30th Student Research Conference at the Department of German Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ostrava (April 11, 2025)

The Department of German Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ostrava, held its 30th annual Student Research Conference this year. The event was officially opened by the Vice-Dean for Science and Research, Prof. Mgr. Marek Otisk, Ph.D., and, as per tradition, was moderated by the Head of the Department, doc. Martin Mostýn. As in previous years, the conference featured engaging student presentations of their research findings across various sections. These included not only synchronic linguistics and literary studies, but also topics related to cultural studies and Business German. Naturally, the diachronic linguistics section was also represented, within which students annually compete for the František Schwarz Prize.

The thematic range of the contributions was remarkably diverse, reflecting a wide spectrum of interests – from the use of artificial intelligence in education and the creation of a Czech-German viticulture lexicon to research on regional authors and the support of German intellectuals for Charter 77. Notably, one presentation explored emotions and sexuality in a medieval scholarly text.

All presentations demonstrated a high level of expertise and strong engagement with the respective research topics. The evaluation committee faced a difficult task in selecting the best paper, as there was no weak link among the contributions. Each participant was thoroughly prepared and delivered outstanding performances. After lengthy deliberation, the jury reached the following decision:

1. place
Michelle Ivana Krell: Zu den Bedingungen für die Hundehaltung in Tschechien und  Deutschland im Vergleich

2. place
Damian Folwarczny: Friedrich Uhl. Ein wenig bekannter Autor aus Schlesien; Jan Ondra: Die Unterstützung der deutschen Intellektuellen der Charta 77

3. place
Sabrina Spruchová: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Anwendung von KI beim Germanistikstudium

We extend our congratulations to all the winners, as well as to all participants of the Student Research Conference, on their achievements. It is evident that the presentation skills of our students have been improving significantly with each passing year. Our thanks also go to the large and attentive audience, whose active participation in the discussions contributed to the success of the event. The lively debates among attendees highlight the strong support for academic research at the Department of German Studies in areas that are both interesting and inspirational.

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the organization of this year’s Student Research Conference, particularly Dr. Irena Šebestová and her team. Our gratitude also goes to all the presenting students and their instructors, who prepared for the event with great dedication. A special thank you goes to the sponsors of our conference, the international companies Siemens and DB Cargo.

We are already looking forward to the next edition of our Student Research Conference.

Updated: 15. 10. 2025