Propojujme vědu, studium a praxi, aby rostla celá společnost
38 ǀ POSITIV 2/2026
ZDRAVOTNICTVÍ
Let’s Connect
Science, Study
and Pracce
so That Society
as a Whole
Can Grow
In recent years, Ostrava has been making an increasingly strong mark on the map of global science.
Researchers from the Faculty of Educaon at the University of Ostrava have also played their part,
focusing on human movement, the impact of social inequalies on educaon, and life in a post-
industrial region. Prof. Daniel Jandačka, Dean of the Faculty, speaks about the underfunding
of Czech science, the importance of movement for health, the new facilies at the City Campus,
and why science should be a natural part of university study.
What do you see as the most pressing
issue facing Czech science today?
Czech science is significantly underfunded
compared with countries in Western
Europe, even in relation to GDP. Yet even
with limited resources, we are able
to produce high-quality results. If we
are to develop them further, however,
we need sufficient opportunities. These
are closely linked to financial support. If
we support science, society as a whole
can grow. And that is also connected
with the prosperity of the Czech Republic
as a whole.
The Faculty of Education has also
made significant progress in science
in recent years. Your researchers publish
in prestigious journals. What is behind
this shift?
I think we have really come a long way. We
have several long-term research studies that
can help address a number of problems
in our post-industrial region.
What specifically is your research
based on?
As part of the REFRESH project, we
are monitoring the impact of industrial
decline on children’s education and, more
broadly, on entire families. This will enable
us to describe more accurately the links
between children’s educational outcomes
and their social disadvantage. This is a very
important topic in the Moravian-Silesian
Region, but also in the Czech Republic as
a whole.
Another significant project is DigiWELL.
Within our Faculty, it focuses, for example,
on people with obesity and on older adults.
Current technologies play an important role
in the project, such as mobile applications,
smart wristbands and other devices that
can help support health and quality of life.
When we talk about industrial decline,
we also have to mention environmental
pollution, which Ostrava has long been
facing. Do you also focus on this issue?
According to the World Health
Organization, long-term life in a polluted
environment is among the significant
health risks associated with premature
death. We focus specifically on
the Moravian-Silesian Region and monitor
the impact the environment has on
different groups of people — runners,
the active population, and those who
do not meet the recommendations
for physical activity.
Can movement itself help offset
the negative effects of living
in a polluted environment?
Our results so far show that physical
activity has a positive effect even
in an industrial region. After five years
| Text: Štěpán Vranešic, foto: Lukáš Kaštovský