This was a comment during an interview with Professor Vaclay Pates, a renowned Czech biochemist, for a feature article in this issue. The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) has been observing the 20m anniversary of its inception, of which this is a part. Professor PaOes was President of the Academy (2005-2009) and also of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic (2010-2012). His scientific speciality is genomics. His research group was among the first to completely sequence a genome, namely, the DNA of a bacterial virus. In addition, he discovered a specific enzyme involved in the catabolism of the plant hormone cytokinine. He co-authored of the first Czech synthetic gene (the precursor of the neurotransmitter enkefaline). and Marina Hužvárová.
The November 17 was first declared as International Students' Day in 1941 in London by the International Students' Council. Struggle for Freedom and Demo- cracy Day (formely Students' Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day - established in 1990) has been observed as an official holiday in the Czech Republic since 2000. This date is also associated with the origin of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1952-1992), which comprised research institutes, a learned society and a body of academicians and corresponding members. Despite being subjected to heavy ideological pressure until the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Czech science was nevertheless able to maintain its creative energy in a number of instances and to find its way to the world scientific community (although there were disparities within the various fields of sciences during different periods of the regime). and Marina Hužvárová.
The project of restoration and preservation of the Bečov Castle, which received the Europa Nostra European Award in 2010, is described in another story. The project was awarded "for a thoroughly prepared conservation that would preserve the original architectonic element.' The educational part of the project offers a chance to see the development of architecture with concrete examples and the conservation methods applied to similar sights. and Marina Hužvárová, Gabriela Adámková a Markéta Pavlíková.