Marek Lanč
Tell us about yourself:
I began my education at the primary school in Třešť and continued at the grammar and secondary vocational school in Telč. At UCT Prague I completed the bachelor’s programme Chemistry and the master’s and doctoral programmes in Physical Chemistry. Out of curiosity and a desire to get a taste of more humanities-oriented subjects, I added the bachelor’s programme Teaching of Vocational Subjects to my PhD and completed it successfully. Officially, I’ve finished my studies. But there’s always more to learn, so right now I’m studying the possibilities and principles of depositing thin active (bio)films on polymer materials. Since my second year at UCT Prague I have been involved in projects at the Laboratory of Membrane Separation Processes (Assoc. Prof. Friess, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UCT Prague). As part of internships abroad, I worked for 6 months at the membrane institute ITM-CNR in Italy and for 5 months at the FujiFilm research centre in the Netherlands. I am now employed part-time at the Department of Physical Chemistry, UCT Prague, as an assistant professor, and at the same time I lead membrane research at the R&D start-up CCORE Technology GmbH in Vienna. From my secondary school years I would mention the Recognition of the Town of Telč, which reflected a number of successful placings in science and technology olympiads. For my master’s thesis on polymers of intrinsic microporosity I received the Unipetrol Prize, the Crytur Prize 2014, the Werner von Siemens Award and the Josef Hlávka Award. In science communication, I won the Audience Award and the Award of the British Council and the civic association ADETO at FameLab Czech Republic, and both the audience and jury awards in the natural sciences section of Diplomky na stojáka. At conferences I received the European Membrane Society Travel Award four times, the Journal of Applied Polymer Science Poster Prize and the Student Poster Presentation Award at the Advanced Membrane Technology VII conference (Cork, Ireland), the UCT Prague Rector’s Award for the best talk at the Mempur conference in Pardubice, and the Dekonta a.s. award for interesting work with an environmental theme at the CHISA conference. For outstanding promotion of UCT Prague and representation of students, I received the UCT Prague Rector’s Award, and at the end of my studies, in 2018, I received the Minister of Education’s Award.
What do you enjoy most about being a scientist?
What I enjoy about science is the freedom to design solutions, limited only by the laws of nature. Unfortunately, it seems to me that this natural drive of scientists to discover how the world works is spoiled and limited by poor evaluation and funding of science. This often leads to a shortcut, populist approach, which reduces the practical or fundamental value of published information. Such information is sometimes published only to secure further funding, even though it would deserve more refinement and verification. I, however, am generally impatient, and so – unlike many other scientists – prone to slipping into this system. That’s why at this stage I lean more towards applied research, where “unfortunately” the freedom is partly limited by reality, such as time, applicability and, last but not least, cost. Even so, it’s work full of improvisation, moving at the edge of knowledge, highly competitive on a global scale, which lets you get to know many interesting people and places.
What do you consider your greatest achievements so far?
Combining research, student life and family life. Contributing a few pieces of the puzzle to explaining the ageing and separation properties of polymers of intrinsic microporosity, which offer unique properties for membrane separation of gases and vapours; co-founding the Board of Student Associations and Senates at UCT Prague; and the birth of my son (although I didn’t have a direct part in the birth itself).
Why did you choose research over industry?
I decided on a PhD, as a first step into research, because of the opportunity to do creative work. I’m currently on the boundary between industry and academia, because I think it’s important for university teachers and researchers to have experience of industry so that they can prepare students with a more comprehensive perspective. And that’s where I see my future in time…
What would you say to those considering a PhD at UCT Prague?
If you’re not sure about it, you’d better go and get a job – a year of work experience on your CV followed by a completed PhD is still better than a year of an unfinished PhD. If you’ve made up your mind, pay enough attention to choosing your workplace. It’s by no means improper to do your PhD with a different supervisor than you’ve had so far. It’s a decision for at least :-) four years. So it’s important that, besides the topic, you get on with your supervisor, that the working environment suits you (ask current PhD students) and, last but not least, that your well-being is secured – that is, that your scholarship income is topped up from research grants. Having to earn extra money in the evenings certainly won’t shorten your PhD.