Tomáš Balický

Tell us something about yourself:

I am currently in the third year of my PhD, and at the same time I have also been teaching chemistry at a secondary school for three years. My research focuses on biodegradable iron and its alloys. I also help with the website of ERD, an organization that supports other PhD students. In my free time, I enjoy sports – I play volleyball, go climbing both indoors and outdoors, and I am learning Italian.

What do you like most about working as a scientist?

The freedom and variety. I can organize my work the way I need to, and at the same time it is largely up to me how I approach it. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement(s) so far?

As far as my PhD is concerned, probably nothing specific. I consider it a success that things are progressing well and that the experiments are producing results.

Why did you choose science over the commercial sector?

I did not feel the need to start working in one specific job immediately after university. I looked at different options, but when it came to metals, there were not that many opportunities in Prague. I enjoy science and wanted to keep exploring what was out there.

What would you say to those who are thinking about doing a PhD at UCT Prague?

If five years at the university have not put you off, then go for it. The setting may be the same, but the work itself is different. People around you treat you differently, and the work is much more varied than during your previous years of study. You can do more things your own way, and you get access to projects and activities you would not have had the opportunity to work on before.

How do you manage to combine your own research, teaching, and other activities during your PhD, and does this variety influence what you would like to do in the future?

Thanks to the flexibility of my schedule, it is possible to combine everything. I would like to stay in my field in the future. Whether that will be in academia or in industry remains to be seen. Who knows, maybe I will eventually end up teaching chemistry at a secondary school.