Best young scientists of the SAS rewarded in Košice

Current pandemic situation allowed the winners of the Competition of the Young Scientists of the SAS up to 35 years to enjoy the traditional program in Košice, which is associated with the ceremonial awarding of diplomas. On Thursday, June 17, 2021, winners of the competition joined a scientific seminar, which was held in the Hall of the SAS on Watsonova street, to present their research to the members of the Presidium of SAS, as well as representatives of SAS institutes. In the evening, participants moved to Palace of Arts, where the President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Professor Pavol Šajgalík, and the competition guarantor, Professor Ľubica Lacinová, awarded them diplomas. After the ceremony, they attended concert named Young to Young – Artists to Scientists performed by musicians of the State Philharmonic and talented seventeen-year-old Czech pianist Ján Čmelja.

“Everyone is motivated not only by economic profit and high money reward but also by the recognition of the community which they respect. That is why SAS motivates young scientists by such rewards,” said after the concert the President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Professor Pavol Šajgalík, who considers awarding of young scientists in the premises of State Philharmonic in Košice as an excellent connection. ” Both scientific as well as artistic work require lots of creativity, talent and hard work on self-development” he added. Competition of the Young Scientists of the SAS is demanding, yet the committee has a wide range of works to choose from and reward the best ones every year. The current year of the competition was characterized by very high quality of the submitted works. This is evident by the unusually high number of honorable mentions awarded. “I am very proud of the new young generation of scientists we have in SAS,” said Aleš Kučera, member of the committee representing 1st scientific section.

The diplomas were personally received in the Palace of Arts in Košice by: Lucia Balejčíková, member of the Institute of Hydrology, who won the 1st price for “Physico-chemical study of ferritin derivatives for applications in environmental studies”; Kateryna Kamyshnykova, member of the Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics, who won the 2nd price for “Design, processing, and properties of TiAl-based alloys for industrial application”; Matúš Orendáč, member of the Institute of Experimental Physics SAS, who won the 3rd price for “Research of magnetocaloric effect in frustrated TmB4 metal system”; and Ivan Shepa, member of the Institute of Material Research, who received honorable mention award for “Development of precursor and ceramic fibers using the technology of needle-less electrospinning”.

In the second scientific section, the honorable mention award was given to Peter Boháč, member of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, for “Photophysical properties of hybrid systems based on layered silicates and cyanine dyes”.

3rd scientific section was represented by Daniela Glavaničová, member of the Institute of Philosophy, who placed 1st with “(Im)possibility in esthetics”; Veronika Szeghy-Gayer, member of the Institute of Social Sciences at Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, placed 3rd for “Research of the elites in Slovakia in different regimes, 1867-1945”; and Michal Ščepán, member of the Institute of Musicology, who received honorable mention award for “Tadeáš Salva. Life and work: On the issue of monographic processing of the composer’s personality and interpretation of his work.”

Later, the talented seventeen-year-old pianist from Czechia, Jan Čmejla, performed together with the State Philharmonic under the conductor baton of Leoš Svárovský. He played Chopin’s Piano Concerto in E minor, which he considers to be one of the most famous, most beautiful, but also technically and interpretatively most difficult piano concerts. “I think we need Chopin at this time of coronavirus. His music is timeless and brings us hope! ” said Čmejla. The concert also featured Schumann’s Symphony no. 3 Es dur.

Text and photo: Katarína Gáliková
Original text is available HERE