Popularization of Science
Popularization of science is one of the key missions of Tomas Bata University in Zlín. Through a wide range of events, workshops and lectures, we bring the fascinating world of science and research closer not only to primary and secondary school students, but also to the general public. On this page you will find an overview of our activities which are expected to: Inspire others to discover new knowledge, support creative thinking and create a space for interaction between academia and the society.
Open Day
The Open Day at Tomas Bata University is a key initiative implemented within the student recruitment strategy and aimed at building of a positive brand perception of the University. The event allows prospective applicants to get acquainted with the university environment, with TBU Faculties, modern laboratories and with other academic and leisure facilities, such as the Library, Halls of Residence and Refectory. The programme features specialized demonstrations, presentations of degree programmes and interactive workshops that demonstrate practical applications of the degree programmes/courses offered. An important aspect is the possibility of informal contact with teachers and current students, who provide an authentic view of study and of student life at TBU.
As regards the attendance numbers, the Open Day at TBU attracted almost 20,000 visitors between 2019 and 2024, while in 2021, due to the pandemic, an unconventional online version called the Open Windows Day took place. This format temporarily replaced the traditional version of the event, which returned in the following years and met with growing public interest. www.utb.cz/dod
Dotek Fashion Event
The Dotek Fashion Event is a unique charity fashion show organized by students of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications of Tomas Bata University in Zlín. This prestigious event combines fashion, art and philanthropy, with an emphasis on supporting of young designers (especially TBU students) and on a sustainable approach to fashion. Each edition brings original collections and creative concepts that push the boundaries of the traditional concept of fashion. The proceeds from the event are regularly donated to charity, thus emphasizing the project’s deep social importance and inspiring creativity and responsibility. www.fashioneventdotek.cz
Researchers’ Night
The Researchers’ Night is the most important popularization event held in the Czech Republic, thanks to which hundreds of research institutions and universities across Europe are open to the general public. The event always features approximately 10-12 lectures and 16 workshops. The number of attendees has increased from about 2,000 persons in 2019 to 3,000 in 2024. www.nocvedcu.cz/organizace/univerzita-tomase-bati-ve-zline
UTButebe Podcast
The UTButebe project, launched in March 2020, is the first university podcast in the Czech Republic. Since its launch, 136 episodes have been published, with 15,400 streams (9,300 full streams) on Spotify, the Podcast has gained more than 3,100 unique listeners, and is followed by 700 people on Spotify. In 2022, the Podcast released 50 new episodes with 750 minutes each, which helped rank the Podcast in the top 10% of the most shared podcasts worldwide in the education category. podcast.utb.cz
ROBOTA
ROBOTA is an open creative workshop created and operated by Tomas Bata University in Zlín and aimed at supporting and developing of creativity and artistic potential of people. It offers modern digital technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters and plotters, and organizes workshops and educational programmes for the general public, schools and companies. robota.utb.cz
Robogames
Robogames is a national robot competition organized by the Faculty of Applied Informatics of Tomas Bata University in Zlín. Competing teams composed of pupils, students and robotic clubs compete in disciplines such as Robosumo, Line Tracking and Robot Cleaner. The aim of the event is to promote interest in robotics and programming, to provide a space for meetings and for exchange of experience between participants and to motivate them to further develop their skills. robogames.utb.cz
Science Café
Science Café is a series of informal discussion meetings of scientists and members of the general public interested in science. The purpose of the meeting is to search for questions and answers together, to present scientists as inspiring personalities and to present specific and current scientific topics. The lecturers are not only experts from the Faculty of Technology of TBU in Zlín, personalities from other universities as well as from the Academy of Sciences are regularly invited as well. The number of lectures in recent years was as follows: 2019/16; 2020/5; 2021/7; 2022/15; 2023/14; 2024/13. www.sciencecafe.cz/zlin
UPPER Zlín
UPPER Zlín is a creative and innovation centre of Tomas Bata University that supports students and the public in the development of their ideas and projects. The Centre’s activities include the IDEATHON competition, an intensive creative marathon focused on search for innovative solutions to current challenges. Furthermore, the Centre organizes series of lectures entitled “Meet and Great” and “Build it UP”, where experts from creative industries share their experiences, inspire and provide practical advice to both students and the general public, as well as other competitions and events. upper.utb.cz
Science e-shop
The Science e-shop is a free e-shop offering popular science lectures, which mediates provision of science courses for secondary school teachers/students according to their demand. After an online course booking, academics from the Faculty of Technology (FT) travel directly to the relevant secondary schools. It is a long-term activity in which thirty FT academics are currently involved. This activity was restrained by the epidemiological situation during the COVID pandemic, but in 2022 the interest shown by secondary schools reached the pre-pandemic levels, and, this year, more than forty lectures were held at secondary schools across the Czech Republic; the number of the lectures given in 2023 and 2024 was similar. The Science e-shop has been operating since 2017 and currently offers 56 lectures in the field of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering. The offer is updated every year, the number of participating academics and of course topics is increasing, and experimental demonstrations have been added to selected courses. vedanaprani.cz
TBU Lecture e-shop
The TBU Lecture e-shop project is an innovative platform aimed at supporting cooperation between Tomas Bata University in Zlín and secondary schools with the aim of popularizing science, research, creative activities and enhancing the educational process through specialized activities. The project, which was launched in 2019, offers secondary schools a wide range of lectures, workshops, excursions and experience days, which can be implemented both directly at the secondary schools and in modern university premises. Since its launch, almost 100 courses have been run within the project, and the interest of secondary schools is growing year-by-year. naprani.utb.cz
Science Fair
The Science Fair is the largest popular science event held in the Czech Republic, which has been organized annually since 2015 by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The event focuses on science in all its forms and offers visitors the most interesting topics from natural sciences, technology, humanities and social fields. Tomas Bata University regularly participates in this Fair. Since 2019, the Fair has attracted more than 100,000 visitors www.veletrhvedy.cz
Experience Science
The first science festival in Zlín ever, organized since 2019. The programme consists of 45-minute workshops, which correspond to the scientific directions that the Faculty of Technology is focusing on. The morning programme is reserved for secondary schools, the afternoon workshops are intended for the general public. The whole programme is offered free of charge. The number of workshops held was as follows: 2019/126 workshops with participation by 2,000 people; 2020/102 workshops/1,500 participants; 2022/108 workshops/1,600 participants; 2023/126/1700 participants; 2024/127/1,700 participants. zazijvedu.cz
Zlin Design Week
The Zlin Design Week is an international design festival that annually transforms Zlín into a centre of creativity, innovations and cultural exchange. Thanks to this event, which is held under the auspices of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications of Tomas Bata University, international cooperation in the field of design and culture is strengthened. The festival, which is organized entirely by students, interconnects young talents, professionals and the general public through exhibitions, workshops, lectures and discussions. The Zlin Design Week is an example showing how students can influence the world of design with their initiative and creativity, and inspire new forms of collaboration on a global level. zlindesignweek.com
Zlín Film Festival
Tomas Bata University’s participation in the Zlín Film Festival for Children and Youth, abbreviated as Film Festival (ZFF), is an important part of the TBU strategy aimed to popularize science and strengthen awareness of TBU. Through interactive programmes, experiments and workshops, TBU interconnects science, research and entertainment, thus bringing academia closer to the general public, especially to children and young people. TBU also actively participates in the Festival by providing film projects, broadcasts from a multimedia studio and support for community projects. The involvement of students and teachers helps develop their skills and emphasizes the practical impact of university education. Thus, TBU actively supports education, creativity and social development in the region. www.zlinfest.cz
In 2024, the tools (supporting programmes) implemented within the ZFF included the following:
Faculty of Technology: FT Laboratory – Presenting polymer materials of the future, interactive experiments for children (e.g. production of building blocks).
Faculty of Humanities: Offering educational workshops for schools focused on cybersecurity, sustainability, and sports values.
Faculty of Multimedia Communications: Provides broadcasting from the Fénix multimedia studio and organizes workshops and film screenings.
