Tomáš Kašparovský: Managing a faculty means learning to listen

After serving two terms, you are handing over the position of dean to your successor. What are your feelings as you look back on the past eight years?

It has been a tremendous experience. I achieved many of the goals I set for myself at the beginning, and we coped with several unexpected situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. My feelings today are mixed. On the one hand, I am relieved that a very demanding period is ending, but on the other hand, I know I will no longer be as involved in the faculty’s strategic decision-making process – a new role awaits me.

What will your new role be?

Under the leadership of the newly elected dean, I will continue as vice dean of development and quality. I will therefore focus on a narrower agenda, leaving the main decision-making to the dean, which is, of course, the right thing to do. It will be a change for me, but I am happy to adapt.

Based on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give the new dean?

Good management is based on the art of listening. It’s important to carefully consider the opinions and attitudes of those who turn to you for guidance. In such a large and diverse faculty, no one has a monopoly on wisdom, and managers don’t always know the best solution. Often, someone will come up with a better idea, and you must be willing to accept and support it. Several times, I have come to a meeting with a certain idea and left with a completely different solution because my colleagues convinced me that the original idea was not ideal. Listening to others is essential in an academic environment.

Looking back on the past eight years, what do you consider the three greatest achievements of your tenure?

It is very important to me that we managed to stabilise and even increase student interest in studying the natural sciences. This is a significant result at a time when their popularity in society is declining. I consider the growing and stable interest in studying to be one of my greatest achievements. I am pleased that we are able to attract motivated students, as reflected in their results – for example, the successes of teams in competitions such as iGEM.

Another important achievement is the creation of a high-quality, motivating work environment. I see winning the HR Award not only as a formal success, but above all a commitment to implementing its principles in everyday practice. This commitment is reflected in the interest of top educators and research team leaders, such as Norbert Werner, in working at the faculty. Today, the faculty is perceived as a good and fair employer.

I am also very proud of our English-language study programmes. When I took office, the faculty did not offer such programs. Now, we have four, which I consider a major step toward internationalisation.

Is there interest in these English programs?

Interest from foreign students has been even higher than we originally expected. One major attraction is the campus, where the biology and chemistry programmes are situated near the medical and pharmaceutical faculties, the faculty of sports studies, and the CEITEC centre of scientific excellence. This setup is unique not only in the Czech Republic but also in Central Europe.

Some things were planned, while others were unexpected. What took the most energy?

Definitely pushing through a professional approach to teacher training programmes. The goal was for the programmes to be subject-specific and for students to learn how to systematically pass on their knowledge. This required creating new didactic courses and changing our mindset about preparing future teachers, which was especially difficult in smaller fields. Ultimately, however, we succeeded, strengthening our cooperation with those graduates now working as secondary school teachers.

Why is it important to pay so much attention to teacher training programmes?

These programs educate future teachers of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. If we want young people to be interested in these key subjects, then we need high-quality secondary school teachers who can inspire students to study the natural sciences. These subjects are challenging, but with effective teaching, they are surmountable. Teachers must have professional knowledge and strong didactic and pedagogical training, which we have tried to systematically strengthen.

Has this change also been reflected in the level of interest in teacher training programmes?

Yes. Despite similar programmes now being offered by faculties of education, the number of students on teacher training programmes is not declining; in fact, it is growing.

One of the steps taken was to strengthen practical training. What changes have been made in this area?

Practical training is an integral component of any professional study programme, and teaching is no exception. That is why we have prepared a five-year master’s programme which allows for better structuring of teaching: first acquiring the professional, pedagogical and psychological foundations, and then putting everything into practice during a clinical semester or year. This required us to think about teaching in a slightly different way, and I believe that we are now ahead of the game in this respect.

When will applicants be able to apply for these new programmes?

We are currently working on their accreditation. The Internal Evaluation Board has approved both our proposal and that of the Faculty of Arts, which was inspired by our model.

One of the steps taken was to strengthen practical training. What changes have been made in this area?

Practical training is an integral component of any professional study programme, and teaching is no exception. That is why we have prepared a five-year master’s programme which allows for better structuring of teaching: first acquiring the professional, pedagogical and psychological foundations, and then putting everything into practice during a clinical semester or year. This required us to think about teaching in a slightly different way, and I believe that we are now ahead of the game in this respect.

When will applicants be able to apply for these new programmes?

We are currently working on their accreditation. The Internal Evaluation Board has approved both our proposal and that of the Faculty of Arts, which was inspired by our model.

Will it be difficult to find enough schools for student internships?

The faculty has long-standing and well-established links with secondary schools. We have a network of so-called faculty schools that can use the title Faculty School of the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. Another successful example of cooperation is the new science-oriented grammar school on Pionýrská Street, which developed its curriculum in collaboration with universities. This form of collaboration is a model for the whole of the Czech Republic.

One of your goals was to make study programmes more transparent and reduce academic failure. How did you achieve this?

We reduced the number of undergraduate programmes by almost half. This made it much easier for applicants to find their way around, and we encouraged students to embrace flexible study paths. We introduced academic failure prevention specialists who can identify if a student is at risk of not meeting certain requirements in a timely manner, helping them to find an alternative study path so that they can successfully complete their studies.

What challenges will the next leadership face?

It is essential to finalise the reform of doctoral studies, particularly the reduction and consolidation of programmes into stronger units. Discussions have already taken place, and I believe the changes will be implemented soon.

Will the concept of doctoral studies change?

Yes, and it will be a fundamental change. Doctoral studies cannot just be about collecting credits. Their purpose is to educate the next generation of scientists. Students must have a clear idea of their professional development, including a timetable and opportunities to contribute their own ideas. You can’t just let them participate in laboratory work. On the contrary, they need targeted guidance so they can develop their own ideas on how and where to take the research further and which procedures to choose. This requires improvements in both the supervision of students and the selection process. We are looking for scientists, not perpetual students.

What progress has the faculty made in science?

We have shifted our focus from quantity to quality in our publications. We are performing better in international competitions, attracting leading experts and enhancing the international visibility of the faculty, thanks in part to major research infrastructure and our Antarctic station.

Which fields do you see as having the greatest potential for further development?

Chemistry and biology are particularly strong, partly thanks to their close ties with CEITEC. Physics is also starting to develop well. I also see significant potential for further development in geography, geology and mathematics, where both research and international cooperation could be strengthened.

When CEITEC first began, there were concerns that it could weaken the Faculty of Science. How would you assess the situation today?

Looking at the data over a longer period, the Faculty of Science’s performance declined by around ten per cent in the short term after CEITEC was established. However, it quickly returned to its original level. CEITEC introduced new expertise to the university, further enhancing its overall scientific performance. In my view, this project was a resounding success.

It is crucial that we work closely together as a faculty and have clearly defined rules. CEITEC’s lack of close links to teaching gives it greater flexibility, allowing it to create scientific groups according to current research needs. In this sense, it can also act as an ‘incubator’ for new scientific directions within our faculty.

What is the Faculty of Science’s position within the university today, and how does it cooperate with other faculties?

As one of Masaryk University’s founding faculties, the Faculty of Science remains one of its pillars. In terms of numbers, we employ around a quarter of the university’s staff and have roughly a quarter of its total budget at our disposal. We respect and understand the principles of both solidarity and performance. We want to be a faculty that the university can rely on: one that provides stability and actively cooperates with a wide range of disciplines.

As well as being dean, you also chair the Council of Higher Education Institutions. What direction do you think the Czech higher education system should take in the coming years?

I believe it is essential to abandon the notion of having twenty-six identical universities. While each university has a different role to play, they should all be able to provide education at various stages of life, so they are not solely dependent on fluctuations in the demographic curve.

This means creating study programs not only for 19-year-old students, but also for those who want to supplement their knowledge, skills and competencies later in life. This opportunity should not only be extended to older people; we are also discussing the possibility, for example, of high school students completing part of their studies at a university, which could then be recognised.

Have any topics from the Faculty of Science successfully made it to the national level? Has the faculty done anything specific to influence the debate on the future of higher education in the Czech Republic?

I believe the answer is undoubtedly yes. The most striking example of this is the reform of doctoral studies. Our experience at the faculty of what a modern doctoral programme should look like has gradually been reflected in the national professional debate.

Another important topic is the training of science teachers. We entered the national debate by emphasising that teacher training is not the exclusive domain of education faculties. Faculties that train teachers in specialised subjects, including the natural sciences, play an irreplaceable role in this process.

I consider these two areas – the reform of doctoral studies and teacher training – to be the main areas in which Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science has influenced thinking about higher education on a national scale.

What are your plans once you have handed over the dean’s robe?

I would definitely like to devote much more time to teaching, which I love. I would also like to have more opportunities to popularise the natural sciences among the general public. Last, but not least, I would like to spend more time with my family and friends – I owe them the most for the last eight years.

Photo: Irina Matusevich