Eleven talents from Pilsen. UWB and CU's Pilsen Medical Faculty honored outstanding students

From nuclear energy to comics. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, with the city of Pilsen and Pilsen region, honored nine students for exceptional research or social impact. The CU Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen also nominated two medical students for the Regional governor’s award.

This year, the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen decided to recognize fewer students than in previous years, placing greater emphasis on concrete and verifiable results. The Rector’s Scholarship went to three UWB students: Matouš Hora from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for his design work on the university’s formula car, Tereza Poncová from the Faculty of Education for creating a virtual field trip on brown coal mining for geography classes, and Tomáš Knopf from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering for outstanding academic results. “Each awardee shows that a university is not just a place to gain knowledge, but a space where ideas with real impact emerge. Their drive and their ability to push their fields forward are both a commitment and an inspiration for us,” said UWB Rector Miroslav Lávička.

The City of Pilsen Scholarship was awarded to Jan Ullmann, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, who links energy production planning with artificial intelligence methods. Recognition also went to Lenka Holá from Sutnarka for a three-part comic used in psychotherapy and work with incarcerated people, and to Musa Turhan from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for developing a durable 3D-printed component for a nuclear reactor’s safety system.

The Pilsen Region Scholarship was handed over by the regional governor to Michal Drahokoupil from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering for his work on a new battery for the university’s electric formula car; to Filip Zajíc from the Faculty of Education, whose bachelor’s thesis in literary studies attracted attention abroad; and to Tomáš Macháč, a doctoral student from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering specializing in augmented reality.

The governor’s scholarship also went to two students from the Pilsen branch of Charles University’s Faculty of Medicine. Rudolf Kořínek, a dentistry student, and Terezie Voráčková, a sixth-year general medicine student, received the award for excellent academic performance. “We have been supporting students as a region since 2004, and we will continue to do so because their academic growth matters to us. They often help move our region forward, and they inspire others who are considering studying here,” said Governor Kamal Farhan.