Series about the People of FSS
“What would you like to see for the FSS in the next four years?
Blanka Plasová, Vice Dean for Internationalization and Student Affairs
As many students as possible who are passionate about their chosen fields and future professions, on the one hand. On the other, I would like us as teachers to be able to properly fan and cultivate this flame. The same goes for all of our employees.”
What does your ideal morning look like?
The ideal morning for me means, first of all, enjoying a good and long breakfast with an interesting book in my hand and the possibility of going back to bed afterwards, but that only happens once or twice a year, so I have another version of the ideal weekday morning. If I get up early enough and get everything ready, I wake up my three little girls one by one, cuddle each one, get the first one dressed and we talk, then I sit her down for breakfast and go wake up the next one. This happens about two or three times a week unless there is some major conflict about clothes or the order of being woken up first thing in the morning.
What book have you read lately?
I've always got a book to finish. Generally, I like historical fiction and Nordic crime novels, but if I have to mention a book that really grabbed me lately, it's definitely Sudeten House by Štěpán Javůrek. The story is set in the heated time of the post-war expulsion of Germans from the borderlands, which, in my opinion, is still an unresolved and painful topic for Czech society. There’s a lot of history and in it the everyday life of ordinary people in extraordinary conditions, diverse perspectives, and experiences, I simply enjoyed it very much.
What is your favorite place at the faculty?
My current and former office and actually the whole fifth floor, where I really feel at home after all these years. I really like the environment of our library and I wish I had time to read a book here again and not keep track of time, which I only managed to do when I was studying.
What has surprised you the most in the last six months?
I was surprised by all that is connected with the position of vice-dean and how difficult it is to reconcile all this with my regular work and, of course, with my family.
What do you think is the most important thing for FSS in the coming year?
With the increase in international competition in education and the simultaneous decline in the number of young people in our target population, we must continue to be able to offer quality education and do cutting-edge research. But in the pursuit of all those important "indicators and points", common sense and a human approach to students and staff must not be lost in the shuffle.
Which point in the strategic plan are you most looking forward to implementing?
I take all the goals of internationalization as my own, and even though it is often not easy, I enjoy thinking about and implementing activities that will lead us towards them. However, as I have long been involved in the topic of reconciling work and family, I am personally most excited about implementing measures that will help to remove barriers to international mobility and international cooperation for both students and employees with caring responsibilities, i.e. developing the concept of family-friendly internationalization.
