The eleventh edition of the Gateway to Open Mathematics seminar was again well attended this year

Traditionally, at the beginning of spring, mathematics teachers of secondary schools gathered at the seminar Open Gate Mathematics, organized by the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) together with the Pilsen branch of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists.

The two-day meeting of secondary school teachers from the Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem, South Bohemia, and Central Bohemia regions was opened on Thursday 4 April by the Dean of the FAV, Miloš Železný. After welcoming the attendees, the morning block of lectures started. In it, colleagues from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Mirko Rokyta and Luboš Pick, and Roman Mouček from the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering of the FAV spoke.

The afternoon walk connected with a tour of TechTower showed especially non-Plzeň participants the opportunities that young people have in Pilsen and its surroundings. Thanks to Anina Čudáková from TechTower, who guided the participants through the building, introduced them to its history, facilities for startups, and the test tank, and finally gave the teachers a short test about the history and purpose of the building. Everyone present managed to fill it out perfectly, and as a reward, they were able to finish the tour with a small snack. The evening block was devoted to project-based learning and discussion of problems in education, with an introductory lecture by Alexandra Marešová about her experience with projects in mathematics education. The evening block is very appreciated by teachers because they can meet colleagues from other secondary schools and get inspiration for further activities.

Friday's program began with a short introduction by FAV talent ambassador Martin Úbl, who, in addition to his research activities, helps talented high school students find a mentor from the relevant field of science and technology at the faculty. The lecture block started with a highly appreciated lecture by Martina Litschmannová from VŠB-TUO in Ostrava with practical examples related to probability. Dag Hrubý from Jevíčko then showed that many problems we solve by university methods can be solved with high school methods. Finally, Petr Lobaz, an optical designer and graduate of FAV, gave a lecture on Using Mathematics in Practice.

Participants of the eleventh edition of the seminar Gateway Opened by Mathematics left full of energy, new ideas, and inspiration for further work with students and expressed their wish to meet again in Pilsen next year.