Brno City Council Is Backing Two Competitions This Autumn To Support Talented Students and the Knowledge Economy

Brno PhD Talent 2019 and MUNISS 2020 are both aimed at supporting talented students, with the aim of further developing Brno City Council’s support for technological innovation and the knowledge economy. Photo: Archive of Masaryk University.

Brno, Sep 26 (BD) – Deadlines are approaching for two student competitions backed by Brno City Council, aiming to support gifted students whose work promises to raise Brno’s reputation as a centre for innovation in technology and science. According to Brno Mayor Marketa Vankova (ODS): “We have been collaborating with universities on joint projects and supporting science and research in a long-term and systematic way since 2007. Our budget currently commits over CZK 30 million to popularizing science and a further CZK 45 million to supporting research centers, talented students, and innovative small and medium enterprises. It is well-invested money; Brno should continue to be a smart, innovative and educated city.”

In this context come two competitions for gifted young brains. Brno PhD Talent, in its 10th year in 2019, is open to students in their first year of technology- or science-based doctoral programs at Brno University of Technology, Masaryk University, Mendel University or the Brno University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, who must be in full-time study and under 32 years old to apply. 25 successful applicants will receive scholarships of CZK 100,000 for three years. As Vankova said, “the concept behind Brno PhD Talent is to give young scientists the opportunity to fully pursue their disciplines without significantly reducing their existential and financial wellbeing. In this way, the city will keep young people at the cutting edge of science to help them develop the much-needed knowledge economy.” The deadline for applications is September 30th.

The second competition is the MUNISS Intercollegiate Student Competition, known as MUNISS 2020. This competition is open to students from Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology and Mendel University, and invites students working in teams of five to submit proposals for the development of three brownfield sites around Brno: the former “Kadetka” military canteen on Zizková; the FSIK METAL site to the east of the city centre; and the former brickworks in Reckovice. The extra opportunity for students is to work in multi-disciplinary teams with Brno City Council to implement their winning proposals. MUNISS has been running since 2011/12, and since 2016 has been run in parallel with a similar project in Bratislava.

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