(This content has been translated automatically.)

Dear employees,

This issue of the university newsletter comes to you in the first week of May, and that means that not only April weather but also AFOs are a thing of the past for this year. The film festival filled the Olomouc cinema halls again after the covid break and welcomed a total of almost 6,000 accredited visitors. But there is no need to despair about its end – some films can still be seen online. Next Wednesday, you can air your head at the UP Sports Day – and the third good news is that we are not even three weeks away from the Olomouc May Festival – Majáles. In the meantime, of course, you can look forward to the next newsletter!

Take advantage of the unique opportunity to invite an interesting person to UP

Since 1994, a lecture has usually been held in November in honour of prof. PhDr. Josef Ludvík Fischer (in Czech), who was the first rector of Palacký University after its restoration in 1946. Any member of the academic community can submit a proposal for a candidate who you think should give the lecture this year, and the proposal must include a short justification. It should be a prominent Czech or foreign personality from any scientific field. The presentation of the lecture is associated with a financial reward. Proposals should be sent to prorektorkaVaV@upol.cz no later than 15 May 2022. The selection is then decided by the Rector of UP on the proposal of the relevant university committee.

On Wednesday, play sports with the university

Thanks to UP's Akademik Sport Centre, you can play sports all year round – but only one day a year is truly a university-wide sports holiday. This year, UP Sports Day (in Czech) falls on May 11, next Wednesday, and will offer up to 30 sports activities and tournaments. Among those that take place outdoors, there is the popular boating expedition – down the river from Hynkov, horse riding for children or a hiking walk from castle to castle. Under the roof you can do zumba, lacrosse or sauna.

There will also be an afternoon programme in the Sports Hall of UP – refreshments, music and a prize draw. All activities are free of charge and the Rector of UP grants a Rector's leave for this day. So you can book the activities in time – details, including the full programme, can be found on the ASC UP website (in Czech).

Discounted fares on shared bikes from Nextbike

Not only in May, when the Bike to Work challenge is running, but also throughout the rest of the year, you can now – thanks to the University's cooperation with Nextbike – use shared bikes under more favourable conditions. On this page (in Czech) you can find a discount code for an annual pass for CZK 599 or a monthly pass for CZK 129. In addition, when you register with your university email, you will automatically receive a CZK 100 credit. You can find out all about how to ride the shared bikes here. And did you know that you can rent a bike without a smartphone?

Win prizes worth CZK 30,000 with the Majáles

We have no doubt that you have the date May 24-25 marked in your diary for a long time. However, after a three-year break, the Olomouc Majáles will offer more than just great music, theatre or film performances. You can also look forward to a lot of accompanying events and especially the traditional allegorical parade through the city, which you should definitely join. Not only will the best masks and banners (and there are no limits to imagination) be judged by an expert jury with representatives of the university, the city and the region, but also prizes worth over 30,000 crowns! You can find out more about the parade on the Facebook event (in Czech) and on the website olomouckymajales.cz (in Czech), where you can also find information about other competitions (in Czech), including the one for the best university meme.

The Majáles will also have a strong focus on sustainability, so among other things, you will be able to stop by the charity and sustainable clothing shop (in Czech) prepared by the Sustainable University, the Sustainable Palacký Association and the Dobrodruhá charity shop. However, in order to have something to sell and swap, we need your cooperation in advance. Let the spring wind into your wardrobe and bring what's still nice but you won't wear anymore, either to Dobrodruhá (Mon–Fri, 10–17) or to the Student Club at the Zbrojnice on May 23 and 24. Proceeds will go to the transparent account of Charity Olomouc for Ukraine.

Comfortable sunbathing at the Zbrojnice (Armoury)

Winter and April weather are hopefully behind us, so there's no reason to continue hiding inside the library (at least until we're back there again to escape the summer heat). So lay back with your book, laptop, or just chill out on one of the 15 beach chaise lounges in the university colors. The sun loungers are available free of charge upon presentation of a student identification card, ISIC card or UP employee card at the reception desk of the UP Library on the ground floor of the Armoury. You can make your stay or study in the courtyard of the library in a non-traditional way from 27 April during the library's opening hours.

Call for papers: Interdisciplinary doctoral conference

Do you use interdisciplinary methods in your doctoral research? Do you perceive interdisciplinary potential in your topic that has not yet been developed, or do you believe, on the contrary, that an interdisciplinary approach would not be beneficial to your scholarly or research interests? If so, submit your paper by the end of July for the PhD conference (in Czech) on 24–25 November 2022.