Elite scientists and researchers are awarded degrees at Comenius University
Bratislava, 26 February 2019: The awarding of Doctor of Sciences (DrSc.) degrees took place in the Comenius University Auditorium to elite scientists and researchers in the presence of Slovak president Andrej Kiska on 26 February 2019. The scientific councils of Comenius University in Bratislava, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, and the Pan-European University awarded the degrees to twenty-three scientific experts. Among those awarded were seven biologists, three mathematicians, three chemists, two physicists, two historians, one materials scientist, one electrical engineer, one veterinarian, one physician, one ecologist, and one lawyer.
"We should keep on talking about science, research, and education. We still need to think about how we got to the point where we no longer respect education and no longer appreciate or understand how important education, science, and research are for our country," Kiska said, adding that the most valuable thing in Slovakia was its people.
The Comenius University rector, Professor Marek Števček, highlighted the values of education, culture, critical thinking, humanity, and seeking the truth, pointing out that if society and the political elites did not adhere to these values, it was then a slippery slope to looking for answers to the important questions of today in half-baked populist semi-truths and internet fictions. "Who other than those scientists who have reached the top of their field should carry the torch of seeking the truth? They are the ones deserving academic praise," the rector said.
The work of the awardees, which helps spread the reputation of Slovakia abroad, was highlighted by the Slovak prime minister, Peter Pellegrini. At the same time, he pointed out the need to intensify the interconnected research and application networks between universities, the Slovak Academy of Sciences, enterprises, and Slovak companies. “The government will be ready to support all necessary activities aimed at increasing the level of economic activity and improving the standard of living of the Slovak population,” he said.
The Chairman of the Slovak Commission for Academic Degrees, Professor Peter Moczo, recalled the thoughts of Nobel Prize in Physics winner Steven Weinberg – that nothing has had a greater influence on the development of the human spirit, culture, industry, agriculture, and health than the most important results of free research and scientific knowledge motivated by curiosity and the spirit of inquiry of the mind – in his call to support the idea of placing science at the pinnacle of society.
On behalf of the awardees, Professor Roman Holec expressed his thanks through the story of Andrej Kmeť, who was a Slovak priest and science enthusiast, in saying that "Slovak society will not move forward if our educational capital is not concentrated and an educational society is not created." He urged the government to do their utmost to develop science in Slovakia.
The following scientists were awarded the Doctor of Sciences degree:
- Professor Marie Černá, Charles University in Prague
- Professor Juraj Černák, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice
- Dr Mária Dušinská, Norwegian Institute for Air Research
- Dr Eva Frimmová, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Dr Miroslav Glasa, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Professor Roman Holec, Slovak Academy of Sciences and Comenius University in Bratislava
- Dr Ján Ivančo, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Associate Professor Robert Jajcay, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Associate Professor Ján Jásik, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Dr Anna Jenčová, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Dr Norbert Kučerka, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Dr Lucia Kučerová, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Dr Eva Kutejová, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Associate Professor Kristian Mathis, Charles University in Prague
- Professor Michal Mego, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Professor Pavol Prokop, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Professor Frederik Raiskup, Dresden University of Technology and Charles University in Prague
- Professor Vladimír Smejkal, Brno University of Technology
- Dr Viola Strompfová, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Professor Daniel Ševčovič, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Dr Milan Valachovič, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Associate Professor Dušan Velič, Comenius University in Bratislava
- Associate Professor Martin Weis, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava