The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recently published a list of new members of its committees. Prof. Dr. Friedo Zölzer, DSc., Vice Dean for International Relations of our faculty, has become a member of Committee 4, which deals with practical applications of the ICRP‘s recommendations. The ICRP consists of a main commission and four committees that in turn appoint working groups to deal with specific topics. So far, Prof. Zölzer has been a member of two working groups focusing on ethical aspects of radiological protection. In 2018, this work led to the first ever ICRP report on "The Ethical Basis of the System of Radiological Protection". Six months ago, Prof. Zölzer was also appointed to the German Commission on Radiological Protection. Here he is a member of the main commission and one of the seven committees.

The chairwoman of the Association of the University Educators of Non-Medical Health Professions, prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D., Vice-Dean for Science and Research and Director of the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care of FHSS USB, has received praise and acknowledgements from the Ministry of Health for the students of non-medical health care disciplines and their educators. The director of the Division of Nursing and Non-Medical Professions and the Head Nurse of the Czech Republic, Mgr. Alice Strnadová, MBA. said: "The pandemic has become a stress test, not only for healthcare but also for the whole society, and at the time when it was most needed, students and their educators have given a helping hand and made a very significant contribution to managing the whole situation – despite also having your study responsibilities and other activities and interests. You have side-lined all these activities and offered your time to help others. Nowadays, helping others is not taken for granted, and that is why I value your help all the more".

Mgr. Alice Strnadová has received many positive responses regarding the hard work, diligence, and dedication of our students. These students were a welcome reinforcement, not only for health professionals, but also as support and assistance to patients, the elderly or other citizens in hospitals, social service facilities, sampling centres, and vaccination centres. She also appreciated how quickly the students became full members of medical teams and were able to help effectively. The director, Alice Strnadová, said: "Apart from the fact that we have great students and pupils, it has been confirmed that the level of health educators is also at a very high level, as students and pupils were ready to help in health care immediately. So, let me thank all health educators for their excellent work."

ALMI Publishing has now published the book The Poison Age and the Covid Age, which builds on previous books on hazardous substances that surround people in everyday life. Its authors, prof. Anna Strunecká and prof. Jiří Patočka, who is also closely connected with our faculty, updated the topic and added a chapter with information about the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Prof. RNDr. Jiří Patočka, DrSc., who works at the Institute of Radiology, Toxicology and Civil Protection at FHSS USB, said: "We worked on this book for about half a year, but because the situation around covid-19 was developing rapidly (not only in our country but all over the world), it was difficult to write something that would still be relevant at the time when the book would reach the reader." Recently, he has focused mainly on writing articles for scientific journals and is also a consultant at the Centre for Biomedical Research at the University Hospital in Hradec Králové. The Poison Age became a bestseller of popular science literature after its first edition in 2011. The current updated edition takes into consideration that in addition to poisons, humanity is also being threatened by covid-19, and tries to explain to readers everything they might like to know. Each chapter is supplemented by links to popular and scientific literature.

https://www.jcu.sk/en/university/news/information-on-operation-restrictions-at-the-usb-from-10-5-2021

‘I discuss relationships, death, and the future with patients’ – this is this title of a large article published in today's issue of Mladá fronta DNES about the Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs FHSS USB Mgr. Ondřej Doskočil, Th.D., who also works in České Budějovice hospital as a chaplain. He summarizes the experience of both of these environments and describes what has changed in his work during the pandemic. He teaches medical ethics at our faculty and explains: "The hospital is a great source of experience and inspiration for me. Suddenly, I have so much more to pass on to students. The academic environment, in turn, gives me the opportunity to put theory into practice, which concerns, for example, some ethical principles." He also described what this situation has brought to the education system. "Before Covid, there was constant talk about how to digitize teaching, and suddenly we got it at an extremely high level. Distance learning is an extremely valuable tool, but it is not self-saving. We lack human contact, and as teachers we are literally hungry for students to at least turn on the camera during class. We discovered the importance of the things that we were taking for granted before.

On Monday, April 19th, 2021 from 07:00 p.m., you can look forward to a fun and interactive live meeting with our international students from Pakistan and Turkey at Culture evening - Pakistan & Turkey. You will learn a lot of exciting things about both countries and together with the students Wania NAZISH from Pakistan, a student of the USB Faculty of Science of the cross-border Bioinformatics study program and Burak TEKTAŞ from Turkey, Erasmus+ student of the USB Faculty of Education, and you will also have the chance to have fun and join a competition. The event will be held in English and is co-organized by the renowned USB student club ESN USB Budweis. You can find the link and more information about the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/279800410459864/.

On Wednesday, April 21st, 2021 from 06:00 p.m, together with Europe Direct České Budějovice and Eurocentrum České Budějovice, we have prepared regular and popular Erasmus talks, interviews about the experiences of USB students with Erasmus + study stays and internships. In live interviews you will meet František Kadlec, a student of the USB Faculty of Education, who spent a year in Turkey within the Erasmus + program and Kristýna Jiskrová, a USB student of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, who we will meet live from Finland, where is doing her Erasmus+ internship despite these difficult times.

The event is moderated by Lukáš Malecha and the accompanying activity is a competition for interesting prizes organized by Eurocentrum České Budějovice. Watch Erasmus talks live on FB Europe Direct at https://www.facebook.com/events/2793005780922926/ and you can win a board game "Jízdenky, prosím Evropa!"or travelougue "Prázdniny v Evropě" by Ladislav Zibura and other attractive prices for travelers! We will draw the winner from the competitors with the highest number of correct answers. The competition will run from April 21 to April 30, 2021 on the Kahoot competition platform. The event will be held in Czech.

Take full advantage of online meetings, discussions, competitions and entertainment from the comfort of your home and have a lot of fun in these quite boring pandemic times. The organizers are: Department for Foreign Relations of the University of South Bohemia, ESN USB Budweis at the University of South Bohemia, Europe Direct České Budějovice and Eurocentrum České Budějovice.

An expert team from the FHSS USB in České Budějovice is providing a wide range of counselling services to people who take care of their loved ones at home. The self-help group – "We take care of our loved ones" - was established with the aim of sharing experiences, providing support, and helping lay carers in difficult life situations. Those who are interested receive useful information free of charge. This information includes how to take good care of their loved ones and also themselves. The service is currently available online and later there will be regular meetings in Č. Budějovice. The range of services applies to home carers of adults with reduced self-care (seniors 65+, people with dementia, stroke, etc.) and to parents of children with disabilities.

The main researcher of the project, doc. Iva Brabcová from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Urgent Care of FHSS USB, says: “The aim is to share experiences, support, and to help lay carers in difficult life situations. The self-help group is a place where family carers can get a lot of information about how they can take good care of their loved ones – and also themselves. They can also find answers to their specific questions here.” The advantage of this faculty is that it brings together experts in health and social issues with a lot of experience with teaching and field practice. 

This project of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, which will last until 2023, offers psychosocial support and assistance to informal caregivers in the South Bohemian Region through a multidisciplinary approach using professional counselling (social law, care for a neighbour, burnout prevention, healthy lifestyle), audio-visual means, and a verified virtual reality environment.

Carers can use the following services free of charge: psychosocial support from a psychologist; practice of relaxation techniques; social and legal counselling, counselling in relation to healthy lifestyle and blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels; regular fitness exercises and exercises for the prevention of back pain and mobilization of the joints and spine; consultations on health problems with a physiotherapist; training in the practical nursing skills necessary to manage the care of a dependent person; consultations with a nurse on caring for a dependent person; training in cognitive activation (memory training), and mediating further support and assistance.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to meet in person, but online counselling is available: simply write your question or problem to the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. An expert will give his or her opinion on the issue. When the situation allows it, regular group meetings with experts will begin in the FHSS USB building at Nerudova 53a in České Budějovice, where people who find themselves in similar life situations can benefit each other by sharing personal feelings and experiences.

A scientific monograph by doc. Jitka Vacková and her team collaborators from ZSF JU has received this year's USB Rector's Award for Prestigious Scientific Publication. The monograph, published last November by Grada, is entitled: ‘Social work in the system of coordinated rehabilitation for clients after acquired brain damage (particularly stroke), paying special attention to interventions from the point of view of social work, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.’ Doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jitka Vacková, Ph.D., who works at the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences of FHSS USB, received the USB Rector's Award at Wednesday's online meeting of the Scientific Board of the University of South Bohemia.

The monograph is the result of three years of endeavour by a large team of experts from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of FHSS USB, who were involved in a unique project funded by the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The aim of the project was to map and partially measure the coordinated rehabilitation of clients after brain damage in their natural home environment, and at the same time to help clients begin living again (despite some limitations caused by disease) using methods and techniques of social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicine, speech therapy, and psychology. Doc. Vacková said: "The project was significant from the research point of view, and at the same time it provided great support to clients who we visited regularly." The research was realised together with significant professional assistance, which, unfortunately, is not fully set up in the Czech Republic and is currently not available to clients. Therefore, the project didn’t only set research and practical goals, but also another goal that went beyond the regional level: to prove the effectiveness of such coordinated rehabilitation – which is lacking in the Czech Republic.

Coordinated rehabilitation is characterized as an interrelated process of medical, occupational, social, and pedagogical rehabilitation, the main goal of which is to minimize the consequences of an individual's disability. The focus of this publication is not only of scientific and practical significance, but also important in relation to the human dimension. In essence, the results of the experiment proved to be highly important for clients after brain injury, including their families (and informal caregivers). All of those who participated in the implementation of the project sought to show that coordinated rehabilitation (especially the coordination and involvement of a comprehensive multidisciplinary team with regard to the specific needs of clients) should be a commonly available part of the services offered in Czech society. The Dean of FHSS USB Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D, summed up the project as follows: "This monograph is an example of the scientific and professional focus of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences."

Under the auspices of ASF (Association of Physiotherapy Students), Anna Vacová and Veronika Fikejsová, second-year students of Physiotherapy, interviewed PhDr. Marek Zeman, Ph.D. from the Institute of Physiotherapy and Selected Medical Disciplines at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. A link to the interview can be found below this report. Among other topics, Dr. Zeman discusses his work at the faculty and the creation of the study programme for which he is now a guarantor.

The Association of Physiotherapy Students is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 by students of the 2^nd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. It seeks to increase the quality of the field, promote the needs and interests of students, and spread general awareness of the field of physiotherapy. It organizes educational and social events, internships abroad, and offers students the opportunity for personal development.

With regard to the current epidemiological situation, the Dean of FHSS USB Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D., has decided that although government regulations allow full-time clinical and practical teaching in medical study programmes, from March 1^st - March 21st (2021) all theoretical teaching at our faculty will exclusively be conducted via distance learning. Subjects that involve clinical and practical teaching (the teaching of which was planned to be in person during the summer semester) will be conducted remotely during the above-mentioned period, and full-time training of professional skills will be postponed to a later period. Contact teaching will be scheduled in blocks and students will have enough space to master all the necessary professional skills. Professional practice will continue without changes.

Dean Ivana Chloubová wrote the following to all students and workers: "Dear colleagues and students, I wish you all good health and we can only believe that the latest government decisions will improve the overall situation and we will soon be able to meet together on the premises of our beautiful faculty."

A long interview with Dr. Renata Švestková from the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences of FHSS USB entitled "It is necessary for children to learn to be bored" has been published in the daily Mladá fronta DNES. It mainly deals with the issues of communication between adults and children and the danger of cyberbullying. Due to the current lack of freedom, the relationship between adults and children faces a difficult challenge. Living in a household where children learn online and parents often work from home is challenging. Mgr. Ing. Renata Švestková, Ph.D., has been working on these topics for a long time and is now preparing a course entitled “Strong parents, strong children” with her colleagues from the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences and the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Urgent Care. Our faculty is offering this course to the public as part of lifelong learning. The main idea is to encourage parents to be a family in which everyone loves to live; even if there are disputes it is an environment where all members are respected. The course contains 12 ninety-minute lessons and is intended primarily for parents, but grandparents, foster parents or ward leaders can also attend it. For further details (including registration) please contact Mgr. Petr Matula, tel.: 389 037 515, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia has gained another project supported by the Agency for Health Research of the Czech Republic. The research team, led by the Dean of the faculty, dr. Chloubová, will embark on a joint project called "The role of nurses and how they are cared for during a pandemic." The project will take place between May of this year and the end of 2024. The research team consists of academic staff from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Urgent Care, the Institute of Humanities in Assisting Professions, and the Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Public Health.

The Dean of FHSS USB, Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D, said: "We are now more aware than ever that during a pandemic situation it is nurses who find themselves in the most risky place. They are closest to patients and thus are directly exposed to infection. As well as this they also face the emotions of patients and their families. Performing routine nursing activities in personal protective equipment is becoming more demanding. This current situation and the position of the nurse in the fight against a dangerous infection is the main motivation for the preparation of the project plan."

The main goal of the project is to describe the nurse’s role during an epidemic/pandemic in the health care system from the point of view of nurses, doctors and patients in various types of hospital facilities and in primary care. In total, over 4,000 respondents will be interviewed in the quantitative research survey. "At the same time, we will try to clarify the factors influencing the nurse's work and create a virtual online environment for nurses and patients," added the dean. This environment will provide nurses with the opportunity to gain new knowledge related to an epidemic/pandemic situation and allow patients to communicate with primary care nurses about their current needs. The benefit of the project is the creation of an online course for nurses in hospitals and primary care - in order to gain and deepen knowledge related to an epidemic/pandemic situation.

The Open Day of the University of South Bohemia will be held in two weeks' time. Due to the current situation, it must take place online. However, applicants will still have the opportunity to obtain information about the study programmes and will be able to meet virtually with teachers and students to ask them about anything they are interested in. Everything can be done from the comfort of your home: all you need is the internet, a computer, a mobile phone, or a tablet.

Those who are interested can find basic navigation on the Chcistudovat.cz website, the main portal used by the University of South Bohemia to contact secondary school students. It is also the starting point for entering our faculty menu, which includes a schedule of presentations of individual study programmes and an afternoon block of live streams with teachers. Thanks to the videos on our website and YouTube channel, applicants will also get an idea of what students of bachelor's programmes might expect. . All links and the complete programme will be published on this website on January 18, 2021.

The deadline for submitting a study application for the academic year 2021/2022 is 10th April 2021. The application can only be submitted electronically – you must first register, and then print and send it together with a health certificate and a receipt of payment to the study department of the faculty. If the applicant already has a school-leaving certificate, he/she will need to send a certified copy of this. It is not sufficient to only submit an electronic registration!

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences will again organize Saturday preparatory courses for applicants in the period from March to April 2021.

Prof. Dr.rer.nat. Friedo Zölzer, DSc., Vice-Dean for Foreign Relations of FHSS USB, who teaches at the Institute of Radiology, Toxicology and Population Protection, was appointed a member of the German Radiation Protection Commission for 2021 and 2022. This is a very prestigious post because it advises the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) on issues related to protection against ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. The Radiation Protection Commission issues statements and recommendations on the medical use of radiation, radiation risks to the environment, occupational radiation loads and related topics. It is an independent body and is not bound by any directives. The Commission has several subcommittees and working groups, of which prof. Zölzer has been a member. Now he has been appointed a direct member of this commission.

Prof. Zölzer studied physics at the universities of Cologne and Gießen in Germany and obtained a Ph.D. (Dr.rer.nat.) in biophysics in Gießen in 1986. He received a habilitation in radiation biology from the University of Essen in Germany in 1996 and started working at our faculty in 2004. In 2014, following the appointment procedure at the Faculty of Science of Charles University in Prague, he was appointed professor of environmental sciences. His interest lies in assessing the health risks of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation (e.g., medical X-rays, occupational and residential radon, ultraviolet radiation), as well as in the ethical aspects related to these risks and their management.

Dear colleagues and students,

Allow me to sincerely wish you a happy Christmas, good health, happiness, joy and wellbeing for the New Year.

Last year challenged us with many unexpected situations: non-traditional forms of teaching, the absence of foreign mobility, closed university buildings, restrictions on social and sports activities, and the impossibility of friendly meetings. The preoccupation and fear for our own health and the health of our loved ones has been part of our daily lives for several months.

It is my wish that the upcoming year begins with hope for a better tomorrow, and for a return to the "normal" life we are used to and which we currently lack. I firmly believe that in the summer semester we will be able to meet in the premises of our faculty, smile at each other and shake hands. I´m sure that our bodies and souls will feel better!

I hope you spend Christmas and the arrival of the New Year healthy and with your loved ones.

Sincerely, Ivana Chloubová

Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs at FHSS USB Mgr. Ondřej Doskočil, Th.D., also works as a hospital chaplain at the Hospital of České Budějovice, a.s., and is a Catholic deacon. These activities became the subject of interest of various media outlets before the Christmas holidays and even on New Year's Eve. During the period of the covid-19 pandemic, all forms of assistance to people in need are especially relevant, including spiritual care and spiritual accompaniment of patients, their loved ones and medical staff. The vice-dean shares his experience from his field work with students of our faculty, especially in his ethics classes. Ondřej Doskočil has given interviews about his work in the hospital and in the church to Czech Television (a programme called “Události v regionech”- Events in the Regions), Deník, Český rozhlas, and Radio Proglas. A long article was also published in the November issue of the Hospital Newsletter. Český rozhlas České Budějovice broadcast a balanced interview with Vice-Dean Doskočil on New Year's Eve.