On 19 June 2025, another EOSC CZ networking meeting was hosted by the University of Hradec Králové (UHK). The programme focused on using national e-infrastructures and tools supporting open science. The event was held at the Rectorate of UHK under Vice-Rector for Science and Research, Hana Tomášková, with whom we also bring you an interview.
The networking meeting brought together researchers from all UHK faculties, librarians, data specialists, and staff from the rectorate. Lenka Špičanová, Head of the Open Science Department at UHK, presented the university’s current open science activities, including the preparation of an institutional data policy and the development of an implementation methodology.
Representatives of EOSC CZ introduced the national initiative and outlined the portfolio of services, training, and computational capacities available to researchers via e-INFRA CZ – all immediately accessible and free of charge. Much of the discussion was dedicated to the so-called mini-projects under the Open Science II project, focusing both on how UHK could take part in evaluation committees and on the preparation of their own proposals.
One of the more specific topics addressed was research data management in the field of archaeology. Researchers from this domain at UHK currently face a lack of suitable infrastructure for storing and describing archaeological data. They expressed interest in the emerging domain-specific repository ArchaeoVault. Participants were encouraged to engage with the repository’s development team to ensure their specific needs are reflected in the selection of an appropriate metadata schema – a key element for making the repository usable for their research in the future.
Once again, the networking meeting confirmed that the EOSC CZ initiative can be a valuable partner across scientific disciplines – from the humanities to technical sciences – helping institutions not only meet open science requirements but also participate in the development of concrete infrastructural and innovation projects
On May 24, 2025, Mendel University in Brno hosted another session of the EOSC CZ Networking series, this time in a unique format. For the first time, six prominent Brno-based research institutions gathered to share experiences, challenges, and requirements in advancing open science and the EOSC initiative.
In our interview with Professor Ivo Pavlík from Mendel University in Brno, we explored the intersection of microbiology, ecology, and data management. His research team investigates the immune resilience of bats against mycobacteria, pathogens that can cause serious diseases like tuberculosis in humans.
