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Andrea Čalkovská remains the Dean of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine

zuzana.buchova@uniba.sk — Tue, 24 May 2022 09:35:00 +0200

The incumbent dean, Professor MUDr. Andrea Čalkovská, DrSc., won the vote and remains Dean of the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University Bratislava in her second term, from 1 February 2023 to 31 January 2027.

Comenius University harmonises 727 study programmes

pr@uniba.sk — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:30:00 +0200

By the end of August, the university cancelled approximately 300 study programmes across its thirteen faculties. About two hundred programmes no longer had any students and 79 programmes will continue under a different name or with slight modifications. Only 37 study programmes were cancelled without replacement. This change will affect fewer than 100 students who were given the opportunity to either complete their studies in a different study programme at CU, or to continue at another university. Comenius University has been communicating with the affected students since the end of 2020, when it became clear that some programmes would not be able to obtain accreditation, and offered them suitable alternatives for completing their studies by either transferring to another programme at the same faculty, or relocating to another faculty or university. As a rule, first-year students were no longer admitted to these programmes. Most of the less than hundred affected students took up the offer and continue their study. "The new accreditation criteria are very demanding. However, I believe that the changes will contribute to making the study more transparent and will free up staff for existing programmes," said Marek Števček, Rector of Comenius University Bratislava. "I would like to draw attention to the enormous commitment of many employees of the university, from sponsors to administrative personnel, who made this extremely difficult administrative process possible. I want to thank everyone who took part in this process alongside their regular teaching, research or administrative duties," added the Rector. Comenius University serves 23,000 students and since 2019 it has seen growing interest of new students every year. It is the only Slovak university that consistently ranks in all relevant rankings of world universities.

22 newly appointed university Professors also include names from Comenius University

pr@uniba.sk — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:01:00 +0200

In her address the president noted that the new professors have the task of contributing to raising the quality of Slovak universities, and their goodwill and prestige will be among the factors determining whether young people seek their future jobs abroad or at home. The newly appointed university professors at Comenius University include: Hana Drahovská from the Department of Molecular Biology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Marián Masár from the Department of Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Peter Koděra from the Department of Geology of Mineral Deposits of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Katarína Maťašová from the Jessenius Medical Faculty in Martin. Congratulations to all!

Office hours of the study department during September 2022

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 12:34:00 +0200

Year	Days	From - Till
1st year of study	05.9.2022 (Monday) 12.9.2022 (Monday) 19.9.2022 (Monday) 26.9.2022 (Monday)	8.00 h - 15.00 h^A
2nd year of study	06.9.2022 (Tuesday) 13.9.2022 (Tuesday) 20.9.2022 (Tuesday) 27.9.2022 (Tuesday)	8.00 h - 15.00 h^A
3rd year of study	07.9.2022 (Wednesday) 14.9.2022 (Wednesday) 21.9.2022 (Wednesday) 28.9.2022 (Wednesday)	8.00 h - 15.00 h^A
4th year of study	08.9.2022 (Thursday) 16.9.2022 (Friday) 22.9.2022 (Thursday) 29.9.2022 (Thursday)	8.00 h - 15.00 h^A
5th year of study	09.9.2022 (Friday) 16.9.2022 (Friday) 23.9.2022 (Friday) 30.9.2022 (Friday)	8.00 h - 15.00 h^A

^A Lunch break form 11.00 h - 13.00 h

Study Department

Seminar of Theoretical Computer Science - Travis Gagie (2.9.2022)

Tomas.Vinar@fmph.uniba.sk — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 00:03:00 +0200

Travis Gagie (Dalhousie University):
MONI and KATKA
Abstract:
We describe two new tools for pangenomics, MONI-k and KATKA. MONI-k takes two datasets of genomes and find patterns that are relatively common in one but relatively uncommon in the other. KATKA takes a phylogenetic tree and a pattern and finds the root of smallest subtree containing all the occurrences of each maximal exact match (MEM) in a dominating set of MEMs (meaning any ignored MEM overlaps a reported MEM at least as long). This is a joint work with Christina Boucher, Ben Langmead, and several students and postdocs. Travis Gagie is an associate professor in the faculty of computer science of Dalhousie University, Canada. He has a Dr. rer. nat. in genome informatics from Bielefeld University, Germany, and has also studied or worked at universities in Italy, Chile and Finland and been a visiting researcher at universities in Spain and the Czech Republic. Most of his research centres on data compression and compact data structures, most recently for pangenomics.

Seminar of Algebraic Geometry - Peter Schenzel (7.9.2022)

Pavel.Chalmoviansky@fmph.uniba.sk — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 21:00:00 +0200

prof. Peter Schenzel (Univerzita Martina Luthera, Halle-Wittenberg):
On Families of Point Blowups of the Real Affine Plane
Abstract:
We study the blow-up of a finite number of points $X$ in the real affine plane, where $X$ is defined by the vanishing of two polynomials $f$ ang $g$. The blow-up is a helpful tool for the desingularization also in higher dimensions. The subject is illustrated by the desingularization of the singular cubic and the lemniscate. For the visualization we introduce the concept of toroidal embedding of the blow-up, illustrated by the construction of the Möbius strip and the Whitney umbrella. The visualization of the toroidal blow-up is done by the system RealSurf. The main subject of the talk will be the study of certain deformations of the defining equations by $f_d$ and $g_d$ of the point set $X$. We will discuss the classification problem and the deformation problem for families of different blow-ups of $X$. There are some problems and comments and in particular the visualization of some examples of deformations.

We are aiming to earn a label of quality

nasa.univerzita@uniba.sk — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 14:46:00 +0200

The main goal is not just to obtain a label, but to effectively improve the working environment so that it becomes more attractive for our young researchers and also for potential international scientists. "Our goal is to improve the quality of human resources management in order to retain domestic talent at Comenius University, and simultaneously reach out to international researchers. The HR Excellence in Research Award would indicate that we are an attractive employer in the European Research Area," HRS4RUK project coordinator Silvester Krčméry explains the essence of the new quality label. Charter & Code In 2021, Comenius University signed up to two fundamental documents in which the European Commission defined the standards for the employment of researchers in research institutions. They are the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. Adopting the principles outlined in these documents, Comenius University undertook to implement a Human Resources Strategy for Researchers. The initiative received support from the Ministry of Education through the ‘HRS4RUK’ development project. What do researchers miss at Comenius University? "We conducted a survey, held interviews and analysed current internal regulations to identify weaknesses as perceived by staff members," explains Silvester Krčméry. In 2021, all researchers who work at the university, including PhD researchers, were given the opportunity to participate in a survey and give their opinion on their employment conditions and work environment. The questionnaire surveyed several areas – ethical and professional aspects, recruitment of new staff, work environment and opportunities for further education and professional development. "The result was a gap analysis, through which we identified weaknesses (gaps) resulting from differences between the current state and the desired state - as defined by the European Charter and the Code of Conduct for the recruitment of researchers." clarifies Dr. Krčméry.

What is the European Charter for Researchers
The European Charter for Researchers sets out the responsibilities and entitlements of researchers as well as of their employers. The aim of the Charter is to ensure that the nature of the relationship between researchers and employers or funders is conducive to successful performance in generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge and technological development, and to the career development of researchers. The Charter also recognizes the value of all forms of mobility as a means for enhancing the professional development of researchers. It constitutes a framework for researchers and employers which invites them to act responsibly and as professionals within their working environment, and to recognise each other as such.

What is the European Charter for Researchers

The European Charter for Researchers sets out the responsibilities and entitlements of researchers as well as of their employers. The aim of the Charter is to ensure that the nature of the relationship between researchers and employers or funders is conducive to successful performance in generating, transferring, sharing and disseminating knowledge and technological development, and to the career development of researchers. The Charter also recognizes the value of all forms of mobility as a means for enhancing the professional development of researchers. It constitutes a framework for researchers and employers which invites them to act responsibly and as professionals within their working environment, and to recognise each other as such.

What is the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers
The code of conduct consists of a set of general principles and requirements that should be followed by employers when recruiting researchers. It should ensure observance of values such as transparency of the recruitment process and equal treatment of all applicants, in particular with regard to the development of an attractive European labour market for researchers. For employers, the code prescribes frameworks and describes the procedures for the selection of researchers, which the recruitment process should include.

What is the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers

The code of conduct consists of a set of general principles and requirements that should be followed by employers when recruiting researchers. It should ensure observance of values such as transparency of the recruitment process and equal treatment of all applicants, in particular with regard to the development of an attractive European labour market for researchers. For employers, the code prescribes frameworks and describes the procedures for the selection of researchers, which the recruitment process should include.

Analysis showed that in many areas Comenius University already meets European standards and employees report no issues. These include, for example, compliance with the principles of non-discrimination, freedom of research, or access to information and the latest research results. Ethical commissions are active in workplaces, and researchers can participate in decision-making through colleges, committees, senates and scientific councils. Many gaps The analysis, however, also identified a number of gaps, or aspects where researchers perceive deficiencies. Excessive administrative burden of researchers and insufficient support through auxiliary professional staff were among the most frequently reported. There is, for instance, a lack of experienced project managers and economic experts who could help researchers make sure that purchasing is done in accordance with public procurement rules. The current wage levels hinder the development of labs by making it impossible to offer posts to researchers from abroad or to industry experts. Systems of remuneration and compensation are not flexible enough, due to an overall lack of funding in education, science and research. Many researchers also feel that the teaching requirements are too stringent. This excessive burden of teaching work makes it difficult to use opportunities for international mobility and limits the time they can spend developing quality grant applications. Weak career support Our researchers report another significant shortcoming, especially in comparison to Western European universities: the lack of an institutional strategy for the career development of researchers. "There is no career counselling on the level of the university or its faculties. PhD researchers and assistant professors often need advice and guidance on how to set their careers in research on the right course. Here, counselling is mostly informal," explains Dr. Krčméry. Not all gaps can be eliminated easily and at short notice, but the university needs to take measures aiming for improvements. Specific steps are outlined in the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers at Comenius University. Its full text is available at CU’s website. We meet European standards It is not enough to earn the quality label once, it needs to be renewed. The label can be both awarded and revoked by the European Commission. There is a long-term need to monitor human resources management, carry out audits, inspections, and evaluations. "Earning the award is a signal that we meet European standards and are a modern European university. We also want to increase our power of attraction in the international research environment. Although we are often limited by funding and are unable to offer international researchers high salaries, we can offer them high-quality environment to carry out their research work." says Dr. Krčméry. The HR Excellence in Research Award was recently earned by the University of Economics in Bratislava and only three universities in Slovakia have managed to do so until to now. Barbora Tancerová

FOUR OUT OF TEN TEENAGERS CAN'T TELL REAL FROM FAKE HEALTH NEWS

pr@uniba.sk — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 09:06:00 +0200

Health-related information and misinformation represents a serious public health concern. In recent years, misinformation has increasingly been spreading on social networks. Previous research shows that online health news is often incomplete and incorrect, and contains potentially harmful medical information. Absorbing such news can lead to poor health-care decisions, risky behaviour, or a loss of trust in medical authorities. "During the COVID pandemic, we observed an explosion of misinformation in the health sector," says lead researcher Radomír Masaryk from Comenius University. Most research so far has focused on the adult population, so the research team decided to focus on teenagers instead. "Since adolescents are frequent Internet users, we usually expect them to know how to obtain and use information available online, but the opposite seems to be true," adds psychologist Radomír Masaryk. Researchers found that 41% of teenagers could not tell the difference between true and false health information. Moreover, they did not consider language errors in the texts to be signs of their unreliability. When evaluating online information, they mainly notice site structure, language, and appearance. They place more trust in reliable organizations, established brands or sites using more cultivated language. Researchers performed the survey on a sample of 300 secondary school students aged 16 to 19 to find out how they perceived the credibility of seven short news reports on the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. The news articles were varied: some were false, some were true with a neutral context, and some were true, but with added elements (superlatives, clickbait, grammatical errors, confirmation by authority, bold type). Research points to the importance of educating young people on how to process health news, increase their media literacy, as well as improve their analytical thinking and fact-based reasoning.

ENLIGHT Lecture Series

janka.sykorova@uniba.sk — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 08:15:00 +0200

Delivered as part of the ENLIGHT programme, the online event will be held on the 12th of October and will cover the following areas:

Environmental health research
Health disparities and health equity
Achieving health equity
Equity in health care
Access to health care

If you are interested to participate in the Lecture or for more information, please contact aleksandra.bovt@zvw.uni-goettingen.de

Once again, CU is the only Slovak university in the ARWU Shanghai ranking

pr@uniba.sk — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:25:00 +0200

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai ranking, is one of the "big three" rankings, along with the QS World University Rankings and THE (Times Higher Education). The rankings collectively shape the era of global assessment of higher education institutions. This year, two other Slovak universities made it to Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS). Our country, however, still only has one university in the main ranking of ARWU. The ARWU traditionally ranks 1,000 top universities selected from a shortlist of over 2,500 assessed institutions. Last year, CU ranked 801st-900th jumping up 100 places in the current edition. This year again Harvard University was ranked the best in the world. At the moment the Shanghai ranking features eight universities from the Czech Republic, of which best-placed is Charles University in the 301st-400th place band. The Shanghai ranking focuses on academic or research performance through six indicators:

number of alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (10%),
number of staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (20%),
number of highly cited researchers (20%),
number of papers in Nature and Science (20%),
number of papers indexed in SCI-E and SSCI (20%),
per capita academic performance (10%).

The ranking also assesses performance in individual academic subjects. In Physics, Comenius University ranks 301st-400th and in Clinical Medicine 401st-500th. „I am pleased that in this year’s ARWU ranking Comenius University did better than last year. It is, however, lamentable that it continues to be the only Slovak university in the ranking. I hope that our government will reconsider the unprecedented reduction of funding of Slovak universities, because if it fails to do so, we will only have very limited opportunities for attracting more highly cited researchers or Nobel Prize winners. We hope that we can maintain our ranking, although we need to fight for bare survival rather than aim for continued growth,“ says the Rector of Comenius University Marek Števček. Comenius University is the only Slovak university which regularly features in other global rankings. In the QS World University Rankings it placed in the 651st-700th place band. In the Round University Ranking it reached the 426th place, but ranked as high as 178th in the Education category. In the CWUR ranking it occupies the 630th place. It ranks 587th in the prestigious Best Global Universities ranking, but ranks 244th in Physics. The SCImago ranking puts it in 573rd place. It is ranked 701st-750th in the NTU (National Taiwan University) Rankings, and in Physics it ranks 275th in the world. The Three University Missions MosIUR ranks it 272nd and THE Impact Rankings puts it in the 601st-800th place band. THE WUR Ranking places Comenius University in the 1001st - 1200th place band.