Annual report on activities of VSB-TUO for 2023 : Main part

ANNUAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF VSB-TUO FOR 2023 Main Part ANNUAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF VSB-TUO FOR 2023 Main Part Editor: prof. Ing. Igor Ivan, Ph.D. VSB – Technical University of Ostrava Ostrava 2024 CONTENTS The VSB-TUO Scientific Council discussed the VSB-TUO Annual Report for 2023 on 10 May 2024. The VSB-TUO Academic Senate approved the VSB-TUO Annual Report for 2023 on 21 May 2024. The VSB-TUO Administrative Board of discussed the VSB-TUO Annual Report for 2023 on 14 June 2024. © 2024 VSB – Technical University of Ostrava This work is subject to a Creative Commons Please state the origin – Do not use commercially – Do not process 4.0 International License. ISBN 978-80-248-4751-1 (print) ISBN 978-80-248-4752-8 (on-line) https://doi.org/10.31490/9788024847528 STUDYING AT VSB-TUO 5 STUDENTOPOLIS 9 A UNIVERSITY WITH HIGH EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES IN THEIR FIELDS 11 EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES 15 A RENOWNED CENTRE OF TARGETED RESEARCH 17 EXAMPLES OF SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS 21 AN INCUBATOR FOR PROMISING WORKERS 23 REFRESH 27 EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S CAPACITY 29 CEETe 33 CREATING A MOTIVATING ENVIRONMENT FOR PERSONAL AND TEAM DEVELOPMENT 35 RESTORATION WORKSHOP 39 A CHANGE IN BRAND PERCEPTION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE 41 JUNIOR UNIVERSITY 45 INTERNATIONALISATION 47 U!REKA 51 05 01 STUDYING AT VSB-TUO The year 2023 brought some positive trends. There was an increase in the number of enrolled students, which was again higher than in previous years, confirming the trend of increasing student numbers at the university we have been seeing for several years. The optimisation of the course offer is continuing and, although new academic and professional study programmes are being created to reflect demand on the labour market, a significantly larger number of study programmes are also being phased out. The university has been successful in the challenging process of extending its institutional accreditation to a new field, allowing further development in cybernetics. The new Studentopolis programme is a new way to support student entrepreneurship outside traditional teaching activities. The programme offers students the opportunity to engage in competitive projects that develop their creativity and innovative thinking. 12 120 Regular Students and Fee-Paying Students 1 871 Attendees on Lifelong Learning Courses 12 236 Applications Submitted for First-Year Study Key Messages for 2023 »The number of applicants for studies increased again by another 10% year-on-year (approx. 1,100 applications), while the number of enrolled students also increased by 10% (approx. 660 students) to 6,771 students. »Students studied in 331 degree programmes (55 of which will end in 2024), with 10 new accreditations granted in 2023 (including professional degree programmes such as Innovation and Design of Medical Devices and Smart and Green Buildings in Circular Construction). »Institutional accreditation has been extended to include the new field of Cybernetics. On this occasion, the institutional environment also successfully passed an inspection. In total, the university has accreditation for eleven fields of education. »At VSB-TUO, 30% more students with specific needs studied year-on-year (153 students in total), with a predominance of specific learning disabilities. »The university offers counselling for budding entrepreneurs, provided by the Technology Transfer Centre as a part of the Green Light programme with its 19 start-up projects, as well as the Career Centre as part of the Business Consultation Centre and, last but not least, the inter-faculty subject Business Start-ups, which was attended by 116 students. Did you know that ... career counselling is provided by the VSB-TUO Career Centre? The Career Centre services are aimed at enhancing the employability of students by developing key competencies that will increase their career potential in both employment and private enterprise. The services are provided with links to other active services from the Career Centre, or in close cooperation with faculties as needed, all in accordance with current modern trends and developments in society. In 2023, 2,354 clients used the Career Centre’s educational and advisory services through individual consultation or at various events organised by the Centre throughout the year. 07 Trends in the Number of First-Year Students Enrolled (per Academic Year) 08 The Number of First-Year Students Enrolled by Faculty (for AY 2023/2024) 1 4/1 5 1 5/1 6 1 6/1 7 1 7 /1 8 1 8/1 9 1 9/20 20/2 1 21 /22 22/23 2 3/2 4 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 1 0,000 1 1,000 1 2,000 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1 0,000 1 2,000 1 4,000 1 6,000 1 8,000 20,000 22,000 24,000 263 31 7 4,589 4,020 3,638 3,41 0 3,1 09 2,995 3,505 3,880 4,51 4 4,81 3 1,942 1,838 1,799 1,831 1,647 1,828 1,961 2,403 2,480 2,480 240 254 235 281 328 27 9 381 333 1 8,1 46 1 6,679 1 4,933 1 3,482 1 1,945 1 1,262 1 1,391 1 1,390 1 1,490 1 2,1 20 Total Number of Students Number of First-Year Students Enrolled Number of enrolled Bc. nMgr. Ph.D. Number of Students 0 1 00 200 300 400 500 600 7 00 800 900 1 000 1 1 00 1 200 1 300 1 400 1 500 1 600 1 7 00   111 1 43 360 645 339 1 37 207 51 3 470 627 234 634 28 27 47 29 39 23 47 Number of First-Year Students Enrolled Bc. nMgr. Ph.D. FBI FAST FEI EkF FS FMT HGF 1 109 1 002 Studentopolis The new Studentopolis programme was successfully implemented in the autumn to activate students and support their entrepreneurship. It is a competition for student projects outside the traditional teaching curriculum. The aim is to support the community and student projects in cultural, social, sporting and volunteering activities, thus creating a supportive environment for students to help them better integrate into student life, develop skills and achieve success. A total of eight projects involving students from all VSB-TUO faculties received grants of a maximum of CZK 50,000 (find out more about the programme at vsb.cz/studentopolis). 09 11 02 A UNIVERSITY WITH HIGH EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES IN THEIR FIELDS The university also significantly strengthened its cooperation with future employers, both at individual faculty level (through the Scientific and Industrial Boards) and as part of university-wide activities implemented mainly by the Career Centre through the Career+ Job Fair and the k+ portal. The successful defence of last year’s victory by VSB-TUO in the Employer Recommended School survey confirms our long-term and high-quality work. We also won an award in the faculty category. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering won second place. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology and the Faculty of Safety Engineering were all listed in the top ten. After a one-year break, three surveys on graduate employability were carried out using various data sources. The results were presented to the management of the university, faculties and institutes, as well as to the Scientific and Industrial Boards. The shortcomings identified will be reflected and incorporated into the Implementation Plan for the VSB-TUO Strategic Plan for the coming period. 2 319 Graduates Successfully Completed Their Studies 26 Graduates Registered at Labour Offices (within Two Years of Completion of Studies) 500+ Application Experts Are Involved in Teaching and Work Experience Key Messages for 2023 »Throughout the year, companies made intensive use of the k+ portal, an on-line platform that enables company brand marketing and the advertising of specific jobs, temporary jobs, internships and the topics of bachelor’s and master’s theses. By the end of the year, more than 3,900 university students (almost one third) were active on the portal. Thanks to an active campaign, 1,000 new students were registered. »The classic spring Career+ Job Fair was attended by 106 exhibitors and almost 3,000 attendees, mainly students in bachelor’s and follow-on study programmes. A new outdoor exhibition, TECHPARK, was introduced at the fair. »The VSB-TUO Partnership Programme was finalised and is divided into three levels – Supporter, Silver Partner and Gold Partner. Active offers for participation will start in 2024. »773 new graduates registered for the ALUMNI network. This network consisted of 6,447 graduates at the end of the year. »In September, the fourth Diamond Graduation, a ceremony for graduates after 60 years, was held together with the Golden Graduation (for the 10th time). Did you know that ... university students were once again successful in a number of competitions? In the Werner von Siemens Award, Jan Vysocký won the prize for the best graduate thesis on Smart Infrastructure, Michal Procházka was runner-up in the Best Master’s Thesis category, while Dominik Heczko came second in the Industry 4.0 category. As part of the Progress 3 consortium, VSB-TUO graduate Anlan Wang came first in a competition for the best thesis. Ph.D. student Pierre Koleják received an award in the City of Ostrava Talent of the Year programme. Heartfelt congratulations to all the above and to others who were successful. 13 14 Number of Graduates by Faculty and Type of Study in AY 2022/2023 1 8/1 9 1 9/20 20/21 21 /22 22/23 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 1,1 50 1,538 1,299 1,67 4 1,540 1,067 1,228 1,1 90 1,382 1,539 1 02 1 03 1 24 61 112 Type of Study Ph.D. nMgr. Bc. Number of Graduates Trends in the Number of Graduates by Type of Study (per Academic Year) FMG FMST FME FE FEECS FCE FSE FMG FMST FME FE FEECS FCE FSE FMG FMST FME FE FEECS FCE FSE 84 79 241 385 1 84 83 94 110 1 37 1 85 269 1 80 73 113 1 2 8 22 6 1 5 9 27 Bc. nMgr. Ph.D. Number of Graduates 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Employability of Graduates Three studies were conducted with different target groups and forms of data collection to obtain a comprehensive view of graduate employability. The primary study in 2023 was the Study of Graduate Employability – Graduate Panel 2013–2018 conducted by Trexima, spol. s r. o. and using data from the Information System on Average Earnings (ISAE). As part of this study, data were processed for 4,296 graduates who had completed their education at VSB-TUO between 2013 and 2018 and were part of the ISAE statistical survey between 2019 and 2022. The study focused on the shift between 2018 and 2022 in the professions of graduates from the panel in accordance with the CZ-ISCO occupational classification and the CZ-ISCED classification of fields of education. The second part of the study focused on the differentiation of graduate salaries between 2018 and 2022 according to the CZ- -ISCO, CZ-ISCED and by faculty. Over five years of activity on the labour market, the median wage increased by 44% (FCE 55%), with the highest increase being in Information and Communication Technology (50%). 15 VSB-TUO 26 FE 10 FCE 5FME 4 FMST 2 FSE 2 FEECS 1 2018 CZK 37,988 VSB-TUO 2022 CZK 54,713 VSB-TUO ↗ 44.0 % VSB-TUO Change TRENDS IN VSB-TUO GRADUATE SALARIES OVER 5 YEARS Number of Graduates in Labour Office Records as at 30 April 2023 (within two yearsof graduation) Trajectory of Gross Monthly Salaries of the Same Graduates Over Five Years (by faculty).* 2018 2022 Change FCE CZK 33,795 CZK 52,379 55.0 % ↗ FSE CZK 40,255 CZK 57,918 43.9 % ↗ FME CZK 37,260 CZK 51,608 38.5 % ↗ FEECS CZK 42,219 CZK 62,882 48.9 % ↗ FMG CZK 38,823 CZK 55,292 42.4 % ↗ FMST CZK 39,466 CZK 52,907 42.4 % ↗ FE CZK 37,988 CZK 54,713 42.4 % ↗ Trajectory of Gross Monthly Salaries of the Same Graduates by CZ-ISCED Field of Education.* 2018 2022 Social Sciences, Journalism and Information Sciences CZK 35,039 CZK 52,007 48.4 % ↗ Business, Administration and Law CZK 35,567 CZK 51,667 45.3 % ↗ Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics CZK 37,754 CZK 54,419 44.1 % ↗ Information and Communication Technology CZK 42,099 CZK 63,152 50.0 % ↗ Technology, Manufacturing and Construction CZK 38,211 CZK 54,611 42.9 % ↗ Services CZK 40,255 CZK 57,918 43.9 % ↗ FMG 2 Data source: Information System on Average Earnings (TREXIMA, spol. s r.o.). Sample set of 4,296 VSB-TUO graduates.* 05 EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF UNIVERSITY’S CAPACITY VSB-TUO activities were particularly affected by the ongoing energy crisis, which forced the university management to take further measures to reduce energy consumption. These included increasing the number of photovoltaic panels on buildings, building rainwater retention tanks, and expanding energy metering and control systems in buildings. In recent years, most of the existing buildings have been refurbished with insulation, including heating controls and modifications. Building energy management is gradually being applied, with plans for more photovoltaic power plants, mainly on roofs, charging stands for electromobility, including electricity storage, and many smaller supporting investments. Construction work on the new Economics Faculty building was completed at the end of the year and furniture, audiovisual and other equipment will be installed during the first half of 2024. During the summer months, the canteen‘s catering equipment was replaced with modern and energy-efficient equipment. 29 CZK 3,819,553,000 VSB-TUO Revenues for 2023 18,179 MWh Annual Consumption of Electricity 1,473 IT Security Incidents Key Messages for 2023 »The Implementation Plan for the VSB-TUO Strategic Plan for 2024 was approved and the achievement of key indicators in the VSB-TUO Strategic Plan 2021+ was evaluated. »The university created a new Legal Unit, under which the Public Procurement Unit was moved. »The increased focus on IT security continued. An advanced security phishing test was implemented using AI. The test’s findings were reflected in procedures and guidelines. Internal training tests focusing on security were launched and are now mandatory for employees. »The computerisation of economic and personnel processes continued (e.g. travel orders, delegation matrix, sending invoices and reminders with connection to the filing service). »Students evaluated the teaching provided. 4,877 students participated in both semesters with an average course evaluation of 4.07 and 4.05, respectively, and an average teacher evaluation of 4.52 and 4.5, respectively (on a scale of 1-5, where 5 is the best rating). The rating did not change significantly year-on-year. »A supervisory audit of the quality system pursuant to the CSN EN ISO 9001 standard was carried out and, based on the positive result, the university’s quality management system certificate remained quality in force. »In September 2023, the library’s Lending Department was flooded due to an accident, the effects of which closed the Lending Department for the winter semester. More than 1,000 publications were irretrievably destroyed. Did you know that ... the university manages real estate worth almost CZK 6.2 billion? In October, the new CEET building opened and construction work on the new Faculty of Economics building was completed. However, in addition to the new construction, significant investment is also planned in the renovation of existing premises. The reconstruction of the premises of the Ph.D. Academy in the library building is already under way, and projects for the reconstruction of the other two floors of this building are also being prepared. We are currently transforming the Business Centre, and buildings E, F and N are also awaiting reconstruction. 31 32 VSB-TUO Cost Structure in 2023 Overview of VSB-TUO Funding in 2019–2023 0 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000 3,000,000 3,500,000 Amount in CZK Thousands 201 9 2020 2021 2022 2023 35% 37% 35% 38% 33% 49% 49% 53% 50% 50% 1 7% 1 4% 1 2% 1 2% 1 6% Students R&D Other 1 .9% Other Costs 4.4% Material Consumption 4.5% Scholarships 4.5% Transfers to the Special-Purpose Fund and Operating Fund 4.6% Consumption 1 2.1 % Asset Depreciation and Amortisation 1 2.7% Other Services 52.8% Payroll Costs Cost Type Payroll Costs Other Services Depreciation and Amortisation of Assets Consumption of Other Non-Stored Deliveries Transfers to the SpecialPurpose Fund and Operating Fund Scholarships Material Consumption Other Costs Travel Expenses Repair and Maintenance CEETe CEETe is an innovation polygon that represents the future of energy and a turn away from fossil fuels. It is a new-generation centre combining research into, and the development of, cross-sectoral collaboration in sustainable energy with the aim of transferring innovative technologies to ensure energy self-sufficiency and raw material independence in a European context. Using our unique laboratory facilities and top-notch staff, we demonstrate the options for decarbonising the energy sector. The solution’s uniqueness lies not only in the high technological standard and advanced nature of the individual items of equipment, but especially in their synergistic integration into a single functional unit with the possibility of scalability, modularity and transportability. The basic technological units include the thermochemical conversion laboratory with a plasma gasification unit, the hydrogen technology laboratory, where hydrogen plays a key role in the overall CEETe energy balance, and the energy resources laboratory (you can find more information at ceet.vsb.cz/cs/ceete). 33 06 CREATING A MOTIVATING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITIES AND TEAMS In 2023, the university had 2,368 employees (an increase of 12), including 916 academic staff (an increase of 26), 396 researchers (a decrease of 3) and 1,056 other staff (a decrease of 11). The largest group is the 40-49 age group, which accounts for 32% of employees. In terms of gender balance, 45% of employees at the university are women, as are 33% of academic staff and 24% of researchers. Six professors and 12 associate professors have newly been appointed. The largest faculty in terms of the number of academic and research staff is the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (255 staff), while the smallest is the Faculty of Safety Engineering (76 staff). 35 2,368 VSB-TUO Staff 30 % of VSB-TUO Staff Are Under 40 Years of Age 45 % of Women in the Total Number of Employees Key Messages for 2023 »The university has developed new Career Rules for academic and scientific staff, and they will enter into force in 2024. They describe possible career paths for staff and individual positions. »The internal wage regulation was updated and will come into force on 1 January 2024. It transparently defines the conditions for classifying staff into pay grades. »Over 80 staff members attended seminars and training sessions on developing teaching skills and AI applications. »The one-year Engineering Pedagogy training programme continues to be offered and has been completed by four employees, while a further 21 graduates successfully completed the two-year accredited programme Pedagogical Studies for Teachers of Specialist Subjects and have obtained a certificate of teaching competence to teach professional subjects in the field of their university qualification at secondary school. Did you know that ... a series of training sessions for staff on Sexual Harassment and Bullying were held? At the same time, an information campaign on social safety was run in the university magazine Akademik and an article on Inappropriate Behaviour and How to Prevent It was added to a special issue for first-year students. In addition, all the information is available on the website in the Equal Opportunities section, where you can find documents on What to Do If You Encounter Sexual Harassment at VSB-TUO. In the student and staff satisfaction survey, which also included questions about inappropriate behaviour, 66% of staff and 74% of students said they knew how to deal with these situations. 37 38 Trends in the Number of Staff between 2014 and 2023, Broken Down into Academic Staff, Researchers and Others Staff Structure by Faculty and Institute in 2023 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 Number of Staff 924 91 4 966 956 969 964 97 6 998 1,024 1,055 448 461 504 51 7 633 578 508 406 397 473 1,075 1,088 1,0751 ,078 1,1 07 1,1 38 1,1 26 1,1 74 1,1 77 1 ,283 Other R&D Academic 0 50 1 00 1 50 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 7 50 800 850 900 950 1,000 1,050 61 .8% Other 33.5% CEET 29.9% IT4I 1 2.4% FCE 1 9.9% FEECS FEECS FEECS 1 6.8% 1 5.8% FE FE 1 7.1 % FME 1 0.4% FMG 2.5% CEET 9.7% CEET 5.7 % IT4I 6.5% FSE FSE 2.3%3.8%4.3% 7.7 % FME 3.6% FME 9.2% FMST Other CEET IT4I FSE FCE FEECS FE FME FMST FMG Academic R&D Other Number of Staff Restoration Workshop In the Restoration Workshop, which operates under the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, a ČZ 150 C motorcycle was repaired in 2023 – another from the Nový Jičín District Museum collection. The motorcycle was the fourth in a series that the workshop has restored. The aim of the Restoration Workshop is to restore this valuable collection through sensitive modifications using modern technologies, such as reverse engineering, and at the same time to involve VSB-TUO students in the process. The Restoration Workshop was established at VSB-TUO in 2019 with the support of the Moravian-Silesian Region, and offers a place where young technicians can learn from experts how to care for historic machines. Moreover, our Restoration Workshop is the only academic workplace in the Czech Republic that meets the federation’s requirements for the restoration of historic vehicles (motorcycles) and, thanks to this, VSB-TUO is the only university in the world that can boast active membership of the International Federation for Historic Vehicles (FIVA). 39 41 07 A CHANGE IN BRAND PERCEPTION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE Cooperation between VSB-TUO and secondary and primary schools can be considered a permanent part of the university’s activities. As part of its marketing communications, the university has continued the tried- -and-tested system of support for technical and natural sciences, mainly as part of the proven system called Improve Your Technique, which offers an extensive range of educational programmes for primary and secondary schools, and also as a part of the Junior University system, aimed at direct support for individuals interested in studying at VSB-TUO. Both systems thus represent a comprehensive range of options for the development of pupils and potential candidates for study at VSB-TUO. University staff were also active in promoting and presenting the results of scientific research activities in the Czech Republic and abroad. Much activity was directed towards promoting the SMARAGD vision and the REFRESH project. Activities leading to the profiling of VSB-TUO as a modern university focused on areas such as energy, materials and IT continued. 400+ Events for Pupils and Students Under the Improve your Technique Brand 7,700+ Pupils and Students Involved in Events as a Part of Improve your Technique 87,627 Visitors to Ostrava Planetarium Key Messages for 2023 »More than 400 support activities were implemented as part of Improve Your Technique (e.g. 120 professional seminars, 69 thematic lectures, 29 technical clubs, 23 excursions to professional workplaces, 22 project days at schools and others), thanks to which we supported more than 3,400 primary school pupils and 4,300 secondary school pupils. »Thanks to cooperation with the Moravian-Silesian Region as part of the project Vocational, Career and Polytechnic Education in MSR II, more than 450 primary and secondary school teachers were trained. »Interactive and entertaining popularisation events in the form of public presentations were also organised. In 2023 they included, for example, the university Art and Science Festival, the Improve Your Technique Day and Competition, Mineralogical Meetings, Earth Day and the biggest popularisation event in the Czech Republic, Researchers’ Night. These events were attended by another 7,000 visitors. »The top recruitment event was the two-day Open Day, but the university was also visible at university fairs in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. »The Fraunhofer Innovation Platform hosted the Digital Exhibition Energy in Transition: Powering Tomorrow in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Foreign Ministry. »Charity events included the Technika Run, whose organisers provided CZK 23,105 for Doctors Without Borders, and a Christmas auction with proceeds of CZK 81,400 for the Ondrášek Mobile Hospice and others. Did you know that ... university staff were successful in a number of competitions? In the awards of the Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region for corporate social responsibility, VSB-TUO won an award for the fourth time in the category Public Sector Organisations with Over 50 Employees. Oldřich Motyka was successful in the second year of the Czech Know-it-All popularisation competition, and as national winner he took away three symbolic golden hairs of Grandfather Know-it-All. President Petr Pavel awarded the Faculty of Safety Engineering the Golden Lifesaving Cross for its significant contribution in the field of protection and rescue. A VSB-TUO team became world champions in GSPORT, which combines sports and gaming. Yet there were many more achievements in 2023. 43 44 The Golden Graduation, a commemoration of graduation after 50 years, is a ceremony that the university has held for its graduates since 2014. The Diamond Graduation, a celebration of 60 years since graduation, was also added in 2020. Graduates of the Faculty of Mining and Geology, the Faculty of Metallurgy (now the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology) and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (or mining engineering), are invited to the university on this occasion, where they are presented with commemorative diplomas, gifts and yearbooks by the university and faculty management. At the same time, the faculties are presented in their current form, and the graduates can view the laboratories and research facilities. Researchers’ Night 2023 had a Mystery theme. VSB-TUO offered over 120 programme points as a part of its programme. Visitors thus uncovered the secrets of many scientific disciplines through workshops, lectures and science shows, as part of the programme of most of our departments that traditionally participate in Researchers’ Night. The university prepared activities for all age groups, as well as an on-line programme. Researchers’ Night is the biggest popularisation event, not only for the whole of the Czech Republic. 45 Junior University What would university be like without graduation? VSB-TUO also hosts graduations for its Junior University students, who receive diplomas and other awards at these ceremonies for the milestones they have reached in our range of educational activities. In addition to motivational and educational programmes for school groups, we also offer individual support for those interested in technology and natural sciences. We develop specific talents, help with career guidance, involvement in competitions and projects, enable them to get to know the university environment at VSB-TUO and also create personal relationships with scientists and teachers. The Junior University students choose their clubs, workshops, competitions, excursions and lectures according to their age, interest and ability. They collect points throughout their time with us and are rewarded for their activity with “university” degrees and diplomas at graduation ceremonies once a year (80 graduates in 2023). 08 INTERNATIONALISATION In terms of mobility, 2023 was practically unaffected by pandemic restrictions. Thanks to the intensive promotion of mobility, which highlighted in particular the advantages of foreign stays, the number of outgoing students and staff increased again. In the case of staff mobility, the numbers are significantly higher than for pre- -COVID trips. Students and staff have also started to use the new BIP (Blended Intensive Programmes), which allow for short-term trips. The number of outgoing Ph.D. students has also increased significantly. One of the important tasks is to build an international environment. VSB-TUO succeeds in attracting top experts from abroad, who bring with them not only new experience and research directions, but also an extensive network of international contacts. For example, Jagadeesh Rajenahally, a world-renowned expert in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, the study of synergies between the two processes and sustainable organic synthesis, and the author of three papers in the most prestigious scientific journal Science, and Andrea Rogach, an expert in light-emitting nanomaterials and a foreign member of the prestigious European scientific association Academia Europae. VSB-TUO continues to collaborate as part of the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform and as part of the U!REKA alliance. 47 718 Students and Staff Members Completed a Posting Abroad 748 Foreign Students and Employees Completed a Stay at VSB-TUO 452 Fee-Paying Students at VSB-TUO