The Message of This Year’s Hlávka Awards Ceremony: Stand Up and Fight ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** On November 16, the night before the Students Day and the anniversary of the Velvet Revolu academics and young researchers received the annual Josef, Marie and Zdeňka Hlávka Foundat the guests that gathered at the Lužany Chateau were Professor Jiří Drahoš, President of th Sciences of the Czech Republic, Professor Václav Havlíček, Rector of the Czech Technical U Michal Lukeš, General Director of the Czech National Museum and Professor Ivan Wilhelm, Cz Commissioner for European Research and a Hlávka medal laureate. Charles University was rep prorector for doctoral programmes and academic qualifications, Professor Ivan Jakubec. In his opening speech, the chairman of the foundation’s steering committee Prof. Václav Pa the historical role of the foundation in the development of the award system for Czech sch ages. Professor Jiří Drahoš from the Academy of Sciences seconded that opinion. In 1992, t Foundation was the first one to award its Josef Hlávka Awards and Medals to best students, teachers at all public institutions of higher education in Prague, the Brno University of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. “Each era has its own priorities, its problems, its utopian visions and unfulfilled hopes. was no less difficult than ours, but in his times, being a benefactor was a part of the mo entrepreneur”, said Professor Jakubec, preparing the ground for the following speaker, Pro Zahradník, the President emeritus of the Academy of Sciences. Professor Zahradník pointed difference between the level of education among Czech ministers of education and their cou other parts of the world, lack of professionals in the state institutions that are suppose regulate research and the unwillingness of politicians and government officials to respond also criticised the tendency of Czech government officials to substitute their own researc hiring third parties paid for by the EU. Professor Zahradník called on the participants to “remain in good spirits and not be bitte annoyed by the things you hear on TV or from some of the top representatives of our countr speech by saying: “This is no time to hide in the corner like little boys and girls – you and fight, at least a little.” The Josef Hlávka Medals were awarded to the following academics from Charles University: Professor  Jiří Kraus from the Faculty of Social Sciences (laudatio was given by Professor Professor Josef Petráň from the Charles University Archive (laudatio was given by Professo Vicepresident of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic The Josef Hlávka Awards were given to the following students: Mgr. Jana Šustrová, Faculty of Law MUDr. Jana Skalická, 1s MUDr. Ester Mejstříková, 2nd Faculty of Medicine MUDr. Jiří Švec, 3rd Jan Brůha, Faculty of Medicine in Plzeň MUDr. Vladimíra Halečková, Fac Mgr. Lenka Krčmová, Faculty of Pharmacy in in Hradec Králové Mgr. Vlastimil Vyskočil, Mgr. Martin Tancer, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Mgr. Mikuláš Pštross, Fac not receive the award in p Financial grants were awarded to: the town of Přeštice to support the development of education and culture Jaroslav Vrchlický Grammar School in Klatovy National Museum to expand its collections P.K.