Farewell Meeting for Erasmus+ & Exchange Students

Are you an Erasmus+ or exchange student? You are warmly invited to the Farewell Meeting marking the end of your study stay at Palacký University Olomouc. Join us on 12 May 2026 at 10:00 in the Aula of the Faculty of Education. This meeting is designed especially for you—you will receive essential information on completing your mobility, learn more about the UP Alumni Programme, and explore future study opportunities in English-taught programmes. The event is organized by the Office for Mobility and the Welcome Office. We look forward to seeing you there!

Become a member of the UP Alumni Club

Register for the Palacký University Alumni Club and stay part of your alma mater after graduation — even after a bachelor’s degree! In the UPlikace app, you can easily continue in the Alumni module, where you will always have your alumni card at hand in digital form, or you can also request a physical version. Registration opens the door to a range of benefits with selected partners, invitations to inspiring events, and news from university life. And very soon you can look forward to the big alumni gathering, which will take place on 11–12 September. Learn more about the Alumni Programme on the official website or register directly.

LECTURES AND COURSES

Leadership matters!

Do you have the ambition to one day lead changes that make an impact? Get involved in the intensive Leadership Matters! course, designed for motivated and talented UP students. A practically oriented programme focused on strategic and systemic thinking, change management, adaptability, working with technologies, global perspective, diversity, and emotional intelligence awaits you. The course will also include meetings with professionals from practice, networking, and space for your personal development. Thanks to cooperation with the American Center Olomouc, participation is free of charge. Apply by 31 May 2026; all information can be found on the UP Career Centre website (in Czech).

Michael Londesborough: The Power of Boron

Are borane compounds the ideal fuel for proton-boron fusion? At a time when the world is urgently seeking clean, safe, and affordable energy sources, nuclear fusion remains one of the greatest scientific promises. Among the many candidates competing for the role of the fuel of the future, an unexpected player is now coming to the fore: the remarkable family of boranes! The lecture will be held in English and is organized by the UP Chemical Society. It takes place on 11 May at 13:15 in the Faculty of Science auditorium (2.001) at Envelopa. Booking a seat is not mandatory, but recommended.

VOLUNTEERING

Run for Memory of Nations: a call for volunteers and an interfaculty competition 

The organizers of the Run for Memory of Nations (in Czech) are looking for physically fit volunteers who could help on the race day (Saturday 23 May) during the morning hours with preparing the course and the facilities for runners. If interested, please contact the UP Volunteer Centre.

At the same time, we would like to remind you that this year an interfaculty competition will take place for the first time. Students and staff can register with a 30% discount by entering the discount code PARTNER30. The proceeds from the entry fee will be donated to the recording of the memories of a witness associated with UP.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

Do you want your science to be heard?

Prepare with us for the prestigious science popularization competitions Falling Walls and FameLab. Let’s send this year’s future winner to the final round again. Come to the information meeting on 11 May at 15:00 at the UP Career Centre and learn more! You will be guided through the preparation by science communicator Vendula Lužná and coach Kartin Stark. Details can be found in the UP Events Calendar (in Czech).

Present your research at the Science Fair

The Veletrh vědy – Science Fair (in Czech)is the biggest celebration of science in our country, and you can be part of it! Do you want to present to tens of thousands of curious visitors what you are researching? For this year’s expedition (4–6 June), UP is offering the last few places for enthusiastic students and other scientists who would like to join the presentation of the university and their work. For more information, contact UP science popularizer Vendula Lužná by 12 May (vendula.luzna@upol.cz).

INVITATIONS

Choose your discipline for Sports Day, some are already full

Next Wednesday, on 13 May, we will meet at sports fields or excursions as part of the UP Sports Day. Some sports are already fully booked, but you can still sign up for example for nohejbal, nordic walking, indoor cycling, circuit training, tennis, American football, baseball, or the chess tournament. Without mandatory registration, you can run through Olomouc parks, cycle through the city, or spend the afternoon at Letňák with the PřesBar Expedition. If you go out to exercise individually, don’t forget to send a photo and compete.

After the morning sports, come to the Morava River to cheer on the final races of the premiere university dragon boat race and enjoy the social afternoon in the Envelopa dormitories area. A detailed offer of Sports Day can be found on the website.

Safety literacy in a university environment

If you are interested in the issue of the security of soft targets in higher education, do not miss the conference organized on 28 May by the Faculty of Physical Culture of UP. It will offer space for discussion and sharing experiences in this area; among the speakers will be, among others, Eva Lehečková, dean of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University, where a tragic shooting attack occurred in December 2023, as well as experts on a range of security issues. Participation is free, you just need to register. The full programme and registration are available on the website. (in Czech)

Fantastic mycology and fascination with plants in the UP Botanical Garden

An exhibition of paintings by the Italian author Paolo Dalponte (in Czech) opens a dialogue about the shared passion of Czechs and Italians, which surprisingly is mushrooms. You can visit it until the end of June in the Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science. On Plant Fascination Day (20 May), you can then look forward to an all-day programme on the theme of magical plants — between science and mythology.

A Czech academic initiative to save dolphins and whales

Employees and students of the UP Faculty of Law have launched the Czech Academic Initiative to Save Dolphins and Whales. This activity, which arose from the teaching of European law and from testing the tools of European Union law in practice, resulted in an appeal addressed to European institutions to save these exceptional animals. Even though commercial hunting of these animals has been banned since 1986, their killing on the basis of various exemptions still continues. Therefore, the initiative urgently calls for the immediate abolition of all exemptions and for the unconditional and unqualified cessation of whale and dolphin hunting. You can join the initiative, which is supported by the UP leadership, by adding your signature on the special website.

COMPETITION

Free registration for Run for Memory of Nations

Every participant of the Run for Memory of Nations (in Czech) can dedicate their run to someone whose story they want to commemorate. If you would like to win a code for free registration, write to us by Wednesday 13 May at soutez@upol.cz, telling us who you would like to run for this year.