Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

This year, NTC (New Technologies - Research Centre) continues its tradition of offering part-time jobs, a practice that has proven successful in the past. This week marks the end of this year’s internship program, which saw participation from eight students from Pilsen. These students had the chance to select topics that matched their interests. For instance, Jiří Kňourek worked on preparing hydrogel samples as part of the “Hybrid Nanocomposite Preparation” project under the supervision of Tomáš Kovařík, who praised Jiří’s precision and reliability.

Matyáš Matta focused on preparing samples using a materials printer. “Graphene is a material with fascinating mechanical properties—it's incredibly strong—and also remarkable electrical properties—it's extremely conductive. We focused on producing graphene in a furnace and then processing it using a materials printer to create conductive paths for electronics, which we then studied further,” explains Matyáš, who spent his internship in the Department of Advanced and Quantum Materials Research.

In the Department of Biomechanical Models of the Human Body, Tomáš Čepický worked on modeling collisions between cars and scooters. “I was able to apply my high school knowledge, including differential equations and working with graphs,” adds Tomáš.

The youngest intern and the only female participant, Lucie Kohoutková, contributed to assembling a battery intended for installation in a container directly at NTC. “Lucie is currently working on measuring pressure losses in battery felts,” says her supervisor, Jiří Vrána, co-founder of Pinflow Energy Storage.

Most of these students are highly enthusiastic and active beyond their schoolwork. They regularly participate in physics and science olympiads and are involved in the GoHigher project, which supports talented students in the Pilsen region. Matyáš Matta, for example, is one of the main organizers of the student platform Zvaž vědu! (Consider Science!), which promotes science olympiads and aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science.

Some students already have clear plans for their future. David Němec has been accepted into the General Physics program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University, and Eduard Plic plans to study Cybernetics at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at ZČU. “Our main motivation for organizing these internships was not only to assist our researchers but also to foster interest in scientific and technical fields. Perhaps some of these students will choose to study at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen—if not during their master’s studies, then maybe during their doctoral studies,” says Petr Kavalíř, Director of the NTC Research Institute.