The Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic visited BUT

The Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, H.E. Emily McLaughlin, visited Brno University of Technology (BUT) on Wednesday, February 5. The meeting focused on presenting university activities and the cooperation between BUT and Canadian institutions, as well as discussing opportunities for further collaboration. The program also included a presentation of student creative teams.

The initial presentation of student teams took place in the atrium of the BUT Rectorate. The Canadian Ambassador viewed the results of creative work from BUT students in technological fields and had the chance to converse with team representatives. The first team to introduce itself to her Excellency was the university team YSpace, followed by Drone Research Center and BUT Chicken Wings. TU Brno Racing showcased a Formula-style race car, and the ambassador also tried a ride in the simulator. This was followed by the Pneumobil Racing Team and strojLAB. The visit then moved to the rector's meeting room, where the actual meeting with university and faculty representatives took place.

The goal of the meeting was to introduce the Canadian ambassador to the university's profile, technologies, educational and research activities, and to expand cooperation between BUT and Canadian universities and institutions. Discussions covered the university itself and its strategic areas, including semiconductor technologies, nuclear energy, electron microscopy, space and aviation technologies, environmental technologies, the automotive industry, electromobility, and nanotechnology. BUT also introduced its knowledge transfer program, support for entrepreneurship, and the establishment of spin-off and start-up companies, including student-led businesses, and presented its close connection with Brno Technology Park next to the university and the South Moravian Innovation Centre, highlighting two technology incubators and one creative incubator located directly on the BUT campus. The European university alliance of 10 European universities, EULiST, was also introduced, as a registered European university which is chaired by BUT, along with its goals in the context of the expected roles of European university alliances in supporting the EU's economic competitiveness through graduate production and research.

Representatives of CEITEC BUT presented the collaboration between CEITEC BUT and the University of Waterloo, which was launched with a memorandum in 2023 on research cooperation in nanotechnology, mobility, and other areas of mutual interest. This led to the establishment of the CEITEC – WIN Joint Seed Funding Program, aimed at supporting interdisciplinary research between international partners.

Opportunities for expanding cooperation with Canada were discussed, particularly within the framework of the Horizon Europe program. This program focuses on institutional networking that aids in the transfer of knowledge, skills, and exchange of best practices, stimulating an increase in the quality of research capacities. Topics such as mobility were discussed, including how to bring foreign, particularly Canadian, students to BUT.

During the debate, Ambassador McLaughlin praised the focus and high level of application-oriented research and technology commercialization at BUT. "In North America, generally, a lot of universities really focus on this application and commercialization piece, and I think it's so relevant because what you're doing here and what you're creating should have real-world application and should also benefit the institutes – whether by bringing in more funding, attracting more researchers, or drawing in more students. So there's really a nice relationship there." She also expressed her appreciation for the collaboration with Waterloo, an area of significant development and innovation. "That’s where BlackBerry had its start. BlackBerry doesn’t make phones any longer, but they are now leaders in cybersecurity and advanced secure communication systems. The latest developments around BlackBerry, the University of Waterloo, and the entire region have been really quite impressive because they’ve created a whole ecosystem of innovation, commercialization, research, and investment. And those are all so important."

The discussion also touched on topics related to the shortage of graduates in technical fields and the need to support technical and scientific education and the necessity to find ways to make studying technical and natural sciences more attractive to more students, while also strengthening the interest of young women in these fields.

“At our university, we see Canada as a country with great strategic potential for collaboration in both education and research," said Ladislav Janíček, Rector of BUT. “We greatly appreciate the ambassador's visit, the opportunity to introduce her to our university, present existing ties, and discuss possibilities for strengthening cooperation with Canadian universities and institutions. Despite the distance, BUT shares partnerships with over two dozen Canadian universities within research projects, as well as through student exchange programs and exchanges of academic and scientific staff.” Research cooperation is significantly supported by Canada's direct involvement in the Horizon Europe program. "We also spoke with the ambassador about opportunities for cooperation and connections between the university and Canadian businesses operating in the Czech Republic in various technological fields,” added Rector Ladislav Janíček, thanking her for the very pleasant meeting and the genuine interest she demonstrated during her visit and the openness of the discussions regarding BUT.

The visit of the Canadian Ambassador to Brno University of Technology confirmed that there is considerable potential for deepening and expanding partnerships between BUT and Canadian universities, institutions, and partners, whether in research projects, technological innovations, or student mobility. Both sides expressed interest in continuing these talks, opening new opportunities for future collaboration.