Have you defended a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis related to sustainability and sustainable development? Enter yours into the first year of the competition for the UP Rector’s Award for Sustainability. Authors of the award-winning theses will receive a financial reward. The deadline for submissions is Monday, 2 December 2024.
Palacký University Olomouc strives to be fully environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. This means that it should act and develop in such a way that it is able to meet its needs, however without negative impacts on the future and the generations to come.
Everything you need to know about sustainable development at UP is available on the Sustainable University website.
UP focuses on 15 areas of sustainable development, including environmental (“green”) sustainability, often closely linked to economic sustainability (improved waste sorting, energy savings, greenery, and biodiversity), and social sustainability (equal opportunities for all, responsible purchasing, and community care). The university also supports education and research on sustainability. And this academic year, the UP Rector’s Award for the best sustainability-oriented student theses will be granted for the first time.
Students and graduates of Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes are eligible to submit their final theses (defended in 2023 and 2024). Not only research theses but also artistic theses are eligible for the award if the thesis takes sustainability into account. The thesis should explore and promote the theme of sustainability and relate to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the specific content of which can be found on the UN website. Points will also be given if it contributes in any way to the Sustainable Development Strategy at UP. This strategy defines 15 priority areas (linked to the SDGs) to which the university has committed on a long-term basis, setting out the main objectives as well as the basic measures through which the objectives will be met. Two-year action plans with specific objectives are developed on its basis.
Applications can be submitted until 2 December 2024 using the online form, which must also be accompanied by the required evaluations and other files as specified. A committee appointed by the UP Rector will review the submissions and nominate selected works to the UP Rector for awards. Awards for the best works will be presented by UP Rector Martin Procházka in February 2025 during Academic Week.
Get financial funding for your research
If you are still working on your thesis, you can get financial funding from Sustainable University for your sustainability-oriented thesis. In this case, the possibilities are broad indeed – support may be granted to theses as well as non-thesis research works by Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctoral students. If you are interested in applying for a grant, please fill in this short form and we will get back to you after reviewing it. The amount of the funding can be up to CZK 10,000, and you can apply for support throughout the entire academic year.