The I. A. Bláha Conference was organized by FSS for the first time for high school students
Annually, the best bachelor's theses from each study program receive the I. A. Bláha Award. Their authors speak at the conference of the same name. This year, for the first time, we organized this event exclusively for students from selected college preparatory high schools. You can read more below and watch the video recording from the event.
With a tag around their necks, a green notebook in hand, and great expectations, a hundred students filled the auditorium of the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University on the first Thursday in October. For the first time, the FSS MUNI organized the I. A. Bláha Conference for students of selected college preparatory high schools, so that graduates of 11 study programs from the FSS MUNI could present not only their field of study but also their award-winning scientific achievements. All of the presented bachelor theses were recipients of the Inocence Arnošt Bláha Awards.
The I. A. Bláha Conference offered the audience an insight into most of the study programs by presenting them in three thematic blocks. Those interested in international relations, sociology, or environmental studies were able to find what might interest them. The first block, focused mainly on political science and European studies, was introduced by Professor Vít Hloušek, the supervisor of one of the award-winning theses. The second block was presented by Ph.D. Irena Kašparová, who introduced the study of social anthropology. In the second part, the research on emojis and emoticons by Jiří Svoboda, who joined the conference from Amsterdam, was well received. Associate Professor Jan Šerek from the Department of Psychology introduced the last session that drew the most interest, in which Adriana Pivovarníková's work on the modernization of the nuclear forces of the United States was presented.
What was the atmosphere like at the I. A. Bláha Conference? Take a look at the following short video!
The atmosphere of the conference was contributed to by both the environment of the auditorium and the details in the form of name tags or during the coffee breaks. However, the conference was also considered a success with the high school students in terms of the program. "It's great that someone is organizing a real conference for us high school students. You can see what opportunities you can have in your studies, get some information directly from students, and see the faculty on occasions other than open days," explained Michal Konečný, a student of the Gymnasium Uherské Hradiště, who arrived together with another ten peers. "The professional organization, the badges, and the beautiful premises of the faculty only add to the whole experience," he added.
In addition to the students, the I. A. Bláha Conference also impressed their teachers. "We would like to introduce a similar format for presenting student work at our school, so I am glad that students can see what it should look like," said Radim Laco from the Mojmírovo náměstí Gymnasium in Brno. The student audience left not only with a conference package but also with a taste of the university environment, gained directly from some of the recent graduates of the FSS at MUNI.
The faculty will maintain the new format of the I. A. Bláha Conference in the future. "The satisfaction questionnaire shows that more than 90 percent of the high school students were very satisfied with the event and the format suited them. I hope that next year's event will be equally successful," said Stanislav Balík, Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies, looking back on the conference.
