Former staff have been meeting at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for a quarter of a century

How has the faculty changed since they spent many years there? What new equipment does it have, and how many students are enrolled? These are just some of the questions of interest to former employees of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Pilsen. They gathered once again this May.

Twelve former employees met this year on the premises of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. They spent part of the May afternoon together with the faculty management and part at their home departments. The management representatives updated the former staff on the latest developments in studies and research. Afterward, individual departments took over, during which the guests met with department heads and other colleagues to reminisce about their time there and learn what life in those departments is like today.

Václav Valenta will turn ninety this year, and Josef Mencl is ten years younger. At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, they dedicated their careers to the Department of Power System Engineering, which they call nothing else but the "nuclear department". They attend the meetings regularly, even though both worked at the department until an advanced age—they retired only seven years ago. They are pleased that nuclear energy is once again coming to the forefront. "I remember times when nuclear energy was in decline. There was mistrust and safety concerns in society. It is good that we are returning to it today," recalled Josef Mencl, pointing to the Nuclear Days, an annual event his former department has been organizing for sixteen years now.

Another regular attendee, Milan Čechura (91), who taught at the Department of Machine Design, is surprised by the lower number of engineering students compared to several decades ago, as well as the fact that many young people drop out during their studies. "The effort must come from both sides," stated Čechura. According to him, students must want to attend lectures, and teachers must know how to make them interesting and engaging to keep their attention: "Teaching needs to remain the top priority. Quality teaching is just as important, if not more important, than science and research."

Three former employees visited the Department of Machining Technology. "I got lost here on campus," admitted 92-year-old Josef Škarda, who arrived at the meeting after a longer absence. "I took bus number 30 to the terminal and asked a student for directions. He told me to continue on tram number 4. I got off at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, went inside thinking I would walk through, but I couldn't get anywhere. The receptionist told me I had to go back outside and walk all the way around," he said, amusing the others with his story. According to Škarda, the campus has changed significantly: "The university has made a huge leap forward in terms of construction. We used to deal with a lack of space, just to fit the students somewhere. Now, from what I've seen and heard, the faculty has plenty of space, but there are fewer students."

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at UWB has been inviting former employees regularly for a quarter-century. For the current faculty management, meeting with former colleagues is not just a courtesy, but an expression of respect for the people who shaped the faculty and whose work the FST builds upon today. "We are delighted by their interest in how the faculty is currently developing. For us, it is both motivation and a reminder that technical education in Pilsen has strong roots that we have built upon and continue to develop," added Dean Vladimír Duchek.