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Dear students,

Although the holidays are in full swing and we are all trying to recuperate and recharge for the next academic year, it seems that the coronavirus is not waiting for September. The university management therefore urges caution and personal responsibility so that we can continue to enjoy university and everyday life without inconvenience. Read the full text of the appeal, including the words of Rector Martin Procházka. Among other news from the university world, you will also find two competitions whose deadlines are fast approaching – so be sure not to put off reading the newsletter for long.

Regular maintenance of university computer networks is essential. Therefore, the Computer Centre is planning a traditional service week during the less busy holiday period. It will take place from 8–12 August. We ask for your patience as there will be continuous outages of all services during this period, especially the website and logins to UP's information systems and other resources. A detailed schedule can be found in this message (in Czech).

Are you interested in the historical context of the current conflict? Is the creator of modern Ukraine really V. I. Lenin, as President Putin claims, or is it all more complicated than that? How did the Tatars end up in Crimea? Where did the Cossack leaders Khmelnitsky and Mazepa come from, and who were Petliura, Makhno, Konovalets or Bandera? Many questions, which will be answered during the winter semester by the new course of the History Department of the Faculty of Arts, History of Ukraine (from Kievan Rus to the present). Detailed program, schedule and enrollment options are hidden in the STAG under the code KHI/KD20A.

The Centre for Students with Special Needs helps nearly 400 students from across the university – it seeks to enhance their study comfort and alleviate any difficulties they may have in their studies. This year it celebrates its 10th birthday in its current form, so we invite you to join us for the celebrations (in Czech), which are planned for 6 and 7 October. But join them now – by taking part in the How Diverse is Inclusive Palacký University? competition, in which you will creatively elaborate on your experiences with inclusion. Find inspiration and more information on the Centre's website (in Czech). The deadline is on the horizon – you can create and submit until 15 August.

Look around carefully and try to catch places or moments where real or thought "bubbles" meet. The Olomouc in Bubbles photo contest, organised by the City of Olomouc in cooperation with the Sustainable University and the Sluňákov Centre for Ecological Activities, is open to Olomouc citizens over 15 years of age. Where Nature Meets Man and Bubbles We Live In. The first category will include photographs depicting the contrast or intermingling of nature and civilisation, and the second category will include photographs depicting encounters between people from different social groups or people with different opinions. You have until 15 September, details here (in Czech).

Do you use interdisciplinary methods in your doctoral research? Do you perceive an interdisciplinary potential in your topic that has not yet been developed, or are you convinced that an interdisciplinary approach would not be beneficial to your scientific or research interest? If so, please take advantage of the extended registration deadline and submit your paper by 10 October for the PhD conference on 24–25 November 2022. Please see the website for details and the application form.