UWB scientists: Shaping the future together and showing who takes over next

A quantum physicist, a paramedic, a teacher, a designer — talents with the power to reshape how we see the world are born even outside big cities, passing knowledge across generations. The University of West Bohemia in Pilsen shares their stories and shows how its scientists work for the region.

Ten pairs, twenty scientists — throughout the autumn, the University of West Bohemia in Pislen is showing the region that science isn’t reserved for a privileged few. Ten senior academics, deans, professors and associate professors, have each nominated a younger colleague with whom they already collaborate and who is ready to carry their work forward.

Among them are geography teachers Pavel Mentlík and Markéta Kuberská, united by a passion for glacier research and education. Together, they teach how to teach geography so students can grasp complex processes like the movement of tectonic plates. Paramedics Stanislava Reichertová and Luboš Bouček demonstrate how training the next generation of healthcare professionals directly strengthens the region. “The way we educate today will determine the quality of care during real emergency calls five, ten or fifteen years from now,” says Stanislava Reichertová from the Faculty of Health Care Studies of UWB.

The project aims to show that stories shaping the future of science begin even in small towns. “The university is not limited to Pilsen, it belongs to the entire western part of Bohemia. Our students and graduates often come from small towns, villages and border regions and many return there to enrich their communities,” says Jan Váně, Vice-Rector for External Relations and Communication of UWB.

Jan Váně himself, a sociologist, together with his former student Lukáš Dirga, explores how society treats people pushed to the margins, the homeless and prisoners. Other teams present research that affects everyday life: engineers improving energy efficiency in power plants, mechanical experts testing hydrogen storage options, or physicists studying plasma processes essential for developing new materials and electronics. “Plasma physics enables the creation of thin-film materials used in mobile phones, computers or even fighter jets. Materials that can’t be produced any other way, yet are affordable and sustainable,” explains Jaroslav Vlček from the Faculty of Applied Sciences of UWB.

Through these stories, the University of West Bohemia connects the talents of an entire region. “Without UWB, the city and the region would lack not only 13,000 students but also the very heart of Western Bohemia’s education. Each student brings their own piece of home and their own story. The university connects these stories and turns them into the region’s future, in energy, healthcare and education,” adds Váně.