FCH student won Audience Award in FameLab national final

The last Monday of September at the Municipal Library in Prague belonged to the final evening of FameLab, a prestigious science communication competition. Twelve finalists from Czech universities and research institutions had three minutes each to present a scientific topic to the general public. Among them shone Kateřina Mašková, a student of the Chemistry for Medical Applications program at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, who won the Audience Award for her performance “Plasma Strikes Back!”.

The goal of FameLab is to excite the audience about a given topic through scientific stand-up. “When I applied for FameLab, I thought I’d just give it a try. I had no idea I was embarking on a journey that would push me so far. Even the Masterclass itself was incredibly enriching – not only in terms of knowledge, but mainly because of the people. We all grew close because we shared the same passion – inspiring others about science,” said Kateřina Mašková.

“The final was an experience I will never forget. Standing on stage in front of so many people who came just to listen to us, young scientists, gives you unbelievable energy. It was the moment I realized the true power of science communication. And then the jury. They were very kind and incredibly inspiring. It was a huge honor that people of such stature and experience gave their time to me – a small chemist who came to talk about plasma,” she added.

The student of the Faculty of Chemistry at BUT received the special Audience Award in the national final. “I would never have believed I could win something like this, and that’s exactly why I value it so much. It was a huge motivation for me and proof that even a newcomer can engage the audience if they put a piece of themselves into it. It was a wonderful experience. And if you ever get the chance to try FameLab, don’t hesitate. It will enrich you much more than you can imagine now,” she encouraged her current and future colleagues.

FameLab is an international competition that originated in 2004 in the United Kingdom as part of the Cheltenham Festivals of Science. Its goal is to discover new talents in science communication who can present their topic in an entertaining, clear, and enthusiastic way. Contestants have only three minutes to explain their scientific subject without the use of audiovisual technology. The only allowed props are those the contestant can bring onto the stage and take away afterward. FameLab was introduced to the Czech Republic by the British Council in 2011, and since 2022 it has been organized by Charles University.

Congratulations and thank you for the excellent representation, scientific enthusiasm, and courage to stand on stage in front of the audience!

Source: Faculty of Chemistry

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Published	2025-10-02 08:00
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d304539