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A world-class mathematician, whose name is inextricably linked with the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen - among this year's recipients of the Medal for Merit for the Development of Science is also Professor Pavel Drábek from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The award complements a number of others he has received during his career - whether for scientific publications, teaching activities, or merit for the development of the field as a whole.

Pavel Drábek has long been involved in the field of nonlinear functional analysis – a highly specialized area of mathematics that finds application in a wide range of natural and engineering sciences. He is the author of technical books that are used abroad and is among the top 2 % of the most cited scientists in the world according to the prestigious Stanford list. He was awarded the Josef Hlávka Prize for Scientific Literature in 1997, the Bernard Bolzano Medal of Honor by the Academy of Sciences in 2013, and the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate in 2020.

However, his contribution is far from being limited to scientific publications. He has contributed significantly to the transformation of the Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Applied Sciences of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. From what was originally a predominantly teaching department, he built a respected research institution that is now an equal partner in the international academic environment.

"This prestigious award is a well-deserved recognition of Professor's Drábek extraordinary contribution in the field of nonlinear analysis, his many years of teaching and his tireless work for the academic community. He is not only an outstanding teacher, but also a great colleague in the mathematics department and a person I deeply respect. He has educated a number of followers at UWB and beyond, who today themselves contribute to the development of mathematics and scientific culture," Miroslav Lávička, Rector of UWB, congratulated Professor Drábek. "He is one of those personalities who have shaped and continue to shape the character of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. He is a representative of the generation on whose legacy the university is building its present-day form," he added.

Gabriela Holubová, Head of the Department of Mathematics, added: "Pavel Drábek is an exceptional person with great insight and humanity, who not only contributed to the development of mathematics and the current form of our department, but also significantly shaped my professional career and personal views. I am honored to build on his work and sincerely congratulate him," she said.

The Medal for Merit for the Development of Science was also awarded to French political scientist and sociologist Gilles Kepel, astronomer Jan Palouš, biochemist Vladimír Pliška and physician Zdeněk Zadák. You can find more laureates on the website of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic, an association that brings together eminent scientists from all fields of science.