Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

Last year, eight high school students had the opportunity to take part in real research tasks alongside top experts from the New Technologies Research Centre at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (NTC UWB). This year, fourteen spots are available. “Young people’s interest in science is an important driving force—not only for our university, but for the future of the entire region. Hands-on experience like this can be crucial in deciding on further studies and a future career,” says Miroslav Holeček, NTC’s Deputy Director for Development, who was one of the initiators of the student internship idea.

This year, the range of topics has expanded to include a completely new discipline—quantum computing. Five students will be selected for this area, where they’ll spend ten days learning the basics of quantum physics, exploring quantum computer simulators, and preparing educational materials.

Last year’s experience confirms that ten days in a research environment can be a turning point. “I spent two weeks at NTC working on graphene nanolayers—a material that’s highly durable and extremely conductive. I helped produce it in a furnace and later used it in a material printer. That’s how you can print conductive pathways, for example, which are used in electronics,” said Matyáš Matta, a student at Masaryk Grammar School. Another participant, Eduard Plic, added: “During my internship, I worked in the infrared technologies department. I used thermal cameras to prepare teaching materials for teachers, including simple experiments. It makes me happy to know that my work can be useful to others, not just to me.” Both students plan to pursue physics after graduation and are aiming for the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. They are also part of the GoHigher community for gifted youth.

The Pilsen Region is supporting the second year of NTC UWB internships through the Smart Accelerator III project, funded by the European Union. GoHigher itself was launched thanks to Smart Accelerator. Its mission is to build a community of talented students in the fields of research, development, and innovation. “The GoHigher community is unique—currently nearly three hundred young talents from 19 high schools are part of it. They meet regularly, inspire each other and the people who work with them, and achieve real success. They prove that the Pilsen Region has a future in them. But talents need continuous support and development, which is why we welcome and support initiatives like these internships at the university,” says Vladimír Kroc, Deputy Governor for Education and Sports.

The NTC summer research internships are not the only example of support for young talents in which the university and the region collaborate. “There are many activities for high school students where they show their motivation and drive—we co-organize competitions and Olympiads with the region, and host lectures for them. We want to offer these students further opportunities for development at the university, while also recognizing their dedication,” explained Jiří Kohout, Vice-Rector for Study Affairs at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen.

High school students who dream of becoming researchers and spending their summer at NTC alongside scientists can apply until May 26, 2025. They need to send a motivation letter to: bcechuro@ntc.zcu.cz explaining why they want to work at the research centre. This internship might just be the start of their future in science.