(This content has been translated automatically.)

Dear students, 

Did it ever happen to you that you didn't know something that the sparrows on the roof were chirping about? Just to make sure it doesn't happen to you, we're sending you another edition of the university newsletter to mark the first day of spring and World Sparrow Day. In it, we've picked out the most important things that have happened, are happening and will happen at the university.

WHAT'S GOING ON AT UP

At the last management meeting on Wednesday 13/3/2024, there was discussion about security measures or increasing the housing stipend. The UP Internal Assessment Board is looking into a proposal to replace the final undergraduate thesis with an alternative form of demonstrating student competence for some of the Faculty of Arts' degree programmes. 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.

The university has in recent days introduced measures against unwanted visitors on campus (in Czech). The reception desk at the 17 November Residence Hall has resumed operations and security guards are in place throughout the campus. Also, the passage between the main canteen and the Šmeralova dormitory and canteen is closed (in Czech).

On Maundy Thursday, March 28, the main canteen will be open only until 2:30 pm. Other canteens and FreshUP bistros will have standard opening hours.

Are you struggling with personal, study, work or other problems and feel the need to solve them? Do you need advice on law, healthy living, sustainability, or perhaps business, projects and grants? Take advantage of the counselling services provided by our university. You can find a wide range of them in the new signpost on the website upol.cz/counselling.

The Olomouc Majáles of Palacký University (in Czech) will again enrich the festival spring in the city. In three days, it will offer a lot of music, film and theatre, the largest showcase of student and non-profit organizations, competitions, talks, exhibitions and workshops for everyone. All this with the subtitle Without Borders on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union. Every day you can look forward to a different programme in a different location and great concerts by Bára Poláková, Pam Rabbit, Michal Horák or the Slovak DJ duo Malalata. Follow on FB and web!

An extensive advisory network has been established at UP, three faculties have their own ombudsmen, and the fourth is currently holding elections for ombudsmen. What is the awareness of students and workers at UP about the possibilities of help in case of unethical behaviour? The results can be found on the Fair University website (in Czech).

VOLUNTEERING AND TEMPORARY JOBS

There's a lot to do in the spring – and this is an opportunity for every volunteer! Roll up your sleeves and sign up for a student volunteer day (in Czech). Together with other students from the UP and several secondary schools, you will take care of the greenery in the Flora and Botanical Gardens, the garden of the St. Kopeček Hospice or the Psychiatry Clinic of the Olomouc University Hospital. You can also go to the ecological centre Sluňákov or to Šternberk. The event will take place on Friday 12 April from approximately 8 am to 1 pm. Register on the UP Volunteer Centre website! (in Czech)

Academic Sport Center UP (in Czech) is looking for leaders, assistant instructors, coaches, medical staff and warehouse workers for summer suburban camps. It is also looking for sports program instructors and qualified archery or fitness instructors.

Do you want to experience the festival differently and help with the organization? Join the AFO59 crew! If you are interested in joining us and want to know more info, email stab@afo.cz.

The Divadelní Flora festival, which will take place in Olomouc from 9 to 20 May, is also looking for volunteers. If you are interested and want to know more info, please write to petra.pankova@divadelniflora.cz by March 30. In the next newsletters you can also look forward to a competition for tickets!

LECTURES AND COURSES

There is no doubt that the results of scientific work need to be published. However, it is equally important to popularise research and the work of scientists – that is, to bring it closer to the public. The upcoming AFO Popular Science Film Festival will therefore also include two science communication workshops. They will be led by experts from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, UP's partner in the Aurora network. Sign up by the end of March!

How did the West go from the New Age to the cult of Donald Trump, and why is our culture the deepest battleground of the information war? Alexandra Alvarova is a journalist, political communication and online propaganda expert. The lecture (in Czech) will take place on March 26th at 3 pm in the auditorium of the Faculty of Education of UP.

Lovers of Old English poetry and those interested in translation have a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the famous heroic poem Beowulf. The lecture and discussion "The Borrowed World or On Translating Beowulf" (in Czech) will take place on Wednesday, April 3 at 5 pm in Room 3.05 at the Department of English and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, UP (Křížkovského 10, back wing).

Would you like to finally break down your inhibitions when communicating in German? Sign up for the AKTION Czech-Austria Summer Colleges! Every year, students from the Czech Republic and Austria meet in České Budějovice and Poděbrady with one common goal: to learn the language of the partner country and thus improve mutual understanding. More info and other offers can be found on the International Cooperation (in Czech) website.

INVITATIONS

Donate Life campaign arrives in Olomouc. Come on Thursday 21 March (8:30-16:30) in front of the Faculty of Law of UP and expand the bone marrow donor register (in Czech). The recruitment is coordinated by Alma Mater under the umbrella of the Czech Hematopoietic Cell Donor Registry IKEM. Donors enter the registry anonymously and under a barcode. The event is part of the International Conference of Municipal Police, which is co-organized by the PF UP.

There are 19 Easter caches in the centre of Olomouc, especially in places connected with the university and student life. Now you have to find them! The hints will lead you (in Czech) to the hiding places. Be sure to register (in Czech) before you start your search. There are prizes for the most successful and fastest searchers. The game runs from March 20 to April 30; for more information, visit the FB or IG of the Society of Students of the Department of Social Sciences of the Faculty of Education of UP.

EGEA is looking for the Olomouc GeoGuessr champion! The game consists of appearing on 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 April 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Faculty of Science (17. listopadu 12, room 5.007). More info and registration at olomouc@egea.eu.

The Department of Sport of the Faculty of Physical Culture of UP invites you to the 20th year of the UP Rope Climbing Championship (in Czech). Athletes from all parts of the university can take part in it, competing on 4.5-meter and 8-meter ropes. The fastest climbers will be awarded the title of UP Champion/Premier for 2024, a medal and a diploma. The championship will take place on Tuesday, March 26, at 5 pm in the Hynais Gymnasium.

The One World International Human Rights Film Festival (in Czech) starts on 2 April at the Metropol cinema. The event, supported by UP, will highlight dozens of stories about human rights and their violations, as well as the brave actions of people around us. It will focus on climate change, freedom of speech, independent justice, identities and artificial intelligence. The festival will take place in Olomouc from 2 to 6 April 2024 in several venues, including the auditorium of the Cyril and Methodius Theological Faculty (in Czech).

NEW STANDARDS

• Accommodation scholarships at UP for the period January–June 2024

  This internal UP standard, effective from 18 March 2024, (in Czech) is intended mainly for UP students and other UP employees. It sets the amount of the accommodation grant for the period January-June 2024.

   

  All UP standards, including the ineffective ones, divided by UP units, with the possibility of filtering and searching in them can be found by students and employees of UP after logging in to files.upol.cz.