The management meeting on Wednesday 9 October discussed the ongoing selection process for the director of CATRIN, the opening of the new UP Archives building and the upcoming renaming of the dormitories. Read the full summary (in Czech) (after logging in the UP Portal), we will prepare another one for you in 14 days. More detailed information will subsequently be available in the minutes of the management meeting in UPShare, as well as in the minutes of other bodies, in UP standards and documents and on other information platforms.

Membership in the European university network Aurora, whose president is UP Rector Martin Procházka, has already brought a lot of good things to UP – not only a stronger position among European universities, but also many benefits for its students and employees. Exchange stays, online courses, joint projects, a map of research centres, a database of trainers or an emerging joint international study programme – these are just some of them. What else is happening in Aurora? Find out in the new issue of the Aurora at UP newsletter.

The Welcome Office is thrilled to launch UP Chronicles, a new series of articles that will give you an insider's view of life at Palacký University through the eyes of our ambassadors! Want to see how international students experience the university and what their journey looks like on different faculties? Check out the first article by Kung-Te (Derek) Chu and explore the university from a fresh perspective!

We invite you to be part of the Dorm Council (in Czech) for this academic year 2024/2025! If you live in the UP dorms and are passionate about making our community better, this is your chance to make a difference. Join us to share your ideas, collaborate with fellow residents, and help improve the living experience for everyone. Your insights and experiences are invaluable! We are looking for an international degree student, who is not part of the Erasmus programme, to represent all international boarders for the whole academic year 2024/2025. Register here!

Have you defended your bachelor's or master's thesis? Have you published a professional article? Have you achieved a top ranking in sport? If your answer to at least one of the questions is "yes", then do not hesitate to enter the competition for the Palacký University Rector's Award (in Czech). The deadline for applications is Wednesday, November 6.

The first year of the university-wide competition for the best teacher(s) is here (in Czech)! You can fill in one name on the eval.upol.cz website and send your candidate to the shortlist in two categories. Nominations are only open until 31 October.

Celebration of 450 years of the university, a visit from the president, record enrollments, significant discoveries, the fifty-eighth AFO. You can read what all happened at Palacký University in 2023 in the promotional version of the UP Annual Report (in Czech).

LECTURES

Come to the annual lecture honoring the University's first post-war rector, J. L. Fischer. This time the invitation of the University was accepted by czech economist, philosopher and educator Tomáš Sedláček. He will talk about the ways in which matter, knowledge and the meaning of economics have been transformed in human history. This year, for the first time, we have decided to offer the opportunity to attend the lecture to the general public, so we will meet together on 7 November at the Metropol cinema. Admission is free, registration is required.

As in previous semesters, the Sustainable University invites you to a series of lectures and workshops (in Czech) focusing on sustainability, responsible lifestyle, electromobility and ergonomics in the workplace. They are free of charge for all interested people from UP and the public. The next one will take place on 30 October – Jan Staněk, known as Electro Dad, will speak on the topic (Are) electric cars changing the world?. The full programme, registration and recordings of past events can be found on the Sustainable University website (in Czech).

After the holiday break, Element Talks (in Czech) are back and this time they will focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the impact of AI on law and legislation. We'll meet on October 23 at 5:30pm in Element Coworking (in Czech). How can MS Copilot become a new teammate to help manage everyday challenges? And how to sufficiently secure applications using AI? What impact does AI have on legal and ethical issues? Register for (in Czech) the next in the series of Element Talks, this time part of the AI Days (in Czech).

INVITATIONS

Want to start a business but don't know where to start? Come get inspired at UP Business Camp 2024 (in Czech)! This year we will focus on sustainability in business with regard to the environment, the use of new technologies, but also wellbeing, human resources and ESG criteria. We will meet on 22 November at the Fortress of Knowledge. Tickets are on sale now and you can get them at a discounted price until 22 October. UP students and employees can even take advantage of an additional discount.

Throughout the month of November, the Haná metropolis will be dominated by the Olomouc Design Days festival , which is also co-organised by our university. On Friday 1 November, Petr Bilík will present Olomouc in a film in the Chapel of Corpus Christi. After the lecture, the opening party of the festival awaits you in the atrium of the Konvikt. A day later you can register for five thematic blocks focused on the use of AI not only for creatives. Saturday's programme will be complemented by a ReUse day full of workshops, lectures and a swap prepared by the Sustainable University. On Sunday, 3 November, you can visit selected studios at the UP Art Centre as part of the Open Studios programme.

EGEA is looking for the Olomouc GeoGuessr champion! The game consists in appearing in Google Streetview in a random place on the planet. Your task is to find out where you are by what you see. The winner is the one who hits it the fastest and closest to the actual location. You can compete in teams of three on October 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Faculty of Science (November 17, 12, room 2.005). More info and registration at olomouc@egea.eu.

COMPETITION

Compete with Výstaviště Flora for free tickets

In the current newsletter we bring you a competition for tickets to two events at the Flora Olomouc Exhibition Centre. If you are tempted by LEGO bricks, you can go this weekend to the LEGO® models World of Bricks 2024 event, and if you prefer plants, we invite you to the exhibition Jewels of the Forest - a sales exhibition of orchids and tropical plants, which takes place from 18 October to 3 November 2024 in the Flora Collection Greenhouses. 

We have pairs of tickets for each of these events. If you want to go to the first cube event, email us by Friday with your answer to the contest question Which iconic building from Harry Potter will appear in the exhibition as a giant Lego model? to soutez@upo l.cz. And if you're tempted by tropical plants, email us by Wednesday 23 October with your answer to the question What will be the focus of the Olomouc Design Days university conference on Saturday 2 November at Konvikt? again to soutez@upol.cz.