Sustainable faculty

We perceive sustainability as a shared responsibility that is reflected in the daily life of the faculty, research, teaching and daily operations. We are a community of people who care about how our faculty impacts its environment, and we seek ways to minimize its environmental footprint.

Through educational events, collaborative projects and the sharing of good practice, we aim to make our faculty a role model for sustainable development regionally and nationally. We want to inspire not only members of the academic community but also the general public to make positive lifestyle changes and adopt a responsible approach to the environment.

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Funded by Visegrad Grant 

Three institutions with strong backgrounds in taxonomy, phylogenetics, and genomics of insect-related fungi bring together researchers to share expertise with each other and students. In a series of workshops organized in three V4 countries we will tighten collaborations and stimulate knowledge exchange. A citizen science campaign and lectures open to the general public will also be organized. 

Project No. 22420237

Role of FSci in the project: Principal applicant

Project duration: 01 October 2024 - 31 March 2026

Total project cost: 37 878 EUR

Head of project: Danny Haelewaters, PhD (he/him/his)

                           Ghent University & Meise Botanic Garden

                           University of South Bohemia | Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí

                           Website | X | Beetlehangers

Upcoming events and meetings

19 May to 21 May 2025: Citizen science campaign, workshop, and open lecture, České Budějovice, Czechia

https://fb.me/e/2vyolN3FV

FUNGAL GENOMICS
8 to 12 September 2025: Workshop on fungal genomics and open lecture, Szeged, Hungary
https://fb.me/e/7LFch4JtW

FUNGAL PHYLOGENETICS
16 to 20 February 2026: Workshop on fungal phylogenetics and open lecture, Urwitałt, Poland
https://fb.me/e/4Tbh84ai1 

Read about our latest papers:

• Biological knowledge shortfalls impede conservation efforts in poorly studied taxa—A case study of Laboulbeniomycetes
• Singleton-based species names and fungal rarity: Does the number really matter?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnrrCY-IeBw

Polish partner (Julia Pawłowska):

University webpage: https://en.uw.edu.pl/
Faculty of Biology webpage: https://www.biol.uw.edu.pl/en/home-page/
Institute webpage: https://ibe.biol.uw.edu.pl/en/835-2/

Hungarian partner (László Nagy):

Institute webpage: https://www.brc.hu/en 
Lab webpage: http://group.szbk.u-szeged.hu/sysbiol/nagy-laszlo-lab-index.html

Sources

de Groot MD, Christou M, Pan JY, Adriaens T, Maes D, Martinou AF, Roy HE, Verbeken A, Haelewaters D. Beetlehangers.org: harmonizing host–parasite records of Harmonia axyridis and Hesperomyces harmoniae. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 18(4): 665-679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-023-10037-2

Haelewaters D, Matthews TJ, Wayman JP, Cazabonne J, Heyman F, Quandt CA, Martin TE. 2024. Laboulbeniomycetes as a case study for biodiversity shortfalls in poorly studied groups. Journal of Biogeography 51(1): 29-39. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14725

Haelewaters D, Okrasińska A, Gorczak M, Pfister DH. 2020. Draft genome sequence of the globally distributed cockroach-infecting fungus Herpomyces periplanetae strain D. Haelew. 1187d. Microbiology Resource Announcements 9(6): e01458-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01458-19

Fruiting bodies of Hesperomyces harmoniae (Laboulbeniales) on the integument of the invasive alien ladybird Harmonia axyridis Coccinellidae)

https://www.visegradfund.org/

In accordance with Sections 48 - 50 of Act 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and the Modifications and Amendments of Other Acts, I announce the rules of admission for entrance into the master study programme Ecology at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (hereafter FSci USB) for the academic year 2024/2025.

Article 1. Study programme opened

Article 2. Admission deadlines

a) Main term
Applications may be submitted until 28 May 2025.  The applicant must upload his/her motivation letter and a proposal for the diploma project into the e-application system by the same date at the latest.  Applicants must submit proof of successful completion of the Bachelor's degree in the form specified in Article 4, paragraph 1, no later than 9 June 2025, 11:00 a.m. The entrance examination will take place on 16-19 June 2025.

b) Additional term
Applications can be submitted from 15 September to 12 December 2025. Applicants must upload a motivation letter and a proposal for a diploma project into the e-application system by 31 December 2025 at the latest. Applicants must submit proof of successful completion of the Bachelor's degree in the form specified in Article 4, paragraph 1 by 4 February 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The entrance examination will take place on 6 February 2026.

Article 3. Application submission

1. Applications must be submitted electronically using the form available at https://wstag.jcu.cz/portal/studium/uchazec/eprihlaska.html. A copy of the proof of payment of the application fee is a mandatory attachment to the e-application, unless the applicant pays by credit card directly from the application environment. The proof can be added to the e-application after the application has been submitted, but only until the end of the day on which the application was submitted. If the fee is not paid, the applicant shall be deemed to have withdrawn the application.
2. Mandatory attachments to the application form are a motivation letter of no more than 300 words and a proposal for a thesis project prepared by the applicant of no more than 300 words.

Article 4. Admission criteria

1. A requirement for admission is the completion of higher education at the Bachelor's degree level or higher - proof of attainment of this education (officially certified copy of the diploma, for applicants from abroad certified documents of education and completed courses; the faculty reserves the right to request higher forms of verification or nostrification). Proof of such education issued by a university in the Czech Republic must be uploaded to the electronic application as a PDF file created by authorised conversion or issued and electronically signed directly by the applicant's university no later than the deadlines specified in Article 2 of this Measure. The document issued by the foreign university with the appropriate verification shall be delivered by the applicant in person to the Department of Student Affairs or sent by post to the Department of Student Affairs, Faculty of Science, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic so that it can be delivered by the specified deadline (the date of delivery is decisive).
2. Subject to the above condition, candidates who meet the requirements set out in Article 4.1 or Article 4.2 may be admitted up to the number set out in Article 1 of this Measure. The ranking of candidates will be established in accordance with the rules set out in Article 4.1 paragraph 5.
3. A candidate applying to a same study programme in which he/she is already studying at the Faculty of Science cannot be admitted to this programme.

Article 4.1. Entrance exam

1. The dean is to name an admission committee composed professors and other academic staff
2. The exam consists of two parts:
   • Evaluation of submitted documents,
3. The assessment of the application materials includes, but is not limited to, the ability to communicate in English at a level sufficient to study the programme, the applicant's area of interest, previous experience and the quality of the project submitted. Each member of the committee will rate the materials on a scale of 0-10. The 40 applicants with the highest score will be invited to an oral interview. Applicants scoring in the same range as the 40th will also be invited to an interview. Candidates with three or fewer points will not be admitted.
4. In the interview, the extent of the applicant's knowledge in the field is assessed, as well as the ability to communicate in English at a level sufficient for the study of the programme, the applicant's area of interest, previous experience and the quality of the project submitted. Each member of the committee will rate the materials on a scale of 0-10. The 40 applicants with the highest score will be invited to an oral interview. Applicants scoring in the same range as the 40th will also be invited to an interview. Candidates with three or fewer points will not be admitted.
5. Applicants who have met the requirements set out in Article 4.2 will be given priority. A ranking list will be drawn up from the candidates who have met the requirements of paragraph 3 on the basis of the aggregate of their scores. Candidates will be admitted up to the number specified in Article 1. Any candidate with the same score as the last candidate determined by the number in Article 1 will also be admitted.
6. Candidates who, no later than the fifth working day after the scheduled date of the entrance examination, submit a doctor's certificate proving their unfitness to take the examination will be invited to take the examination on an alternative date, organised in the same way as the examination on the original date.

Article 4.2 Admission without an entrance exam

A graduate of a bachelor's degree programme at the Faculty of Science of the University of South Bohemia who applies in direct temporal and disciplinary continuity with the bachelor's degree, has a weighted average for the entire study of no more than 1.90 and at the same time obtains a very good or better grade in the defence of the bachelor's thesis will be admitted to the follow-up study programme in Functional Genetics and Bioinformatics without an entrance examination. At the Faculty of Science of the University of South Bohemia, the Biology programme is considered to be a disciplinary preceding bachelor's programme.

Article 5. Applicants with special needs

An applicant with special needs (with a disability, chronic illness, or other health problems) has the right to use the support measures and services provided by the university during the entrance examination and, if accepted, also during their study. If they wish to assert this claim, they must select the option YES in the column “Consideration of special needs” in the online application form. After fulfilling all the administrative requirements associated with the application for study they will be contacted by the staff of the Support Centre for Students with Special Needs and acquainted with the next steps. More detailed information can be obtained on the centre's website (www.centrumssp.jcu.cz), by email (centrum-ssp@jcu.cz) or by telephone (00420 389 036 026). It is also possible to consult with the staff of the centre about the suitability of choice of a study programme before submitting an application for study.

Article 6. Admission process fee

2. The admission process fee is set to 700 CZK.
   Payment details are as follows:
   Bank: ČSOB
   Account Number: 104725778 / 0300
   Variable symbol: 6020106
   Specific symbol: application ID
3. The foreign education evaluation fee is set to 700 CZK.
   Payment details are as follows:
   Bank: ČSOB
   Account Number: 104725778 / 0300
   Variable symbol: 6020406
   Specific symbol: application ID

The fees can be paid by the applicant by bank transfer or through the JU payment gateway directly from the e-application.

Article 7. Decision on acceptance/non-acceptance

1. A decision on admission or non-admission will be sent to each applicant immediately after the overall ranking of applicants has been evaluated or all the conditions for admission have been met.
2. If the applicant disagrees with the decision not to be admitted to study, he or she has the right to appeal against the Dean's decision within 30 days of the date of delivery of the decision. If the dean does not agree and does not change his/her decision, he/she shall refer the appeal to the Rector of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice for a decision. The decision of the Rector is final. The appeal must be justified on the grounds that the conditions set out in Articles 3 and 4 have not been correctly assessed. For the necessary argumentation, the applicant has the right to consult his/her own documentation, which was the basis for the decision. He shall not have the right to consult the documentation of other candidates or the minutes of the selection boards.

These conditions for admission were discussed and agreed upon by the Academic Senate of Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice on 26 January 2025.

České Budějovice, 26 January 2025                                                           

prof. RNDr. František Vácha, CSc.
The Dean of the Faculty of Science