Carved pumpkins, homemade food, and Halloween costumes took centre stage as two research groups at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava led by Radek Zbořil (Materials-Envi Lab) and Martin Pumera (Nanorobots Group) gathered for an informal get-together on Monday, 26 October. The event offered colleagues a chance to spend time together outside their usual research activities.
The second-floor corridor became the setting for a pumpkin-carving session, with researchers working individually or in teams to create their designs. Colleagues also brought homemade food and refreshments, and some arrived in Halloween costumes.
The gathering was an opportunity for members of the two neighbouring research groups to meet informally, catch up with colleagues, and get to know people they might not regularly work with.
“It was a great afternoon with colleagues. We had time to talk, relax, and enjoy all the food everyone had brought. I’m already looking forward to the next event. With two successful research groups working side by side, you might expect a certain degree of rivalry. But what I really appreciate is how friendly and supportive the atmosphere between our teams is,” said Ondřej Malina from the Materials-Envi Lab at the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET).
“I really enjoyed seeing colleagues from both groups spending time together outside work. Everyone contributed in their own way, whether by bringing something to eat, carving pumpkins, or simply joining us. We may work in different research groups, but we share the same workplace, and it’s nice to have opportunities to get to know each other better. I hope we can make this a regular event,” said Alexandra Lukášová, coordinator of Pumera’s research group, which is part of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The Halloween gathering was organised by members of both teams and may become a regular opportunity for colleagues to meet outside their day-to-day research work.
