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The MUNI Scientist Award for outstanding scientific achievements and publications went to 37 scientists, researchers or research groups working at Masaryk University. On behalf of the Faculty of Informatics we are proud of the success of Hind Bangui, Ph.D., RNDr. Jan Byška, Ph.D., and Prof. RNDr. Jan Strejček, Ph.D.

The aim of the award from the internal Grant Agency of Masaryk University (GAMU) is to recognize the work of MU scientists for their results and spreading the good name of MU in the scientific community and the public. Equally important is the strengthening of motivation for their further scientific work. This year's awards were presented on Wednesday 11 December 2024 by the Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Studies Šárka Pospíšilová in the atrium of the CEITEC MU.

The first laureate at FI MU is Hind Bangui, Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Systems and Communications. Her research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, human intelligence, and cyber-physical systems, with a particular focus on addressing the societal implications of the ongoing digital transformation to enhance human security and well-being. She received the award for her article Trust Management in Social Internet of Things across Domains published in the journal Internet of Things.

As she stated, she considers the MUNI Scientist award a great honour. "It means a great deal to me personally and professionally. It reflects not only my efforts, but also the supportive environment provided by the Faculty of Computer Science,  which has been instrumental in my research progress. I dedicate this award to my idol, Associate Professor Barbara Bühnová, whose guidance will remain a profound source of inspiration for me," she adds.

The second awardee is RNDr. Jan Byška, Ph.D. working at the Department of Visual Informatics at FI MU. He focuses on developing methods for data visualization that facilitate understanding of complex processes. He works on tools that enable efficient and interactive display of large datasets, which is used for example in biology, medicine or in research on the impact of global warming on climate. The key goal is not only to present visually appealing data, but above all to create intuitive solutions that allow domain experts to gain deeper insight into their data. He has been recognized for articles published in Computer Graphics Forum, Computers & Graphics, and IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics:

• Antarstick: Extracting Snow Height From Time-Lapse Photography
• Design and evaluation of alphabetic and numeric input methods for virtual reality
• InVADo: Interactive Visual Analysis of Molecular Docking Data

On his award, he says: "I appreciate it very much. I see the award as a recognition not only of my work, but also of the work of my colleagues and our PhD students who have contributed to the publications for which I am receiving this award. Masaryk University and the Faculty of Informatics provide me with excellent conditions for carrying out this research - from modern infrastructure to an open environment that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration."

Prof. Jan Strejček, Ph.D. from the Department of Programming Theory, rounds off the trio of achievements. His research focuses on methods for automatic analysis of systems, especially computer programs. The main goal of this analysis is to find typical errors in programs in time or to prove that these errors do not occur in the program. He received the MUNI Scientist Award for articles published in Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems:

• Witch 3: Validation of Violation Witnesses in the Witness Format 2.0
• Symbiotic 10: Lazy Memory Initialization and Compact Symbolic Execution

Although he did not attend this year's ceremony, he gladly shared with us his excitement at having his team's work recognized: "Awards are not the primary reason why we do science, but it is also nice when our results and achievements are noticed and appreciated."

We congratulate our colleagues and wish them success in their future scientific work.

A list of all MUNI Scientist Award 2024 winners and a report from the awards ceremony can be found on the M Magazine website.

Author: Marta Vrlová, Office for External Relations and Partnerships at FI MU

Photo: Martin Indruch