Women in IT - archive of articles

The Joseph Fourier Award went to Lucia Hradecká

Lucia Hradecká, a PhD student at FI, won 2nd place in the prestigious Joseph Fourier Prize competition and also received the IT4Innovations award for her work "Automatic processing of biomedical image data using deep learning".

The Joseph Fourier Prize is awarded for outstanding research in applied mathematics and computer science in memory of the eminent French mathematician Joseph Fourier. The aim of this competition is to recognise outstanding scientific work in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computer systems and networks, database systems, human-computer interaction, numerical analysis, programming languages, software engineering, graphics, bioinformatics and computer theory.

With her project on biomedical data, Lucia has shown how deep learning can contribute to a better understanding and processing of complex image data, which is crucial for medical applications and diagnostics. The results of her research are being used, for example, to identify the causes of breast cancer. Another award, IT4Innovations, entitles Lucie to 250,000 computing hours on a supercomputer at the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Centre in Ostrava.

Sofia's journey: From Serbia to FI MU, where she focuses on forensic readiness of software systems

Read an inspiring interview with Sofija, a talented student from Serbia who decided to study in the Czech Republic and has already achieved many successes at FI MU. Her journey from her first visit to the Czech Republic and Brno, during summer school, to being awarded the "Dean's Award for Outstanding Final Thesis" is full of determination, hard work and inspiration.

Sofije is pursuing her Master's degree in Software Engineering, supported by a JCMM scholarship, and is actively involved in the research project "Forensic Support for Building Trust in Smart Software Ecosystems". This project, in which she collaborates with Barbara Bühn and Lukas Daubner, focuses on the design of methodologies for forensic readiness of software systems and has produced significant results that are internationally appreciated.

Sofije is currently studying in Italy at the University of Salerno as part of the Erasmus program, where she is expanding her knowledge and experiencing a new culture. Her dedication and achievements are an inspiration to all those interested in computer science and research. Read the full interview and be inspired by her story.

Read the full interview with Sofia in the article on the FI website.

Professor Kathryn Hess Bellwald and the Women in Topology Research Network

On April 17, 2024, Professor Kathryn Hess Bellwald from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne gave a talk on "Topological Perspectives on Networks" at the MUNI Seminar Series.

Renowned for her research in algebraic topology, Professor Hess bridged the gap between complex mathematical theories and concrete applications. Through her involvement in the Blue Brain project, she is applying topological insights to complex brain networks, pushing our understanding in neuroscience. As founder of the after-school Euler course for children, she inspires young talents and nurtures a new generation of mathematicians in Switzerland. In addition, she actively supports her colleagues through initiatives such as the Women in Topology research network, demonstrating her commitment to creating a more inclusive and welcoming scientific community.

More information about the Women in Topology (WIT) research network can be found HERE.

You can read the full interview with Professor Hess, including an appreciation of her talk and visit to FI by Professor Daniel King, in the news on the FI website.

Anna Řechtáčková received the Brno Ph.D. award. Talent

Anna Řechtáčková graduated from the Bachelor's degree programme in Applied Informatics and subsequently from the Master's degree programme in Theoretical Informatics at the Faculty of Informatics of MU. Since 2023 she has started her PhD studies with a focus on automated methods to support programming teaching under the supervision of Assoc. Mgr. Radek Pelánek, Ph.D.

Do Brno Ph.D. Talent she applied with a project on Developing Automatic Methods for Teaching Code Quality in Introductory Programming. He is looking for ways to automatically give feedback on the quality of beginners' code. "I'm investigating which problems are common and important, how to detect these problems, and how to guide students in the right direction to fix them. The EduLint tool I'm developing to do this is already being used in FI courses and the Computer Science Correspondence Seminar. We are also in the process of adding it to the We Can Computer Science learning environment that is used in primary and secondary schools," he explains.

Her research helps, for example, in the assessment of homework and many students get feedback that no one had the capacity to give them before. In her PhD, she is also fulfilling her wish to work on something that helps people and saves them time.

Prof. Ivana Černá was awarded the MUNI medal

On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the foundation of Masaryk University, MUNI medals were presented to Masaryk University personalities and prominent representatives of science, culture, higher education and public life on 31 January 2024 in the Karel Engliš Great Auditorium at the Faculty of Law of MUNI. The silver medal was awarded to Prof. Ivana Černá.

Prof. Ivana Černá, Head of the Department of Programming Theory at FI, has been working at FI since its foundation in 1994. During this time, she has achieved a number of scientific successes and has also contributed significantly to the development of MU from her position as Vice-Rector for Information Technology (2006-2011) and then for Studies (2011-2015). She holds and has held a number of important roles at the University and the Faculty, including membership of academic senates, scientific councils, the MU Internal Evaluation Council and the MU Ethics Committee. She also plays a key role in teaching. She is a successful investigator and co-investigator of a number of research projects, such as the Centre of Excellence for Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and the Modular Distributed Robotics Platform. She has authored or co-authored more than a hundred publications in the areas of communication theory and parallel systems and formal verification.

FI Computer Science Colloquium with inspiring women in IT

The goal of the colloquia organized by FI is to present current research in various areas of computer science to a broad audience within the faculty. More information about the colloquia can be found HERE.

23.4.2024 - Assoc. Prof. Laura Sanita' from Università Bocconi in Milan.

12.12.2023 - Prof. Monica Dragoicea from Polytechnic University of Bucharest, topic "Smart services, explainable AI, and smart visualisations".

9.5.2023 - Mgr. Kamila Urban, PhD. from Charles University, topic "Metacognition within self-regulated learning".

14.3.2023 - doc. Jana Tůmová from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

20.9.2022 - dr. Maria Luján Ganuza from Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina, topic.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 11.2.2024

The theme of this year's International Day of Women and Girls in Science is "Women in Science Leadership: a New Era for Sustainability".

On 8-9 February 2024, the 9th Assembly for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The concept and agenda for this year's Assembly, as well as outcomes from previous years, can be found at https://www.womeninscienceday.org/.

The 9th Assembly brought together experts from around the world, senior government officials, representatives of international scientific organizations, scientists and women scientists from around the world to discuss women's leadership in achieving the three pillars of sustainable development: economic prosperity, social justice and environmental protection.

FI webinar on the growing role of diversity in IT

In an increasingly technology-driven world, digital innovation and creativity can hardly be fully harnessed if only a small proportion of the population generates it. In this context, the question often arises - why do girls choose particular interests, study programmes and careers as an alternative to computer science or information technology? What are the motivators and benefits of these alternatives that IT lacks? Our webinar focuses on the growing role of diversity in IT, including some findings from recent studies on the topic. We will discuss effective strategies for making IT more inclusive and open to diverse talent. And we'll share lessons learned from engaging more girls in IT, including insights and strategies specifically related to academia.

A recording of the webinar with Assoc. Ing. RNDr. Barbara Bühn, Ph.D., Vice Dean of FI, can be viewed HERE.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 11 February 2023

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was declared by the UN General Assembly at the end of 2015. It is intended to commemorate the crucial role of women and girls in science and to promote their involvement in research activities.

It is said that there are as many women in IT as there are men. This is not the case at FI, e.g. 29% of PhD students are women. In the first year of the PhD programme, Mgr. Lucia Hradecká, winner of the "Brno Ph.D. Talent 2022" (a scholarship program of the City of Brno for the 25 best talents among PhD students who convince the expert committee of the excellence of their results and the quality of their proposed scientific project).

Handbook Maternity, paternity and parental leave in a nutshell

In December 2022, an updated MU handbook Maternity, Paternity and Parental Leave in a Nutshell was published.

The handbook aims to provide MU parents with comprehensive information in one place, guiding them from pregnancy, through maternity leave, then parental leave, as well as paternity leave, to returning back to work.

You can download the handbook HERE.

In this context, we would like to add that MU cooperates with the Elánek mini-nursery (in the MU building on Komenský nám. and on the Bohunice campus), where MU employees can place their children. More information can be found on the ELÁNK website.

Courses Gender Equality in the Institution and Gender Equality Plans I and II

Want to learn more about gender equality? The National Contact Centre - Gender and Science of the Institute of Sociology of the CAS offers courses on gender equality, which are designed as e-learning, publicly available training for interested women and men from universities and research organisations in the Czech Republic.

You can register for the course HERE.

Monitoring Report on the Status of Women in Science

In December 2022, the National Contact Centre - Gender and Science of the Institute of Sociology of the CAS published the Monitoring Report on the Representation of Women in Science and Research for 2020. In it, it maps the position of women in science and innovation in the Czech Republic. The report has been published annually since 2005.

You can download the Monitoring Report HERE.

Inspiring women in FI

We want to motivate and inspire women who are considering a career in IT. We are therefore preparing medallions on "what I enjoy and find fulfilling about science at FI" and "what I enjoy about working in IT at FI" with inspiring women at our faculty, in all four departments, CERIT and the Centre for Computing. We will be adding to these medallions on an ongoing basis.

Many thanks to all the female colleagues and PhD students involved for their cooperation.

MU Gender Equality Plan

MU implements a variety of measures to promote gender equality as part of the University's strategic commitment to the principles of transparency, equality and accountability, while at the same time balancing the work and personal lives of all its employees and students. It fulfils this commitment at the level of its units and through the activities of the University as a whole. All this is done on the basis of the MU Gender Equality Plan for the period 2022-2024.

CAREER RESTART Grant Scheme

Since 2020, the MU Grant Agency has been implementing the CAREER RESTART grant scheme, which aims to create conditions for the integration of female and male researchers into research teams at MU after a career break, for example due to parental leave. The CAREER RESTART grants will facilitate and accelerate the return of young talented scientists to productive scientific careers and thus increase the percentage of their representation in independent/senior research positions. Detailed information can be found HERE.