Read the next installment in our series introducing colleagues from various departments and offices from across the faculty. In each edition, one colleague answers the same set of seven questions. This time, we spoke with Klára Dubinová, who works as an assistant and outreach coordinator at the Department of Environmental Studies.
“Part of my agenda involves the department’s outreach activities and communication strategy. One of the biggest challenges is presenting our field to a younger audience—capturing their attention while staying authentic. On social media, we’re currently running a series of profiles highlighting the career paths of our graduates, which are incredibly diverse. That’s one example of how I try to make the field more accessible to prospective students as well as to our broader audience.”
Klára Dubinová, Assistant and Outreach Coordinator at the Department of Environmental Studies
What does your ideal morning look like?
On a workday, my ideal morning includes a good cup of coffee and enough time to enjoy a calm breakfast while watching pigeons from the window with my cat. But the truly ideal morning is a non-working one—at a cottage, with dew in the grass, listening to birdsong instead of traffic, sitting on a bench and reading.
What book or books have you read recently, and would you recommend them?
I’ve been especially happy to return to fantasy—particularly The Radiant Emperor series by Shelley Parker-Chan. I also really enjoyed the debut Jak dlouho se spí, když kvetou orchideje by Marie Škrdlíková. We actually lived together seven years ago, and now she’s been nominated for a Magnesia Litera award—how amazing is that?!
What do you look forward to most in your workday?
I look forward to seeing my colleagues and knowing that the day will not only be about work, but also some fun. I also really enjoy the meetings of our “enviro PR team,” made up mostly of bachelor’s students from our department. It feels like a great way for us to connect and get to know each other a bit better.
What has surprised you the most in the past six months?
An environmental fun fact corner: what an owl looks like when it runs and that persimmons grow on trees like apples. I sometimes talk about mushrooms or edible plants, and I’m still surprised that people are genuinely interested. So when magnolias start to bloom, I definitely recommend tasting the flowers.
What is your favorite place in the faculty?
I can’t deny the environmentalist in me, so I’d say the third floor in our department. There’s a terrace where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the hallway, and a freebox where I bring things I no longer need—and where I’ve been discovering hidden treasures since my student days. Most recently, I found some glittery nail polish!
What advice would you give to your student self?
Give yourself more time to rest, believe in yourself—it will all work out somehow. A social life is better than getting straight A’s. I suppose it’s easy to say that with hindsight, though—and honestly, I probably wouldn’t have listened anyway.
What does a nuclear reactor have in common with a facial recognition camera, a Big Tech algorithm, or a university hiring committee? More than one might expect.
As part of the GACR 2027 call, the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University submitted a total of 50 project proposals across five grant schemes. The highest level of activity was recorded in the Standard Projects category, where 44 proposals were submitted.