On Monday 30th September, the IBTS rector took part in the official opening of the new academic year 2013/14, organized by the Czech Rectors Conference. This year, the event took place in Pardubice and was joint with awarding the „doctor honoris causa“ – “the honorary doctor” – title of the Pardubice University.
The welcome speech was given by prof. Ludwig, Rector of the host university. After him, prof. Hampl, Rector of the Charles University and President of the Czech Rectors Conference gave his address. (It is available in Czech here.) He stressed the importance of personal responsibility in the area of higher education, the need of honouring the ethics and principles of fairness in the academic and scientific life. Doc. Fischer, the President of Council of Universities, observed that the quality of Czech higher education is increasing, despite the difficult conditions caused by the political instability and poor state funding. The president of the student body of the Council expressed his belief in cooperation between the students, faculty members and other stake-holders in the education area.
The title „doctor honoris cause“ was awarded to Dr. Jean-Luc Adam from France for the area of solid substances chemistry, and to Prof. Dr. S.N.Balagangadhara Rao from India (who for some 40 years has worked in Europe in Gent, Belgium) for his outstanding contribution to the comparative science of cultures and religion.
– Katka K