genetics, Gregor Johann Mendel, with the contemporary world of science, culture, and education. Visitors can look forward to concerts, lectures, a programme for children, science shows, guided tours with commentary, workshops, and gastronomic experiences. The highlight of the festival week will be the main day on 18 July 2026. Mendel University in Brno will also be represented at the festival with its own stand.

Breakfast with the Library

The MENDELU Library warmly invites all academic and non-academic staff to Breakfast with the Library. This informal activity over a cup of tea or coffee aims to connect with our users, showcase our spaces, highlight the services on offer, and give room for your questions. If you have not yet had the chance, come and see the newly renovated premises – breakfast will be served across all locations: Library A, the IC Library in the Building A complex, Library Z on Generála Píky Avenue, and the library in Lednice. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, from 8 to 10 a.m.

Women Exhibition – Focus on Brno

A collection of photographs by Mr Eduard Palíšek documents inspiring personalities whose personal and professional lives are closely tied to Brno. The exhibition, created under the patronage of the Mayor of Brno, Ms Markéta Vaňková, and which until recently could be seen in the Cross Corridor of the New Town Hall, will be on display in an abridged version in the columned hall and the IC Library from 19 June 2026. The Library warmly invites you to visit.

Summer at the Library

The Library wishes all its users a wonderful summer and would like to inform you that its services will continue to be available throughout the summer months. Please follow the Library's website and social media for information on reduced opening hours. Books and journals from locations with limited operations will be available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us at knihovna@mendelu.cz.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT

12. 5. – Novinky.cz - City centres are full of life at night. Foxes, badgers and wild boar can be spotted there, as proven by research from Brno HERE

14. 5. – iRozhlas.cz - Brno scientists are developing more durable urban benches through special Czech wood treatments HERE

21. 5. – Brňan.cz - Extreme drought calls for systemic solutions. Scientists from Brno are searching for ways to improve water management HERE

9. 5. – Ekolist.cz - Extreme drought calls for systemic solutions. Scientists from Brno are searching for ways to improve water management HERE

20. 5. – Metro.cz - Researchers have improved a method for tracking microplastics in agricultural production HERE

Happening at MENDELU

WORKSHOP ON NATURE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

On 6 May, our university hosted secondary school students from Gymnasium Boskovice, Sardinia, and Slovenia, under the care of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology and the Department of Strategy and Analysis. The theoretical part of the workshop focused on an overview of our university's sustainability features, the mysterious world beneath our feet –mycorrhizal symbiosis – and nature conservation in the Czech Republic. The students and their teachers then examined mycorrhiza under stereo microscopes, while a second group was introduced to the collections of the Institute of Geology and Pedology. The programme continued with lunch at Canteen X, which the participants praised highly. The final part of the day was dedicated to a tour of the arboretum and, in particular, the greenhouse, where the guests were welcomed in person by Director Michal Pavlík, who introduced them to the world of orchids.

DAY OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS

On 7 May 2026, the traditional Day of Social Enterprises and Non-Profit Organisations took place on the campus of Mendel University in Brno. The entire event was organised by CSR MENDELU together with the social enterprise Teamium and the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. Students, staff, and the general public were able to visit 20 stalls run by social enterprises, non-profit organisations, and also our own students, who represented non-profit organisations of their choice. In addition to an experiential programme, light refreshments, and craft beer, visitors also had the opportunity to contribute to collections for good causes. Students enrolled in the course Corporate Social Responsibility and Organisational Sustainability presented their practically oriented impact projects here. All of these activities were on display on the ground floor of Building Q, where they were exhibited in poster format, allowing the general public to take part in voting for the best responsible project. Thanks to

the event's partner, the social enterprise Kolibřík, the winning team was awarded a cash prize of CZK 10,000. THE gifts in the public choice category and the special CSR MENDELU Centre award are owed to the social enterprise Teamium and the non-profit organisation Mary's Meals. Thanks are also due to ČSOB, whose support made it possible to present these projects to the public.

The judging was no easy task, as the student responsibility projects addressed both environmental and social themes. First prize went to a project that combined both aspects, in which students worked together with people with disabilities at a care home in Kroměříž to create upcycled handmade products. The stallholders were equally pleased, with many having sold out their offerings entirely.

We greatly appreciate your annual support and would be delighted if you could fill in a short feedback questionnaire. The questionnaire is also intended for those who did not attend the event, precisely in order to find out whether we could, for example, choose a more convenient date.

Ing. Markéta Dokoupilová Investment Officer Construction Department (OD REC)

Pictures of new employees

For more MENDELU job offers click here.

Ing. Ivana Flajšingerová, Ph.D.

Project Researcher II Department of viticulture and enology (FH)

Bc. Markéta Koláčková Sustainability Manager Department of Strategy and Analysis (REC)

Bc. Anna Macíčková Public Procurement Specialist Procurement and Purchasing Office (REC)

Mgr. Milan Satrapa

Internal Auditor

Internal Audit Department (REC)

RNDr. Kateřina Snopková, Ph.D.

Research Technician Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (FA)

Ing. Monika Janáková Quality Officer Department of Quality (OVČK REC)

Michal Kašík Endpoint Administrator Department of Infrastructure (DIT UF)

Ulrike Michel-Schneider, Ph.D., MBA Technology Transfer Specialist Transfer Technology Office (DSPIS UF)

Hana Rehorčíková, MA

Project Researcher II Department of Wood Science and Technology (FFWT)

Ing. Věra Svobodová Senior Office Worker Dean's Office of the Faculty of AgriSciences (FA)

doc. Mgr. Jan Vondrák, Ph.D.

Project Researcher II Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management (FFWT)

One Day at the Workplace

New Series in MENDEL News

What actually goes on behind the doors of the various rector's office departments? What does a typical day look like for colleagues whose work is often invisible at first glance, yet without whom the university could not function? These are precisely the questions we aim to answer, one by one, in our new series "A Day at the Workplace." The new series will introduce individual rector's office departments and shed light on their day-to-day agenda. In this issue, we visit the Department of Public Procurement and Purchasing.

KMGR. ŠTĚPÁN KUBIČÍK

Head of the Department of Public Procurement and Purchasing

Every Monday at 9 a.m. we hold a departmental meeting where we discuss current contracts, deadlines, and situations that have arisen over the past few days. Each of us handles a slightly different type of public procurement, so we share experience and consult on matters that are not entirely straightforward. In public procurement, details and practical experience often make

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND PURCHASING

• Administration of public tenders for supplies, services, and construction works for all university units, including the preparation of contracts and amendments to these tenders

• Management of the MARQUET MENDELU e-shop for equipment purchases

• Support for individual university units in purchasing matters and methodological assistance to staff

• Grant-funded tenders financed through projects (e.g. OP JAK) or through the systemic subsidy from the Ministry of Education (e.g. for premises renovations)

all the difference, which is why our joint meetings are so important. It is also a moment to align our priorities for the days ahead, since the agenda can change literally from hour to hour throughout the week. After the meeting, a typical working day begins –emails, phone calls, Teams chats, consultations with faculties, and checking on contracts in progress. Rarely, however, does the day stay on the course planned in the morning. Almost every day something new comes up that needs to be dealt with immediately. At the moment, for example, we are preparing a public tender for printing services for the next two years, which we are working on together with Mendel University Press. Alongside that, we are preparing an annual framework agreement for bus transport for the university's needs. We are collaborating on this mainly with the administrative officers of the individual faculties, as each faculty has slightly different requirements — in some cases it is excursions, in others field exercises or trips abroad.

A major topic for us is the upcoming framework contract with a mobile operator, on which we are working with the Operations Department. For contracts of this kind, it is necessary to align technical requirements, operational needs, and the financial aspects of the whole contract so that the resulting solution works well for the entire university in the long term. A great deal of discussion concerns, for example, the quality of signal coverage across the various campuses and the configuration of services for employees.

We also recently completed a public tender for Microsoft licences for the academic environment, in cooperation with the IT Department. IT contracts tend to be specific mainly in that it is necessary to carefully set out the licence terms, technical parameters, and compatibility with existing university systems. It often involves a combination of technical details, contractual conditions, and fairly complex administration.

In addition to larger public tenders, we handle dozens of smaller purchases every day through the dynamic purchasing system. This is the route for procuring computers, other IT equipment, toners, office paper, and protective equipment for individual workplaces. These contracts tend to be quick and operational, but for that very reason it is important to keep a close eye on the correct configuration of parameters, deadlines, and administration.

On Monday, immediately after the morning meeting, we had to deal with a problem with laptops on the MARQUET electronic marketplace. Laptops with a 16-inch screen had disappeared from the catalogue, and within a short time we had received several phone calls from departments saying they were unable to place orders. We had to quickly identify where the problem had occurred, adjust

the parameters in the system, and communicate with the supplier so that purchasing could be resumed as quickly as possible. Situations like this show just how closely our work is tied to the day-to-day running of the university — when something stops working, it very quickly makes itself felt across individual departments.

On top of that, a request came in from the Operations Department to publish an order under the framework agreement for electrical appliances. It concerned a service inspection of refrigerators and other appliances at the faculty in Lednice, valued at over CZK 50,000 excluding VAT, meaning the order had to be correctly published in the contracts register and linked to the original framework agreement. At first glance it seems like a minor matter, but even with administrative steps of this kind it is essential to keep track of the correct document linkages, deadlines, and legal obligations. At the end of the day, we finalised the tender documentation for the purchase of equipment for the testing laboratory in Zlín. Since this will involve purchasing from a foreign supplier, the entire tender documentation will be in English. For contracts of this type, it is necessary to be far more careful in checking the wording of both the technical requirements and the contractual terms, as everything must be unambiguous and clear to foreign suppliers as well.

A large part of our work involves communication across the university. Throughout the day we move between in-person meetings, online meetings, phone calls, and quick corridor consultations. One moment we are dealing with IT equipment, an hour later with building modifications, and in the afternoon perhaps the contracts register or grant conditions.