Czech Olympians Shined in Dubai – and They’re Joining Our Faculty This September

This September, we are proud to welcome four exceptional students to the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at UCT Prague, all of whom have chosen to pursue their studies in our prestigious Chemistry program. These students are fresh medalists from this year’s International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), held from July 5 to 14, 2025 in Dubai, which hosted a record-breaking 90 countries and 356 participants.

The Czech team, composed of Václav Verner (PORG Libeň, Prague), Matěj Pěnička (Gymnázium Nad Alejí, Prague), Ondřej Michal (Gymnázium Botičská, Prague), and Adam Horák (Gymnázium Hranice), achieved the best result in the history of the Czech Republic as an independent country. Václav Verner earned a gold medal and placed 2nd overall. Matěj Pěnička and Ondřej Michal each won silver medals, and Adam Horák contributed with a bronze.

This year’s competition presented an especially demanding set of tasks, particularly the practical exam held at the Expo Sharjah exhibition center, which was specifically designed to be solvable even outside a traditional chemistry lab. The Czech team's success is all the more remarkable given the intense global competition, with nearly 400 participants from around the world.

The team was led by Jiří Ledvinka (Freie Universität Berlin, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces) and Miroslava Novoveská (University of Cambridge), who—along with other dedicated teachers and experts—have long played a crucial role in preparing these talented students.

We are incredibly proud that these four promising young chemists have chosen to continue their academic journey with us, and we look forward to seeing all they will achieve at our faculty.