In this issue, we feature an essay by Professor Jaroslav Pánek from the Institute of History of the ASCR originally presented as an address a the University of Pardubice on the occasion of his receiving an honorary doctorate. In this essay, Professor Pánek presents his views on the increasing influence of Islam in Europe and highlights the role of Jan Amos Comenius, "the teacher of nations", whose consummate lifetime work is being recalled through an exhibition at the Pedagogical Museum of J. A. Comenius. and Jaroslav Pánek.
The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports hosted a prestigious science contest for talented young students entitled European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). The September 20-24 exhibition took place at the Exhibition Grounds in Prague-Holešovice with 124 participants from 37 countries. A total of 83 projects competed in nine categories: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environment, mathematics, medicine, physics, and the humanities. The winners were honored at the awards ceremony at Bethlehem Chapel. and Marina Hužvárová, Gabriela Adámková.
The Academy Assembly, the Academy of Science’s highest body responsible for the most important decisions related to the ASCR, held its XL meeting April 19, 2012. Among invited guests were Petr Fiala, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor; Miroslava Němcová, Chairwoman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Alena Gajdůšková, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Václav Pačes, President of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic; Rudolf Zahradník, ASCR Honorary President; Helena Illnerová, ASCR former President and others. This meeting’s main agenda item was discussion of the research methodology evaluation, which has been criticized by the ASCR since its inception. According to the Jiří Drahoš, the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the alleged misconceptions of the prevailing methodology were highlighted in the final report of the project International Audit of Research and Development in the Czech Republic, compiled and published by a consortium of renowned foreign institutions. Another item of the meeting was a brief presentation of the Strategy for the Development of the ASCR 2014–2020, in which Professor Drahoš introduced key visions and medium-term developmental goals of the ASCR, the Czech Republic’s leading non-university public research institution.