MASARYK UNIVERSITY
MASARYK UNIVERSITY
Annual Activity Report 2020
Brno 2021
Contents
Foreword 5
1
Degree Programme Diversification and Accessibility 11-17
1.1 Admission to the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programmes
1.2 Activities for Applicants and Cooperation with Schools
1. 3     Bachelor's and Master's
Degree Programmes 1. 4     Academic Counselling 1.5     Lifelong Learning
4
Individualized Doctoral
Programmes
35-39
4 . 1     University-wide Activities for Doctoral Students and Supervisors
4 . 2     Support Activities
for Doctoral Students Implemented by Faculties
4 . 3     Awards for Talented
Students and Graduates of Doctoral Studies
Masaryk University's Mission, Values and Vision
7
2
Quality in Education 19-25
2.1 Internal Quality Assurance and Assessment System
2.2 Shared University Core Courses
2. 3     Surveys and Feedback
2.4 Support for Talented Students
2.5 Online Teaching and New Technologies in Education
5
Research Excellence and Relevance 41-45
5.1 Masaryk University's Scientific Performance
5.2 Evaluation Under Methodology 2017+ and Research Support
5. 3     Transfer of Knowledge
and Research Results into Practice
Masaryk University Now Has
Ten Faculties
9
3
Internationalization in Education 27-33
3.1 Teaching in Foreign Languages
3.2 Foreign Language Teaching and Activities of the Language Centre
3. 3     Implementation of Degree
Programmes in Foreign
Languages 3. 4     International Cooperation
and Mobility Programmes 3.5     Summer Schools with
International Participation
6
Research Efficiency and a Stimulating Research Environment 47-51
6.1 University-wide Support Services for Creative Work
6.2 Support for Professional Development and Scientific Performance of Academic Staff
7
Organizational Culture Based on Shared Values
53-59
7.1 University Esprit de Corps and Volunteering
7.2 Inspirational University Environment
7. 3     Events for Students and Staff 7. 4     Leisure Activities of
University Associations
7.5 Strategic Plan Preparation and Internal Communication
7.6 Services for Students and Staff
7.7 Ethics and Equal Opportunities
10
Infrastructure and Institutional
Management
75-83
10.1 Support for Project Preparation and Implementation
10.2 University Operation in Compliance with Sustainability Principles
10.3 University Infrastructure and Facilities
10.4 Accommodation Infrastructure and Catering Services
10.5 Efficiency of Building Management and Operation
10.6 Financial Balance Sheet for 2020
10.7 University Budgeting
10.8 Internal Inspection System
10.9 Masaryk University Archives
10.10 Providing Information and Changes in University Internal Regulations
8
Inspiration and Social
Responsibility
61-67
8.1 Key University Projects Responding to Societal Challenges
8.2 Masaryk University in the Media
8. 3     Scala University Cinema and Tele University Centre
8. 4     Alumni Relations Development
8.5 Mendel Museum
8.6 Munipress (Masaryk University Press)
8.7 Library Services
1 1
Information Systems and IT Support 85-89
11.1 Development of Information Infrastructure and Information Systems
11.2 Masaryk University Information System
9
Personnel Management and Employee Development 69-73
9.1 Internal Regulations in Personnel Management and HR Award Standards
9.2 Skills Growth and Services for Foreign Employees
9. 3     Employee Training 9. 4     Employee Evaluation and Employee Benefits
1 2
MU Faculties
and University Institutes
91-115
12.1 Faculty of Law
12.2 Faculty of Medicine
12.3 Faculty of Science
12.4 Faculty of Arts
12.5 Faculty of Education
12.6 Faculty of Pharmacy
12.7 Faculty of Economics and Administration
12.8 Faculty of Informatics
12.9 Faculty of Social Studies
12.10 Faculty of Sports Studies
12.11 Central European Institute of Technology
12.12 Institute of Computer Science
MU Organizational Structure List of Abbreviations
118-119 120-121
Foreword
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before you is the Masaryk University Annual Activity Report for 2020, a year that was significantly marked by the coronavirus pandemic. As a university we lost the most valuable thing of all - the presence of our students and teachers. It was a completely unprecedented situation in modern history, when the doors of all faculties and the university as a whole were shut.
The pandemic loomed over everything at Masaryk University in 2020, and measures were put in place to ensure the greatest safety for our students and employees. Safety was our number-one priority. Therefore, we primarily focused on introducing effective measures to fight the pandemic within the MU community that still meant the university would continue to operate uninterrupted.
We successfully transitioned into remote learning and moved university work online. All critical parts of academic life at MU were successfully brought online, including lifelong learning courses, important events and ceremonies, and open days. These should all be considered great successes.
Staying on the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would especially like to highlight the creation and activities of the Masaryk University volunteer centre, MUNI Helps, which during the spring put together and coordinated an extensive volunteer network. Several thousand volunteers - students, employees, and members of the public - became involved in helping those in need. At the onset of the coronavirus crisis we also established the Crisis Board, which has since served as an advisory and coordination body of the Rector for dealing with extraordinary events and crisis situations related to the pandemic.
Thankfully, though, 2020 was not all about just COVID-19. I was overjoyed about the establishment of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Masaryk University, a truly historic event, as after a 60-year absence this faculty returned to our university. Moving the faculty from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno to our university was an unprecedented event in the modern history of Czech education and opens up opportunities at MU for interdisciplinary cooperation in science, research, and teaching.
Our university can also be proud of the Faculty of Medicine's Simulation Centre, whose building was completed in 2020 and welcomed its first students. This unique facility, equipped with cutting-edge simulators, enables future doctors and other healthcare professionals to be taught in completely new ways and fundamentally reduces the dependence of clinical disciplines on the teaching capacity of hospitals.
Regarding our vision for MU's future, in 2020 we worked on preparing the new Masaryk University Strategic Plan for 2021-2028. This crucial strategic document sets the university's course in teaching and education, research, the university's social role, HR management, IT support, infrastructure, and operations.
I often repeat my main vision for Masaryk University - that it becomes an important centre of high-quality education and top-notch science and research. Therefore, I was very pleased with accomplishments made in science and research in 2020. Masaryk University, for example, received a very favourable assessment from the International Evaluation Panel, which is a part of the Czech Republic-wide Methodology 2017+ guidelines for research evaluation. In assessments of the social impacts of our research and our overall research strategy we received the highest scores on most criteria. And I couldn't not mention the major accomplishments of three MU researchers who received prestigious ERC Consolidator grants, two of which are in the humanities, and one, in the natural sciences.
On many occasions I also try to remind myself that our university, which bears the name of the first president of Czechoslovakia, should and indeed must be responsible for defending certain ideas, values, and principles. This means, among other things, that we must observe what is going on around us and, when it is called for, take action. Hence, our university decided - in response to the events in Belarus - to offer scholarships to Belarusian students and grant opportunities to persecuted Belarusian academics.
Newly established events, which are sure to become MU traditions, were held for the first time in 2020: Masaryk Days in the spring and Mendel Days in the autumn. Masaryk Days are a celebration of the ideas and work of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, whereas Mendel Days commemorate the beginnings of scientific research in Moravia and Brno, which for us as a prestigious research university located in Brno are very important.
If I had to somehow summarise 2020 at Masaryk University, I would say that we weathered an unprecedented social crisis and managed to make all the right decisions about important issues on time. At the same time, though, we never lost sight of our long-term vision for the university and its continued growth. I must therefore thank everyone who contributed and put in great effort to making 2020 a successful year at Masaryk University despite the difficult situation.
Martin Bares
Rector
5
Masaryk University's Mission, Values and Vision
Our Values
Since its founding following the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, Masaryk University has always respected and professed values reflecting the republican and democratic ethos of that initial period. To this day, such values form the basis of its internal culture and are widely embraced by the academic community. These values are:
- Freedom, respected and defended as the governing principle of the inner workings of the university in terms of the academic freedom of teaching and research, freedoms such as a students' right to design their own curricula, freedom as the principle of institutional autonomy exercised by the university towards the state, and - last but not least - freedom as a social imperative.
- Respect for rules ensuring equal opportunities and transparency regarding the functioning of the institution, as manifested e.g. by internal administrative and economic settings, study-related regulations and the war on plagiarism.
- Responsibility, comprising of the university's public role, as exemplified by its function with respect to the creation of public opinion and active participation in public debate as well as its significance as a mediator of knowledge and technology transfer, and public service provider, and its position as a university which welcomes both disadvantaged students and members of various minorities. In terms of an inwardly-oriented approach, individual responsibility for the choice and structuring of one's own curriculum forms the basis for the functioning of an open and autonomous study environment.
Our Vision
By 2020, Masaryk University will be:
- a university with a better position among world universities, measured using quality and performance indicators in world university rankings,
- a respected research university boasting of internationally renowned research teams, clearly defined research priorities and interdisciplinary topics,
- a university offering a valuable higher education based on a stable and universal foundation comprised of both social and natural sciences,
- a university whose comprehensive offer of education reflects technological developments and changes, a university which is thus perceived as a leader in Czech higher education,
- a university which functions as a role model in both national and international contexts with respect to facilitating access to educational opportunities for all applicants exhibiting the required learning potential regardless of disabilities and social or other impairments,
- an employer providing all employees with a motivating work environment which inherently stimulates a responsible, efficient, creative and ethical
approach,
- a strategic partner for representatives of institutions at all levels of the educational system, research institutions, commercial and public subjects and medical and special-interest organizations, as well as an active participant in the development of cultural, artistic and sports activities in the region,
- an inspiring community with a strong voice in the development of national policies and strategies as well as society-wide and regional issues,
- a strong and open-minded academic community with a comprehensive common internal culture based on clearly defined values and a consensual approach.
7
Masaryk University Now Has Ten Faculties
The Faculty of Pharmacy returns to Masaryk University
Pharmaceutical studies have returned to Masaryk University after 60 years. The transfer of the Faculty of Pharmacy from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno to Masaryk University is a unique event, unprecedented in modern university education in the Czech Republic.
Close cooperation between pharmacists, doctors and scientists will enable the development of personalised medicine. The rectors of both universities started talks about
the transfer in autumn 2019; it was subsequently approved by academic senates and boards of trustees. The process was completed by the decision of the National Accreditation Bureau on the accreditation of existing pharmaceutical degree programmes for Masaryk University for five years.
The teaching of pharmacy continues to take place at the veterinary premises on Palackého Street, and its transfer to the University Campus Bohunice is planned.
Photo: MU Rector Martin Bares with the then Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy Radka Opatfilova.
SUCCESSFUL  TRANSITION TO ONLINE  TEACHING  AND VIRTUAL MODE  AT  MASARYK UNIVERSITY
DuetotheCOVID-19 pandemic all teaching had to move online virtually overnight. Since March 2020 students have only been able to attend classes for laboratory exercises and practical and clinical courses. Masaryk University was one of the first higher education institutions in the Czech Republic to set the conditions for online education in the 2020 autumn semester, based on its own traffic light system. Academic ceremonies and social events, as well as short-term courses of the University of the Third Age, were transferred online. The Open Day, a common event of all ten faculties, was also held on computer screens.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
1
Degree Programme Diversification and Accessibility
Admission to the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programmes 1 . 1
Activities for Applicants and Cooperation with Schools 1 . 2
Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programmes 1 . 3
Academic Counselling 1 . 4
Lifelong Learning 1 . 5
1
1.1
Admission to the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programmes
In 2020, the university had to devise flexible solutions, operational changes and rapid action to modify the admissions procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The preparations for and course of admissions were substantially affected by ever-changing government measures restricting the gathering of people and their movement within the Czech Republic or across its borders, including Slovakia. The university was aware of the need to provide clear information about the admissions procedure to more than 24 thousand applicants as soon as possible, while protecting their rights and health.
Thousands of applicants were affectedby changes to the Learning Potential Test (LPT), the entrance examination for all MU faculties except the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Sports Studies. The Learning Potential Test for Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes beginning in the academic year 2020/2021 was exceptionally held on 20 and 21 June 2020, in response to the pandemic outbreak in April, when the LPTs are usually taken.
The tests could be taken at several locations in the CR: Brno, Prague, Ostrava, Olomouc, Zlín, Jihlava, Hradec Králové and České Budějovice. We decided to invite Slovak applicants to take the LPT in Brno to prevent potential problems. 13,313 students interested in studying at Masaryk University were divided into 625 groups, which attended the test at different times. The test was taken by 9,785 applicants, i.e. 73.5% of those interested.
Subject tests were concurrently organised in cooperation with the faculties of science, education, arts and sports studies. The subject tests were scheduled in 194 time slots so that examinations did not overlap and applicants could take all necessary exams in one weekend (ideally in one day).
The admissions procedure at MU was subject to increased hygienic measures and social distancing. This brought a greater demand for room capacity; the number of time slots for LPTs in Brno grew more than threefold compared to other years (442 v. 142 in 2019); capacity outside Brno had to be similarly increased.
Masaryk University faculties organising their own entrance examinations also modified some aspects of admissions procedures. Admissions requirements were adjusted for a large portion of degree programmes, and the number of applicants whose entrance exams were waived thus increased. Other criteria were chosen for acceptance, such as secondary school grades, students' professional activities or results of knowledge Olympiads.
Many faculties waived entrance examinations for follow-up Master's degree programmes and accepted applicants on the basis of their grades, the cover letter, CV or Bachelor's thesis. The practical exam in PE as a key admissions requirement was cancelled. Certain programmes held the entrance examinations online through MS Teams, Zoom or Revision Opinion Poll and Testing (ROPOT) in the MU Information System. Almost all the faculties postponed the dates of the in-person entrance examinations toward the summer, when a waning of the epidemic and lifting of government restrictions could be expected.
Remote enrolment was introduced in 2020. This novelty enabled the enrolment of those applicants who were accepted but could not present themselves at the faculty. The epidemic had waned in the summer and thus faculties could provide a traditional welcome to their new students on the premises. The university, nevertheless, is considering the future use of remote enrolment and online identification in the MU Information System.
The preparation of an adaptive version of the Learning Potential Test continued in 2020, although some activities were suspended due to the restrictions. For instance, the closing of secondary schools disabled the collection of calibration data among final year students. Online data collection was not adopted due to concerns about the security of the tests. However, the development and implementation of adaptive technology to the ROPOT application in the IS MU continued.
12
Activities for Applicants and Cooperation with Schools
1
In 2020, the university successfully completed the first year of the communication campaign #munichallenge and started its second year. The special Open Day 2020 took on an unconventional online form. Applicants were offered virtual tours with attractive videos and information about studies in the various degree programmes.
MU representatives visited secondary schools with their presentations of MU in January and February. A new team often ambassadors for secondary schools was created in October 2020, and the new year began with online presentations.
Promotional materials for those interested in study were available both in printed and digital form in the new academic year. The magazine Study at MUNI and leaflets advertising the Open Day were distributed to secondary schools and individuals by mail; the digital version was available on the university's website.
Masaryk University participated in the higher education exhibition in January. Communication with applicants via a chatbot called MUNIbot was launched in November. Applicants were given information about the university and its studies in a fresh way and they could also compete for prizes.
Another year of the Children's University, called MjUNI, was successfully completed online in the spring 2020. Masaryk University decided not to open another term of MjUNI in autumn 2020 due to persisting uncertainty concerning the pandemic. Young applicants for MjUNI will be welcome in the academic year 2022/2023.
The traditional Researchers' Night was held online. The programme focused on Humans and Robots and could be watched from the comfort of one's home for three weeks. Enthusiasm for research into the natural sciences is supported by the Bioskop biology club for primary school students and the Science Academy, with its programme for secondary school students.
Programmes for secondary school students and university applicants also operate at individual faculties. Regular events, competitions and activities were interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, and correspondence seminars were used instead.
The Faculty of Science continued to offer various competitions for secondary school students; those interested in mathematics could for instance try the Brno Correspondence Seminar (BrKoS). Successful participants had the entrance exam for mathematical fields of study at MU waived. Primary schools and lower grammar school students could take part in an entertaining team competition called Brno Logic Game (BrLoH), held online. Other activities are also worth mentioning: the Interactive Biology Seminar (iBiS), the Educational Course for Future Chemists (VIBuCh) or the multidiscipli-nary Wealth of Earth competition, organised jointly by the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Economics and Administration. Those who succeeded in these contests could be admitted to certain fields of study without the entrance exam.
The Faculty of Economics and Administration is an organiser and guarantor of the Seminar of Economic Brains, a competitive correspondence event for secondary school students interested in economics. The three best investigators were rewarded with prizes as well as waiving of entrance exams to the FEA.
The Faculty of Arts continued to develop the Open Faculty project, within which it clearly presents all activities of the faculty to the applicants. The Department of Classical Studies organised its Summer School under the title Life in Antiquity during the vacation. A week of interesting talks, workshops and practical demonstrations of the everyday life ofancientmanwas designed for children aged ten and up.
The Faculty of Medicine offered e-learning preparatory courses in biology, physics and chemistry for those interested in studying in the programmes General Medicine, Dentistry or Physiotherapy in English. A new programme entitled Junior Academy was launched in 2020, aiming to support gifted secondary school students. It is based on close cooperation with secondary school teachers of biology, chemistry, physics, and maths.
The Faculty of Informatics benefited from MEYS support and launched many educational activities for secondary (as well as primary) school students leading to the deepening of computational thinking and knowledge of information technologies, including programming in Python, JavaScript, C/C++, development of embedded systems or advanced education in cybersecurity. One of the most popular programmes of the faculty is the Correspondence Seminar in Informatics.
The Faculty of Social Studies organised the Winter School of Contemporary European Politics for senior secondary school students at the end of 2020. A series of six online sessions helped with understanding current European challenges and problems; participants could use the experience in preparation for the school-leaving exam or the admissions procedure.
The website prostredoskolaky.muni.cz provides an overview of seminars, competitions, research projects, camps and summer schools organised by the FI, FSci and FEA for secondary school students.
13
1
1 . 3
Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programmes
In 2020, Masaryk University accredited several new programmes and specialisations that reflect the growing demand for professionals in specialised sectors of the labour market. The current offer in Bachelor's and Master's studies includes 320 degree programmes.
The Faculty of Medicine obtained accreditation for the new five-year Master's programme Bioanalytical Laboratory Diagnostics in Healthcare - Embryologist. This programme's graduates will become professionals in laboratory methods and the preparation of medicinal products. After completing the specialised studies and passing the specialty certificate examination, they will be qualified to work as clinical embryologists.
The Faculty of Science introduced a sixth new specialisation, Cell Biology, as part of the three-year Bachelor's programme Experimental and Molecular Biology. Students who successfully complete the programme can continue in the follow-up Master's programme with the same title, embark on a research path, or utilise their knowledge in practical sectors of biomedicine and biotechnology. The faculty also offers the new follow-up Master's programme Biotechnologies, which prepares qualified graduates for work in biotechnology practice and applied biotechnology research.
The Faculty of Arts gained accreditation for the new three-year career-oriented programme, Interpreting Czech Sign Language, graduates of which will work as interpreters within the system of provision of interpreting and translation services to the hearing impaired, services to which Czech citizens are entitled under the applicable legislation.
The Faculty of Education obtained accreditation for the new two-year follow-up Master's programme Pre-school Pedagogy, which trains future professionals in educating children with disadvantages and special needs as well as in issues related to communication with the families and counselling facilities.
The Faculty of Informatics had accredited and launched a unique multidisciplinary, career-oriented Bachelor's programme entitled Cybersecurity, which prepares students for immediate practice, for instance as systems or network administrators, operators in security monitoring centres, or CSIRT members.
The Faculty of Pharmacy, which has returned to Masaryk University, had five-year Master's degree programmes in Pharmacy taught both in Czech and in English reaccred-ited. Graduates usually work as chemists, clinical pharmacists or experts in laboratories and research institutions, in drug control and development or in the pharmaceutical industry.
Masaryk University, thanks to its institutional accreditation, is entitled to design and approve its own degree programmes. Since 2018 the university has taken this opportunity to overhaul the programmes it offers. By 2020 the transformation of the original fields of study into
degree programmes had almost been completed and the last degree programme units are expected to be converted in this way in the first half of 2021. The MU Internal Evaluation Board also approved 18 completely new degree programmes; these were in particular career-oriented programmes and those taught in English, in accordance with the Strategic Plan's priorities. The total number of degree programmes has decreased by more than a third in all types of study since 2016, when the university exclusively provided degree programmes divided into fields of study. Masaryk University is providing 483 degree programmes at present, whereas 747 fields of study were taught in the past.
The transformation of degree programmes is also linked to the introduction of a new plan of the course of studies that will contribute to their greater flexibility and personalisation. In particular, the university is designing tools enabling the student to make a deferred choice of degree programme specialisation. The basic framework for modifying the study plan during study is embedded in university regulations, while the concrete rules and requirements are determined by the faculties. MU has been using this institution for a short time and to a relatively limited extent, one of the reasons being the non-standard conditions of teaching during the coronavirus pandemic.
The forms of information about degree programmes on the university website were unified to better respond to applicants' needs. The descriptions of degree programmes in Czech and English were updated. Applicants will find the recommended study plan for all degree programmes, including the overview of compulsory and selective courses. The timeliness of information is the responsibility of the programme guarantor, whose role was also significantly strengthened.
14
1 . 4
Academic Counselling
1 . 5
Lifelong Learning
1
In 2020, the MU Student Advisory Centre focused on the further development of university-wide counselling and improvement of the graduation rate. Students and applicants could also consult faculty counsellors at the faculty level, and programme consultants providing assistance with applications and the course of studies.
The Student Advisory Centre also helped with answering questions received at the address koronavirus@muni.cz, established in response to the pandemic.
Cooperation with secondary school ambassadors supported applicants' correct choices of field of study. Cooperation with faculty lecturers of Prvakoviny (a get-together of first-year students) continued for the better informing and motivation of first year students. Faculty of Pharmacy students were welcomed at Masaryk University.
The website www.muni.cz/studenti continues to serve as an information base and signpost for contacts. Its traffic increased in 2020 and two new sections were added: one for first year students and another concerning online teaching. A new site for teachers addressing student dropout was introduced. Two new sections trying to support students in the COVID-19 pandemic originated here, and five case studies were included with good practice in resolving student dropout at various university units.
Students were provided with an extensive e-learning scheme to test and enhance the knowledge of the Study and Examination Regulations, accompanied by the campaign Master the Study Regulations.
Psychological counselling is also a part of the services offered by the MU Student Advisory Centre. This service, provided to all students free of charge, gave 758 psychological consultations in 2020.
The Maths and Stats Support Centre at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics of the FEA remained open to students of all Brno universities. The centre offered online consultations with trained tutors from among students and teaching staff to those interested in the mathematical or statistical evaluation of data, which can be used for instance in diploma theses. The centre's services are free to students.
In line with the Strategic Plan, Masaryk University offered lifelong learning activities, despite the consequences of the pandemic, in 2020 almost 300 courses for more than 13,000 participants were organised. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, most courses were held online and some were cancelled completely.
Educational activities in the fields of social sciences, information and communication technologies, as well as health and social care continued to develop. The offer consisted of programmes focused on vocational and leisure time education. The most frequent participants were teachers, doctors, coaches and also senior citizens who studied at the University of the Third Age.
The Lifelong Learning Centre at the FLaw offered one-day and multi-day courses mainly dealing with amendments to laws governing authorised experts and interpreters, and issues of labour relations. The Lifelong Learning Centre at the FSpS organised courses for the general public and MU staff and students. The Lifelong Learning Centre at the FEdu obtained nine accreditations for programmes of further education of teaching staff and offered courses for the public as well as employees in both in-person and online forms.
An aim of LLL at MU in 2020 was to communicate science and stimulate interest in it among children and young people. The activities of MjUNI and Bioskop attracted over 1,130 participants.
The University of the Third Age (U3A), which encourages older people's interest in further education, continued with its courses during the year. Although the coronavirus pandemic interrupted standard in-person teaching as early as March, the efforts of organisers and lecturers enabled its transfer to online. Altogether 40 online courses were taught with over 3,000 participants. Educational activities provided great support for the oldest generation and gave meaning to days of isolation during the epidemic. Those U3A participants who struggled with technology were helped by volunteers from the MUNI Helps volunteer centre. Thanks to them, the older people could continue their courses online.
Courses organised in cooperation with the South Moravian Regional Authority for people living in care homes, and education for senior citizens together with the Brno-Medlanky district could not be held in 2020. Continuation of the courses will be offered to participants as soon as possible.
The university places strong emphasis on the development of cooperation with foreign partners, which also applies to lifelong learning. The cooperation between U3A MU and Danube University Krems continued within the project music that connects people.
15
Number of students at MU
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Number of studies at MU
Number of students (headcount) at MU
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
7%
Doctoral degree programme - full-time
5%
Follow-up master's degree programme - combined
17%
Follow-up master's degree programme - full-time
1%
Master's degree programme - combined
20%
Master's degree programme - full-time
2%
Doctoral degree programme - combined
Students at MU according to study type and form in 2020
41%
Bachelor's degree programme - full-time
7%
Bachelor's degree programme - combined
Proportion of students from other universities in follow-up Master's programmes at MU
31%
students from other universities
MU study offer in 2020
144
Bachelor's degree programmes
Master's degree programmes
The total number of degree programmes at MU which are carried out in various forms and languages.
167 163
Follow-up Master's Doctoral degree degree programmes programmes
483
Total number of degree programmes
Admissions procedure for the Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's degree programmes for the 2020/2021 academic year
1
24,046
Number of applicants for study
66%
Czech applicants from outside the South Moravian Region
40,136    14,748 8,563
Number of applications submitted
Number of admissions
Number of enrollments
1,467
Faculty of Sports Studies
3,021
Faculty of Social Studies
2,091
Faculty of Informatics
2,788
Faculty of Economics and Administration
784
Faculty of Pharmacy
4,904
Faculty of Education
3,119
Faculty of Law
32,963
studies at MU
Number of students at MU faculties in 2020
4,588
Faculty of Medicine
3,615
Faculty of Science
6,586
Faculty of Arts
Number of students with disabilities and learning difficulties at MU
Students with learning disabilities, mental disorders, etc.
Students with limited mobility and hearing and visual impairments
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
17
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
2
Quality in Education
Internal Quality Assurance and Assessment System
Shared University Core Courses Surveys and Feedback Support for Talented Students Online Teaching and New Technologies in Education
2 . 1
Internal Quality Assurance and Assessment System
Masaryk University, as a holder of institutional accreditation in 23 areas of education, is fully responsible for quality assurance in all its operations. A key role in this process is played by the 15-member Masaryk University Internal Evaluation Board (MUIEB), a central body taking care of the quality of education and associated activities. As planned, the MUIEB replaced a third of its members at the end of 2020.
The MU Internal Evaluation Board met in eight sessions in 2020, where its members discussed 105 proposals submitted by faculties concerning degree programmes (transformation of the original fields of study into degree programmes, approval of new degree programmes, renewal or extension of accreditation, etc.). The board also dealt with the methodology of the internal evaluation of Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes. Such evaluations should provide formative feedback regarding degree programmes, assist in the formulation of their long-term strategic goals and support their further development.
The MUIEB also approved the schedule of the first internal evaluation of Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes for 2021. A debate was opened over the new conception of doctoral programme internal evaluation that should help to integrate new elements of research evaluation into the internal quality assurance system.
The MU Internal Evaluation Board gradually begun to focus its attention on key areas of university education through the newly introduced tool of thematic evaluation. For 2020, the MUIEB prepared two thematic evaluations.
The first focused on the quality of diploma theses at MU, and built on earlier findings of diploma thesis inspections carried out in 2019. This area was also the centre of attention of the centralised development project for 2020, coordinated by Masaryk University and entitled Strengthening the Prevention of Plagiarism in Student Work. The second thematic evaluation focused on the elements of interna-tionalisation in Czech degree programmes. Both thematic evaluations were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will be completed in 2021.
An important role in quality assurance at Masaryk University is played by the programme boards of Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes, which act as advisory bodies to the guarantors. Feedback so far suggests that programme boards have become an integral part of degree programme implementation and an asset to the debate over their future direction. Members of the boards include not only academics but also students, graduates and employers, who bring valuable perspectives.
Quality assurance greatly benefits from the methodological support of faculty coordinators for quality, and the user-friendly support of degree programme administration by the IS MU. Both these tools alleviate the administrative burden of quality assurance on academic staff, and particularly degree programme guarantors.
The active role of students at all levels of the internal quality assurance system has been strengthened in recent years. Students' representation in programme boards is stable and fully-fledged; they form a significant part of faculty academic senates, which participate in the discussion of degree programmes submitted for approval; students also have their representative in the MU Internal Evaluation Board. They will be involved in the regular internal evaluation of degree programmes. Masaryk University receives direct feedback from students from institutional surveys and course opinion polls.
2 . 2
Shared University Core Courses
2 . 3
Surveys and Feedback
2
Masaryk University is striving to gradually modernise curricula, mainly in Bachelor's degree programmes. Current changes include introducing shared university core courses, in which students learn about the nature of scientific or artistic scholarship beyond the borders of their specialisation. The aim is to enrich the general profile of a Masaryk University graduate, and thus increase graduates' opportunities in the labour market.
Under MU Directive No. 11/2017 - Rules for the Creation of Degree Programmes, the shared university core courses are compulsory or selective courses that are usually based on the graduate's profile, in particular general courses in the social sciences, natural sciences, foreign languages and physical education. The Bachelor's programme study plans have assigned 15 ECTS credits to shared university core courses, which have so far been awarded for foreign language courses and university sports, and as the case may be, courses offered by individual faculties.
The general conception of shared university core courses with their typical characteristics was designed in 2020. The intent was thoroughly discussed by the key bodies, and the university was ready to select and pilot test the first courses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted that plan and led to postponement of the launch.
Masaryk University plans to finalise the selection and preparation of the first core courses created specifically for this purpose and commence their teaching in 2021. The preparation of shared university core courses is the responsibility of the Vice-rector for Education and Quality, they are commented on by the MU Internal Evaluation Board on an ongoing basis and a new specialised advisory body to the Rector for these issues is planned.
Institutional surveys form a key component of feedback from students, graduates and also students who have dropped out. In 2020, seven regularly recurring surveys
were conducted. The surveys managed to promptly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, most often by modification of existing questions, for instance to better reflect the transfer to online teaching.
The first survey at the start of the year was MU Applicants, which addressed all prospective students who submitted an e-application to study at MU in the next academic year.
Two surveys among graduates were launched in 2020: Graduation from MU - Review and Perspective and subsequently the Graduate Employment Survey. The
first survey annually monitors feedback from graduates of long-cycle and follow-up Master's studies; the other addresses former students about two years after graduation. An additional survey was launched during the year for graduates of the new Faculty of Pharmacy.
A specific role is played by the long-term survey called Study Roadmap. Students of Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's programmes have been regularly addressed within the survey since 2017. In 2020, the penultimate 6th run and subsequently the last, 7th run of the survey was carried out, mapping attitudes to study, perceived demands of study, overall satisfaction and finally the transition to online teaching at MU.
The survey of Motivation and Expectations of Incoming Master's Students from Other Universities, which studies the motives of incoming students to pursue follow-up Master's programmes at Masaryk University, was conducted in May.
The year-round survey Premature Termination of Studies at MU 2019-2020, which is the main source of information for ascertaining the causes and factors of student dropout, was conducted for the eighth time. More than a fifth of the respondents, representing all levels of studies, shared the reasons for the failure. Students of the Faculty of Pharmacy were also included in the survey.
A stable and important representative of institutional surveys is the Course Opinion Poll, which in the academic year 2020/2021 continued the trend of increasing returns, and thus providing more relevant feedback on teaching and teachers. A new element in the poll was the evaluation of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The wider academic community was involved in the survey of Awareness of Technology and Knowledge Transfer at Masaryk University, carried out in cooperation with the Technology Transfer Office. Besides its own surveys, Masaryk University participated in the COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study.
21
2
2 . 4
Support for Talented Students
The faculties try to motivate gifted students through special programmes, competitions and financial rewards in the form of scholarships.
Talented students are acknowledged in two ways at the Faculty of Arts: by scholarship programmes and the Dean's Award for the best student qualification theses, announced during Humanities Week. Four student theses were awarded prizes for outstanding Bachelor's and Master's theses in 2020.
The Faculty of Social Studies acknowledges the best Bachelor's theses through the Inocenc Arnošt Bláha Award. In 2020, 11 students obtained the award, which includes a scholarship, after nomination by the heads of department in individual degree programmes.
Applicants for study in Bachelor's degree programmes at the Faculty of Social Studies were enabled acceptance without entrance examinations. This is the first faculty in the Czech Republic to introduce this procedure for Bachelor's studies. The decisive criterion was the student's placement in the national or regional rounds of the Students' Professional Activities contest.
Active MU students may be interested in the TopSec project of the Faculty of Economics and Administration, where they meet with professionals working for major companies. Most of the events were cancelled in the spring semester; the meetings and workshops moved to MS Teams in the autumn semester. Students had the opportunity to debate with experts from Deloitte, KPMG, and the South Moravian Innovation Centre.
The Faculty of Economics and Administration is also an organiser of the MUNISS Interuniversity Student Competition, where students of different fields, universities and cities meet to work on studies focusing on the development of Brno. The project is open to full-time students of any year, field of study or faculty. Participants are assessed with ECTS credits, and the best teams share a financial prize of CZK 100,000.
The Faculty of Law has long been cooperating with the Jan Hus Educational Foundation and together, they organised the 13th year of the Ius et Societas Award. The author of the essay with the most interesting suggestions, opinions and questions concerning the role of law and justice in society obtains the award. The faculty actively encourages students' participation in simulated court proceedings called moot courts.
The Faculty of Medicine strongly supports junior researchers and student research activities, especially in the form of the unique scientific education of General Medicine students (P-Pool programme), as well as student and postgraduate projects supported by the specific research programme.
The Specific University Research scheme also supported outstanding students' projects from the Faculty of Pharmacy. The Faculty of Medicine announced a scholarship programme to support the studies of gifted foreign
students, which will balance the difference in the scholarship schemes available to Czech and international students of the faculty.
The Faculty of Informatics provides excellent students with a merit scholarship graded according to their study results. At the same time, through a scholarship, it rewards excellent final theses and long-term study achievements. Prospective newly-admitted Bachelor's students who graduated from secondary school with an A' in mathematics or have participated in an Olympiad can obtain a motivational scholarship of CZK 7,000.
The Faculty of Sports Studies waives the entrance examinations of those applicants who represent the Czech Republic in Olympic disciplines. Such a waiver was granted to 45 applicants for Bachelor's studies and four applicants for follow-up Master's programmes. In addition to creative and merit scholarships, students of the Faculty of Sports Studies can also obtain a scholarship for sports representation.
22
. 5
Online Teaching and New Technologies in Education
2
In the spring 2020, Masaryk University had to respond rapidly to the outbreak of the coronavirus infection and associated anti-pandemic measures. All in-person teaching except for research-related activities was cancelled on 10 March 2020 to protect the health of students, employees and their surroundings. The situation called for a speedy transfer of the key educational activities to the virtual environment. The Rector's emergency measures were issued, promptly responding to the current measures of the government. Special study rules in the 2020 spring semester formed a basic framework for the provision of education. Online teaching methods, completion of courses, organisation of final state examinations and the academic year schedule were modified. Masaryk University, with the help of its partners, enabled students to study thousands of books online thanks to the E-prezencka service.
To mitigate the pandemic's impact, the MU Internal Evaluation Board encouraged further use of remote teaching forms and tools in all types of degree programme regardless of the official mode of studies. At the beginning of the new academic year, the Masaryk University traffic light system was introduced with the aim of regulating operations at individual faculties and units in response to the spread of COVID-19. The special rules for the organisation of teaching in the 2020 autumn semester envisaged the situation that occurred on 12 October 2020, when in-person teaching was again cancelled, with the exception of practical training in health science programmes.
In order to provide the methodological support for online education, a special working group was established, bringing together key people developing tools and procedures for online teaching and offer assistance in their implementation at various parts of the university.
Masaryk University intends to continue developing the theme of online education in detail in 2021. A comprehensive evaluation of teaching in the 2020 autumn semester from the perspectives of all stakeholders is planned. This process should open a debate over the features of online teaching that could be integrated into the university's educational activities and would be an asset to teaching in standard conditions.
The university's efforts to modernise and make education more attractive are also reflected in the internal grant scheme of the Masaryk University Development Fund (MUDF). In this competition, the supported thematic areas are, for example, strengthening the practical aspects of education by involving professionals in the teaching of courses or by strengthening project-oriented education. The key activity of the year proved to be the preparation of new forms of teaching suitable for online education. Examples of such projects are given below.
Tutoring of University Online Courses in Information Literacy and the Development of Remote Teaching Forms, a project of the FA, included online courses with several possible study plans. Students suggested the best
course of studies, depending on the target group, and suitable tools. A new KISK ONLINE platform was established as part of the project. Participating students benefited from the online tutoring practice, and the faculty appreciated being in touch with the general public through open online education, which had positive feedback.
The project Digital Humanities in the Classroom (FEdu) resulted in the design of an eponymous intensive course. The course was successfully piloted in the 2020 autumn semester and will be taught each spring from 2021. The intensive course teaches students how to use new technologies in language teaching, from creating digitally augmented imagery to creating immersive digital worlds in Minecraft: Education Edition. Workshops for teachers from other regions are planned in order to share the main ideas of the course.
The project IT Literacy in Teaching Mathematical and Statistical Courses Based on Working with Time Series (FEA) aims at the interconnection of theoretical techniques with applications, and practical use of the tools using model examples and various types of software (Gretl, Matlab and R). The project supports students in the application of methods in scholarly works. Its outcomes include commented methodological scripts and instructions with problem solutions, supplemented with visually attractive outputs and a database of exercises.
The project Preparation of Study Materials for Courses in Legal Informatics (FLaw) led to the creation of innovative learning materials made up of several modules published on the MU e-learning platform. The main part of the materials is instructional videos demonstrating the use of different legal information systems.
23
Number of MU students per member of academic or specialist staff
Number of studies per academic
Number of students per academic, R&D, or specialist staff member
CO        h; CO
cd ifl
cm        cm        cm cm
cm
co cm
i- *
cm en
cm i-
co
cm
CO
co co cm
cm cm
o cm cm cm o 0> co co cm        i-        i- i-
CO
in
co co
co co
2010    2011    2012    2013    2014    2015    2016    2017    2018    2019 2020
3%
Doctoral degree programme - full-time
10%
Follow-up master's degree programme - combined
28%
Follow-up master's degree programme - full-time
0.3%
Master's degree programme - combined
11%
Master's degree programme - full-time
2%
Doctoral degree programme - combined
MU graduates in 2020 according to type and form of study
39%
Bachelor's degree programme - full-time
7%
Bachelor's degree programme - combined
7%
No, teaching wasn't implemented at an appropriate level in online mode
Student evaluation of online teaching in the university-wide Course Oponion Poll
Autumn semester 2020
2%
I can't tell
91%
Yes, teaching was implemented at an appropriate level in online mode
University-wide student surveys implemented at MU in 2020
2
MU Applicants
Study roadmap -6th and 7th waves
Graduate Employment Survey
Motivation and Expectations of Incoming Master's Students from Other Universities
Return rate: 15%, 3,454 respondents
Return rate: 27-28%, over 400 respondents
Return rate: 22%, 805 respondents
Return rate: 36%, 553 respondents
Premature Termination of Studies atMU
Graduation from MU -Review and Perspective
University-wide Course Opinion Poll - spring semester 2020
University-wide Course Opinion Poll - autumn semester 2020
Return rate: 21%, 1,161 respondents
Return rate: 42%, 1,124 respondents
Return rate: 34%, 8,880 respondents
Return rate: 45%, 13,795 respondents
Association with MU from
the perspective of its applicants
Brno
tradition
- modern
many fields -
What do you think of first when you hear "Masaryk University"?
Studies at MU from the perspective
of Master's degree programme graduates
useful
long
exhausting
challenging
á
entertaining
quality
Studying at Masaryk University was..."
awesome
fulfilling
life experience pleasant —
beneficial
- best choice enriChinQ inspirational
good
unforgettable
25
INTERNATIONAL STUDEN AND  TEACHERS IMPRESSED BY  THE   PREMIERE   OF ONLI SUMMER SCHOOLS
Annually, more than 150 international students from all over the world come to Brno to attend summe schools at Masaryk University. However, in 2020, the university had to cancel almost all of them due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. Inspired by universities abroad, the Centre for International Cooperation decided to hold three summer schools online, in which students of 12 countries participated. All the three summer schools (International Relations and Threats to Global Security, World in Transition and Central European Transformation, and International Law and Human Rights) received excellent evaluations from foreign students, and the Centre for International Cooperation is planning to offer them onli summer 2021.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
3
Internationalization in
Education
Teaching in Foreign Languages 3 . 1
Foreign Language Teaching and Activities of the Language Centre 3 . 2
Implementation of Degree Programmes in Foreign Languages 3 . 3
International Cooperation and Mobility Programmes 3 . 4
Summer Schools with International Participation 3 . 5
3 . 1
Teaching in Foreign Languages
The faculties responded to the pandemic and associated problems by calling teachers to design online courses implemented in cooperation with foreign partners and
their students (COIL); several COIL courses originated thanks to EDUC, a consortium of universities cooperating within the framework of the European University Initiative.
Some activities connected with courses taught in foreign languages were supported by IDP MU, others by development funds of the faculties.
The FA utilised the IDP funds for inviting 56 visiting professors who led self-contained courses, seminars and workshops, most taught online. One of the successful projects was a course designed in cooperation with the University of Pecs, University of Richmond, Universidad Catolica de El Salvador, and Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador. This joint course dealt with the specifics of ethnic minorities in selected countries of Latin America.
The FEA extended its range of foreign-language courses in 2020 and offered a new course Sport Economics and Policy, guaranteed by the Department of Public Economics. In total, the faculty teaches 126 courses in foreign languages.
In 2020, the FSS offered 274 courses in English, among others the new courses: Human Behaviour and Violence, Social Inclusion and Disability, or Oil and Gas Industry. Although the pandemic adversely affected international mobility, the courses were taught by 27 academics from abroad (exclusively online since March).
The FI introduces two or three new courses in English each year, which is possible mainly thanks to colleagues from other countries who naturally undertake teaching in English.
Activities encouraging the teaching in foreign languages and enhancement of language competencies of academic staff are also supported by the internal grant competition of the Masaryk University Development Fund (MUDF). The projects mainly focus on the preparation of study materials or hosting foreign experts in classes.
The objective of the project Movie Based e-Learning_ Orthopaedicsjevel I (FMed) was the preparation of a novelty multimedia teaching aid in the field of orthopaedic surgery, which will demonstrate real-life techniques and facilitate interaction between students and lecturers.
The new course Introduction to Music Education (FEdu) presents various elements of music education interactively and provides practical demonstrations of classroom activities based on the existing methodology texts for teachers who wish to teach music education in English.
A textbook and practical tasks for students were prepared as part of the course Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit in Mitteleuropa (FLaw), which will enhance students' knowledge of the subject matter as well as their competencies in legal German.
The new course Concepts in International Relations (FSS) stimulated students' discussions of international relation theories and formulation of their own standpoints,
answers and solutions to disputes based on the study of principal texts.
The project Czech Subtitling of Substandard French (FA) brings innovation mainly to the methods of data collection for processing film dialogues and different types of subtitles for the purposes of inclusion into the corpus, and conceptualising the creation of a parallel corpus.
The project Innovation of the Teaching and Development of the Course Digital Marketing and Analysis of Social Media (FEA) included brainstorming with several lecturers and the selection of internationally renowned literature for the course. This new course in English is another opportunity for foreign students offered by the faculty.
The aim of the project Preparation of the Master's Degree Programme Molecular and Cell Biology (FSci) was the design of a new follow-up Master's programme for international students. This is the first follow-up programme of this type at the FSci.
Thanks to the Language Centre's project E-learning to Support English Language Study (LC), providing science students with an aid for efficient preparation for examinations, two electronic textbooks were created. Students can use them independently or under the lecturer's guidance in seminars.
Foreign Language Teaching and Activities of the Language Centre
Implementation of Degree Programmes in Foreign Languages
The Language Centre (LC) is the largest workplace of its type in the Czech Republic. It has long supported the internationalization and development of language skills of students, MU employees and the public. In 2020, the LC provided foreign languages teaching for professional, academic and specific purposes to more than 17,000 students and managed to engage 54 lecturers from abroad. Under the auspices of the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education, the LC organised the CercleS international conference, attended by more than 350 language education professionals. The new offer of the LC includes preparatory courses for studies in Czech and in English and CELTA courses.
The teaching of language skills was strengthened at the faculties, aiming in particular at doctoral students, Special Education students and science students. LC staff organised academic writing seminars and scholarly presentations, and introduced the results of their activities in more than 20 conference contributions, over 24 scholarly articles and one collective monograph to which they contributed. The LC provided language support to 290 academics in the MUNI 4.0 project, 84 non-academic employees in HR4MU and 67 doctoral students within the IGA project.
The LC opened new translation and interpreting courses and started to administer professional examinations in foreign languages focused on legal terminology. An intensive one-year course of Czech as a foreign language was taken by 23 students. 29 students participated in the Colourful Czech seminars. The LC responded to the growing interest in learning Czech among employees and doctoral students and extended its courses to five levels. The popular Language Teacher Assistant project attracted 36 international students who helped with teaching.
The MU Internal Development Project supported seven activities including the Comparative French Course Online, Science Debate Club and Studio of Educational Technologies. In 2020, the LC started the project CZECH ONLINE - Czech as a Foreign Language for Specific Purposes within the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships programme, and pursued the CUDIMHA and EDUC (European Digital UniverCity) international projects. The LC continues to work actively in international professional organisations (Cercles, IATEFL and EULETA) and the informal Wulkow Group and Fiesole Group. The Language Centre managed to raise the quality of language education and the prestige of MU even in this pandemic-stricken year, for instance by the online Open Day of the CUDIMHA project, and the Teaching Practice Week for the European University Institute in Florence.
The development of foreign-language degree programmes is one of the key focuses of MU, and the university was successful in expanding the range of such programmes in 2020. The FEA launched two new Bachelor's programmes, Economics and Public Policy and Business Management and Finance. The faculty teaches four follow-up Master's and six doctoral programmes in English plus one doctoral programme in German.
The FSci introduced the new follow-up Master's programme Molecular and Cell Biology. Two new English programmes were added to the offer of the FA: Modern Greek Language and Literature and Visual Cultures and Art History. In total, the Faculty of Arts teaches four follow-up Master's, one Bachelor's and seven doctoral programmes in English.
The university portfolio of English-language degree programmes gained one Master's programme of Pharmacy and three doctoral programmes taught at the FPharm. The FSS will open two Bachelor's programmes in the 2020 autumn semester: Politics, Media, and Communication and Global Challenges: Society, Politics, Environment. At present the faculty offers one foreign-language Bachelor's, eight follow-up Master's (including two joint degree programmes) and seven doctoral programmes.
Other faculties also offer foreign-language programmes: The FI teaches three follow-up Master's programmes and one doctoral programme with two specialisations; the FMed offers two (long-cycle) Master's and fourteen doctoral programmes; the FEdu has one Bachelor's and one follow-up Master's programme, plus six doctoral (one in German) programmes; the FSpS offers one doctoral programme in English, while the FLaw has four doctoral programmes.
The new methodology for the design of degree programmes in cooperation with a foreign higher education institution (joint programmes) formulated in 2020 provides guidelines on how to obtain institutional accreditation for such programmes at MU. In 2020, MU was involved in a Centralised Development Project focused on the development and quality assurance of joint degree programmes.
In 2020, Masaryk University presented itself at virtual educational fairs in South America, the USA, Canada, Southeast Asia, China and Europe. The university-wide online Open Day for foreign applicants was held in May; five faculty Open Days were organised in December 2020. MU launched online campaigns (PPC advertisements, In-stagram takeovers) and redesigned the muni.cz web pages targeted at applicants.
3
3 . 4
International Cooperation and Mobility Programmes
International activities of Masaryk University were deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of which struck Europe in the first weeks of the spring semester. Although the mobility of MU as well as foreign students and staff was restricted, the university managed to respond to the situation with a number of activities offered online.
The premiere of the online Erasmus Week was held thanks to the Centre for International Cooperation (CIC) and seven MU faculties in November 2020. Attendance at the week-long event was record-breaking: seven lives-treams of the faculties reached over 15 thousand users, exceeding physical attendance at faculty events many times over. Since the idea was a great success, MU intends to continue livestreaming the promotion of mobilities even once the pandemic ends.
The number of outgoing students dropped below the usual 2,000. In 2020, MU sent 1,256 students to other countries. The lower number of mobilities was mainly caused by travel restrictions, cancellation of placements by universities abroad and the fact that online "mobility" was not funded by the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research of the MEYS. Most students went abroad within the Erasmus+ programme; 960 students left for study periods and internships; 149 students (20 of them graduates) took part in internships in their field of study. The favourite countries were Germany, Spain, the UK, Austria, Italy and Portugal.
Thanks to funding from the MEYS, 165 students participated in mobilities outside of the Erasmus Programme; 29 of them studied overseas pursuant to university partnership agreements and the ISEP programme, 42 travelled based on faculty agreements, and 67 students gained experience as freemovers. A scholarship for short-term placements was won by 23 students, who spent at least two weeks participating in summer schools and internships.
Despite online classes in the spring as well as the autumn semester, 856 international students came to MU in 2020. Most (563) arrived as part of the "European" Erasmus, mainly from Spain, France, Slovakia, Italy and Poland. University partnership agreements and the ISEP programme enabled the studies of 89 young people, coming mostly from Mexico, the USA and Japan; 18 students from countries such as Albania, Israel and Jordan studied at MU thanks to Erasmus+ ICM.
The CIC organises the annual Orientation Week for incoming students. This autumn, the event took place online for the first time with 218 participants (the spring orientation was held in person and attended by 229 students). Online student events were offeredby the student association Erasmus Student Network MUNI Brno (language courses, country presentations, etc.).
In response to the pandemic MUNI created two unique applications for incoming students: the Arrival App, addressing entry to the country and mandatory testing, and the Covid-19 app, advising on what to do if disease symptoms appear. Both were appreciated by students as well as foreign universities.
The impact of the pandemic manifested itself also in the numbers of incoming and outgoing employees. MUST WEEK (Masaryk University Staff Training Week), traditionally held in May and attended by dozens of colleagues from abroad, was cancelled. Most MU staff mobilities were cancelled or postponed to 2021; nevertheless, many teachers were not discouraged and held lectures for partner universities online.
In 2020, MU engaged in activities of the EDUC (European Digital UniverCity) alliance, which is part of the prestigious European University Networks, funded by the European Union since 2019. MU and five other universities from France, Germany, Italy and Hungary work within the alliance to develop diverse and modern forms of teaching, e.g. COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) courses or virtual mobility programmes. In the pilot year 2020, MU staff expressed interest in the preparation of new online courses, and similar activities are expected in the future. New courses of the EDUC alliance will be taught in the 2021 autumn semester; considering the experience with online teaching during the pandemic, MU expects large numbers of interested students.
MU concluded 92 new agreements within Erasmus+ Europe, and three new partnership agreements outside of Erasmus. MU has over 1,500 partnership agreements with universities around the world. MU also concluded 15 new strategic partnerships and continued cooperation on the Erasmusjobs and William projects. The three-year TIGRIS project aimed at higher education support in Kurdistan was completed in 2020.
During the year, MU continued to implement the Erasmus Without Paper initiative of the European Commission, which aims to gradually digitise all the paperwork associated with study periods organised through Erasmus+. The initiative will be launched at MU in the course of 2021, when Learning Agreements will cease to be signed in printed form, and agreements with European universities will be approved electronically, thus eliminating the red tape for students as well as universities.
30
Summer Schools with International Participation
In 2020, Masaryk University had to cancel most of the traditional summer schools due to the COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions on international travel. The Centre for International Cooperation (CIC), inspiredby universities abroad, organised three online summer schools which were joined by 30 students from 12 countries, including Switzerland, Iraq, the USA, Spain and Hong Kong.
The organisation of the new-format summer schools was a novelty for the CIC as well as for other foreign universities, and thus the organisers and teachers were surprised by the interest of international students in this type of short-term educational programme, which unlike the conventional in-person form could not offer the cultural and social dimensions of mobility.
The unconventional online form of "mobility" was successful mainly because students who, for various reasons, had difficulty travelling abroad could also participate. The virtual summer school was the first international experience for some students, and some were even taught in English for the first time in their lives.
All the three summer schools - International Relations and Threats to Global Security, World in Transition and Central European Transformation, and International Law and Human Rights - received excellent evaluation from foreign students, and the university is planning to offer them online also in the summer 2021.
Despite the pandemic, the Language Centre (LC) managed to organise three summer schools attended by three students and 23 academics from Masaryk University. Lecturers from MU and abroad opened the summer education programme with the course of English communication skills Let's Talk and encouraged the participants not to be afraid of speaking and joining discussions. As is traditional, the summer schools that followed focused on the development of academic staff within the project MUNI 4.0: English Language Focus and Academic Skills in English, dedicated to strengthening basic knowledge, extending the range of teaching resources and using English as a medium of instruction.
Long-term cooperation with Universität Wien, the European Academy of Legal Theory and Goethe-Universität made possible the 9th year of the Autumn School of Legal Writing and Related Global Legal Skills 2020 in October, held online this year.
Outgoing and incoming * Erasmus students "
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Incoming students (study programmes and practical internships)
Z009     Z010     Z011     Z01Z     Z013     Z014     Z015     Z016     Z017     Z01S Z019
The following programmes are included: Erasmus, I I I I I I I I I I I
Erasmust, Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ICM. ™™ ™™    ™™ ™™ ™™
10 most requested countries for study stays and internships of outgoing students from MU	10 most common countries of origin of students arriving for exchange stay at MU
Germany	Spain
Spain	France
United Kingdom	Slovakia
Austria	Italy
Italy	Poland
Portugal	Portugal
Slovenia	Germany
France	Australia
Belgium	Turkey
Poland	Belarus
	
The international dimension of studying at MU
Final thesis in English (in Joint, double or multiple degree Proportion of accredited
non-philological fields of study programmes implemented in degree programmes* in foreign
study) defended in 2020 collaboration with foreign universities languages with active studies
*Only degree programmes accredited after 2016 (i.e. after revision)
Number of international students in accredited degree programmes (without Slovak citizens)
Number of enrolled international students
Proportion of international students in all enrolled students
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Number of students from Slovakia in accredited degree programmes
00
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cvi
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Number of students from Slovakia
Proportion of students from Slovakia in all enrolled students
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Offer of foreign language courses for students of non-philological disciplines
Arabic
Chinese
English
French
German
Italian
Latin
Portugese
Russian
Spanish
Swahili
Czech for foreigners
U  DOCTORAL STUD RELIGIOUS FULBRIGHT TOLARSHIP  AND COMPLETED
RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT  ETH ZURICH
Martin Toul, an employee of Loschmidt Laboratories, student of the PhD programme in Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics and a member of FN USA-ICRC, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for a four-month research placement at the University of Texas in Austin. He planned to leave for the US university in autumn 2020. However, the entire Fulbright programme was postponed to the following year. He spent two months at EHT Zurich instead (the placement was supported by a Teaming institutional grant), where he focused on the optimisation of microfluidic chips forthe effective treatment of ischemic stroke. The Fulbright scholarship and the internship in Zurich built on a successfully started career: in previous years, Martin Toul was on a work placement in Thailand and a six-month stay at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
1 7
: Martin Toul, a
, a student of the PhD programme in Molecular and Cell BioL
Siology an
d Genetics.
Individualized Doctoral
Programmes
University-wide Activities for Doctoral Students and Supervisors Support Activities for Doctoral Students Implemented by Faculties Awards for Talented Students and Graduates of Doctoral Studies
4 . 1 4 . 2 4 . 3
4
4 . 1
University-wide Activities for Doctoral Students and Supervisors
In 2020, Masaryk University offered studies in approximately 8o Czech doctoral degree programmes and in roughly the same number of doctoral degree programmes in foreign languages (with a predominance of English). Almost 3,000 doctoral students studied at MU, of which more than 18% were students from Slovakia and 11% from other foreign countries.
Although the 2020 spring semester was difficult due to restrictions imposed by extraordinary measures, the University managed to adopt corresponding changes. Therefore, doctoral state examinations and doctoral thesis defences could be organised online. Students and their supervisors, teachers and consultants made it through 2020, and entered the autumn semester enriched by new abilities and skills in online education. However, many doctoral students had to face difficulties related to restricted access to their workplaces and ensuing complications in their research for the doctoral thesis.
The activities related to the development of doctoral studies continued throughout the university. A course for doctoral students entitled FRESHERS: Skills for a Research Career was taught in the spring and autumn semesters. The course builds on its successful predecessor called PREFEKT, further develops its content and tries to respond to the requirements of young researchers who need to become integrated into national and international projects and research structures. Doctoral students from individual MU faculties acquired theoretical foundations and practical skills in areas such as project management and research funding, grant opportunities for young scientists, publication ethics, scientific communication, etc. The acquired knowledge and skills could be applied to examples of international grant applications (Horizon 2020, the International Visegrad Fund and the like).
The first workshops for supervisors were organised in 2020. One workshop was held in the spring semester; the other scheduled events had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 measures. In the autumn most of the planned workshops took place online. Preparations were underway for doctoral boards' workshops to be launched in 2022.
Other events concentrating on development and educational activities for doctoral students and supervisors included the Open Science webinar and the Grant Project Management for Academic Staff webinar.
The Summer School for Doctoral Students was held at the Tele University Centre for the fourth time and aimed to develop soft skills, specifically to improve pedagogical competencies and presentation and communication skills. During the year, a new conception of the summer school was being prepared, which will work in two parallel sections - in Czech and in English. Unfortunately, the English section has not been launched due to pandemic restrictions. A new form of the summer school is planned for 2021.
A key activity supporting interdisciplinarity within the university is the year-round series of lectures by foreign experts called MUNI Seminar Series. Again, these lectures had to be cancelled in 2020 because of pandemic measures. A special part of the MUNI Seminar Series is the Mendel Lectures, in which top experts in their fields, including Nobel Prize winners, give lectures at Masaryk University. Only one of these unique lectures could take place in 2020 -that of Professor Adrian Krainer, whose team discovered a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy.
Doctoral students have the chance to study at the international CEITEC PhD School, which provides them with access to a state-of-the-art research infrastructure and training in an interdisciplinary research community (with teaching in English). This is a fast-growing educational programme based on the strategic partnership of top universities and research institutes in South Moravia that are part of CEITEC.
Masaryk University focuses on inclusion of its doctoral students in research project investigation and their involvement in large research teams. Since 2010, the creative activity of students has been supported by the Competition for the Support of Student Projects. The total subsidy for this competition in 2020 amounted to more than CZK 140 mil., from which specific university research projects and student scientific conferences were paid. Last year, 196 projects were supported from funds earmarked for this competition, of which 11 were student scientific conferences.
Every year, MU rewards the performance of its doctoral students as part of the Rector's Awards. This prize is awarded inter alia in the Rector's Award for an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis and Rector's Award for the Best Students in Doctoral Programmes categories. The Rector also appreciates outstanding research results achieved by young scientists under 35 (for the list of awardees see the infographics in chapter 7).
The number of doctoral students enrolled in a PhD programme under dual supervision (cotutelle) is increasing. Preparation of the doctoral thesis is led by a supervisor from MU and one from a higher education institution abroad. The faculties introduced the obligation of students in newly-accredited doctoral degree programmes to spend at least a month on an internship in another country. However, all international activities involving foreign travel were restricted or postponed, and even cancelled in 2020 due to the adverse epidemic situation.
36
Support Activities for Doctoral Students Implemented by Faculties
Awards for Talented Students and Graduates of Doctoral Studies
The FA continued to distribute scholarships to support excellent doctoral students, with year-round support going to the top 15 PhD students. Logistical support includes assistance in concluding dual supervision agreements. In 2020,16 doctoral students pursued a cotutelle programme at the FA.
The FSci designed and launched a new section called Develop Your Skills on its web pages for doctoral studies. The new section brings an overview of tips for personal or professional development during studies. Doctoral students will find recommendations for practical training, research opportunities, networking and further careers advice. All the information is available in Czech and English.
The FSpS continued in the implementation of a scholarship programme to support research and creative activities of gifted PhD students. The faculty also organised doctoral students' workshops focused on the preparation of the doctoral thesis. The workshops were attended by supervisors and evaluation board members. A recruitment event targeted at future doctoral students of the Kinanthropology programme, called PhD Day, was held in MS Teams in October.
The FSS encourages doctoral students to travel abroad under the mobility scholarship programme. Doctoral students may also apply for other scholarships; e.g. for the support of outstanding professional achievements or as a reward for publishing activities.
A (postdoctoral school started to operate at the FEdu, working as an umbrella for faculty activities offered to doctoral students and early career researchers.
The FLaw launched newly-accredited PhD programmes with greater emphasis on the preparation of a quality doctoral thesis and offered new faculty-wide methodology courses. A faculty PhD Committee was established and methodological materials for doctoral students and their supervisors were published.
The FI together with Charles University in Prague, and the universities in Krakow and Warsaw, established the AlgoMaNet (Algorithms and Mathematics Network) international network of lectures for doctoral students in theoretical computer science and organised two blocks of lectures in Warsaw and Brno at the beginning of 2020. The faculty cooperates with industrial partners to support doctoral research and practical application. Strategic partners of the faculty supported 13 doctoral students with a minimum monthly scholarship of CZK 10,000.
In December 2020, the MU Language Centre opened a series of short-term courses and seminars for doctoral students, focusing on project writing, text revision, online education and debating in a foreign language.
MU doctoral students obtained a number of national and international awards during 2020. Every year, Masaryk University rewards the performance of its doctoral students, for example as part of the announcement of the Rector's Awards (for the list of awardees see the infographics in chapter 7).
Pavlína Janovska's doctoral thesis was among the 13 most successful doctoral theses in the Werner von Siemens Award 2019 (the prize was awarded in March 2020). The PhD graduate from the Faculty of Science succeeded with her work The Role of Migration in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. She continues to study chronic lymphocytic leukemia at Professor Vítězslav Bryja's laboratory at the FSci and her research focuses on casein kinase 1 as a therapeutic target in the treatment of this disease.
Veronika Leláková, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Pharmacy, placed 3rd in the competition for the Sanofi Award for pharmacy, announced by the French Embassy in the Czech Republic. She examined the effect of selected stilbenes on neuroprotection in case of a stroke, and the potential of a particular molecule to interfere with individual molecular mechanisms of the ischemic cascade. The research was conducted in collaboration between the Institute of Molecular Pharmacology of FPharm MU and the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology of University Cote D'Azur, Nice.
Marína Štibrányiová from the FEdu together with her colleagues received an honourable mention in the competition of the Government Board for Persons with Disabilities for informative animations for educational workers, episodes 1-15, as part of the project Experience to Understanding. She uses animation to advise her colleagues on the most appropriate form of teaching when the class includes children with hearing impairment. The individual episodes give practical instructions for primary school teachers on how to use innovative methods of inclusive teaching.
The Medal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports was awarded to Veronika Podolská and Jiří Byčkov of the Faculty of Arts in recognition of their pandemic volunteer work in 2020. Michaela Krafčíková from the Faculty of Science received the Jean-Marie Lehn Award in chemistry; the Gallicia special award within the Jacques Derrida Prize for humanities and social sciences was awarded to Hana Rozlozsnikova from the Faculty of Arts, and the competition for the best research work in the field of computer science, the Joseph Fourier Awards, gave a special IT4lnnovations prize to Katarína Furmanová from the Faculty of Informatics.
The Brno PhD Talent competition awarded prizes to 15 doctoral students from three faculties and institutes ofMU
193
Faculty of Social Studies
87
Faculty of Economics and Administration
127
Faculty of Education
72
Faculty of Sports Studies
Number of doctoral students at MU faculties in 2020
597
Faculty of Arts
177
Faculty of Law
528
Faculty of Medicine
805
Faculty of Science
Proportion of doctoral students coming from other universities
Number of new PhD students from other universities
Proportion of new PhD students from other universities
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2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Awarded MU students in Brno PhD Talent 2020
Lucia Baďurová, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Denisa Belisová, Mgr., Faculty of Medicine MU Lucie Curylová, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Anna Hrčková, Mgr., Faculty of Medicine MU Michael Killinger, Mgr. DiS., Faculty of Science MU Petra Kompaníková, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Jaroslav Krč, Mgr. Be, Faculty of Medicine MU Daniela Kristeková, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU
Andrea Martišová, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Ludovic Thierry Mayer, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Polina Nadtochaeva, Ing., Faculty of Medicine MU Roberto Pivato, Faculty of Medicine MU Daniela Rubanová, Mgr. et Mgr., Faculty of Science MU Vojtěch Suchánek, Mgr., Faculty of Informatics MU Dominik Trnka, Mgr., Faculty of Science MU
Number of international doctoral students (without Slovak citizens)
Number of international doctoral students at MU (without Slovak citizens)
Proportion of international doctoral students (without Slovakia) in all doctoral studies
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Number of doctoral students from Slovakia
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2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Doctoral studies at MU in 2020
Proportion of doctoral studies in all studies
315
Doctoral graduates in 2020
Doctoral study programmes
Doctoral study programmes conducted with the Czech Academy of Sciences
39
Research Excellence and Relevance
Masaryk University's Scientific Performance Evaluation Under Methodology 2017+ and Research Support Transfer of Knowledge and Research Results into Practice
5 . 1 5 . 2 5 . 3
5 . 1
Masaryk University's Scientific Performance
In 2020,1,944 scientific papers, such as articles and reviews with an affiliation to Masaryk University were published and indexed by the Web of Science (WoS). Although the number of publications in this category remained at a similar level as last year, it is crucial to monitor the prestige, visibility and citation index of the papers.
The increasing share of works published by MU authors in prestigious journals is a very positive trend in this context. In 2020, 44% of all article and review type papers were published in the first quartile (Qi) journals of the WoS subject rankings (39% in 2016). Among the prestigious journals in which authors from MU published in 2020 are Science, Nature, Leukemia, Proceedings oftheNation-al Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Ange-wandte Chemie, Science of the Total Environment, etc.
The share of scientific publications created in cooperation with foreign institutes was 52% in 2020 and this share has long remained stable. Most publications were created in collaboration with institutions in the USA and Germany (13% each), the United Kingdom (10%), Italy, Austria and Slovakia (7% each). Important foreign institutions cooperating with MU include the French research organisation Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the University of Cambridge, the Helmholtz Association, the Max Planck Society and the University of London. Within the Czech Republic, MU authors cooperated mainly with Czech Academy of Sciences institutes (13%), the ICRC of St. Anne's University Hospital (11%) and Charles University (10%).
The average citation index suggests that MU publications have an above-average citation count in individual research fields. The areas with a high citation index and at least 50 publications in the period 2016-2020 are medical sciences, environmental sciences and life sciences. A specific citation indicator is Highly Cited in the WoS, which suggests that the research concerned is of excellent quality. These are publications that ranked among the top 1% of the most cited publications in extensive discipline-specific groups in the year of publication. In 2020, the university was assigned 16 highly cited papers in medical sciences, plant sciences, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, and environmental sciences.
An important segment of the social sciences and humanities is books and articles not indexed by the WoS. Although their citation count is difficult to quantify, such publications often show high local excellence and relevance, and are published by the world's most prestigious publishers.
Significant Scientific Discoveries in 2020
MU archaeologists reveal the oldest writing system used among Slavs
Archaeologists from the Faculty of Arts MU found an inscribed animal rib alongside pottery of the Prague type, associated with the Early Slavs, in diggings near Lány u Břeclavi, in the Czech Republic. The bone is inscribed with Old Germanic runes. This absolutely unique discovery is evidence of the oldest writing among Slavs, which until now was considered to be the Glagolitic script.
Biologists discover part of the cell-ageing mechanism
Biologists from the Faculty of Medicine MU and the International Clinical Research Centre of St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno (FNUSA-ICRC), together with colleagues from the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) discovered an important part of the cell division process, description of which might help in understanding the formation of cancer cells as well as cell ageing. They described the mechanism that enables the stabilisation or elongation of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes, inNature, one of the most prestigious scientific journals.
Researchers in the study of religions verify that rituals help people cope with anxiety
More than a century ago, the anthropologist Bronislaw Ma-linowski formulated the theory that rituals help people deal with situations that cannot be fully controlled. However, the hypothesis has never been verified. Scholars in the study of religions, Martin Lang and Jan Krátký from the Faculty of Arts MU, validated the theory through an experiment. They studied a Hindu community in Mauritius and found out that prayers and protective rituals in their temple helped them cope better with anxiety. They published their research in the outstanding journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Researchers develop a breakthrough technique to monitor plant reproduction in real time
The discovery was made by the research group of Karel Říha from CEITEC MU, which mainly concentrates on plant meiosis. Plant biologists study the sexual reproduction of plants in particular through cytological and genetic methods using dead cells. However, live monitoring of these processes is a breakthrough for researchers. After many years of demanding work, they developed microscopy methods that enable ongoing monitoring of blossom growth at a cellular level.
Evaluation Under Methodology 2017+ and Research Support
Transfer of Knowledge and Research Results into Practice
Masaryk University completed the demanding and long-planned process of the complete evaluation of a research organisation in accordance with all modules of Methodology 201J+, with online participation of the International Evaluation Panel (IEP). Originally it was planned that 12 members of the panel would visit MU in May 2020; due to the pandemic the evaluation was carried out online in November 2020.
The evaluation process is based on self-evaluation reports. Individual economic units prepared the reports for Module 3. Reports for Modules 4 and 5 were prepared by the MU Rector's Office. They assessed the HR policy, design of doctoral studies, drawdown of grants and the university's further development strategy. The IEP prepared the final evaluation report and grading for the MEYS on the basis of self-evaluation reports and November negotiations.
The regular meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Board of MU (ISAB MU) was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, Masaryk University maintained correspondence with the ISAB's members. A part of the board was replaced in 2020: Viktor Kunčak from the Swiss institute Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) replaced Thomas A. Henzinger from the Austrian Institute for Science and Technology.
In 2020, Masaryk University confirmed its ranking as the most successful Czech institution in Horizon 2020 (H2020) calls so far both in terms of funding and the number of approved project proposals. The number of approved H2020 projects with MU as the beneficiary was 109, and their total budget exceeds EUR 47.9 mil.
In 2020, the implementation of 18 new H2020 projects was started, of which seven were under Pillar I - Excellent Science, nine under Pillar III - Societal Challenges, and two were in associated initiatives. One of these projects is the prestigious CETOCOEN Excellence of RECETOX, launched under the Teaming call.
A great success is the awarding of three European Research Council Consolidator Grants (ERC CoG) to MU. The winners of the most prestigious European grants are David Kosař (FLaw), David Zbiral (FA) and Robert Vácha (CEITEC MU). David Kosař will directly follow up on his previous ERC Starting Grant.
The Grant Agency of MU (GAMU) announced a new competition in 2020, called Career Restart, which provides support for the reintegration of researchers after a career break (for instance due to parental leave) into Masaryk University research teams.
The new competition of the GAMU, called MUNI Scientist - Award for Outstanding Research Results, rewarded the first scholars for top outcomes and important deeds in research for 2019-2020.
The year 2020 witnessed several significant events and successes in the transfer of knowledge and technology effected by the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) of MU.
The British biotechnology company Artios Pharma, which in 2018 concluded a license agreement with Masaryk University for the development of compounds active in the inhibition of specific nucleases, announced a three-year cooperation agreement with the global pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA, and thereby ensured further funding of the programme for the development of new cancer treatments, implemented, inter alia, at MU.
The university spin-off Flowmon Networks, a.s., exited the business after 13 years of existence and sold shares held by the university. Such high profits from the sale of shares in a spin-off company are unprecedented in the history of the university. The 2020 sale of shares and dividends brought over CZK 20.8 mil. to MU.
Two new spin-off companies were established at MU in 2020. Entrant, s.r.o., focuses on the development of a device for monitoring and measuring stress; Casinvent Pharma, a.s., which was founded by the university as a true spin-off in cooperation with the investor i&i Prague, specialises in the development of compounds as possible drugs for certain types of leukaemia, lymphomas and solid tumours.
Through the commercialisation of its intellectual property, the university received CZK 4,523,314 in revenues from licensing and co-ownership agreements in 2020.
Thanks to three calls of the TTO, 13 projects funded by TACR GAMA 2 have been gradually implemented in 2020. Of these projects, four received extraordinary funding and focus on the elimination of COVID-19 spread. Four university faculties (FSci, FMed, FA, and Fl) plus CEITEC MU participated in Proof of Concept (PoC) projects. The TACR GAMA 2 project continues to raise awareness of PoC projects, extends the range of opportunities for applying research in practice and develops further collaboration between researchers and industrial partners.
The TTO hosted 24 interns from nine transfer centres in the Czech Republic after the first wave of the coronavi-rus epidemic passed in the summer. TTO revenues from internships, consultations and training of third parties that recognise the centre as the leading national workplace in the field, amounted to CZK 269,150 in 2020.
The TTO publishes the INTERFACE newsletter both in electronic and printed form twice a year and continues to play an active role in the national Transfera.cz platform. The TTO Director Eva Janouskovcova continued to act as the association's chairperson in 2020.
Proportion of 2020 publications in journals according to their impact factor by quartile
Publications according to the Web of Science database (articles, reviews and proceedings papers)
Note: Data for 2020 are not complete due to Web of Science indexing delay.
3%
CPCI
1%
Uncategorised
Number of MU publications in the Web of Science database
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2009     2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S 2019
Number of MU publication citations according to the Web of Science database
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2009     2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020*
Top 10 foreign institutions involved in joint publications with MU authors in 2009-2020 according to most cited results
5
University of California System	University of London
Harvard University	Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Assistance Publique - Höpitaux de Paris	University of Toronto
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg	Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale
University of Texas System	Helmholtz Association
Non-investment revenue from EU framework programmes
Non-investment revenue from EU framework programmes in thousands CZK
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Prestigious grants awarded to MU researchers (investigation launched 2016-2020)
MSCAIF
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Teaming phace1
ERC
MSCA Widening Fellowship
3 Health Programme
Teaming phace 2
EU / H2020 grants
EMB0 projects
Wellcome
Trust projects
45
Four applicants from the Czech Republic were successful in the current call for ERC Consolidator Grants, with three of these grants awarded by the European Research Council going to Masaryk University. The humanities were supported with two ERC grants, one won by the lawyer David Kosarand onebvthe _cholar in the study of religions David Zbiral. The third grant was obtained by the biophysicist Robert Vacha working at CEITEC MU and the Faculty of Science MU. The scheme of the Grant Agency of MU (GAMU) had supported the preparation of seven project applications; three of them, mentioned above, managed to win the prestigious grants.
hoto: David Zbiral from the Department for the Study of Religions, Faculty of Arts MU, a holder of the ERC Consolidator Grant.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
6
Research Efficiency and a Stimulating Research
Environment
University-wide Support Services for Creative Work    6 . 1
Support for Professional Development    6 . 2 and Scientific Performance of Academic Staff
6 . 1
University-wide Support Services for Creative Work
For the tenth year in a row, Masaryk University has been supporting excellence in research through internal projects of the Grant Agency of MU (GAMU). The new categories Career Restart Grant and MUNI Scientist - Award for Outstanding Research Results were announced in
2020.
The Interdisciplinary Research Projects competition supported three projects in a total amount of CZK17 million.
The programme of Support for Preparation of International Grant Projects (Horizons category), intended to applicants for prestigious grants, continued successfully. Due to the termination of H2020 and a low number of suitable calls, the preparation of one collaboration project with MU as a coordinator was supported (in the total amount of CZK 200,000). The specific GAMU scheme focused on the European Research Council (ERC) grants supporting the preparation of seven project proposals for the ERC, of which three succeeded in this most prestigious competition for ERC Consolidator Grants.
The third holder of the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) was the astrophysicist Norbert Werner. He has worked at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, where he relocated after eight years at Stanford University in the United States. Norbert Werner is an expert on the behaviour of black holes and intergalactic gas and wishes to work with companies developing small satellites while in Brno.
A number of seminars, presentations, training sessions and individual consultations were held to enhance the success of MU in national and international grant competitions. Events organised thanks to the IMPROVE project as part of the INTER-EXCELLENCE (INTER-INFORM) programme focused on international grants. The events included 12 seminars and workshops and the three-day interactive online conference Grants Week 2020. The IMPROVE team initiated the creation of the Czech MSC A Platform, an informal network of project managers that aims at know-how exchange in the preparation and implementation of MSCA projects.
MU smoothly took over the organisation of the Brno International R&D Network (REGON) from the South Moravian Innovation Centre. The university is thus following in the nine-year tradition of cooperation between grants offices of research organisations in the South Moravian Region.
The Board for Strategic Research Projects, an advisory body to the Rector, was established in 2020. The board's role lies in the strategic discussion about research projects of large scale and importance. The first topic will be the plans of research infrastructures that will be subject to MEYS evaluation in 2021.
Another generation of large infrastructure projects that received a successful evaluation by the MEYS in 2017-2018 began to be funded in 2020.
Masaryk University is involved in 12 projects that have been included in the Roadmap of Large Research Infrastructures of the Czech Republic. At the European level, the university participates in nine ESFRI infrastructures
(European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) as a coordinator or partner.
Masaryk University systematically supports the academic environment in the field of scientific publishing. For several years, this topic has been centrally covered by the Centre for Scientometric Support, which is responsible for methodological support of faculties in the field of bibliographic databases, communication with the national RIV database, organisation of national and institutional evaluation and bibliometrics. The centre is actively involved in international communities working in research evaluation (for example, EvalHum) and develops its own publishing activities tied to international cooperation.
One of the centre's key activities is the provision ofbib-liometric analyses, including verbal interpretation and basic contextualisation. The regular service provided to the academic community includes analyses of publications for the needs of habilitation and professor appointment procedures.
The implementation of four university-wide OP RDE projects in the total amount of CZK 266 mil. began in 2020.
The aim of the HR4MUII project is obtaining and maintaining the HR Award by five faculties of MU (FA, FEdu, FE A, FSS and FSpS). The process should result in the introduction of strategic management conforming to the standards defined by the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.
The Internal Grant Agency of MU aims to improve the quality of doctoral studies through the system of student grant competitions, strengthening internationalization and supporting preconditions for conducting doctoral research. 196 student grant projects are planned to be funded in the next two years.
The Postdoc2MUNI project aims at filling 23 postdoctoral positions, which will contribute to strengthening research performance and international cooperation at MU.
The MSCAfellow4@MUNI scheme will ensure the implementation of five project proposals that were successful in H2020 MSCA-IF, received high scores but could not be supported for lack of funds.
The University Projects Division of the RMU Research Office administers nine OP RDE projects in an amount exceeding CZK 0.5 bn.
Support for Professional Development and Scientific Performance of Academic Staff
The goal of faculty internal programmes is to support the research performance of its academic staff, as well as the quality and international relevance of their publications. This effort is facilitated by institutional support funds and other faculty funds, aimed at the building of scientific teams, habilitation and professor appointment procedures in various stages of preparation, publishing scientific journals or internationalization of publishing activities. Selected examples are given below.
The FEA annually announces the Programme for the Support of Career Growth for academics who intend to apply for habilitation or professorship. The two-year funding enables successful applicants to cover costs related to the fulfilment of qualification requirements and to finalise the proposal for the initiation of the habilitation procedure or the professorial appointment procedure. Academics, researchers and doctoral students have the opportunity to benefit from the programme to support the publication of scholarly articles in scientific journals. Successful applicants can use the funds to cover the costs of translation, proofreading or the review procedure. In line with the Open Science strategy, publications in high quality Open Access journals are preferred.
The FSS approved its Grant Strategy in 2020, setting the course of the faculty in the area of grant projects over the next five years. The FSS aims at active participation and success in grant competitions. Emphasis will be placed on national competitions for GACR grants as well as international grants under the Horizon programme. The strategy focuses on increasing the motivation of workplaces and employees, improving the quality of administrative support and work with promising junior researchers.
The FSpS encourages the publication of research results in English; proofreading, translation and Open Access publication charges can be covered from remuneration paid pursuant to the 2019 faculty directive Motivational System to Support Pedagogical, Creative and Other Activities of Academic Staff at the Faculty of Sports Studies MU.
The FA supports research and professional growth mainly through the Dean's Grant. The faculty also provides funding to academics applying for important international projects (H2020, etc.) in the amount allowing the development of the research team and preparation of the project proposal (translation, travel expenses, etc.). Applied research is supported by transferring a part of the costs to the central budget; units are encouraged that implement projects sponsored by an external investor, involving doctoral students in the research.
The FEdu has updated its Strategy of Supporting Publication and Research at the FEdu MU. The publication strategy at the Faculty of Education gained a new pillar consisting of support for preparation of research projects (GACR and TACR in particular). Applicants can use the funding toward the project preparation and successful competitors receive an extra reward.
The FLaw changed its criteria of paying extraordinary bonuses at the end of the calendar year to better reflect the requirements of Methodology 2017+. Employees are remunerated for instance for Qi and Q2 publications or for outstanding foreign-language monographs published abroad. In the process of obtaining the HR Award, the faculty is planning to create conditions for sabbatical leave to become a standard part of the academic staff's professional growth.
The FSci has implemented specific research support rules in its departments. Academics are most often remunerated in the form of targeted graduated bonuses motivating them to publish in top international journals,
i.e. in the Top 1%, Top 10% and Qi of Web of Science.
The FMed established its Internal Grant Agency in 2020, which, through start-up grants, supports pilot projects in new research programmes, obtaining pilot data, introducing and validating a new methodology, and getting information for the preparation of a full-fledged project funded by an external grant agency.
An online meeting of academics, researchers and doctoral students was held in 2020 to establish interdisciplinary cooperation between the FPharm, FA and FMed, with approximately 70 participants, of which about 30 presented their research. The Faculty of Pharmacy together with the FSci and CEITEC MU organised the Match Making Event, which was an opportunity to find potential research collaborators. Approximately 100 employees and students of MU participated and presented about 50 contributions in the online event held in December 2020.
A publication fund was created, and its rules designed at the FPharm for the support of publishing research outcomes in top scientific journals indexed in the WoS.
0.5%
MU resources (e.g. donations, other non-public funds)
12%
EU structural funds (OP RDE)
Funding from foreign sources (e.g. FP7, H2020, international foundations)
46%
Funding from the state budget and regional authorities (e.g. Czech Science Foundation, SAO, specialized research)
2,582,553
Total in thousands CZK
Structure of non-investment R&D revenues in 2020
33%
Institutional R&D support
Mil's share in acquired institutional R&D aid in the Czech Republic in 2020
Total amount of acquired non-investment R&D
revenues
in thousands CZK
2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Grant categories announced by the MU Grant Agency (GAMU)
Student grants
Scientist grants
Student Research Projects Student Scientific Conferences Excellent Diploma Thesis
Support for Preparation of International Grant Projects
Interdisciplinary Research Projects
MUNI Award in Science and Humanities
MUNI Award in Science and Humanities JUNIOR
Support for Integration of Researchers After a Career Break
Outstanding Research Results Award
Grants acquired from Czech Science Foundation for MU
Funding obtained from the GACR by MU as a beneficiary in thousands CZK
Funding obtained from the GACR by MU as a co-beneficiary in thousands CZK
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Grants acquired from TACR funding for MU
Funding obtained from the TACR by MU as a beneficiary in thousands CZK
Funding obtained from the TACR by MU as a co-beneficiary in thousands CZK
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Interdisciplinary research projects supported by the MU Grant Agency in 2020
Zuzana Koledová, Mgr. Ph.D. Martin Maška, RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Medicine MU / Faculty of Informatics MU ERK signaling code of epithelial morphogenesis and cancer
David Šafránek, doc. RNDr. Ph.D. Pavel Krejčí, RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics MU / Faculty of Medicine MU Computational reconstruction of mechanistic framework underlying receptor tyrosine kinase function in signal transduction
Vít Nováček, Mgr. Ph.D. Jana Halámková, MUDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics MU / Faculty of Medicine MU Alcope - AI support for Clinical Oncology and Patient Empowerment
THOUSANDS  OF  CRISIS CENTRE VOLUNTEERS   HELP   ON BEHALF OF  MASARYK UNIVERSITY
During the spring, the Crisis Operations Centre was established at MU, aiming to efficiently coordinate help during the period of emergency measures adopted in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. More than 6,500 volunteers from among staff, students, alumni and the general public joined the crisis centre's efforts. They most often helped with face mask distribution, babysitting and teaching children, or shopping for older people and those in quarantine. Volunteers were much needed in the testing for coronavirus and helped older people who took virtual courses at the University of the Third Age with their computer settings. The activities of the MU Crisis Centre were later transferred to the new volunteer organisation MUNI Helps, which received over two million crowns from public donors in support of its work.
Photo: One of the MUNI Helps volunteer centre operators.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
Organizational Culture Based
on Shared Values
University Esprit de Corps and Volunteering 7 . 1
Inspirational University Environment 7 . 2
Events for Students and Staff 7 . 3
Leisure Activities of University Associations 7 . 4
Strategic Plan Preparation and Internal Communication 7 . 5
Services for Students and Staff 7 . 6
Ethics and Equal Opportunities 7 . 7
7
University Esprit de Corps and Volunteering
Masaryk University quickly responded to society's need to tackle the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020. The MUNI Helps volunteer centre was created as early as in March and its help extended to organisations as well as individuals.
The institutions that welcomed the assistance of volunteers included hospitals, social service facilities, schools, children's homes and regional public health departments. Volunteers also worked as crisis line operators. Individual help was mainly provided to older people, those in quarantine and other vulnerable groups, and included shopping, picking up medications, walking dogs, tutoring children and even professional IT assistance and psychological counselling. Protective equipment was scarce during the spring pandemic wave, and therefore volunteers sewed face masks and distributed them to the needy.
From March 2020, students, employees and alumni of Masaryk University as well as the general public registered in the database of volunteers. The centre worked with the database from March to September and registered more than 4,700 volunteers, of which 3,240 were from Masaryk University. By the end of September, concrete tasks were assigned to 2,199 volunteers.
The university developed its own technologies that ensured the smooth operation and coordination of the volunteer centre. The Volunteer Map was created in March, which significantly simplified the matching of volunteers with those in need based on the distance between them.
A mobile application for volunteers, MUNI Helps, was launched in October, through which 3,876 volunteers registered and 1,209 of them had been assigned concrete voluntary activities by the year's end. The development of a specific database environment for coordinators was a crucial step in streamlining the coordination of voluntary help. The application enabled the continuation of large-scale assistance without the need for student coordination teams.
Thanks to the above-mentioned applications, Masaryk University has become a leader in volunteer coordination technologies.
The volunteer centre responded to more than 2,900 requests for help in 2020. Students and staff from all ten MU faculties joined the voluntary work in one way or another. Students of the Faculty of Medicine helped with testing and hospital care; students of the Faculty of Law provided free legal counselling to the public. Students of the Faculty of Social Studies helped homeless people at the drop-in centre of Podané ruce (Helping Hands) on Vlhká Street.
The Faculty of Economics and Administration donated computers and other hardware to IQ Roma servis, to Symbios -shared housing for young people from children's homes, and to Sluníčko - a care home in Ostrava. Students and teachers from the Faculty of Education offered babysitting and teaching children of healthcare professionals and tutoring children who had poorer access to quality education due to their primary or secondary school's transition to online classes.
The Faculty of Sports Studies started a series of online exercises aimed at various groups of the public (older people, children and employees). Experts from the Faculty of Informatics assisted with setting and restoring computer networks after the cyberattack on the University Hospital Brno. Faculty of Arts students were active as crisis intervention counsellors or providing protective equipment for people in their vicinity.
Experts from RECETOX of the Faculty of Science guaranteed a new serological study focusing on the presence of antibodies against COVID-19. CEITEC MU offered its laboratories and staff to assist in testing and evaluating collected samples for the presence of coronavirus. The Faculty of Pharmacy together with the hospital pharmacy of the UH Brno took part in preparation for vaccination in the Brno vaccination centre.
Since its very beginning, the MUM Helps volunteer centre was designed as a comprehensive project, working with a call centre operating four lines, the information website www.munipomaha.cz and five coordination teams staffed by students, working on a 24/7 basis from March to May 2020. The centre had to ensure the management of social networks, promotion and funding. A fundraising challenge to support the voluntary activities was launched on 19 March 2020. The public collection gathered one million Czech crowns in the very first weeks. In September, MU volunteering was financially supported by the South Moravian Region.
The volunteer centre engaged in networking and concluding partnerships with public institutions, volunteer organisations and private entities; handbooks on the coordination of the centre and the system of care for volunteers were created.
A panel discussion of the topic The Future of MUNI Helps, was organised in November 2020. It resulted in the stable integration of the volunteer centre into the university structure, determination of the strategy and objectives for the following year, and definition of the centre's activities in the aftermath of the pandemic and ensuing crisis.
The first volunteer programmes not related to the pandemic were launched in October 2020, namely the Student Legal Advice Centre, and Help Incubator, which should bring ideas for volunteer programmes and projects.
54
7 . 2
Inspirational University Environment
7 . 3
Events for Students and Staff
7
Masaryk University recognised many exceptional achievements in 2020. In the competition for Masaryk University Rector's Awards, 23 employees, students and graduates in 11 categories were given awards for their excellent scientific, pedagogical and creative work and exemplary representation of the university.
An honorary doctorate of Masaryk University in the field of informatics should have been awarded to Professor Ross J. Anderson.
Outstanding personalities who significantly contributed to the university's prosperity were acknowledged on the proposal of Rector Martin Bareš. The MU Silver Medal was awarded to Josef Jařab, Rector Emeritus of Palacký University, Petr Dvořák, Vice-rector Emeritus of MU, Tomáš Knoz, historian from the Faculty of Arts MU and Oldřich Pytela from the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the University of Pardubice. The MU Bronze Medal was awarded to Petr Pleva, a member of the MU Board of Trustees. This year, the medals were awarded symbolically during a private meeting instead of being formally presented at an academic ceremony. Outstanding results and important research deeds were appreciated with the new MUNI Scientist 2020 award, given to 37 researchers and their teams across faculties, institutes and research centres.
Students and employees of Masaryk University also received awards outside the university grounds. The City of Brno Award went to Ivan Rektor from the FMed, Lubomír Slavíček from the FA and Markus Dettenhofer, the director of the CEITEC Central Management Structure. Terezie Mandáková from CEITEC MU received an award from the President of the Czech Science Foundation (GACR) for 2020. Lukáš Žídek from CEITEC MU received the Petr Sedmera Award from the Jan Marek Marci Spectroscopy Society. The category of best educational professionals was won by Petr Stourač from the FMed, who obtained the Werner von Siemens Award for the introduction of innovative, effective and attractive teaching methods.
Students of MU were awarded several prizes by the French Institute in Prague: Michaela Krafčíková from the FSci received the Jean-Marie Lehn Award in chemistry; Hana Rozlozsnikova from the FA obtained the Gallicia special award within the Jacques Derrida Prize for humanities and social sciences, and the competition for the best research work in computer science, the Joseph Fourier Awards, awarded a special IT4lnnovations prize to Katarína Furmanová from the FI. Tomáš Maleček from the FEdu was successful in the 2nd degree Edvard Beneš Award for a work specialising in 20th Century History.
Veronika Podolská and Jiří Byčkov, both from the FA, were awarded the Medal of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for exceptional volunteer work and active help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brno PhD Talent prizes were given to 15 students from the FMed, FSci, FI and CEITEC PhD School.
The demanding challenges of 2020 did not halt cultural life at the university. The celebration of the 101st anniversary of Masaryk University and the Masaryk Days were held in the conventional way in the spring. Afterwards, all events were cancelled until the end of May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university moved its traditional cultural events to the virtual environment, including the new academic year opening ceremony and celebration of 17 November.
On the occasion of its 101st anniversary, Masaryk University hosted a recital by Janáček Opera soloist Jana Hrochová in the Reduta Theatre on 29 January. The festivities included presentation of the completed project 100 Litres of Blood THANKS TO MUNI.
The topic of the first year of the Masaryk Days held on 3-4 March was Talks about Democracy. The participants commemorated T. G. Masaryk, a debate on prominent personalities in the Czech and international academic, social and cultural spheres took place.
The academic year opening ceremony together with Rector's Awards took place unconventionally online on October 2020. Rector Martin Bareš' speech was live-streamed on the university website; the Faculty of Pharmacy was welcomed into the family of MU faculties in the same way. Jiří Hanuš, the Vice-rector for Academic Affairs, presented those awarded for outstanding achievements in science, research, and the arts. The awards are traditionally given during the academic holiday Dies academicus in May; this year, the ceremony was postponed to the autumn and the prizes were awarded individually.
On the occasion of the national holiday on 17 November, an intimate commemorative act took place at the Kounic Halls of Residence in Brno. The Rector of MU, the chair of the AS MU and the chair of the AS MU Student Chamber laid a wreath at the memorial to victims of the Nazi regime, and flowers at the Memorial of the Three Resistance Movements on Rooseveltova Street. An interview of Vice-rector Jiří Hanuš with the historian Jiří Suk from the CAS Institute of Contemporary History was streamed on muni.cz. The title of the talk about the 1989 and Václav Havel was the Velvet Revolution and the Power of the Powerless.
The accompanying programme included a screening of the documentary Brno November on muni.cz. MU joined the initiative of lighting up all the universities at 17:11, when the building of the Rector's Office was lit in the colours of the Czech tricolour.
The Advent Concert was streamed on the university website on Sunday 20 December; Christmas music was played by the Indigo String Quartet, and Christmas greetings were given by the MU Rector.
55
7
7 . 4
Leisure Activities of University Associations
7 . 5
Strategic Plan Preparation and Internal Communication
The university's esprit de corps is best reflected in the activities of dozens of university and faculty associations. There were 85 associations or clubs registered at MU in 2020, of which 31 operated at university-wide level and 54 were active at faculties.
The Platform of MU Associations met in January and thirty representatives of student and alumni clubs and associations discussed the establishment of a common student house in the centre of Brno, communication channels and websites of the associations, as well as overall coordination of their activities at Masaryk University.
Cooperation between the Rector's Office and the Student Chamber of the MU Academic Senate resulted in the necessary changes to the web pages providing complete information on the establishment and management of an association. The conception of future collaboration between the university and the associations was prepared with the aim of supporting the associations, their activities and students involved. The university designed a new transparent system of scholarships and other ways of funding such activities; at the same time, the new Spolk-ovna (Clubroom) in Komenského Square was finished and is open to associations and clubs.
Masaryk University associations also played an indispensable role in fighting the pandemic. Since its very beginning, students with the support of the Student Chamber of the FMed Academic Senate, Medical Students' Association, IMFSA, and MIMSA helped in testing centres and hospitals while still having to meet their study duties.
Student associations organised the University Blood Donation Cup with a challenge for every student, employee or alumnus of a Brno university to donate blood on behalf of their alma mater.
The student association Generation Mendel brings together Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology students, who presented their project in synthetic biology at the iGEM (international Genetically Engineered Machine) competition. The project focuses on the elimination of cyanobacteria that pollute ponds and small reservoirs as well as the toxins produced. The Generation Mendel team won the gold medal and the project was among the top five in the Environment category.
The university also supported the MU team in the University Eights race and created a promotional video that was broadcast by CT Sport channel.
The key topic in 2020 was the preparation of the new Masaryk University Strategic Plan for 2021-2028, a fundamental document that determines the direction of the university in education, research, its social role, HR policy, IT, budgetary issues and university operation.
Preparation started in September 2019 and the following year was devoted to discussions with more than 130 employees and students in five thematic working groups, followed by three rounds of consultations. The preparations culminated in the approval of the plan by MU academic bodies at the end of 2020.
The core of Masaryk University's mission has remained improving quality of life of all generations. The new elements that have enriched the mission are the health, freedom, cohesion and security of society. Another new feature of the strategic plan and the principal indicator of meeting educational goals is the Masaryk University graduate profile.
The individual faculties build on the university strategic plan with their own strategies, which reflect their own specifics as well as the university's strategy.
The university's internal communication tools were improved in 2020. The Employee Newsletter, which started in 2016 and was usually sent out about ten times a year, issued 26 times in 2020. The newsletter has been a flexible tool for informing all staff about university events. Of approximately 6,000 addresses, 50% opened the newsletter in 2020. The most frequently read articles concerned newly-appointed professors and online teaching in the autumn semester.
The extraordinary situation gave birth to a student newsletter, the first copy of which was sent to 26 thousand MU students on 22 March 2020. A further 17 issues had been sent out by the end of the year and on average were opened by 65% addressees. The most popular articles were about the university traffic light system and online classes.
Employees continue to benefit from the internal Employee Portal at portal.muni.cz, serving as an information signpost, as well as the Yammer network, mainly used for communication within closed groups of individual units. A widely used tool in 2020 was MS Teams, which was popular with teachers who used it for online teaching, but also with managerial staff for the purposes of team meetings.
A brand-new communication channel was muni.cz/ koronavirus, providing information about the university's operations during the pandemic. In response to a fast-changing situation, Rector Martin Bares introduced regular Sunday addresses to the MU academic community.
56
7 . 6
Services for Students and Staff
7 . 7
Ethics and Equal Opportunities
7
The Teiresias Centre cares for the needs of people with disabilities at all faculties and university units. MU offers 8o work stations adapted to students with disabilities in public lecture rooms and study rooms. The centre's public library collections include 1,755 items in Braille, and the total number of adapted titles accessible electronically is 7,770-
MU teachers and specialists included four people who are blind or have a severe visual impairment, 12 who are deaf or have a severe hearing impairment, and three wheelchair users. MU registered 565 studies of persons with special needs in the 2020 autumn semester. Out of this number, 539 met the conditions under which the MEYS provides universities with a contribution toward the services rendered.
MU mediated education to 22 participants of lifelong learning programmes with a disability. In 2020, five MU students with a chronic somatic disease left for a placement abroad, and eight students with a disability arrived at MU as part of exchange programmes.
The experience and equipment of the Teiresias Centre enabled other MU units to transfer from in-person to online teaching while maintaining its accessibility. The centre became the methodological guarantor of newly-created electronic documents with the necessary texts and subtitles (and, as the case may be, with translation into Czech sign language) for live videoconferences and pre-recorded video documents.
The MU Career Centre provided individual consultations, coaching or psychodiagnostics to 235 students in 2020. The centre organised development courses in the form of online webinars, which were attended by 710 students. The courses addressed issues of online job interviews, stress management and selection procedures. Students could also enrol in the Career Kick-off course, taught at the FA.
The traditional two-day get-together for first-year students called Prvakoviny was held online in autumn 2020. Senior students took care of the freshmen and gave them tried and tested information and shared their personal experience. Prvakoviny attracted 1,664 participants.
The Career Centre administers the university careers portal JobCheckIN, which registered 9,940 students and recent graduates at the end of 2020. The portal was appreciated by 134 employers who advertised 641 job offers.
In autumn 202o, the 14th year of JobChallenge Job Fair was held online in cooperation with MENDELU and BUT. The fair was attended by 2,500 visitors and more than 50 exhibitors.
The Masaryk University Equal Opportunities Panel, as a
standing advisory body to the Rector, works to inspect adherence to ethical principles and gender equality at MU. In 2020, the panel handled one complaint, filed in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(2) of Masaryk University Equal Opportunities Panel Rules of Procedure. Several members of the panel were replaced upon the arrival of the new Vice-rector Simona Koryčánková. The new members are Vladimír Hyánek and Vladimír Jůva. Other members are Zuzana Derflerová Brázdová, Jana Chamonikolasová, Petr Klán and Kateřina Nedbálková.
The Masaryk University Ethics Board (MUEB) received three complaints in 2020: two internal and one anonymous.
The first internal complaint concerned suspicion of an infringement of Section 2(1) and (3), and Section 9(3) of Masaryk University Academic and Professional Employee Code of Ethics. The MUEB's resolution concludes that there was no infringement of the mentioned provisions of the Code of Ethics.
The decision on the second internal complaint was unanimous: the complaint belonged in the labour-law domain and HR agenda at one of the faculties. Both these areas are within the exclusive authority of the faculty dean. The complaint was considered to be governed by MU Directive No. 3/2008 - Processing and Registration of Complaints, Motions and Petitions. Therefore, the MUEB decided not to discuss the alleged infringement of the Code of Ethics.
Based on a unanimous decision adopted by correspondence, the MUEB did not deal with the anonymous complaint. In accordance with the MUEB's rules of procedure, the discussion of the anonymous complaint was not requested by the Rector.
The MU Research Ethics Committee (REC) oversees the observance of ethical standards in research with a human element, including work with biological material of human origin, at the university with the exception of the Faculty of Medicine, which has its own ethics committee for these purposes.
In 2020, the REC assessed 181 projects, which included 128 new project proposals. The remaining work consisted of reviewing existing projects, project inspection after the award of funds and consultation on future projects.
Several online discussions concerning research ethics in the social sciences were held in 2020, where the REC representatives joined interdisciplinary debate on various research ethics aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Czech projects, the REC actively worked in the team of INSURE: Interdisciplinary Support of Research Ethics, investigated at MU since June 2020.
57
Masaryk University Rector's Awards 2020
Rector's Award for Outstanding Creative Activity
David Zbfral, doc. PhDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts MU
Rector's Award for Outstanding Artistic Activity
Marek Olbrzymek, MgA. Ph.D.
Faculty of Education MU
Rector's Award for an Outstanding Sports Performance
Kateřina Janatová
Faculty of Sports Studies MU
Rector's Award for Outstanding Research Results Achieved by Young Scientists under 35 years
Petra Bořilová Linhartová, doc. RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Medicine MU Petr Novotný, RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics MU Ondřej Schmidt, Mgr.
Faculty of Arts MU
Rector's Award for Long-term Excellence in Research
Mirko Černák, prof. RNDr. CSc.
Faculty of Science MU
Daniel Kráľ, prof. RNDr. Ph.D. DSc.
Faculty of Informatics MU
Tomáš Sirovátka, prof. PhDr. CSc.
Faculty of Social Studies MU
Rector's Award for Outstanding Teachers
Vladimír Hyánek, doc. Ing. Ph.D.
Faculty of Economics and
Administration MU
Zbyněk Sviták, doc. PhDr. CSc.
Faculty of Arts MU
Tomáš Tyc, prof. Mgr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Science MU
Rector's Award for Extraordinary International Grant Competition Results
Jana Klánová, prof. RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Science MU
Rector's Award for the Active Development of Civil Society
Rector's Award for Outstanding Students in Master's Programmes
Jan Mrázek, Mgr.
Faculty of Informatics MU Vít Všianský Faculty of Medicine MU Jiří Žák, Mgr.
Faculty of Science MU
Rector's Award for Outstanding Doctoral Candidates
Petra Dansova, Mgr.
Faculty of Social Studies MU Libor Juhanak, Mgr. Be. Ph.D. Faculty of Arts MU Michaela Krafcfkova, Mgr.
Faculty of Science MU
Rector's Award for
an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis
Martin Jonáš, RNDr. Ph.D.
Faculty of Informatics MU Kateřina Litzmanová, Mgr. Ph.D. Faculty of Medicine MU Adrien Palladino, M.A. Ph.D.
Faculty of Arts MU
Natália Antalová, Mgr.
Faculty of Medicine MU
Satisfaction and identification with the university based on student surveys
7
Survey
MU Applicants
(Spring 2020)
Applicants to study at MasarykUniversity usually associate words like quality, prestige and state of the art with the university. Applicants most often expect that studying at MU will be demanding, but at the same time of high quality, interesting and beneficial in various respects. They most often apply to MU because they expect quality degree programmes and content of studies and good career opportunities after graduation. Applicants express almost 100% satisfaction with the structure of courses at MU and they give high scores to the e-application. The offer of degree programmes and the university's prestige are considered the greatest strengths compared with other public HEIs in theCR.
Survey
Graduation from MU - Review and Perspective
(January - November 2020)
Most graduates (63%) already have a job or know their destination soon after graduation. Another 12% choose options other than seeking a job after graduation (e.g. doctoral studies). 85% of employed graduates have a job in the field of study. 9 out of 10 interviewed graduates are satisfied with what the university has brought to their lives. The greatest strength of MU has long been its prestige and offer of degree programmes; the location of the university within the Czech Republic is also rated very well in terms of transport accessibility, library facilities and the professional quality of teachers. A share of 85% of graduates would choose MU again, and two thirds would choose the same field of study at the same faculty.
Survey
Motivation and Expectations of Incoming Master's Students from Other Universities
(May 2020)
Students coming from other universities to study in a follow-up master's programme at MU are very satisfied with the studies; their experience with the content and methods of teaching are even better than their expectations. The content of studies is perceived as better than expected by 36% of respondents. The same percentage states that the content of studies corresponds to their expectations. Teaching methods are seen as better than expected by 42% of respondents. The greatest strengths of MU are: offer of degree programmes, university's prestige, library resources, facilities and services, good career options after graduation, and the international nature of university's operations. Study at MU is considered a good choice by 95% of respondents.
Survey
Graduate Employment Survey
(Spring 2020)
Two to three years after graduation, 92% of MU graduates were employed or conducting business, and 82% of graduates worked in their field of study or a similar one. The rating of incomes is best in history; 61% of graduates were satisfied with their salary. Satisfaction of graduates with what the university brought them for their lives was 95%; the Net Promoter Score reached an excellent value of 70. A share of 89% of graduates would study at MU again and 73% of graduates would opt for the same faculty. The current survey shows Masaryk University to get an improving rating by graduates over time in all key indicators.
Survey
Study roadmap - 6th wave
(Spring 2020)
Students of Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's programmes included in the longitudinal survey agree that study at MU is a source of self-esteem for them (62% agree with the statement). Three quarters of the respondents perceive their studies at MU as demanding while 84% are satisfied with their study results in the past semester. The addressed students think they get sufficient support in the studies from partner and friends.
Survey
Study roadmap - 7th wave
(Autumn 2020)
Almost half of the respondents view themselves as adults. This percentage has grown from 21% in the 1st wave of the survey to 46% in the 7th, last wave. The perceived high demands of studies slightly increased to 77%. The main reason for taking university studies is good prospects and career options. The transition to remote teaching in spring 2020 was positively evaluated by most of the respondents (63%). The addressed students often missed interaction with fellow students and teachers.
59
MASARYK  UNIVERSITY OPEWS SCHOLARSHIP  PROGRAMME FOR STUDENTS  AND  GRANT SCHEME
FOR  RESEARCHERS-FRO
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BELARUS
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In response to the political situation in Belarus, Masaryk University decided to announce a scholarship for Belarusian students and a research grant scheme for academics. Thanks to a monthly scholarship of 15,000 Czech crowns, eight students from Belarus are able to study at MU faculties. One of the recipients of the extraordinary scholarship was Andrei Kalavur, a Belarusian doctoral student who was not allowed to finish his studies in his mother country. In his doctoral thesis, he focused on the communication strategies of representatives of authoritarian regimes in Eastern Europe. Masaryk University offers persecuted scholars the opportunity to apply for grants of up to one million Czech crowns per year. The grants are funded by the Grant Agency of MU, with contributions from individual faculties.
Photo: Andrei Kalavur, a recipient of the scholarship for Belarusian students, at the Faculty of Social Studies MU.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
Inspiration and Social Responsibility		
Key University Projects Responding to Societal Challenges	8 .	. 1
Masaryk University in the Media	8 .	. 2
Scala University Cinema and Telč University Centre	8 .	. 3
Alumni Relations Development	8 .	. 4
Mendel Museum	8 .	. 5
Munipress (Masaryk University Press)	8 .	. 6
Library Services	8 .	. 7
8 . 1
Key University Projects Responding to Societal Challenges
During 2020, MasarykUniversity demonstrated that social responsibility is a concept fully backed up by the university's actions. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the university took up the coordination of volunteering, which led to the establishment of the MUNI Helps volunteer centre. The work of the centre was joined by students and staff from all faculties as well as public and university donors, who have supported the centre with 2.5 million Czech crowns (for further information on the centre see Chapter 7.1).
The Faculty of Law started to provide free legal counselling during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The Student Legal Advice Centre became part of the university-wide projectMUM Helps and has modified its activities, which now consist of providing legal assistance by law students to other Masaryk University students.
In response to political developments in Belarus, MU approved the scholarship programme for students and a grant scheme for researchers from Belarus. The project funding is provided by the GAMU and funds of the faculties.
The two-year international project KidMove was completed at the FSpS as part of the Erasmus+ project KidMove -Athlete-centered coaching practices. The aim of the project was to gather proven coaching methods that focus on the needs of children and young people in sports and which could keep children in sports clubs.
The FEA participates in the project Financial Literacy International Programme, funded within Erasmus+. The project, in cooperation with Austria and Germany, includes the creation of online materials for teaching financial literacy to people from localities affected by social exclusion, and the involvement of higher education students in the teaching.
The project of Open University continued at the FEdu in 2020. Its aim is to build an open environment at Masaryk University and to create a system of support measures for ethnic minorities (specifically for the Roma students). A number of activities were implemented online; management staff and lecturers continued to provide consultations concerning the LPT and the studies, but also the resolution of various life situations and possibilities of personal development.
Masaryk University is a partner to EMIL OPEN - the European Youth Games for the Disabled, which is an international sports and social gathering of young athletes with disabilities. Almost 300 participants came to various sports grounds in Brno for the 9th year of the event, despite the restrictions related to the coronavirus epidemic. This year's games built on the tradition of successful sports competitions of young people with disabilities.
The Faculty of Social Studies joined the international project GENPATH, examining loneliness in later life, its consequences and timely prevention. The principal Czech investigator is Lucie Vidovicova, a sociologist from the FSS. The team of researchers from seven countries is trying to find out how to eliminate physical and social impacts of loneliness on the mental well-being of older people.
The university is also actively committed to implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A crucial step in the effort for sustainable development was the integration of Masaryk University into the stakeholder platform for corporate social responsibility (CSR) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Masaryk University thus became one of the first organisations in the Czech Republic to adopt the sustainable development measures of the government and the relevant ministries.
The Faculty of Science of MU supported the Josef Vav-rousek Award, which recognises notable actions for a healthy environment and sustainable development. The faculty became one of 15 partners of the award.
Those interested in science could virtually visit Masaryk University premises during the nationwide Researchers' Night. This year's programme was based on 3D tours of MU laboratories, presenting interactive content (videos, images and texts). Researcher's Night was joined by ten faculties and four workplaces, which organised 14 interactive 3D tours presenting popular science topics and an accompanying programme for the youngest children.
In the spring semester, the Faculty of Arts offered a lecture series called FILOVER, which aimed at communicating science to the general public in the various disciplines studied at the faculty. This initiative was further developed to online lectures examining the current societal situation.
The Department of Special and Inclusive Education of the FEdu organised the debate Inclusive Education of Hearing-impaired Children in the Czech Republic Through the Eyes of International Experts. On this occasion, international experts evaluated the inclusion of pupils with hearing impairments in the Czech Republic and described the key areas that need to be addressed. The Department of Education in cooperation with the South Moravian Innovation Centre held the online discussion How do we Prepare Pupils for aChanging World?. The December Teaching Week, traditionally hosted by the FA, was also held online.
Cooperation between Masaryk University, the Czech Technical University in Prague and Brno University of Technology led to the establishment of the CyberSecurity Hub, an institute aiming to strengthen cybersecurity in the Czech Republic.
8 . 2
Masaryk University in the Media
8 . 3
Scala University Cinema and Telč University Centre
The 2020 media scene was entirely dominated by the coro-navirus pandemic. Pandemic-related topics impacted all media reports including those concerning Masaryk University.
Experts from the university gave their insights on the new disease and the pandemic development in the nationwide media. These included among others Pavel Plevka from CEITEC MU and Vojtech Thon from RECETOX, FSci. Journalists also inquired about the impacts the pandemic had on psychology, sociology or the economy and politics, and interviewed specialists from the Faculty of Social Studies, the Faculty of Arts, and the Faculty of Economics and Administration. The media were also interested in research focused on fighting the new disease. MU experts were often addressed by local media to comment on current developments. However, it was Charles University that dominated the coverage of coronavirus-related topics, in particular when it came to expert commentaries.
Media of all types emphasised volunteering and help of the university's community, especially students, with testing, hospital care, social service or tutoring children. Masaryk University worked intensely on the communication of the topic for the whole of 2020.
Although the coronavirus was the prevailing media theme of the past year, other news appeared in connection with MU as well. An important act was the transfer of the Faculty of Pharmacy from the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno to Masaryk University, an event mostly covered by the media in the spring.
The announcement of Masaryk University's scholarship programme for students and academics from Belarus in response to the tense political situation in the country attracted enormous interest from journalists.
The opening of the Simulation Centre of the Faculty of Medicine received media attention throughout the Czech Republic, since the introduction of a training hospital brings significant changes in the education of future doctors and dentists. The success of RECETOX, which earned three grants from the European programme Horizon 2020 and is building a unique living lab in Brno to explore factors affecting human health, also received media coverage. In addition, the media reported on EU Kids Online, a multinational research network dealing inter alia with sexually abusive online content directed at children.
The pandemic severely affected operation of the Scala University Cinema in 2020. Aside from the first two months of the year, the cinema was more or less restricted by government orders. The measures were felt in attendance at the regular film screenings as well as the number oft university events and leases to external entities.
Before the pandemic's first wave, however, the Scala cinema hosted the Masaryk Days. This new cycle, organised by the MU Centre for Culture, Art and Events, involved a film screening accompanied by a debate of seven public figures. Scala also was the venue for the doctoral graduation ceremony (unlike the other planned ceremonies, unfortunately).
During the rest of the year Scala was used for film screenings and smaller events organised under lease. The suspended or subdued operation was used to carry out minor repairs and innovations, the biggest of which was the long-awaited exchange of all 475 seats and the flooring of the screen and the balcony, starting at the end of 2020. After the reopening of the cinema, the new seats will significantly increase audience comfort.
The University Centre Telč (UCT), which offers Masaryk University lifelong learning programmes and other cultural and educational events, seminars and conferences in the Vysočina Region, became part of the MU Centre for Culture, Art and Events in 2020.
In 2020,100 events took place in Telč and 618 people were accommodated there, which is the least since the reconstruction in 2011, due to the restrictions resulting from anti-pandemic measures. 53 events were cancelled, which is more than half. The Telč-based courses of the students of the University of the Third Age took an online form.
During the summer easing, at a joint meeting of the heads of the cooperating regions under the heading 3+1 of 26 August an agreement on cooperation between the Vysočina region, the Federal State of Lower Austria, Danube University Krems and Masaryk University was signed. Also a success was the summer exhibition Telč and Jesuits. The Order and its Patrons, organised together with the National Heritage Institute and which was nominated for the Event of the Year 2021 award in the Vysočina Region's Zlatá jeřabina competition. The UCT also managed to organise several traditional events, such as the Summer School for the Educational Workers of the Vysočina Region, the courses of the Czech-French Academy in Telč, the Summer School for Doctoral Students and the international interdisciplinary workshop Scola Telcz. With its virtual model of the college and the Jesuit exhibition the UCT also participated for the first time in history in Researchers' Night.
8.4 8.5
Alumni Relations Development Mendel Museum
In 2020, Masaryk University graduates, as an integral part of the university community, were regularly notified of the latest events in university. The information was passed primarily through the online newsletter for graduates, which was distributed to nearly 38,000 addresses. Via the newsletter graduates had the opportunity to learn about the launch of the crucial MUM Helps volunte er pr oje ct and become not only active contributors or volunteers but also recipients of help.
The university also keeps in touch with its graduates through two graduation surveys, the first focusing on recent graduates shortly after graduation, the second addressing respondents two or three years after graduating from Masaryk University. Both surveys show that eight out often respondents would opt for Masaryk University again and, at the same time, three quarters of them want to stay in touch with the university (and another 12% to continue to work or study at the university).
In 2020, the offer of benefits for Alumni Card holders was extended with discounts in publishing houses, on entrance fees to theatres, museums and the Brno Philharmonic. Students created an Alumni Card promotional video for the Scala cinema and social networks.
Collaboration with the Faculty of Education and the MU Archives gave rise to the Important Personalities of Masaryk University Through Students' Eyes project which presents the individual figures in the Scala cinema, on social networks and in the public domain.
The Faculty of Law managed to organise its traditional 49th Representative Ball in the Courtyard by the Marriott hotel on 29 February 2020. The ball gives faculty graduates the opportunity to meet with their alma mater in the format of a social event. The Natural Scientists' Society of Masaryk University in Brno also held the traditional Ball of the Faculty of Science in February 2020.
Most of the other traditional events and alumni reunions were cancelled or postponed in 2020.
The Faculty of Law created and distributed a special newsletter for graduates which was distributed to some 360 addresses and shared in the alumni groups on Linkedln and Facebook. Thus, graduates were informed of the most important events in the life of the faculty. The Faculty of Informatics also maintains long-term relationships with its graduates via a Linkedln faculty group, where it posts summaries of the latest faculty events. Exceptional graduates are addressed directly, and their stories included in a bilingual gallery on the faculty website.
In 2020 the Mendel Museum continued with its wide-ranging activities the tradition dedicated to the legacy of the world-famous natural scientist Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884). Regardless of the coronavirus crisis, the museum continued to engage in its exhibition, educational, collecting and popularisation activities aiming to promote a cultured and cognizant society by actively sharing and disseminating knowledge.
From January to March the Mendel Museum hosted Mendel Lectures and the Rare Disease Day. It also participated in the organisation of the Masaryk Days in March. The new annual cycle of lectures and cultural programmes dedicated to T. G. Masaryk reflects current social issues. In April, a translation of Mendel's seminal work - Experiments on Plant Hybrids - was published by Munipress, following a long preparation phase.
The museum organised several educational programmes for nursery and primary schools with great potential and positive reactions. The successful start was ended by the COVID-19 anti-epidemic measures which also impacted on the operation of the museum which was closed from 17 March to 31 May and from 12 October to the end of 2020.
During May the Mendel Museum opened a virtual tour enabling visitors to see the museum and the abbey in a 3D view composed of 360° photographs. The presentation was accompanied by explanatory texts and recordings in Czech and English. Thanks to the modern virtual tour, visitors could take a detailed look at the Mendel Museum exhibition, the Mendel Refectory, the Augustinian Library and the Old Brno Abbey Museum. As part of the innovation of the university web presentation and visual style a new, clear website was launched for the museum.
The easing of anti-epidemic measures enabled the organisation of the annual summer Mendel Festival, connected with celebration of Mendel's birthday. The Mendel Museum prepared a block of specialised lectures for the public, an interactive workshop for children and guided tours.
Although the museum remained closed during the autumn months, it opened, as a minimum, an outdoor exhibition in the monastery garden, displaying on panels large-format photographs and texts focusing on G. J. Mendel, the museum, the monastery's history and the Old Brno Abbey Museum.
In November the museum launched a new autumn tradition - the Mendel Days, a series of discussions, presentations and cultural events commemorating the personality of Gregor Johann Mendel. The first year's theme was the Greatest Discovery of the Century. The Mendel Days were held in a mode appropriate to the epidemic situation, that is online.
8.6 8.7
Munipress Library Services
(Masaryk University Press)
Masaryk University has long been a significant publisher of scholarly and study literature. In 2020 its position was confirmed by the acceptance of Munipress among the publishing houses whose scientific output is indexed in the Scopus database. Therefore, the editorial plan was enriched with titles in foreign languages in the new editorial series of the Scientia est potentia fund. Together with the other scientific publications they will be disseminated in printed and electronic form through the university's partners Ingram, the University of Chicago Press, EBSCO, ProQuest and CEEOL.
In 2020, 276 books in printed or electronic form and 57 scientific and professional journals were published under the Munipress brand. The implementation of the editorial plan was influenced by the coronavirus pandemic. Lecturers and authors dedicated most of their creative efforts to the preparation of online courses. Thus, in the new situation 14% of the planned titles were cancelled and 20% postponed to the next year.
Editorial works and printing activities were not hit as hard by the pandemic as the areas of presentation and sales. Planned book launch ceremonies, book fairs, seminars and talks did not take place. However, the absence of direct sales and the quarter of a million drop in revenues were compensated for by the increase in mail-order sales by 12% compared to 2019. The publishing house began presenting its new titles online. It released its first audiobook, made videos in its own studio and presented them via social networks.
It continued the digitisation of its earlier production in the series MU Gold Fund, adding 316 volumes displayed on the Munispace portal. In collaboration with the MU Archives, it prepared the scans of the manuscript of Karel Engliš, availing itself of a unique loan from the National Museum Archives. By publishing the manuscripts, the university will enrich the research community with the finest work of a significant economist, the founder and first Rector of Masaryk University.
Year 2020 ended for Munipress with the winning of the Jaroslav Jirsa Award for the best textbook of the year: Statistica! Data Analysis in the Social Sciences (Using SPSS) by Ladislav Rabušic, Petr Mareš and Petr Soukup. Two books were listed in theBook of the Year 2020 poll: Limits to Darwinism by Jiří Vácha and Living Onlife: Lessons from the Information Sciences by Michal Černý. The second book, the 5th volume in the Munice series, was also listed in the Best Books for Children and Adolescents selection. The international scholarly community appreciated the publication of the new annotated English translation of the discovered work by Gregor Johann Mendel, Versuche Uber Pflanzen-Hybriden.
The key task for libraries in 2020 was to promptly transform their library services for online access and find innovative ways to make the necessary literature available also in the times of partial or full closure of libraries.
In response to the university's closure during the first pandemic wave, MU libraries very quickly launched the E-prezencka service offering online access to 15 thousand volumes of the most frequently required study literature from MU library funds. 1,455 new books were scanned. From 19 March to 17 May E-prezencka was used by 4,745 unique users during 18 thousand visits. In addition to that, the university ensured, in collaboration with the CzechElib centre, the purchase of 68 extensive scientific electronic information resources and negotiated free access for MU to an additional 15 vast EIR, primarily of study literature. To support students during that critical period the Closed Libraries Won't Stop You portal was launched with online self-study related information added on a continual basis.
With the onset of the autumn pandemic wave the university developed the E-vypujcka service, an electronic equivalent of the classic book loan service. While legal support for the E-prezencka online loan service was given by the general agreement of the National Library of the Czech Republic, with collective rights manager Dilia, valid only for the state of emergency, the E-vypujcka loan service is embedded in the general legal framework defined by the Institute of Law and Technology, which allowed for making e-loans a permanent service. From 23 October to 31 December, it was used by 4,711 unique users in 31,233 e-loans.
In addition to the online loan windows, the postal loans service, online chat support and other operationally launched services, libraries supported general anti-corona-virus efforts in other ways as well: by printing face shields and face mask straps using the library's 3D printers or getting involved in tracking high-risk contacts via the MUM Helps virtual call centre.
Despite the difficult conditions during the closures, several major projects were implemented: the completion of the librarians' facilities in the FA Central Library, the opening of the Library of the Department of Archaeology and Museology in the new premises on Jostova Street, the successful implementation of the internal project Support of Doctoral Students in the Development of Information Literacy and Academic Skills at the Faculty of Science and the much appreciated exhibition Tele and the Jesuits. The Order and its Patrons in the spaces of the University Centre Tele library. A new version of the bilingual MU Libraries Guide was also published by the libraries.
8
Publications and libraries in 2020
1,374
publications in total available in the Munispace online reading room
203
scientific publications issued by the Munipress publishing house
1,755
library units in Braille
57
issues of professional journals published by MU in 2020
69,883     1,558,112 29,731
visits to the online reading room Munispace
of publications available in the MU library fund
registered users actively utilising MU libraries
Remote access to MU information resources in 2020
1,455 31,233
newly scanned books in the e-loans E-prezencka loan service
4,745        4,711 1,705,602
unique users of the E-prezencka      unique users of the E-vypujcka        displayed pages service (spring 2020) service (autumn 2020)
MU alumni network
38,800 4,933
new holders in 2020
The total number of contacts registered in the alumni database
Total number of Alumni Card holders
66
Most visited MU events in 2020
8
Science slam online
Researchers' night online: Humans and Robots
Open Day online
JobChallenge online
Mendel Days online
Prväkoviny - First-Year Student Meet online
Topics of the most read articles in eM in the News section in 2020
Transition of MU to online teaching
Why wear a face mask during pandemic
University Coronavirus traffic-light system
Appointment of new professors by the President
Advice to applicants for study
MU experts' opinions on the pandemic
Open Days
Organisation of the academic year in connection with the pandemic
Learning Potential Test guide for applicants
MU Faculty of Science graduate studies chemistry at Harvard
Topics of the most read articles in eM
in the Science & Research section in 2020
FMed launches portal with scientific findings about COVID-19
Psychologist from the FSS MU on sexual life after 50
Women in science at MU: From modern history to molecular medicine
MU scientists receive three prestigious grants from the ERC
Doctoral student from the FA wins the E. W. Beth Dissertation Prize
Researchers from CEITEC MU give information on natural resistance to COVID-19
Success with new treatment of periodontitis
Testing Coronavirus samples at CEITEC MU laboratories
The RECETOX live laboratory project receives one billion CZK
MU Expedition to Antarctica
67
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
9
Personnel Management and Employee Development
Internal Regulations in Personnel Management    9 . 1
and HR Award Standards Skills Growth and Services for Foreign Employees
Employee Training Employee Evaluation and Employee Benefits
9 . 2 9 . 3 9 . 4
9 . 1
Internal Regulations
in Personnel Management
and HR Award Standards
The situation at the university in 2020 in connection with the pandemic required acceleration of long-planned changes in several well-established HR processes. This was particularly in the areas of organisation and implementation of teaching, ensuring research and development, digitisation of agendas, or partial simplification of administration. The approach of employees to the fulfilment of university's social role through their voluntary activities was outstanding.
A fundamental activity in personnel management and employee development in 2020 was work on fulfilment of the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Aside from the Faculty of Science MU and CEITEC MU, which had already won the HR Award in 2019, all the other faculties worked on fulfilment of the requirements for its granting. Masaryk University approached this essential initiative with the aim of taking its personnel policy and work with people to a European level.
MU applied for the HR Award through individual faculties and university institutes, which means that each constituent part prepared an analysis of its employee recruitment and selection processes and of the gaps between the expected fulfilment of the basic principles and the actual situation in daily practice. A questionnaire survey among employees was carried out at faculties, in which 60-80% of all employees took part, which makes the outputs highly relevant. The questionnaire survey took place along with focus groups, working group level discussions and awareness-raising workshops. The HR Award action plans and other necessary documents were subsequently sent to the European Commission evaluators.
The Faculty of Science and CEITEC MU were already heavily involved in 2020 in the implementation of the action plans and by the end of the year they defended the HR Award with the first summary reports.
In the area of internal personnel management regulations, no significant changes occurred in 2020. Partial modifications stemmed primarily from the effort to support changes in the functioning of the university during the pandemic.
The above-mentioned questionnaire survey, working groups and spontaneous discussions of issues at meetings resulted in the creation of a list of university-level issues and regulations worthy of attention in the next year. These include, for instance, a plan to modernise the Code of Ethics and make it applicable to students as well, develop the employee recruitment and selection policy, make changes in the Regulations on Competitive Selection Procedures and define a university-wide gender equality policy or a strategy of approach to postdoctoral staff.
9 . 2
Skills Growth and Services for Foreign Employees
In 2020, 41 habilitation procedures culminating in appointment were completed at Masaryk University. In 33 cases they were employees of Masaryk University and in the other eight they were external applicants. From a gender perspective, 61% of the appointees were men and 39% women and the average age of the appointees was 42.5.
In 2020 four other university employees who had completed their habilitation procedure at another Czech university were also appointed associate professors. The anti-epidemic measures influenced the course of the qualification procedures (partial transition online) and also the form of the associate professor decree award ceremony, which was held outdoors due to health measures.
In the second half of 2020, three online meetings of the MU Scientific Board were held. Upon the MU Scientific Board's proposal, the Czech President appointed 15 new male and one new female professor (14 of them MU employees). In 2020, five other employees of the university, who had completed their qualification procedure at another institution, were also appointed professors.
The habilitation procedure and professorial appointment procedure at MU are governed by the MU Habilitation Procedure and Professorial Appointment Procedure Regulations and the applicable directive. During 2020 changes valid from the start of 2021 were made in the related legislation.
The International Staff Office (ISO) is a university-wide contact and advisory centre for international academics and researchers at MU and their families. During the year the ISO handled 2,400 requests, primarily in connection with requirements related to the arrival and stay during the emergency situation. The numbers of arriving foreigners changed depending on the government rules for entry to Czech territory.
Due to the epidemiological measures there was only one Seminar for Newly Arriving Foreign Staff in 2020, for the November 2019 - February 2020 arrival period. Other seminars did not take place and information was communicated to foreigners on individual basis with view to their actual needs and situation.
The traditional introductory meetings with international employees were held online. Accompanying them to offices continued to be a standard service and assistance in the filing of requests by post was introduced.
The information on the rules for the entry and stay of international employees was continually updated on the office's website. Information was also regularly provided via the Yammer network and the MU International Staff Facebook group. With a view to the frequent changes in the rules for entry the monthly newsletter service was temporarily suspended.
9 . 3
Employee Training
Employee Evaluation and Employee Benefits
9
In the course of 2020, significant changes occurred in employee development and training. After the first pandemic wave, when it had to cancel the already prepared development and training activities in spring 2020, the university gradually transitioned to an online environment, changing the priorities and partly also the topics of the offered courses.
For instance, courses on stress management, working from home, leading teams and managing conferences online, motivating employees in the home office scheme and others were introduced. Despite the cancellation of seminars in the first half of the year, more activities, courses and workshops than planned were eventually implemented.
In line with the updated MU Strategic Plan, the MU Pedagogical Competence Development Centre (CERPEK) offered shorter, narrow thematically-focused courses for academic staff. CERPEK continued with its current offer of educational programmes: the Development ofPedagogical Competencies for Academic Teachers for MU employees and Basics of University Pedagogy for doctoral students.
In 2020, an educational programme taught in English was launched within the IMPACT (Erasmus+) project and additional workshops were included within the ZIP MUNI (OP RDE) project. The COVID-19 pandemic had a direct impact on the centre's activities with deadlines for the completion of both the educational streams extended until the end of 2020.
In the autumn, all the educational activities gradually moved online. The training programmes were successfully completed by 29 employees and 7 doctoral students. Another nine employees started the IMPACT training programme. In 2020, CERPEK organised 18 online workshops with 103 participants, 69 of whom completed 11 workshops within the ZIP MUNI project.
Faculties offered their employees their own development courses as well. At the Faculty of Science employee training in 2020 was carried out primarily in connection with the implementation of the new HR Award personnel strategy. A plan for the training, development and mentoring of early-stage researchers was launched.
The Faculty of Medicine acquired for its staff free access to online training courses at the Seduo.cz portal. The Faculty of Law organised training for employees and doctoral students in project management and research and development evaluation. Training workshops for project applicants and beneficiaries were also organised at the FSS MU.
The Faculty of Arts collaborates with the MotivP personnel and consultancy firm in training young senior academic staff. Faculty employees also had access to the Seduo courses in the form of 60 valid licences.
Courses of English and other foreign languages organised by individual faculties continued. These courses were adapted to an online environment as well.
Employee evaluation is a key process in the university's personnel activities and constitutes an indispensable component in working with people. The system of professional and development objectives, just like the opportunity for employees and their superiors to formally meet and give feedback, was further developed in 2020.
In addition to the academic staff evaluation system (EVAK), used by more and more university units, an electronic form of non-academic staff evaluation was launched in 2020 after pilot testing. Support training and other training activities are available for employees to help them use both applications correctly.
As regards employee benefits, Masaryk University offered a standard set of benefits as in previous years, with a few innovations. In 2020, the university negotiated for its employees to use MultiSport cards to promote health and a healthy lifestyle, however, due to the pandemic it has not yet been possible to use these benefits. Electronic meal voucher cards were introduced in several parts of the university.
Via its long-term partners, MU negotiated the provision of advantages to its employees in banking services, insurance, operator discounts (phones and data), language course discounts and other benefits.
In the long term, Masaryk University is striving to create a working environment and conditions that enable the balancing of family and working life, in the form of flexible working hours, part-time work or the home office scheme, which in connection with the situation in 2020 was widely used.
At some faculties, children's groups have long been in operation. In September 2020 a new children's group was set up at the campus faculties in collaboration with the Elanek network for children aged from 18 to 36 months with a subsidised school fees for employees, within walking distance from MU Campus at Bohunice. In the next year, the university plans to set up similar children's groups in the centre of Brno.
In summer, the Lifelong Learning Centre together with the University Sports Centre (CUS) of the FSpS MU prepared the MUNIsport city camp with a sports and exercise programme focusing on developing versatility and the basics of selected sports. The city camp was open to the children of MU employees as well as the general public.
A third year of the summer city camp for employees' children and the general public was also offered by the FA MU, with a programme focusing on classical mythology. A parallel summer school for children from 10 years of age took place, offering a series of lectures, workshops and practical demonstrations from people's daily life in the classical era, was introduced in 2020.
71
Number of MU employees
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Number of employees (headcount)
Number of employees (full-time equivalent)
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Qualification structure of MU employees in 2020
5% 10%
Professors       Associate professors
48%
Other employees
12%
Research experts and specialized employees
17%
Assistant professors
3%
Instructors
3%
Lecturers
2%
R&D staff involved in teaching and education
Number of newly appointed MU associate professors and professors
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Newly appointed associate professors at MU
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Mean and median wages of academic staff at MU
Academic staff -mean wage in CZK
Academic staff -median wage in CZK
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2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018     2019 2020
STRATEGIC PRIORITY
Infrastructure and Institutional Management		
Support for Project Preparation and Implementation	1 0	. 1
University Operation in Compliance with Sustainability Principles	1 0	. 2
University Infrastructure and Facilities	1 0	. 3
Accommodation Infrastructure and Catering Services	1 0	. 4
Efficiency of Building Management and Operation	1 0	. 5
Financial Balance Sheet for 2020	1 0	. 6
University Budgeting	1 0	. 7
Internal Inspection System	1 0	. 8
Masaryk University Archives	1 0	. 9
Providing Information and Changes	1 0 .	1 0
in University Internal Regulations		
10.1
Support for Project Preparation and Implementation
10.2
University Operation in Compliance with Sustainability Principles
In 2020, the Office for Development provided support in preparation, implementation and sustainability for projects funded from the ESIF, the EEA and Norway Grants and development projects. In the area of preparation for the new programming period, it participated in discussions regarding the setting of the OP JAK at the MEYS.
In the Operational Programme Research, Development and Education, 66 projects were implemented for CZK 5.1 bn. In Priority Axis 2, three university-wide projects were approved with CZK 254 mil. Eight projects were completed.
From the EEA and Norway Grants, three projects for CZK 15.3 mil. under the Bilateral Relations, Culture and Environment programmes were approved for implementation.
In the Interreg V-A Operational Programmes, seven projects with partners from Slovakia and Austria with a total allocation of EUR 1.5 mil. were implemented.
In 2020,10 centralised development projects were implemented; four below-the-threshold projects and six large-scale projects, of which two were coordinated by MU. The total amount of the subsidy for MU was CZK 13.8 mil.
A contribution of CZK 115.6 mil. was allocated for the fulfilment of indicators in the Institutional Plan. The set indicators were met by the outputs of 27 internal projects and 11 separate projects of faculties and institutes.
For internal projects, the Masaryk University Development Fund competition was organised again, with the allocation of CZK 11.6 mil., of which CZK 2.3 mil. were set aside for student projects only. 139 projects were selected, of which 31 were from students and 108 from employees. A considerable portion of the activities had to be transferred online.
The implementation of projects with a horizontal impact across MU, namely MUNI 4.0 and SIMU+, continued.
The 4th year of the MUNI 4.0 project was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and several activities were transferred to the next year or adapted to the online mode. CERPEK and the LC continued their academic staff training activities. The MU Student Advisory Centre published the promotional video for prospective first-year students Are you a prospective first-year student? and launched the Master the Study Regulations campaign.
The SIMU+ project continued successfully in 2020. One of the year's most important events was the completion of the Simulation Centre of the FMed MU, its approval for use and its opening for the academic year 2020/2021. The FA MU announced a selection procedure for the contractor of the Acoustic and Recording Studio and signed a contract with the selected supplier before the end of the year. The Teiresias Centre successfully added a new activity to the project - the construction of barrier-free toilets in the FA MU buildings.
Masaryk University in its new strategic plan to 2028 has committed to respecting the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and operating in compliance with them. In 2020, several activities aiming at responsible buildings and infrastructure management have already been implemented.
The principles of environmental friendliness are applied at MU in the daily operation of dozens of buildings in which the university is located. Selected MU buildings feature green roofs and rainwater retention elements and thanks to a high-efficiency building management system, almost 60% of the building areas may be designated as SMART. Reduction and separation of waste has become a matter of course.
The university is also committed to environmental responsibility in electricity purchases - for the year 2021 the complete supplies come with a Guarantee of Origin from renewable resources. The estimated savings thanks to this step amount to almost CZK 10 mil. (i.e. some 15% of the original costs).
In 2020, MU became a member of the Social Responsibility Association (A-CSR) and also the CSR Stakeholder Platform, falling under the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In autumn 2020, the university for the first time joined two international university rankings mapping fulfilment of sustainable development principles. The first is the UI Green Metric World University Ranking, primarily comparing operational aspects of sustainable development. MU also joined the assessment of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, focusing on university activities across the individual SDGs.
MU pays attention to responsible public procurement and administrative load reduction, using dynamic purchasing systems for commonly used goods, including sustainable promotional items, and to ensuring decent working conditions. In construction contracts, fair working conditions and timely payment to subcontractors are demanded.
The ongoing computerisation of processes has substantially contributed to more effective operation and support in handling the pandemic-related challenges. The use of authorised conversion of documents, the preparation of digital signing for easier contract formation, the continuing digitisation of the processes both in study-related tasks as well as HR management, including the key processes relating to changes in labour relations, can be highlighted.
In relation to the issues of sustainable development, dedicated websites started to be developed in 2020; their official launch is planned for the next year.
10.3
University Infrastructure and Facilities
The renewal and development of the material and technical base in 2020 was carried out in compliance with the MU Strategic Plan Implementation Scheme for 2020. This involved implementation of construction and other investment activities for teaching and research infrastructure, investment projects as part of programme and project funding, which included ensuring the good condition of existing university buildings.
In 2020, following the performing of surveys and preparation of the project design, reinforcement of the ceiling structures was carried out at the FLaw MU in the canteen on the 2nd sublevel and in two lecture rooms on the 4th above-ground floor, with a total cost of CZK 2.1 mil.
In the course of 2020, works were carried out to ensure the structural stability of the FSpS Mánesova tennis hall at a cost of CZK 1.6 mil.
In connection with the further development of Masaryk University, the concept of the completion and expansion of the University Campus at Bohunice was prepared. In the northern part of the UCB, seven-floor buildings are designed with the total floor area of 50,000 m3. The completions and superstructures in the existing complex along the Kamenice street cover a floor area of 5,800 m2. The expansion of the university campus will enable the location of the Faculty of Pharmacy within MU's own premises.
Projects included in MEYS subsidy programme 133 220 have continued as planned. Registration for the Reconstruction and Completion of the Botanická Complex project was not obtained due to the need to submit to the MEYS for approval another stage of the design documentation for the selection of a contractor.
In 2020, Reconstruction of Auditoriums at the Faculty of Law was launched. Due to serious disruptions in peripheral structures in the reconstructed premises and the coronavirus pandemic the original completion date was postponed by three months, to 2021. The building works in 2020 amounted to CZK 22 mil.
For the Student Centre in the UCB a decision on the location of a structure was obtained and a project registration application filed with the MEYS.
In 2020, the first phase of implementation of the Replacement of Heating and Cooling Sources in the UCB was launched, concerning four pavilions. The estimated total investment costs amount to CZK 178 mil. Another project wasthe Reconstruction of the A2 block at Vinárska halls of residence for CZK 65 mil.
In the case of the Building a Canteen at the FEdu project, design work has been finished and a contractor selected. The estimated costs amount to CZK 35.5 mil. A decision for the location of a structure was obtained for the UCB Catering Centre.
In the programme 133 240, the amount of CZK 150 mil. was set aside for the acquisition of research equipment for SIMU FMed. In 2020, equipment for CZK 75 mil. was purchased and installed.
For the conversions of pavilions A18 and A19 in the
UCB an application for subsidy was submitted. This involves the extension of the existing facilities, building new lecture rooms and offices for the total of CZK 46 mil.
The FEdu obtained a building permit for the project of the Extension and Superstructure of the Department of Arts Studio. The estimated costs amount to CZK 33 mil. The adaptations to the FEdu building include the reconstruction of a gym, sanitary facilities and the Psychology Department offices. In 2020, project design work was finalised, project registration obtained and the contractor selection procedure launched. The estimated costs are CZK 25 mil.
In addition to programme and project financing, MU implemented 34 construction investment projects from its own resources in 2020 for CZK 52 mil. The main activities were the construction works at the UCB for CZK 9.5 mil., updating the UCB orientation system for CZK 4.5 mil., reconstruction of the heavy and light current wiring in the FA Arna Nováka building for CZK 7 mil., ventilation of the teaching spaces at the FEdu for CZK 5 mil. and reconstruction of the 1st phase of sewerage at RMU for CZK 5 mil.
Within the OP RDE projects connected with the completion of the scientific, research and teaching infrastructure the strategic investments of Masaryk University included the following projects.
The SIMU FMed project was completed with a slight delay due to the pandemic and approved for use in September 2020. It is a low-energy building for the simulation of a real hospital environment. The total construction investment costs were CZK 700 mil.
For the SIMU FA training and recording studio the selection of the contractor for the construction and the audiovisual equipment was finalised and construction works launched. The total costs of the projects were CZK 28.5 mil.
The SIMU FEdu project - to build a simulation track with barrier-free elements - was postponed due to coordination with other events at the FEdu until 2021.
For SIMU TEIRESIÁS, a tender was opened in 2020 for a contractor to carry out the reconstruction and building of barrier-free sanitary facilities at the Faculty of Arts buildings at Gorkého and Jaselská. The estimated costs are CZK 9.7 mil.
For the RECETOX RI project, involving the building of an environmental and biological samples storage facility, implementation of the construction in compliance with FIDIC was successfully completed in June 2020. The total construction costs were CZK 145 mil.
10.4
Accommodation Infrastructure and Catering Services
10.5
Efficiency of Building Management and Operation
The Accommodation and Catering Services (ACS) is a special-purpose facility of Masaryk University that provides catering and accommodation services to students, employees and the public. 2020 was a significant milestone for the ACS in all aspects. Crisis management and the high costs of purchasing sanitary items to ensure safety in relation to COVID-19 were a difficult test of the ACS's ability to fulfil its goals.
In March 2020, Kamil Kulíšek took up the office of ACS Director. The objective of the new management was to kick-start an era of efficiency in using all of the ACS centres, a complete restructuring and setting of new management processes with view to the quality of all the provided services and creating a friendly working environment for all employees.
In 2020, the ACS made a loss, strongly influenced by the coronavirus crisis. The closure of faculties due to restrictions ordered by the Czech government caused a major drop in numbers of students using the accommodation and catering services. The restrictions for hotel services and tourism reduced the numbers of accommodated guests. The inability to organise social events, provide supplementary and catering services had a fundamental impact on the total deficit.
However, the overall restructuring of the ACS is certainly highly positive. Cancellation of unprofitable buffets, inefficient job positions and selected cost items achieved considerable savings totalling CZK 29 mil. In 2020, the planned modernisation of the Vinařská A2 halls of residence with 400 beds took place. Modernisation of accommodation at the other halls of residence will be an important start for a higher accommodation standard. The objective for the coming periods will be investment increasing the comfort of accommodation and catering.
Significant changes were also made in the catering section. The exchange of the canteen management helped kick-start processes aiming at efficient and high-quality catering services. In all canteens a new unified menu of meals was introduced with an emphasis on the quality and the nutritional values of the foods. In addition to meat and low-energy meals, students can also choose gluten-free or vegetarian meals and newly also gluten-free soups. The presentation of a wide range of meals, including fast food, is available in the dining rooms on LCD monitors in Czech and English.
Revitalisation of the meal ordering system has made possible ordering meals via mobile phones. Customers now may choose the preferred meal, while maximising savings in food consumption thanks to centralised cooking. Last but not least, an upgrade of the card payments software was performed.
In the long term, Masaryk University is developing and applying instruments and procedures increasing building and technology management efficiency and the comfort of their users. Many MU buildings may be classified as smart; using technology management and monitoring systems.
The Building Management System (BMS) methodology is a binding standard for M&R/BMS suppliers. The servicing of BMS elements, including management of the technological network, is carried out for the entire MU by the Facility Management Division.
The major outputs of the BMS activities for 2020 include the extension of the BMS, deployment of the enteli-WEB application instead of the no longer supported or-caWEB and modifications based on user requirements, for instance in the form of BMS screens, control applications or alarm indication. Further, security and reliability in the process of connecting new devices was increased and the devices of 10 new manufacturers were tested. The Avigilon camera system was extended with three new servers and 92 cameras.
The building and technology data are administered in the form of digital passport documentation. With the support of the ICS, they are accessible through web and mobile applications, database services as well as drawings or made-to-measure documents, e.g. for public procurement needs.
The investment activity register, and also the Covid Traffic Lights web map and dashboard - in the UCB and FSci buildings, were implemented over the year. The BIM database was supplemented with continuous updates for the implemented reconstructions: the construction passport for the FPharm and INBIT buildings, the technological passport for the FA Joštova 13 building and SPECBANK D29 UCB, evacuation plans for UCB and Vinařská A2 and the MapGEN tools.
In 2020, works on energy management solutions continued. Following the technical analysis of MU buildings, active energy management continued in the buildings of the MU halls of residence and canteens. With the aim of achieving energy and cost savings, non-investment optimisation adjustments were introduced based, inter alia, on analysis of data from MU management and information systems.
Proposals were prepared for possible investment saving measures included in the concept of the overall energy saving project with the possible use of subsidy funds. This concerns mainly the area of heating systems and their regulation and the reconstruction of lighting in selected complexes and buildings.
In the area of CAFM, new modules for the Archibus CAFM system were purchased - Real Estate Portfolio Management and Space Management, which will be used primarily for building operation cost planning, reporting and managerial view of the total portfolio of MU immovable assets.
10.6
Financial Balance Sheet for 2020
10.7
University Budgeting
The total revenues of Masaryk University in 2020 were CZK 7,289 mil., which compared to 2019 is a decrease of CZK 274 mil. Expenses compared to 2019 declined by CZK 275 mil. to CZK 7,186 mil. MU reported a profit after tax of CZK 103 mil. and paid income tax of CZK 3.3 mil.
The year-on-year decrease in revenues and expenses was primarily due to a change in the method of accounting for grants which the university received as the principal investigator of projects and which were then transferred to external partners. As of 2020, these transfers, amounting to CZK 392 mil., are no longer included in reported revenues and expenses.
The amount and the structure of revenues and expenses in year-on-year terms was strongly influenced by the government measures adopted due to the pandemic. The financial balance sheet in 2020 was also affected by movement of the Faculty of Pharmacy to MU in the middle of 2020.
Within internal revenues, accommodation and catering sales dropped substantially (by CZK 65 mil.). Thus, the ACS reported a loss of CZK 26 mil. despite its best efforts to use the government compensation programmes. The university covered the loss in compliance with the internal rules of the reserve fund.
In 2020, sales of lifelong learning services also dropped substantially (by CZK 22 mil.). A significant 25% drop by CZK 15 mil. was reported for tuition fee revenues, which are used to create the university's Scholarship Fund.
The biggest fall in expenses occurred due to the mobility restrictions in the travel expenses item (by CZK 83 mil., that is by 79%) and the restrictions of some activities in service purchases (by CZK 66 mil., that is by 16%). On the other hand, expenditure on technical means to ensure online teaching, home office and stricter sanitary measures increased material costs by CZK 42 mil. (12%). Personnel costs increased by CZK 177 mil. in 2020.
The total volume of utilised non-investment public sources amounted to CZK 5,515 mil., of which 74% were non-investment sources from the MEYS, 10% were income from other chapters of the national budget, 7% were income from EU structural funds and 4% were revenues from abroad and other revenues.
Normative non-investment sources constituted 42% of total revenues, or 55% of the revenues from public sources. Research and development subsidies of CZK 2,383 mil. made up 43% of the public sources.
MU capital expenditure in 2020 increased year-on-year by 17% to CZK 1,251 mil. and the most significant share of 57% consisted of investment expenditure within OP RDE projects. Other sources of funds were the subsidies within programme funding, a capital contribution and internal resources (FRIM).
The preparation of the budgeting rules for 2021 reflected the Masaryk University Strategic Plan for 2021-2028 under discussion.
1. Change in the calculation of indicator A
In line with the objective to adjust the internal distribution of the fixed component of the contribution for educational activities so that it reflects current numbers of students and the financial needs of degree programmes, the calculation of indicator A for individual faculties was newly divided in two parts: a fixed component with a weighting of 80%, which is based on the proportions applied until 2015 by the MEYS as well as MU (2015 was the last year when indicator A was based on normative numbers of students); and a variable component with a 20% weighting, for which the faculty shares are calculated based on current actual numbers of normative studies as of 31 October 2020.
2. Adjustments of performance component indicators (indicator K)
With the aim of increasing international prestige and quality, set aside within the Mobility indicator was a 10% part which newly adds a bonus to student trips to prestigious TOP 300 higher education institutions as per the QS World University Rankings. The Graduate Employment Rate indicator was replaced with a part of the Graduation Rate indicator for doctoral studies with the aim of supporting the increase in the graduation rate in this type of study. The calculation of the R&D indicator was also adjusted - from 2021 this indicator will reflect the internal research evaluation methodology.
3. Adjustments of the calculation of IS toward LCDRO In the new R&D evaluation methodology only partial
changes were made, so as to preserve continuity of the defined evaluation of R&D quality from 2020. With a view to the orientation of R&D at MU and also in the context of the national R&D evaluation methodology, some indicators of the performance component were adjusted.
With regard to the international university ranking methodology and also on the basis of a broad debate across faculties, the weighting of the citation indicators was increased and the publishing activity evaluation indicators were adjusted. Further adjustments were made for the internationalization indicators and the WoS Coverage and Foreign Languages indicators were cancelled.
At the same time, the methodology for distributing the IS toward LCDRO no longer has a special-purpose component, which was one-time support for strategic advancement in R&D and was provided to individual faculties and university institutes during the introduction of the new R&D evaluation methodology.
Additional minor budgeting rule adjustments concerned the specific situation in connection with the movement of the Faculty of Pharmacy in the middle of 2020 and its gradual integration into the financial and budgetary structure of MU.
10.8
Internal Inspection System
10.9
Masaryk University Archives
The criterion for the effective functioning of the internal inspection system (IIS) at MU is a functional financial control system, set up in accordance with Act No. 320/2001 Coll., on Financial Control in Public Administration, as amended, and Implementing Decree No. 416/2004 Coll., and an internal audit.
The functioning of the IIS is also ensured by setting methodological procedures and competencies within line and project management, by a risk and transparency management system through electronic workflow with financial control. In 2020 the digitisation of agendas with financial control was further developed.
The internal audit performs its function in accordance with the Financial Control Act, the Internal Audit Statute and International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. Auditing activities focus mainly on financial and project management and evaluation of internal systems, processes and risks. The criterion for assessing the seriousness of the findings is, in particular, the financial corrections resulting from public administration controls. The internal audit continuously monitors and regularly evaluates the IIS at MU and in projects, including the implementation of the measures taken.
Thanks to the computerisation of agendas and digitisation at MU, the internal auditing activities plan for 2020 was fulfilled. The non-standard pandemic situation demanded swift adaptation, shared communication and the introduction of new electronic procedures and processes for internal auditing and the coordination of external controls. The focus of the internal auditing activities was particularly the system and financial audits. This involved, for instance, systems analysis of the settings and implementation of TACR projects at MU, audits of OP RDE projects, monitoring of the IIS, etc. The audits of the sustainability of OP RDI projects were finished.
In 2020,44 public administration and project inspections took place at MU. Of the total number of audited projects, GACR projects accounted for 50%, OP RDE projects for 13%, OP EC projects for 9%, MI projects for 7%, TACR projects for 5% and others for 16%. In connection with the inspections of the last period, payment orders were issued, including a penalty of CZK 424.3 thousand.
During the performed audit, external and internal control activities, no occurrence of any serious deficiencies under Sections 22 and 31 of Act No. 320/2001 Coll., on Financial Control in Public Administration, was found and recorded. The key requirements for financial control, i.e. the probative value and the principle of four eyes and two signatures in the preparation and execution of a financial operation, were complied with.
The activity of MU Archives in 2020 was substantially influenced by the epidemic, which particularly affected the attendance of the research room and the processing of archival materials. Therefore, the focus was on the modernisation of the workflow, the digitisation of archival aids and archival materials, the long-term sustainability of digital data and development of services for researchers and the general public.
In 2020,10 retention and disposal procedures and 8 procedures not subject to the retention and disposal guidelines took place, 111 running metres (rm) of documentation were assessed, of which 50 rm of archival material were accepted for permanent storage. For the personal funds collection, the archives managed to negotiate the handover of the documents of seven personalities, including, among others, the funds of historian Josef Válka, philologist and translator Jana Nechutová, and the geographer and geomorphology expert Jaromír Demek. 5 rm of archival materials, including the fund of psychologist Boleslav Bárta were processed and made available to the public.
At the end of the year, the archive managed 248 funds and collections with a size of 2,600 rm. The research room was visited by 40 researchers, who together made 89 research visits. With regard to the long-term restrictions of the operation of the research room, the numbers of researchers and visits dropped by, respectively, 55% and 68% in comparison to the previous year. 247 searches were made for official and 161 for private use.
For MU graduates who apply for certificates of their study a web form was created at the archives website to make the filing of applications faster and easier. At the same time, the current record of all the archived student files was transferred into the MU Information System. This guarantees the long-term sustainability of the records and enables a further development of the retention and disposal procedure.
As part of the services for researchers, all the archival aids to the processed personal funds have been made accessible online. Also, 60% of the existing filing cabinets were digitised, giving rise to a digital collection of 37,000 unique records. As a result, the search for archival materials and the handling of research queries is much faster.
MU Archives ensured the implementation of the accompanying exhibition during the Masaryk Days. The
processing of the archival materials from a part of the fund of Karel Engliš, the first MU Rector, borrowed from the National Museum Archives, was significant from a historical and social perspective. From these materials, MU Archives selected and digitised two Engliš' works, which will be made available to the public in 2021 by Munipress.
10.10
Providing Information and Changes in University Internal Regulations
Since Masaryk University is a public higher education institution, the provision of information is one of its key activities.
The vast majority of the information provided was requested in various forms directly from MU employees, without the relevant requests for information falling within the scope of the law. In this way, for example, 650 requests for information were submitted to the general information e-mail address of MU info@muni.cz, and more than 7,000 requests for information to the e-mail address prihlaska@muni.cz intended for communication with applicants.
For the submission of written requests for information within the scope of the law, in accordance with Section 5(1) (b) of the Act, the rules published at http://www.mum.cz/ general/information_providing are laid down. In the course of 2020, 20 written requests for information were submitted in this way, which were processed within the statutory time limits.
In the course of 2020, the courts did not hear any petition against Masaryk University relating to the possible failure to provide information in accordance with the law.
In 2020, the following Masaryk University Internal Regulations were changed: as of 1 July 2020 the Masaryk University Internal Wage Regulation has been amended. As of 17 December 2020, MU Habilitation Procedure and Professorial Appointment Procedure Regulations and MU Academic Senate Election Regulations were amended.
In connection with the spread of COVID-19 additional measures, decisions and guidelines were issued. These documents were continuously updated as necessary depending on the development of the epidemiological situation and government measures. Masaryk University Crisis Board was set up as an advisory, initiatory and coordination body of the Rector of Masaryk University to handle emergency events and crises.
The main document governing the operation of the university in 2020 was the Decision of MU Rector No. 2/2022 - Emergency Measures in Response to the Riskof COVID-19 Infection. This decision with university-wide applicability was changed several times regarding the development of the epidemiological situation. In its first versions, it primarily regulated teaching and other student activities and MU employee mobility. Later, it also regulated the presence of students and employees in MU buildings and obligation to test the employees present in MU buildings.
The organisation of studies in the 2020 summer semester with regard to the state of emergency declared by the Czech government was defined by the Decision of MU Rector No. 4/2020 - Special Study Rules in the Spring Semester 2020.
Total non-investment MU revenues
Non-investment revenues in thousands CZK
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
241,220
MU fund depletion (excluding subsidy special-purpose funds)
1,280,239
Own sources and supplementary activity
1,727,297
Other public sources for R&D
7,289
Total in thousands CZK
Structure of non-investment revenues in 2020
thousands CZK
2,238,020
Educational activity contribution (indicators A+K)
957,418
Other public sources for educational activities
844,848
Institutional R&D support
2%
Other costs
58%
Personnel and social costs
MU cost structure in 2020
19%
Subsidy write-offs and transfers to funds
9%
Material, utilities, maintenance, insurance
12%
Services, travel, scholarships
Total investment expenditure at MU
Investment expenditure in thousands CZK
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
Immovable and movable MU assets in thousands CZK
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Immovable MU assets in thousands CZK Movable MU assets in thousands CZK
2010     2011     2012     2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     201S     2019 2020
MU facilities in 2020
Total number of facilities
123
Useful area of these facilities
441,425 .
Net useful area of these facilities
251,414
Classrooms and laboratories
61,912 m'
Outdoor sporting grounds
9,309 m2
Libraries, archives and reading rooms
9,874
E LP
UDENTS OVERCOME THE OSURE  OF LIBRARIES
Masaryk University libraries hold tens of thousands of books in their collections, which, however, were not easily available to students in 2020 due to anti-epidemic measures. Therefore, Masaryk University has developed tools allowing students to also borrow books online. In spring with the first closure of the libraries, the workers of the Library Information Centre decided to make hundreds of scanned books available to students via the E-prezencka service. They had to tackle several obstacles and challenges to secure copyrighted content against downloading. In the autumn, with another wave of closures, the university decided to create its own E-vypujcka loan service for students and employees. This service enables users to borrow one book at a time and leaf through its pages directly in the browser window.
9
Information Systems and IT Support
Development of Information Infrastructure and Information Systems 11.1
Masaryk University Information System 11.2
11.1
Development of Information Infrastructure and Information Systems
MU information structure encompasses a vast complex of services and systems that give its employees and students access to the state-of-the-art technologies and tools. The IT Service Catalogue presents in a user-friendly form all the central and faculty services and is the primary source of information. The robustness and the excellence of MU information infrastructure was confirmed in 2020 when pandemic measures, valid from March, moved almost all of the university's activities into the virtual space, with critical dependence on the information infrastructure and a multiple increase in its use.
The communication backbone of MU information infrastructure consists of over 140 km of optical cable network connecting all university buildings and units. The network gives access to an extensive internal cloud infrastructure which ensures the basic computing and storage capacity of MU. In 2020, a large project transformed the key university systems operating platform to implement the concept of Virtual Server Rooms enabling the consolidation of IT infrastructures of faculties into a central cloud environment, while reducing the total acquisition and operation costs. The university cloud environment is linked to the commercial Microsoft Office 365 solution, offering employees cutting-edge tools and services within the IT services portfolio.
Membership in the e-INFRA CZ national research infrastructure facilitates full integration of (not only) MU cloud information infrastructure into the national and international environment. The university cloud is integrated in the MetaCentrum Cloud, which gives access to 9,560 CPU cores, of which 37% were contributed by MU.
Over the year, the Faculty of Pharmacy MU has been directly connected to the information infrastructure and its internal network reinforced, including the Wi-Fi network (39 new access points). Similarly, also the new SIMU building has been connected and fully equipped and further adjustments to the optical network made at the FSci and the FEA.
Another important step was the creation of IT infrastructure for the processing of sensitive data in the life sciences domain, including work with non-anonymous data in the medical environment. This led to the harmonisation of the procedural settings and the use of technical means for sensitive data protection between CESNET and the special ICS MU cloud infrastructure for the processing of sensitive data (collaboration within e-INFRA CZ).
The environment for the storage of imaging data from hospital information systems, used also for teaching and research into medical imaging information, was also transferred into the new secured and reliable environment. This collaboration also became the basis for the development of the Brno digital pathology platform, on which all three university clinical units (Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, the University Hospital Brno and St. Anne's University Hospital) plan to collaborate with the ICS and the FI MU in 2021.
The security of the entire information infrastructure is ensured by the internationally certified CSIRT-MU team, which runs, among other things, a network of security probes, the number of which increased again in 2020. The probes are part of a large cybersecurity incident automatic detection system (over 99% of incidents were handled in this way in 2020). Cybersecurity is also enhanced by MUNI Unified Login, giving secure access to the vast majority of MU key services. Thanks to these activities MU was able to block phishing attacks on its services.
A consolidated approach to important internal information systems is ensured by the MU Portal, which makes information accessible in aggregated form. Comprehensive support for the university administration in economics, HR management, wages, research and internal administration is provided by the MU economics and administration information system. It consists of the externally-supplied basic EIS Magion system closely integrated with the internally developed INET MU superstructure, which significantly complements and expands Magion, particularly for the computerisation of data operation processes.
Year 2002 brought a further development of paperless processes. HR management additions include in the first place the employment contract and amendment preparation and approval process; other applications were developed in connection with the COVID-19 epidemic. The Jobs. MU module has been linked to ihejobs/prace.cz registers and the first set of student ID cards with ESC elements was made. Two important legislative changes were implemented: comprehensive support for the e-Sick Leave (eNeschopenka) linked to the CSSA and taking leave in hours. In the area of finance, the development focused on the SUPO system (card payments and QR payments), a new central management of debts, issuing and financial control of purchase orders with a link to the SIMU portfolio platform, reclass entry applications and a comprehensive contract management system., 77% of more than a quarter of a million certificates at MU were handled via the INET Signature Book.
In research and development, support was given to the meetings of Scientific Boards in an online or a hybrid mode and a major revision was made of the internal project proposal submission and evaluation system (IGA MU).
11.2
Masaryk University Information System
The Computer Systems Unit of the Faculty of Informatics MU provides for the administration of university studies via the Masaryk University Information System (IS MU) The system encompasses administrative and communication services, electronic support for teaching and courses for the public, research and development services, a community network not only for graduates, the internet Shopping Centre, a repository of qualification theses and publications and the Document Office for electronic administration of official acts, including records management and the register of contracts.
Development of IS MU in 2020 focused in the first place on the digitisation of university processes and support for online teaching.
Substantial progress was made in the digitisation of study tasks, which was also accelerated due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several applications issuing certificates electronically were introduced in this context, as were the online enrolment for studies for first-year students and mass diploma thesis acceptance and publication options. Newly, it is also possible to record awards won by diploma theses, such as a faculty dean's award or competition awards.
An important point in this area was the computerisation of final state examinations, which can newly be done in a fully paperless mode for all types of study, including the Advanced Master's procedure. All the acts are digitised and processed directly in IS MU, from the creation of a date to the generation of an examination report and the faculty dean's qualified digital signature. For communication in emergency situations students and employees may also enter their or their family's contact information in new the Emergency Contact application.
Developments in the managerial data of degree programmes offered guarantors and Programme Board members new perspectives on the quality of programmes. Key functions were added to the Traineeships agenda for the unified traineeship administration and scheduling platform, launched at the MU Faculty of Education in a pilot mode.
In 2020, significant developments occurred in e-learn-ing applications. The ROPOT applications were converted to responsive design and modernised to meet teachers' needs for safe and comfortable online examinations. The increase in online teaching gave rise to the website Options for online teaching: Tips, tools and tutorials for teachers containing not only instructional videos for using the IS MU, but also procedures and tips to facilitate online teaching and sharing of good practise and experience among teachers.
For new students and teachers, several training and instructional videos were created to make them familiar with the IS MU. This was linked to the MS Teams application, used for videoconferences in courses and for seminar groups. Newly deployed video and audio technologies
included a new HTML5 video player allowing videos to be played directly on a browser page and for advanced encryption to prevent the downloading of content.
Activities relating to HR management tasks have been computerised. A non-academic staff evaluation application was introduced, facilitating efficient feedback between the evaluated person and the evaluator. The OHS Training application was further developed and deployed in additional university units. The development of the E-vote application, which apart from voting in the Academic Senate also enables voting of the examination boards at state examinations or other working groups, was also highly beneficial.
For the Document Office, the authorised conversion of documents, that is, the conversion of an electronic original document to a paper original document, was implemented according to legislation. The authorised conversion process was deployed at the MU Faculty of Informatics for the formation of agreements to complete a job, resulting in the mass signing of 181 agreements; it can be used for the various types of document as the university may need. 390,687 documents in 2,126 agendas were registered in the Document Office and 2,891 contracts were inserted in the Internal Register.
The IS MU development team collaborated intensively in 2020 on the integration of the MU Faculty of Pharmacy, particularly on data conversion, but also the setting of new administrative procedures and trainings in the IS MU administered functionalities and educational processes.
The MU Shopping Centre development focused on applications to support sales during the state of emergency, that is, on the transfer of paid services online, or applications for mass return of payments. In 2020,96,825 purchase orders for 72,862 customers were handled.
To enhance user-friendliness, particularly while working on mobile devices, additional applications were converted to responsive design. This included, for example, the People or Notice Board applications or medical examination scheduling and management application.
In 2020, the IS MU development team led the centralised development project Mutual Collaboration of Universities in Computerisation of Processes and Technical Development of Study and Administrative Tasks for 26 public higher education institutions, focusing on the technical implementation of new solutions for the study tasks of the schools.
Total visits to		
www.muni.cz	4,144,000 visits in 2020	
E-mails at MU	53,000,000	
	e-mails delivered in 2020 (approximately 145,000 e-mails per day)	
	39,000,000 e-mails rejected for security reasons	
199,200 documents in 2019 i.e. 74%) of the total 271,000 documents	Number of documents in INET ar|d Magion systems kVUlVVf electronically documentsm2020                      signed using the Signature Book ie77%0fthetotai application 268,625 documents	
Storage capacity available to MU employees w		Turnover in the SUPO
	SUP	million 1 IO CZK
2019	2020	
MU Information System in numbers in 2020
1 1
Total number of IS MU visits
1,371,426,835
58,768
persons used IS MU regularly
81,799
persons accessed IS MU occasionally
10,810,751
maximum number of IS MU pages opened in one day
As of 31 December 2020, the IS MU data pool held ca.
169
million
files amounting to a total of
TB.
IS MU data is recorded in a total of2,969 database tables subdivided into 194 categories.
Total number of scripts (individual programmes) in the IS MU: 3,520.
Number of IS MU source code modifications: 9,977.
Maximum server throughput: 2,033,280 requests processed per hour.
Total server downtime: approximately 30 minutes.
Development of electronic application processing using the records service application
Number of purely digital documents
2016       2017       201s      2019 2020
Use of JobCheckln online portal in 2020
134
employers using
the services of the portal
641
job offers advertised
9,940
students and fresh graduates registered in the portal
89
4991
MU Faculties and University Institutes
Faculty of Law 12.1
Faculty of Medicine 12.2
Faculty of Science 12.3
Faculty of Arts 12.4
Faculty of Education 12.5
Faculty of Pharmacy 12.6
Faculty of Economics and Administration 12.7
Faculty of Informatics 12.8
Faculty of Social Studies 12.9
Faculty of Sports Studies 12.10
Central European Institute of Technology 12.11
Institute of Computer Science 12.12
12.1
Faculty of Law
Just like the whole university, almost the entire year at the MU Faculty of Law was governed by the effort to maintain high teaching standards despite restrictions due to the pandemic and the difficulties employees and students had to face. In the course of 2020, the reconstruction of the Faculty of Law's lecture rooms continued with a much smaller impact on students than initially expected, also thanks to the successful transition to online teaching.
In 2020, the faculty had 3,119 students, of whom 572 were in Bachelor's, 2,195 in Master's, 170 in follow-up Master's and 182 in doctoral programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 2,713 filed applications for Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's studies were registered.
In 2020, the faculty applied for the awarding of HR Award certification. In this context it has set a new academic staff remuneration system and defined criteria for evaluation of their research outputs. At the faculty the Research Output Evaluation Board was set up to support the publication of high-quality research outputs abroad. Collaboration with public administration bodies, including professional self-governance, developed.
In the area of studies, the faculty performed a full transition to online teaching. In so doing, it ensured for its teachers online teaching support encompassing the use of hardware and software, creation of e-learning applications and also the methodology for the preparation and implementation of courses taught online. Background materials have been prepared for the accreditation of the follow-up Master's programme Public Administration and the full-time Bachelor's study plan Public Administration with further addition of a study plan focusing on the topic of construction law. Collaboration with the MU FE A on the implementation of the Finance andLaw Bachelor's programme continued.
In the autumn semester, teaching in the newly-accredited doctoral degree programmes was launched. Foreign language programmes are offered to doctoral students in four areas of law, both in the full-time and the combined mode. The growing numbers of arriving students pressured the faculty to widen the range of the courses taught, especially in English. Therefore, the offer of domestic teachers is supplemented with visiting professors' courses, which provides the opportunity to compare the Czech legal system with others.
A major research achievement in 2020 was the winning of the second grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for David Kosaf. The new grant will allow him and his team from the Judicial Studies Institute (JUSTIN) to deal with the new issues connected with the functioning of the judicial system in the INFINITY project. Winning two European Research Council grants in a row is exceptional. So far, these have been the only law-related ERC grants implemented on Czech territory. Other important projects include the TA CR project The COVW-19 Pandemic as a Catalyst for Change in the Distribution, Presentation and
Monetisation of Cultural Content Online of Matěj Myška and Jakub Míšek and the MI CR project Freedom of Movement Restrictions: Technological Opportunities and Constitutional Limits investigated by Jakub Harašta. In 2020, the 22nd year of the Students'Research and Professional Activities SRPA and the 10th interfaculty Czech-Slovak Student Scientific Competition took place. FLaw students confirmed the high standard of their works by winning three first and three second place awards.
For the first time a special newsletter for graduates was created and distributed, providing information on the major faculty events. Graduates are informed of faculty events throughout the year via social networks - the Face-book and Linkedln alumni pages and newly also the faculty YouTube channel.
For secondary school graduates, the faculty has long been offered preparatory courses for entrance examinations. It also offers a range of one-day courses for legal professionals and the lay public. Their selection in 2020 reflected particularly the amendments to the laws regulating authorised experts and interpreters, and issues of labour relations. There are courses for senior citizens and the faculty is involved in the University of the Third Age (U3A) as well. It also participates in the MjUNI Children's University.
Aiming to help the general public, the faculty organised the Faculty of Law's Student Legal Advice Centre in the first coronavirus wave. Over two hundred students and a dozen of teachers got involved and during the period of its activity the centre answered entirely for free hundreds of questions, which were continuously added to a vast database at the faculty website.
Cooperation with the Jan Hus Educational Foundation has become a tradition - in 2020, the 13th year of the Ius et Societas Award was organised in which FLaw students won the top three positions in the Master's section. In February 2020, the Faculty of Law held the 48th year of its Representative Ball. For the visitors of the Researchers' Night, the FLaw prepared the popular simulated court proceedings by the members of the Faculty Theatre Society, lectures on the faculty's history prepared by the Department of the History of the State and Law as well as lectures on artificial intelligence and surreptitious advertising.
i
ACULTY  OF MEDI STUDENTS FIRST FOR  HOSPITAL SE
\
acuity o
sine worked
After the breakout of the epidemic in the Czech Republic, students of the tens of thousands of hours as volunteers and within mandatory work duty ordered by the government. Hundreds of Faculty of Medicine students got involved in the mandatory work duty, and an additional hundred helped in hospitals as volunteers. Students took samples from people suspected of having the coronavirus, worked in hospitals as attendants and orderlies, or helped mediate information to citizens. They were also involved in work in laboratories and intensive and standard care units. Masaryk University was among the most active schools in volunteering, also thanks to the work of the MUNI Helps centre which sent medical students to hospitals even before the nationwide mandatory work duty was required of them.
12.2
Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine entered 2020 with the vision of an extensive year filled with many activities. Even though the faculty was hit by the pandemic just like the entire university, it did not resign on its role and, in the first place, its profiling. The key moment for the faculty, as well as the entire MU and the education in medical fields in the CR, was the integration of the SIMU simulation unit in teaching. This grand milestone is not only related to the building of the infrastructure as such but, most importantly, it brings an innovative change in teaching, leading to a higher quality of education and professional training of students.
FMed continued the modification of the criteria of its admissions procedure for the General Medicine and Dentistry Master's programmes. For the first time in the admissions procedure for 2020/2021 the newly-accredited Master's programme Bioanalytical Laboratory Diagnostics in Healthcare (BLABD) - Embryologist was opened, for which the first 359 applications were submitted and the first 24 students enrolled. In the admissions procedure for the academic year of 2020/2021, 8,638 applications for Bachelor's and long-cycle Master's studies were registered. In 2020, 4,588 students studied at the Faculty of Medicine, of which 654 were in Bachelor's, 3,196 in Master's, 196 in follow-up Master's, and 542 in doctoral degree programmes.
In 2020, new and modern teaching methods (Problem Based Learning, Team Based Learning, teaching using virtual case studies and teaching on patient simulators with different degrees of fidelity) and new evaluation methods were further implemented. Due to coronavirus measures the faculty had to enter a hybrid teaching mode, combining online teaching of theoretical courses and in-person teaching. The teaching of clinical and practical courses took place under stricter sanitary measures. An additional 16 students successfully completed the P-Pool programme and presented their final theses. The undergraduate P-Pool Programme for Motivated Students of Medicine with extended training in research is a unique programme in the CR for talented students of General Medicine.
New elective courses in English were created with the support of MU IRP. Thanks to the exchange programmes in the 2019/2020 period, 99 foreign students studied at the faculty and 220 students travelled abroad. The faculty welcomed 16 foreign lecturers on its premises and 21 lecturers from the FMed travelled abroad. 851 students studied in the English degree programmes General Medicine, Dentistry and Physiotherapy. Additional 76 international students studied in the Foundation programme, which every year from October to the end of March prepares, on intensive daily basis, interested individuals for the admissions procedure and study in Master's degree programmes.
Its research and development in 2020 brought the faculty several awards. The GACR Presidium classified as excellent three projects of investigators Zuzana Koledová, Lumír Krejčí and David Smajs, submitted in a public tender in research, experimental development and innovation for
the funding of Grant Projects in basic research. Aleš Hampl and Petr Vaňhara won the MUNI Scientist 2020 award for excellent research achievements. In December 2020, the comprehensive GAP Analysis and the Action Plan for 2021-27 were sent to the European Commission evaluators, whereby the faculty completed the preparatory work for gaining the prestigious European HR Excellence in Research Award certificate.
The Brno Ph.D. Talent 2020 competition awarded prizes to five doctoral students from the FMed - Denisa Be-lisová, Anna Hrčková, Jaroslav Krč, Polina Nadtochaeva and Roberto Pivato. A significant individual acknowledgement was given to Professor Ivan Rektor, who received the City of Brno Award 2020 in medical science and pharmacy. Masaryk University in its turn appreciated the following students and employees: The Rector's Award for an outstanding doctoral thesis was awarded to Kateřina Litzmanová, the Rector's Award for outstanding research results achieved by young scientists under 35 in natural sciences and medicine went to Petra Bořilová Linhartová, the Rector's Award for outstanding students in Master's programmes was received by Vít Všianský, the Rector's Award for the active development of civil society went to Natália Antalová; and the MU Silver Medal was awarded to Petr Dvořák.
The Faculty of Medicine played a crucial role in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. An indispensable part was played by the Student Chamber of the Academic Senate of the FMed together with all the student associations at the FMed whose members actively volunteered and helped Czech healthcare while fulfilling their study duties. Students in selected years had to cope with the mandatory work duty ordered by the Czech government. Thanks to exemptions, the faculty was able to continue practical teaching, while sending the planned number of graduates into the healthcare system.
THE FACULTY OF WELCOMES  A PRO
ASTROPHYSICIST 1-t-T s RANKS
SCIENCE I N ENT INTO
The world-class astrophysicist Norbert Werner relocated to Masaryk University after working for eight years at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States. Thanks to the unique MUNI Award in Science and Humanities, the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University has become his new working address since July. Werner is engaged in intergalactic gas research and he also wants to cooperate with Brno-based companies oriented on the space industry. In his research he is looking for answers to why there are not more stars in the universe and how black holes affect the area around them. Thanks to his observations, evidence was found recently of the largest eruption in the universe so far recorded.
Photo: A holder of the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities, the astrophysicist Norbert Werner.
9
12.3
Faculty of Science
The pandemic situation in 2020 inspired many activities in the development of the faculty. In 2020, the M17+ evaluation of social relevance and applied research by the International Evaluation Panel took place at the FSci in which the faculty was assessed as very good in most parameters.
Applicants were newly offered 20 Bachelor's and 33 follow-up Master's programmes, including the new Biotechnologies programme. For the first time, the faculty used its own system of personalised evaluation of the admissions procedure, taking into account the motivations and professional preferences of applicants. In 2020,3,615 students studied at the faculty; of these 1,950 were in Bachelor's, 832 in follow-up Master's and 833 in doctoral programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 3,027 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered.
The students of the faculty were offered over 160 courses in English, and 43 students received scholarships to support mobility. The preparation of the English Bachelor's programme Biochemistry has begun and accreditation of the English follow-up Master's programme Molecular and Cell Biology was successfully completed.
In 2020,130 foreign employees (excluding citizens of Slovakia) worked at the faculty and 11 foreign experts were guests here. The faculty provided education to 223 international students. 101 students went on long-term placements abroad. 127 faculty employees made an international trip for a minimum of 5 days.
The courses of the doctoral studies were consolidated into 20 newly-accredited programmes, offered both in Czech and in English. The quality of the research was confirmed with success in the prestigious Brno PhD Talent 2020 competition in which doctoral students of MU Faculty of Science won nine three-year scholarships from the South Moravian Region.
A major acknowledgement was the award of the Experi-entia Foundation scholarship to Lenka Stackova, allowing her to spend a year at the University of Zurich and to work on the development of new materials potentially usable in the electronics of the future. A significant milestone for the faculty is also the granting of the MUNI Award in Science and Humanities (MASH) to Norbert Werner, a top-level Slovak astrophysicist.
Masaryk University, in cooperation with its investment partner i&i Prague, s.r.o., have established the spin-off company, Caslnvent Pharma, a.s., to facilitate further development of new compounds that could be used to treat certain types of leukaemia, lymphoma and solid tumours. The research groups of Vitezslav Bryja and Kamil Paruch from the FSci have now been studying and developing these compounds for a long time.
In October 2020, the project called Baron Trench ANew Face of the legend, co-created by the Brno City Museum and the Department of Anthropology at the FSci, won the Special Prize in the Museum Exhibition of the Year 2019 category in the 18th year of the Gloria musaealis National Museum Competition.
In grant competitions, the faculty achieved extraordinary success - its RECETOX research centre received three highly competitive grants from the EU programme H2020 within the Widening calls ofTeaming, ERA Chair and Twinning. In 2020, additional Horizon 2020 projects were launched at the faculty - such as the AHEAD project at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics or the DRYvER project at the Department of Botany and Zoology. The article by Stanislav Mazurenko in the ACS Catalysis journal of the American Chemical Association was selected among the 25 most influential articles in the ten years of the journal's existence.
MU Rector's Awards were given to Jana Klánová for an extraordinary result in a grant competition, Mirko Cernák for long-term excellence in research, Tomáš Tyc for outstanding teachers, Jiří Žák for outstanding students in Master's programmes and Michaela Krafčíková for outstanding students in doctoral programmes. The MUNI Scientist Award2020 for outstanding results and significant achievements in research from 2019 to 2020 was given to nine researchers and research teams at the FSci.
Immunologists from the Faculty of Science's RECETOX centre, led by Vojtěch Thon, are the guarantors of a serological study mapping the presence of COVID-19 antibodies. The study was launched in September 2020 and will last 18 months. Samples of the tested volunteers are accepted and stored in the biobank of the RECETOX research centre.
The head of the National Centre for Biomolecular Research and CEITEC MU Scientific Director Jaroslav Koča was appointed President of GACR and, in October, RECETOX director Jana Klánová became a new member of the Research Board of the TACR.
The faculty prepared dozens of activities for secondary and primary school students and their teachers. In January, the OpenDays for applicants for studies took place. In October 2020, a successful PhD Day took place. The Faculty of Science also continued to care for community life. In February, the Natural Scientists' Society organised the traditional Faculty of Science Ball. In the autumn, faculty representatives took part in the Science Festival, where they presented their research topics to the public in the form of experiments. Science popularisation activities continued with a series of interviews with students, graduates and researchers.
E FACULTY HAS GAINED ARCHAEOLOGY
OF ARTS EW MODERN
LABORATORIE
The Department of Archaeology and Museology of the MU Faculty of Arts has gained new spaces and modern archaeological laboratories thanks to a major reconstruction of the former chemistry pavilion. The move to the address at Jostova 13 will enable researchers and students to take full advantage of modern research methods and facilities available in the building and also organise events and exhibitions for those interested in archaeology. The move to the former premises of the MU Faculty of Medicine is a new opportunity for the development of the unit which stands behind many significant archaeological findings in the region. The latest achievement of the Brno archaeologists was to find evidence of the oldest Slavic script.
12.4
Faculty of Arts
For the MU Faculty of Arts the year 2020 was also in many respects characterised by the unprecedented experience of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Measures aiming at containing the virus hit teaching activities in the first place. The study agenda was taken over in April 2020 by the new Vice-dean for Studies Josef Šaur, replacing Ondřej Jakubec in the office, who decided to give up the office in favour of his research activities.
A major achievement of the year is the fact that the faculty coped remarkably well with the need to transfer teaching online, particularly thanks to the long-term tradition at the FA of supporting and developing e-learning tools. The FA E-learning Office has created several methodological materials that were used across the university. Online teaching support in the form of methodological guidance was also offered to the faculty's partners among secondary schools.
In 2020, 6,586 students studied at the faculty; of these 4,158 were in Bachelor's, 1,815 in Master's and 613 in doctoral programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 6,746 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered.
Even though the pandemic made many planned activities unfeasible, most of the lectures by visiting researchers were successfully transferred online and substantially enriched the faculty courses in foreign languages. The creation of thirteen new collaborative courses (COIL) in cooperation with foreign universities can be regarded as a positive outcome of this detrimental situation .
In 2020, the faculty has seen three significant achievements in international grant competitions for research funding. It has thus reaped the reward for several years of giving central financial and administrative support to the research teams who decided to strive for these grants. The ERC grant was awarded to David Zbiral to fund his pro-jectNetworks of Dissent: Computational Modelling of Dissident and Inquisitorial Cultures in Medieval Europe. Ivan Foletti succeeded in the MSCA-Rise grant competition with the project Conaues in the Global World. Transferring Knowledge: from Material to Immaterial Heritage. The important MSCA-IF-EF grant went to Alžběta Filipová as the investigator of the project Demarginalizing Medieval Georgia: History of Art History between Colonial Perspective and Nationalist Appropriation (1921-1991).
Also in 2020, the faculty was able to keep its position in the ever fiercer competition of the national research grant providers (GACR and TACR). In addition, it also succeeded in gaining several prestigious Czech grants aiming to support national excellence efforts (EXPRO GACR and LA GACR).
In the autumn months, instead of the standard graduation ceremony MU Faculty of Arts organised the Graduate Farewell Meeting on MS Teams where faculty management together with representatives of the Student Chamber of the FA MU Academic Senate met the new FA graduates.
FA students and employees became actively involved in volunteer activities to overcome the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. After the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Arts was the most active in this regard. Some volunteers cooperated with the MU Volunteer Centre (30% of the volunteers from the FA) but many of them helped in collaboration with external organisations or entirely independently. Jiří Byčkov responded to the call for help from the Alzheimer's Centre in Ostrava and worked there in his free time during the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis intervener, caregiver and psychotherapist. From the start of the state of emergency Veronika Podolská organised the provision of protective aids and disinfectant material in her hometown of Rychnov nad Kněžnou. She gathered 30 dressmakers who made face masks and together with other collaborators they ensured their distribution over the entire district. For their volunteering activities, these students of the FA received Awards of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports for outstanding students and graduates in a degree programme and for exceptional deeds by students in 2020.
Before the Christmas holiday, the faculty in cooperation with the Mission of Hope student association organised the Smile in a Mailbox event, aiming to overcome the loneliness of senior citizens, which has grown deeper during the pandemic. Faculty community members wrote 721 postcards and Christmas cards to senior citizens.
In 2020, the Dean's Award for Research Popularisation was awarded for the first time. It was awarded at the traditional Humanities Week Awards, held online for the first time. The award went to film theorist Radomír Kokeš for his long-term outstanding achievements in the field.
12.5
Faculty of Education
In 2020, the MU Faculty of Education made a change in the faculty management. Simona Koryčanková was appointed Vice-rector and from November 2020 was replaced in her office as the Vice-dean for Development and External Relations by Veronika Najvarová from the Department of Primary Education.
In 2020, the faculty implemented several investment projects. The most important ones included launching construction of the canteen and footbridge in the Poříčí 31 building, the reconstruction of the laboratories at the Department of Biology and the exchange of the cooling system in lecture room No. 50.
In 2020, the faculty had 4,945 students, of which 2,966 were in Bachelor's, 663 in Master's, and 1,181 in follow-up Master's programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 8,202 filed applications were registered. 16 graduates completed doctoral studies with the Doctoral State Examination and the doctoral thesis defence. The faculty admitted 55 international students and 185 students were sent for a study period or work placement abroad.
The new faculty-level agreement with the University of Applied Science Jyvaskyla (Finland) and the new department-level contracts with the Agder University College (Norway) and the University of Tartu (Estonia) contributed to the enhancement of the quality of the internationalization process. The faculty has also stepped up its cooperation with its strategic partners Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule KPH (Austria), Bishop Grosseteste University (Great Britain), Hague University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) and JAMK (Finland).
In 2020, the faculty organised a series of seminars by foreign experts focusing on various areas of internationalization in education. Among the featured speakers were Scott Waring, Matthias Hardt, Astrid Leithner, Stojan Kon-stanjevec, Delphine Guillot and others. There were also the workshops and online seminars on internationalization led by experts from The Hague University of Applied Science and the AmsterdamUniversity of Applied Sciences. During the calendar year of 2020, the faculty (co)organised seven scientific conferences with international attendance. Because of the restriction of contacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic most of them were organised online.
At the FEdu Scientific Board's meeting, the habilitation procedure was successfully completed (in the field of Education) by Kateřina Lojdová and Eva Trnová, assistant professors at the Department of Education, and Karel Červenka, assistant professor at the Department of Special and Inclusive Education, in the field of Special Education.
In 2020, employees and students of the faculty received several external awards. Marína Stibrányiová together with her co-authors obtained an honourable mention in the 27th year of the Government Board for Persons with Disabilities Award in the Television category for Information animations for educational workers, created as part of
the project Experience to Understanding. The diploma thesis by Tomáš Maleček on the Fifty-year history of the Jára Cimrman Theatre won the 2nd degree Edvard Beneš Award in 20th Century History awarded by the town of Sezimovo Ústí. This work and its author were also appreciated with the 3rd-4th place in the National Student Scientific Conference in History and special recognition for 2020 in Josef Šusta Award, awarded by the Association of Historians of the Czech Republic - Historical Club 1872. Faculty students were also acknowledged at the Technologies Contest Pilsenioio. Jakub Knopp won the Best Didactic Work Award for his Plastics and their usage in teaching craft lessons at primary school and Robert Glézl won the Most Interesting Video Award for Epoxy Resin Rings.
A large number of the faculty's students and staff joined the volunteering in order to mitigate the adverse impacts of anti-epidemic measures, which was positively mentioned in the media as well as appreciated by the general public. An important help was to teach and babysit children of healthcare professionals and to tutor primary and secondary school children who lost access to education due to the transition to remote classes. The Department of English Language and Literature prepared a series of educational videos on YouTube to teach English to first-stage primary school children.
Since March 2020, the Faculty of Education has also been supporting the exchange of online teaching experience between Czech primary and secondary school teachers via official Facebook groups.
i
After sixty years, the Faculty of Pharmacy has returned to Masaryk University, oasea on an agreemen between Masaryk University and the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno (UVPS), of whichBhad been part since 1991. Thus, on 1 July, all 800 students of the former UVPS Faculty of Pharmacy became students of MU's new Faculty of Pharmacy, including 175 Master's degree students newly admitted and enrolled in their first year. 150 employees also moved to MU. Teaching will continue to take place at the existing UVPS campus on Palackého Street, which Masaryk University ha
12.6
Faculty of Pharmacy
The move of the Faculty of Pharmacy from the Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University Brno to Masaryk University, as of i July 2020, was a unique historical event. MU Rector Martin Bareš entrusted the management of the Faculty of Pharmacy until regular election to former dean Radka Opatřilová, who set up a team of four vice-deans. Tunde Ambrus served as Vice-dean for Studies, Petra Bořilová Linhartová as Vice-dean for Research and Doctoral Studies, international relations and internationalization were entrusted to Vice-dean Peter Kollár, and external relations, strategy, and development to Vice-dean Ondřej Zendulka. Jan Mysliveček as bursar was responsible for the running of the faculty; in October he was replaced in this position by Barbora Sobaňská, who won the selection procedure. The faculty continues to be located in the three pavilions at the campus of the former UVPS on Palackého Street which MU has rented for five years.
As of i July 2020, the university has newly obtained accreditation in Pharmaceutical Sciences for two Pharmacy Master's degree programmes, one in Czech and one in English. From July, all 800 students of the former UVPS Faculty of Pharmacy have become students of the newMU Faculty of Pharmacy, including 175 newly-admitted and enrolled Master's degree students.
As of 31 October 2020, 784 students studied at the faculty, of which 715 were in Master's and 69 in doctoral programmes. For most of the autumn semester, teaching took place in hybrid mode, combining online lectures and practical seminars and training for smaller groups of students, as allowed by valid governmental orders.
14 international students within the Erasmus+ short-term exchange programme were admitted to the Pharmacy English language degree programme. Doctoral boards and supervisors were appointed for five doctoral degree programmes in Czech - Safety and Quality of Drugs, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology and Toxicology and three doctoral degree programmes in English - Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Technology.
According to MU standards, the Advanced Master's procedure was modified to align its processes with the habilita-tion and professorial appointment procedures. Applicants may apply for five fields and acquire the PharmDr degree by completing the final state examination.
In 2020, the 2020 HOT RSC editorial selection featured an article by Jan Otevřel, David Švestka and Pavel BobáL For the entire year of 2020, 58 Jimp-type publications (i.e. an original/summary article in a peer-reviewed professional periodical) on the Web of Science were delivered for the faculty in the RIV database. There was also one applied output - the patent of Aleš Franc et al. entitled Pharmaceutical Pellet Composition with a Particle Size of 0.1 to 10 mm for Oral Use for Aquatic Animals and How to Prepare It. Doctoral student Veronika Leláková placed 3rd in the competition for the Sanofi Award for pharmacy, announced by the French Embassy in the CR.
The Czech Science Foundation (GACR) granted CZK 2.415 mil. to support the project Complexes of Selected Tran-sitionMetals with Plant-derived Compounds withAnti-NF-kap-pa B and Pro-PPAR Dual Activities, co-investigated by Karel Smejkal, head of the Department of Natural Drugs. One grant project, co-investigated by Michaela Kuchynka, working simultaneously at the Faculty of Science, obtained funding also from the MU Grant Agency within the Career Restart call.
In specific research, 11 projects were supported, including for instance the Student Scientific Conference MUNI PHARM2021.
For 37 foreign employees from various universities, the Faculty of Pharmacy organised educational soft-skills courses. Also, a hundred academic staff members and students in the faculty's doctoral degree programmes took part in five similar courses.
Already in the 2020 spring semester, before the faculty's move to MU, students and employees joined the efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. In the first wave of the pandemic over 180 students were helping in at least 120 healthcare facilities. At the end of the year, the faculty, together with the hospital pharmacy of the University Hospital Brno also participated in the preparation of vaccination at the Brno vaccination centre.
For the first time in its history, the faculty also took part in the Researchers' Night popularisation event. Thanks to a virtual tour visitors learnt a lot about medicines and pharmaceutical care, visited laboratories and learnt to identify plants and modern technologies.
At the faculty, Reinforcing the sense of belonging has been a traditional activity of the Pharmaceutical Students' Union, which performed most of its activities in 2020 online due to the unfavourable epidemiological situation. Thus, those who were interested did not miss the FirstYear Students Welcome event or the Mobility Days, during which attendees could learn via online lectures about the opportunities offeredby Erasmus, EPSA Congress, Twinnet and SEP. Online form was also given to the Antibiotic Awareness Day, this time on antibiotic resistance and new directions in antibiotics development, from which a series of reports concerning this socially-relevant topic were posted on social networks.
MU Faculty of Economics and Administration responded to the changing needs of the labour market with new Bachelor's programmes that offer direct connection to practice. The degree programmes Business Analytics, Finance, Accounting and Taxes, Management of Cities and Regions, Management of Public Services, and Business Management, involve a minimum compulsory internship of 12 weeks which students may take with their current employer. Ideally, the practical experience should become the foundation for the final thesis orthe student project, the successful defence of which completes studies.
12.7
Faculty of Economics and Administration
In the autumn of 2020, the faculty elected its dean for the 2020-2023 term. On 9 November 2020, the newly appointed FEA Dean Jiří Špalek presented a proposal for a new faculty management to the FEA Academic Senate, which approved its composition. A major accomplishment of both the departing as well as the new faculty management was the successful first research and development evaluation by the International Evaluation Panel at the end of 2020, in which the FEA got an excellent mark of 4. In October 2020, faculty management member Martin Kvizda became Masaryk University Vice-rector for Public Relations and Lifelong Learning.
Despite the need to use online environment, the implementation of the new form of the final state examinations (FSE) in Bachelor's and follow-up Master's studies took place, making the defence of the final thesis and a broader discussion on the chosen topic the core of the FSE, in line with trends at foreign universities.
Accreditation materials for the new career-oriented Bachelor's combined degree programmes were submitted for approval to the Internal Evaluation Board. In the course of 2020, the programme boards of the Bachelor's and follow-up Master's degree programmes were supplemented with student representatives. In 2020, 2,788 students studied at the faculty, of which 1,502 were in Bachelor's, 1,196 in follow-up Master's and 90 in doctoral programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 3,877 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered.
In doctoral studies, the preparations were completed for the unique conception of doctoral studies in the form of a collaborative PhD which will newly offer studies suitable for experts from the public and private sectors. In 2020, the overall transformation of fields of study to degree programmes, including the transition of all students, was finalised. Courses were transferred online, including the new doctoral degree programme in Regional Economics with continuing collaboration with foreign institutions, particularly the WU Wien.
A significant milestone for internationalization of studies was the accreditation of Bachelor's degree programmes taught in English. Despite the unfavourable situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a major increase in the number of applications by degree-seeking international students was achieved. To support the above-mentioned trend, the faculty introduced a system for recognising foreign education during the admissions procedure, which was tried for first time in 2020. A major milestone in international cooperation was the launch of a new project under the Erasmus+ programme framework called EDUCating for Positive Management, which is linked to the established international EDUC alliance led by the Universitě Paris Nanterre.
In research and development, the faculty got fully involved in preparation of the strategy for research and doctoral studies at MU within discussions of the MU Strategic
Plan for 2021-2028 and also got involved with its topics in the preparation of the MU Strategic Development Project 2021+ Innovation for Healthy and Safe Society. In 2020, the faculty worked on three H2020 projects, two of which were large consortium RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) projects, including cooperation with large industrial concerns such as the Gorenje Group (Slovenia) or public sector partners such as UNESCO. The faculty has been newly implementing the first COST Action project Fintech and Artificial Intelligence in Finance - Towards a Transparent Financial Industry, where the FEA collaborates with more than 50 research organisations across Europe. Major emphasis was also put on the education of academic and non-academic staff in the area of OpenScience and Open Access.
In 2020, the faculty finalised its general communication conception for cooperation with secondary schools and specified the individual activities to be offered on a long-term basis, which includes, for example, lectures for students, field trips, contests and similar events. The faculty has thus stabilised the portfolio of its activities for secondary school students (e.g. the projects Touch Econ, Seminar of Economic Brains and Wealth of the Earth). As is traditional, in 2020 MU students were offered practically-oriented development workshops with companies such as KPMG, Deloitte, EY, NeoVize and IBM within the TopSeC programme (Top Students Centre), despite the need to hold these activities online.
The successful cooperation in lifelong learning for partner organisations and companies (e.g. dm drogerie markt, s.r.o., or Generali Česká pojišťovna) continued with the creation of additional sets of comprehensive courses. In response to the unfavourable pandemic situation, the promotion and implementation of the lifelong learning courses was successfully transferred online.
In 2020, the faculty supported the involvement of both students and employees in the activities of the MUNI Helps volunteering initiative. In 2020, the faculty also supported the IQ Roma servis organisation by donating older computers and other devices to support children from so-cially-disadvantaged families who were educated online during the pandemic but lacked the necessary equipment.
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NEW  NE GR E E PROGRAMME IN  CYBERSECURITY WILJgi BRING  MISSING EXPERT^ ONTO  THE   LABOUR MARKET
The Faculty of Informatics has opened career-oriented studies offering education in the much sought-after sector of network and system security. The new Cybersecurity Bachelor's degree programme opened from September 2020. The faculty was responding to the lack of people with the necessary expertise on the labour market, which is felt in the private as well as the public sector. Right after completing their studies, graduates of this three-year Bachelor's programme will be able to goto work and get a wide range of jobs, such as systems administrators, security operations centre operators, security team members or software engineers for security applications and business systems.
9
12.8
Faculty of Informatics
A key success of the Faculty of Informatics in 2020 was to maintain the high quality of research and development during the pandemic - in the M17+ evaluation by the International Panel the FI MU got a mark of 5, and thus became the best evaluated faculty at MU. The panel appreciated the high standard of research at the faculty and, most importantly, its connection to the applied sector via the CERIT Science Park and the Association of Industrial Partners of the FI.
In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 1,943 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered. A major step was the expansion of the courses offered, particularly the Bachelor's programme in Cybersecurity and the career-oriented follow-up Master's programme in Software Engineering. The transition from the original study fields to the new degree programmes continued. The new follow-up Master's programmes, including programmes in English, transitioned into their second year, as did the career-oriented Programming and Development Bachelor's programme, which counts on a semester-long internship, In 2020,2,091 students studied at the Faculty of Informatics, of which 1,378 were in Bachelor's, 618 in follow-up Master's and 95 in doctoral programmes. In 2020, the entire doctoral studies were converted into the new doctoral programme Computer Science with specialisations in Fundamentals of Computer Science and Computing Technology and Methodology.
In 2020, FI MU researchers achieved the admission of 10 of their results to A* ranked computer science conferences (as per the CORE ranking). Further, faculty researchers have also started to investigate two new GACR grants as beneficiaries, two TACR projects as beneficiaries and two other projects as partners. Also in 2020, the FI MU launched the investigation of four MEYS projects, of which two concerned national research infrastructures, and an MI CR project in security research. Besides this, the faculty is involved in individual projects of the National Centre of Competence in Cybersecurity.
The faculty maintains long-term relationships with its graduates via a Linkedln faculty group where it posts a summary of the latest faculty events at least once a year. Exceptional graduates are addressed directly, and their stories included in a bilingual gallery on the faculty web.
The faculty maintains regular contact with roughly 15 secondary schools in the region via computer science teachers, particularly by sending them a bimonthly newsletter with faculty news and lectures and events offered for those with IT talents. In 202O, some 1,400 talented student were addressed from among successful participants in Olympiads, IT contests and technical SPA at 400 schools in the Czech Republic and 200 schools in Slovakia.
In 2020, the faculty organised a wide range of activities for secondary school students with the aim of promoting interest in computer science education and research, identifying and motivating talented students to study in
the field and contributing to a transfer of knowledge and experience between university teachers and gifted students of secondary (and in a few cases primary) schools. Thanks to a MEYS subsidy, many educational activities were launched for secondary school students leading to a deepening of computational thinking and knowledge of information technologies, including programming in Python, JavaScript, C/C++, development of embedded systems or advanced education in cybersecurity. In total, 1,126 students and more than 70 lecturers and volunteers from among the faculty academic staff and students were involved in these activities.
Some faculty academic staff are engaged in other areas, such as motivating girls to study computer science via the Czechitas organisation, founded by female FI graduates. They also help with high-quality typography using the TeX (CSTUG) system for the typesetting theses of students from throughout MU (the fithesis and fibeamer projects). Faculty students are also active as volunteers, and they were particularly involved in the removal of the consequences of cyberattacks on hospitals in the spring of 2020.
There are also several student associations based and operating at the faculty: the Faculty of Informatics Student Union, the Faculty of Informatics Film Festivals and the ProFI-divadlo theatre. Students and academics also participate in popularisation events such as the Science Slam, Researcher's Night or Know the FI, co-organised by students from the Zvěřinec association.
27 companies cooperated with the faculty within the Association of Industrial Partners (AIP). Interest in membership in the AIP has long exceeded capacity, thanks to which membership is extended only based on well-functioning cooperation. Emphasis is placed on collaborative involvement of partner companies in preparation of students' final theses. In 2020, collaboration lead to the successful defence of 97 final theses, which is more than a quarter of successfully defended final theses at the FI. A prerequisite for strategic partnership collaboration (four companies in the AIP) is joint research and joint supervision over doctoral students - in 2020,13 doctoral students were supported by scholarships from strategic partners.
12.9
Faculty of Social Studies
The year 2020 was characterised by the COVID-19 pandemic, to which the Faculty of Social Studies also had to respond virtually in all areas of its operation. Judging by the feedback, the FSS was the most successful faculty of the entire university in transitioning online. This was shown by student surveys in the autumn and the spring semesters, the flexible reaction of all employees and collaborators in the difficult pandemic period is regarded as a major success by the faculty.
Because of the pandemic, the FSS slightly modified the admissions procedure. Tests in the basics of social sciences were essential for the faculty in selecting applicants for its Bachelor's programmes. Applicants for the follow-up Master's programmes were only assessed on the materials they delivered, such as the cover letter, CV, Bachelor's thesis and the list of courses. Within the admissions procedure to all Czech Bachelor's programmes, applicants had the opportunity for the first time to be admitted without an entrance exam. The decisive criterion was their placement in one of the selected categories of the Students' Professional Activities contest in the national or regional rounds. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 4,029 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered. In 2020, the faculty had 3,021 students, of which 1,663 studied in Bachelor's programmes, 1,162 in follow-up Master's programmes and 196 in doctoral programmes.
The Faculty of Social Studies consistently offers programmes taught in English: one Bachelor's, eight Master's (including one double-degree and two joint-degree programmes) and seven doctoral programmes. In 2020, the number of students in the English Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes significantly increased, from 169 in the previous year to 218. Fifteen doctoral students studied in English language doctoral programmes in 2020. The faculty offered 270 courses in English, dozens of them also outside the English language programmes. In 2020, two Bachelor's degree programmes taught in English were newly accredited: Global Challenges: Society, Politics, Environment and Politics, Media and Communication. Even in the difficult pandemic situation, 27 foreign teachers participated in the courses in foreign languages.
The epidemiological situation in 2020 was not favourable to mass meetings, therefore the 19th year of the European Graduate School for the Social Sciences (EUSOC) was held online. At the end of 2020, the FSS organised the Winter School of Contemporary European Politics (not only) for the students of the second, third and fourth years of secondary schools. A series of six online sessions offered insight into the lecturing style at the FSS as well as materials to understand current European challenges and problems; the participants could use the experience in their preparation for the school-leaving exam or admissions procedure.
The FSS puts long-term emphasis on research activities and in 2020 it managed to keep up its research performance at a high level. The faculty boasts 82 research outputs and
three monographs in the most prestigious publishing houses. The number of the publications in the Web of Science database also increased, as did the proportion of excellent publications in all the reported outcomes. The individual units have in place an excellence in research support system. The faculty has adopted the new Grant Strategy until 2025 in which it wants to focus, in addition to the Czech priority competitions of the GACR, on increasing its success rate in Horizon international grant competitions. The goals of the strategy include enhancing the motivation of units and workers and the quality of administrative support and fostering talented junior researchers.
Talented students are supported by the faculty through a system of scholarships and several competitions. In total, 11 students received an award and scholarship for their Bachelor's theses in the Inocence Arnošt Bláha competition. The Department of Media Studies and Journalism awarded the Arnošt Heinrich Prize for the best creative Bachelor's theses in the field of media and journalism. Faculty students are also acknowledged away from their home ground. Petra Daňsová received the Masaryk University Rector's Award for outstanding students in doctoral degree programmes.
The Faculty of Social Studies does not want to be only an educational and research institution only - it also wishes to be active socially. The FSS continued its Symbios project, which it has been preparing since 2015 and which offers shared housing to young adults from children's homes and students of Masaryk University. The project facilitates the transition of young adults leaving children's homes to independent living and helps selected individuals to start their own university studies.
Almost a hundred volunteers from the Faculty of Social Studies essentially contributed to the functioning of the Day Centre for the Homeless on Vlhká street in Brno.
THE
STUDIES DIAGNOSTIC ATHLETES A PUBLIC
LABORATO D  THE GE
FO
L
The Faculty of Sports Studies decided to open its specialised laboratories to athletes and the public in summer 2020. Here, anyone who is interested may undergo examinations not usually available, even in medical facilities. Sports diagnostic laboratories offer physical examinations by a sports doctor, physiotherapy, muscle strength assessment and gait diagnostics. The planned activities also include nutrition counselling, not only for athletes but also to prevent cardiovascular and other diseases of civilisation.
12.10
Faculty of Sports Studies
In 2020, the Faculty of Sports Studies made a change in the position of faculty's Dean. As of 1 May 2020, Martin Zvonaf was replaced by Jan Cacek. There were also changes in the Dean's Council. Zdenko Reguli became Vice-dean for Studies, Zuzana Sajdlova Vice-dean for Research and Development, Michal Kumstat Vice-dean for External Relations and Internationalization, and Ivan Struhar Vice-dean for Lifelong Learning. In 2020 the faculty senate election also took place, with Milena Strachova re-elected as chair.
The ability to carry out teaching and research activities during the restrictions caused by the pandemic situation can be regarded as a key accomplishment. The outcomes of the evaluation by the International Evaluation Panel, the preparation of the strategic priorities for 2021-2028, and the finalisation of the materials for obtaining the HR Award certification are also important.
In 2020,1,467 students studied at the FSpS, of which 959 were in Bachelor's, 435 in follow-up Master's, and 73 in doctoral degree programmes. In the admissions procedure for the 2020/2021 academic year, 2,679 filed applications for Bachelor's studies were registered in total. In connection with the pandemic, the entrance examination was waived for applicants for the combined Bachelor's degree programme in Physical Education and Sport and applicants for the full-time mode took a written test only. Applicants for follow-up Master's studies took the full entrance examination.
25 students and 3 academic staff travelled abroad in the mobility programmes. 30 international students completed a study placement at the FSpS. Online mobility options were also used. Two employees from foreign universities completed a teaching mobility at the FSpS. Twenty students of the Bachelor's and the follow-up studies and one doctoral student obtained scholarships to support their final thesis in English.
In 2020, the MU Faculty of Sports Studies implemented several research and development projects. It was involved as a partner in the KIDMOVE international project, supported by the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships programme. It investigated projects supported by the TA CR and other grant schemes. It participated as a co-investigator in the implementation of many university-wide OP RDE projects. In the same period, several project proposals were submitted to national and international schemes, some of which (AZV and Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships) will be implemented in the coming years.
As in previous years, doctoral students were supported by the scholarship programme for research and creative activities of talented students. The recruitment activities of the students ofKinanthrop ology were boosted by the PhD Day, which took place online.
In October, a debate on the Support for Graduates and Students of Physical Education Teacher Training in the Practice of their (Future) Profession, intended not only for faculty students and graduates, took place via MS Teams. In December,
another debate followed, focusing on psycho-pedagogical counselling and the work of the Czech School Inspectorate. In lifelong learning, the implementation of many courses was restricted given the pandemic situation, however, once restriction were relaxed the faculty managed to offer, in a non-standard form, commercial exercises attended primarily by Masaryk University staff. The Lifelong Learning Centr,e together with the University Sports Centre, prepared the MUNIsportfk city camp with an entertaining sports and exercise programme focusing on developing versatility and the basics of selected sports.
In autumn 2020, two courses in the further education of teaching staff were accredited (the Squat School and the Functional and Interval Training) and training was completed in the accredited Self-defence Instructor course for FSpS students, authorising them to apply for a trade licence in this field.
Although 2020 was marked by many restrictions, academic staff and students managed to carry out or contribute to significant events with a social impact, such as the European Youth Games for the Disabled EMIL OPEN. The two-year international project KidMove - Athlete-centred coaching practices under the Erasmus+ programme was completed in 2020, with the objective of collecting proven coaching practices oriented to the needs of junior athletes which might prevent the dropout of children from sports clubs.
The project Research and evaluation of firefighters' exposure during indoor fire suppression operations and usage of extinguishing foams was implemented in collaboration with RECETOX and the Educational and Training Institution of the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic. In 2020, the faculty also implemented the nation-wide UNIS project, aiming to create conditions for students of public higher education institutions so that successful and promising student athletes could harmonise their highly demanding studies with sports preparation and participation in competitions.
Students and employees were also involved in the MUNI Helps project, primarily by educating the public in physical activities, and in so doing did not leave out any age group.
12.11
Central European Institute of Technology
The Central European Institute of Technology, aka CEITEC MU, is an international research centre focusing on basic research in the life sciences. In 2020, its researchers were committed to enhancing the quality of human life and health. The success of the institute is the collective work of 512 employees from 37 countries. The CEITEC MU strives to create a supportive and stimulating environment promoting the discussion and development of ideas, and a culture of open communication and equal opportunities. It applies modern methods in recruiting and integrating employees and offers diverse possibilities for career development and a transparent careers system. The CEITEC MU is the proud holder of a HR Award.
In the difficult year of 2020, CEITEC researchers published over 300 articles in prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals, of which more than half were in journals in the 25% best professional periodicals. Pavla Gajdůšková, under the leadership of Dalibor Blažek, discovered that the protein CDK11 may be a weak point of tumour cells. This protein, called cyclin-dependent kinase 11, plays an important role in the transcription of genetic information. These findings are very important for the development of cancer therapies.
Liam Keegan from Mary O'Connell's research group revealed the role of the ADAR RNA editing enzyme in neurodegeneration and immunity. Soňa Valuchová and Karel Říha have developed a microscopic technique enabling the real-time visualisation of cell processes in plant reproduction. For the first time in history, they have presented videos showing cell processes during the development of the embryonic pathway of plants in living flowers.
Structural virologists Pavol Bárdy and Pavel Plevka were the first researchers to reveal the structure of a DNA-trans-ferring GTA. Their findings might be useful for the development of biotechnological solutions requiring the transfer of desired genes to microorganisms. Ondřej Slabý succeeded in developing a new method for the easier diagnosis of colorectal tumours from blood. It will enable earlier detection of this type of cancer from ablood sample. This new method could be available to doctors within two years.
Cytogeneticist Terezie Mandáková received the GACR Award for her research into the structure of chromosomes and genomes and their changes during evolution. The Werner von Siemens Award for the most important scientific result in basic research went to the expert team lead by Pavel Plevka for the description of the structure of the tick-borne encephalitis virus and its interaction with the neutralising antibody. Plant biologist Karel Říha has become a new member of the prestigious EMBO and now ranks among world's leaders in research.
In 2020, CEITEC MU received 8 international and 34 national research grants worth more than EUR 18 million. The most prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant was awarded to Robert Vácha for his research into fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. CEITEC MU coordinates the international
Alliance4Life partnership, which aims to improve the strategic management of institutions and contribute to positive changes at national level, and is also a partner in the EU-LIFE consortium of 15 leading European biomedical research institutions.
Doctoral students of the international CEITEC PhD School have access to a state-of-the-art research infrastructure and training in an English-speaking interdisciplinary research community. The PhD School is built on the Principles for Innovative Doctoral Training issued by the European Union with the aim of unifying the quality of doctoral studies in Europe. In this unique doctoral programme, students get support from their mentors and are systematically guided to successful and timely completion of their doctoral studies. This approach is bearing fruit and doctoral students here can boast of first-author publications in high impact journals, victories in competitions and prestigious scholarships.
CEITEC MU is also aware of its social responsibility and the importance of communicating and popularising science. In 2020, the institute released 40 press releases, published 168 articles on its website and was covered in the media 720 times. As every year, the institute got involved in several science popularisation events for the public. The renowned structural virologist Pavel Plevka regularly appeared in the Czech media and informed society on the latest findings about the new type of coronavirus.
CYBERSECURITY HUB STRENGTHEN COOPERATIO IN CYBERSECURITY
i
Mi
Masaryk University, the Czech Technical University in Prague, and the Brno University of Technology have together established the new CyberSecurity Hub. The goal is to intensify the already existing cooperation in cybersecurity between three universities among the national and international leaders in cybersecurity research. The new institute will significantly boost the position and the competitiveness of Czech cybersecurity research and education in collaboration with the applied sector. Besides strengthening their research activities, the universities will also focus on support for industry and European certification of cutting-edge technologies in cybersecurity.
12.12
Institute of Computer Science
The Institute of Computer Science is a hybrid unit connecting care for the university-wide infrastructure and IT services with application-oriented research. The two profile research directions - cybersecurity and the development and use of e-infrastructures - together with other research and development, provide a cutting-edge expertise for the operation, development and methodological supervision of MU's information infrastructure (except for the IS MU and its services).
For an infrastructural institution, involvement in large national and international research infrastructures is crucial. The CERIT-SC centre at the Institute of Computer Science is part of the national e-INFRA CZ e-in-frastructure, created the previous year by interconnecting with the IT4lnnovation supercomputing centre and the CESNET association. The centre is also part of the ELIXIR CZ infrastructure and in 2020 its connection to the RE-CETOX research infrastructure became more formal. The collaboration includes other infrastructures as well, such as the BBMRI and the CzechGlobe. Development of research structures is supported by the OP RDE projects CERIT-SC and ELIXÍR CZ: Capacity Building, coordinated by the ICS, and also thee-ÍNFRA CZ, where the ICS is a partner.
Involvement in international cooperation through active participation in several H2020 projects co-financed by the European Commission is equally important. The most important projects in this area are EOSC-Life and CINECA, where ICS employees lead work packages tasked with building an authentication and authorisation Infrastructure (AAl). MU assumed the role of a personal data controller for the AAI and the ICS prepared, in collaboration with its partners, a complete set of relevant documents and policies necessary to the operation in compliance with the GDPR. At the same time, the institute was involved in the implementation of the EOSC-Hub project, a fundamental pillar in building the EOSC.
In 2020, the ICS Director was authorised by the MEYS to represent the Czech Republic on the EOSC Governance Board and at the end of the year MU joined, as a regular member, the newly-established EOSC Association, a non-profit organisation based in Belgium, which will be a partner to the European Commission in the strategic guidance of the EOSC in the coming period. Through the ICS, MU has also become a member of the Open AIRE AMKE international organisation; along with membership in the associations, MU has become a contact point for Czech Republic's involvement in the Open Access and EOSC activities of the EU.
The ICS has launched a new phase of Open Science support, which after a series of training sessions and workshops gave rise to the first draft of the MU Open Science Strategy. Within the Action Plan for the implementation of the Czech Republic National Open Access to Scientific Information Strategy, the ICS carried out for the RDI Council a survey of the current condition of scientific repositories in the CR, which mapped 57 research information repositories and 36 important research data resources.
Cybersecurity research is primarily provided by the OP RDE project Czech CyberCrime Centre of Excellence (C4E), coordinated by the ICS and involving teams from the FI and FLaw in a top research environment that integrates computer science with the legal and sociological aspects of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity research was also supported by two international and several national projects, funded mainly by the Czech Ministry of Interior or the TACR. Ongoing cooperation with other higher education institutions and state security services, primarily the NCISA, was also important.
The preparation for the generational renewal of the university's economic and personnel system continued. Although, due to the pandemic restrictions, it was not possible in the first half of the year to carry out the planned second phase of market consultations, a plan for the further procedure was prepared. This plan, which assumes the completion of the entire generational renewal process by 2025, was approved in October 2020 by MU management and subsequently intensive preparations of the call for tenders were launched, with the aim of announcing it in spring 2021.
Naturally, the pandemic measures, in place since March 2020 with a short summer break, were reflected in the activities of the ICS. This substantially affected the implementation and use of Microsoft Office 365 tools, in connection with the university's general transition to online teaching and institutional management. A more than four-fold increase in the use of the O365 tools required the expansion of training and the introduction of a methodology for online teaching and examinations, including final state examinations. Online teaching was also significantly supported through the E-vypujcka and E-prezencka applications developed, which made MU library collections remotely available to students.
To facilitate the tracking of COVID-19 at MU, mass confirmations of employees' approvals and declarations, extended approval and other activities supporting online work, INET system applications were developed, which together with the above made a substantial contribution to the smooth running of MU during the pandemic.
MU Organizational Structure
MU Organizational Structure
Masaryk University MU     Rector's Office RMU
Žerotínovo nám. 617/9, 60177 Brno, Česká republika, www.muni.cz Žerotínovo nám. 617/9, 60177 Brno
Faculties
Faculty Faculty _. .     ,     Faculty _ .
of Law FLaW     of Medicine FMeCl     of Science FoCI
Veveří 158/70, 61180 Brno Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno Kotlářská 267/2, 61137 Brno
Faculty Faculty __ , Faculty
of Arts FA     of Education FEClU     of Pharmacy FPhariTI
Arna Nováka 1/1, 602 00 Brno Poříčí 623/7, 603 00 Brno Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 00 Brno
Faculty of Economics Faculty Faculty COO
and Administration      FEA     of Informatics of Social Studies Fob
Lipová 507/413, 602 00 Brno Botanická 554/68a, 602 00 Brno Joštova 218/10, 602 00 Brno
Faculty CC«C of Sports Studies l~OpO
Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno
University Institutes
Institute of Computer i^\r> Science IvsO
Botanická 554/683, 602 00 Brno
Central European
Institute of f%cVTCn Technology        vCI I
Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno
University Facilities
Language Centre
LC
Komenského nám. 220/2, 662 43 Brno
Masaryk University Archives
Zerotínovo nám. 449/3, 602 00 Brno
Centre for International Cooperation O IL»
Komenského nám. 220/2, 662 43 Brno
Support Centre for Students with Special Needs (Teiresiás)
Komenského nám. 220/2, 662 43 Brno
Technology Transfer
Office TT O
Komenského nám. 220/2, 662 43 Brno
Mendel Museum
Mendlovo náměstí 907/ia, 603 00 Brno
University Centre Telč
UCT
Náměstí Zachariase z Hradce 2, 588 56 Telč
Central Management Accommodation and
Structure of the CEITEC Project     Catering Services ACO
Koliště 1965/133, 602 00 Brno
Vinařská 47i/5a, 603 00 Brno
Masaryk University Press (Munipress)
Rybkova 987/19, 602 00 Brno
Management of the University Campus _ .äD at Bohunice MUCB
Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno
Career Centre
cc
Komenského nám. 220/2, 662 43 Brno
Centre for the Development of Pedagogical ^CDDC^ Competences   UCrir CIS.
Veveří 468/26, 602 00 Brno
List of Abbreviations
University
ACS Accommodation and Catering Services
AIP Association of Industrial Partners
AS MU Masaryk University Academic Senate
BIM Building information modelling
BMS Building management system
BTMU Board of Trustees of Masaryk University
C4E CyberCrime Centre of Excellence
CC Career Centre
CEITEC Central European Institute of Technology CERIT-SC      Centre for Education, Research and
Innovation in ICT CERPEK       Pedagogical Competence Development
Centre
CIC Centre for International Cooperation
CSIRT-MU    Computer Security Incident Response Team
ECU Economic Unit
EDUC European Digital UniverCity (consortium
of universities) ESN Erasmus Student Network
EUSOC European Graduate School for the Social
Sciences FA Faculty of Arts
FE A Faculty of Economics and Administration
FEdu Faculty of Education
FI Faculty of Informatics
FLaw Faculty of Law
FMed Faculty of Medicine
FPharm        Faculty of Pharmacy
FSci Faculty of Science
FSE Final state examination
FSpS Faculty of Sports Studies
FSS Faculty of Social Studies
GAMU Grant Agency of Masaryk University
HR4MU        Human resources development and
international research orientation at MU ICRC International Clinical Research Centre
ICS Institute of Computer Science
IDP MU        Institutional development projects of
Masaryk University
IEP International Evaluation Panel
IIS Internal Inspection System
INBIT Biotechnological incubator
INET Enterprise resource planning system
IS Institutional support
IS MU Masaryk University Information System
ISO International Staff Office
LC Language Centre
LL Lifelong learning
LPT Learning Potential Test
MIMSA        Association of International Medical
Students at Masaryk University MU Masaryk University
MUEB MU Ethics Board
MU ISAB      Masaryk University International
Scientific Advisory Board MUCB Management of the University Campus at
Bohunice
MUDF Masaryk University Development Fund
MUIEB Masaryk University Internal Evaluation
Board
MUST week Masaryk University Staff Training Week P-P00L Undergraduate programme for motivated
medical students REC Research Ethics Committee
RECETOX     Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in
the Environment RMU Masaryk University's Rector's Office
SB MU Scientific Board of Masaryk University
SC MU MU Shopping Centre
SCSSN Support Centre for Students with Special
Needs (Teiresiäs) SIMU+ Strategic Investments of Masaryk
University in Education SUPO System of Payment of Claims
TopSeC Top Students Centre
TTO Technology Transfer Office
U3V University of the Third Age
UCB University Campus at Bohunice
UCT University Centre Tele
120
Other
AAI Authentication and Authorisation
Infrastructure AVT Audiovisual Technology
AZV Czech Health Research Council
BUT Brno University of Technology
CAFM Computer-Aided Facility Management
CAS Czech Academy of Sciences
CESNET       Czech Education and Scientific NETwork CR Czech Republic
CU Charles University
C V Curriculum Vitae
CzechELib    National Centre for Electronic Information Resources
EIR Electronic information resources
EIS Electronic Information System
EMBO European Molecular Biology Organisation
EOSC European Open Science Cloud
ERC European Research Council
ESFRI European Strategic Forum for Research
Infrastructure ESIF European Structure and Investment Funds
EU European Union
EUA European University Association
EULETA       European Legal English Teachers'
Association GACR Czech Science Foundation
Gbps Gigabit per second, bit rate unit
GIS Geographic information System
H2020 EU Research and Innovation Framework
Programme HEI Higher education institution
HR Human resources
IATEFL        International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
ICM International Credit Mobility
ICT / IT        Information and communication
technologies / information technologies
ISEP International Student Exchange
Programmes
km Kilometre
LCDRO Long-term conceptual development of
a research organisation M17+ Methodology 2017+ (science evaluation
system)
MA Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech
Republic
MENDELU    Mendel University in Brno
MEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of
the Czech Republic MI Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic
MIT Ministry of Industry and Trade of the
Czech Republic MSCA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
NCISA National Cyber and Information Security
Agency
NSP National Sustainability Programme
OHS and FS   Occupational health and safety and fire safety
OP EIC Operational Programme Enterprise and
Innovations for Competitiveness
OP RDE Operational Programme Research,
Development and Education
OU Ostrava University
PUO Palacký University Olomouc
R&D Research and Development
RIV Information Register of R&D results
rm Running metre
SAO Supreme Audit Office
SMR South Moravian Region
SPA Students' Professional Activities
SPF Special-purpose Fund
TACR Technology Agency of the Czech Republic
TB Terabyte
TGM Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
TUO Technical University of Ostrava
UH University Hospital
UVPS University of Veterinary and
Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
USA United States of America
WoS Web of Science
121
Annual Activity Report Masaryk University 2020
Published by Masaryk University, Žerotínovo nám. 617/9, 60177 Brno Editor: Ivana Staveník, Strategy Office, MU Rector's Office
Content and editorial collaboration: Martina Vidová, Mariya Sydoruk and Šárka Řehořová Translation: Lenka Bělková and František Rulík
Production: Pavla Hudcová, Communication and External Relations Office, MU Rector's Office Edition series design: Milan Katovský and Kateřina Katovská Graphic design and DTP: Milan Katovský and Pavel Kotrla
Photo authors: Martin Indruch, Zuzana Vernerová, Jan Prokopius, Jitka Janů, MediaAge Agency, Radek Miča for Universitas and Can Stock Photo 1st edition, 2021
© Masaryk University, 2021
© Masaryk University, 2021