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The conference, combined with a panel discussion, aimed to show and highlight the strengths, but also the weaknesses, of humanities and social science education and training. The organizing team from the Department of Philosophy of the Faculty of Arts was motivated to organize the conference not only to answer questions related to the current situation of the humanities, but also to warn of the problems arising from the neglect of these disciplines, which have been considered the basis of education for millennia, and to highlight the impact of social science disciplines on the functioning of modern societies in the 21st century.

The chosen topic aroused great interest and the newly renovated auditorium in the building of the Faculty of Education in Veleslavínova Street, where the conference was held, was filled to capacity by students, academics and the public.

"I wish we would not ask the question whether humanities education makes any sense, because logically, if we say it does not, it shows that the person is uneducated," journalist and television presenter Václav Moravec said in his medallion for the panel discussion. In addition to him, the guests were philosopher, translator, columnist and university teacher at the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University Jan Sokol, doctor, scientist and university teacher Marek Hilšer, economist and university teacher at CERGE-EI Filip Matějka, and leading representatives and teachers of the University of West Bohemia - rector Miroslav Holeček, David Šanc, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Jan Váně, Head of the Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Philosophy, Jiří Masopust from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Jaromír Murgaš, teacher at the Department of Philosophy of the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia and the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University.

It would be appropriate to evaluate whether the announced questions were answered. "Perhaps some of them were, but above all, the tone of the discussion raised the need for further changes and innovations. For this reason, a series of follow-up talks, working title Progress in Science is an Opportunity to Revive Democracy, will be organised by the Department of Philosophy, which will try to continue this ongoing effort," says Naděžda Hlaváčková from the conference organising team, a PhD student at the Faculty of Arts. 

Next month, on 27 November, the Intergenerational and Volunteer Centre TOTEM in Plzeň will host the first discussion with the editor-in-chief of the weekly Respekt and Magnesia Litera award winner Erik Tabery, on 7 February a discussion with leading Czech biochemist Martin Fusek will take place at the Družba University Café, and other discussions will follow.