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Jiří Růžička works as an incubation manager at the biotech incubator i&i Prague, where he focuses on innovations in drug development, diagnostics, and medical technologies. His work centers on analyzing scientific projects from the perspective of their commercial potential and supporting early-stage scientific start-ups and spin-offs. What does he think about the relationship between basic research and the commercialization of scientific discoveries? Why should young scientists consider creating a start-up, and when is the right time to start? What role do incubators play in this process? He answers all of these questions in the following interview…

Structural virologist Pavel Plevka, a two-time ERC grant holder and head of a research group at CEITEC Masaryk University, is looking for new colleagues to join his team. Even if you are not a structural virologist seeking an inspiring research environment, this interview is worth reading. Pavel Plevka explains his focus on studying human viruses and bacteriophages, his approach to team leadership, and the opportunities available for students and postdoctoral researchers who want to work in CEITEC’s international and interdisciplinary research environment.

The annual Christmas Conference organised by Czexpats in Science brought together nearly 300 Czech scientists from 22 countries in a hybrid event held in Prague and online. This gathering was focused on “Ideas That Change the World” and on how to stay innovative, motivated, and joyful in scientific pursuits, with an emphasis on fostering environments that enable groundbreaking research.

For the past two and a half years, we have supported Ukrainian scientists seeking safety in Czechia through the Czexpats for Ukraine project. As the project concludes, we are pleased to present a comprehensive final report of our efforts. This report also introduces the newly established Czech-Ukrainian Scientific Society.

On 12 June 2024, the “Through Academic Culture to Scientific Excellence” conference in Prague concluded a project supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to improve academic culture in the Czech Republic. The event brought together personalities who are key to the development of a healthy academic environment in the Czech Republic. Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), visited the Czech Republic for the first time upon an invitation from Czexpats in Science. High profile representatives of the Czech scientific community, government and research institutions also addressed the event.

Prague, 13 June 2024 – On Wednesday 12 June, 80 prominent figures from the Czech and European scientific community gathered at the conference “Through academic culture to scientific excellence” organised by Czexpats in Science. The keynote speakers, led by Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), highlighted the crucial importance of healthy interpersonal relationships, trust, equal opportunities and research integrity in achieving scientific excellence. 

Structural biologist Gabriel Demo has been studying the molecular mechanisms of biological processes using cryo-electron microscopy and other biochemical and biophysical methods at CEITEC Masaryk University for four years already. He has his own research group, he is a laureate of the prestigious Neuron award for promising scientists and a holder of a Czech ERC grant, which the Czech government uses to support research projects that have succeeded in the European Research Council’s evaluation with the best rating, but no longer receive funding from EU funds. His career as a scientist was significantly influenced by stays at foreign research institutes, especially his involvement in research at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, USA.

On Thursday, 25 April 2024, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Paris kindly hosted a meetup of Czech scientists working and living in France. The aim of the event was to get to meet and connect the local Czech scientific community, and to lay the foundation for future meetups in France.

We are delighted that Ukrainian scientists, inspired by Czexpats in Science, are now mapping their global scientific community with their own Scientists’ Map. Since the…

In the June edition of the #CzexpatsOnline series, Kim Senger talked about how we can decrease carbon dioxide emissions through storage underground. Kim is a geologist and geophysicist currently working as an Associate Professor at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway.