Inorganic non-metallic materials 2026

Dear supporters of inorganic non-metallic materials, 

On February 5–6, 2026, the 31st edition of the PhD Seminar Inorganic Non-Metallic Materials, traditionally organized by the Department of Glass and Ceramics, took place at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague. This year, the seminar was attended by 22 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from nine institutions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. 

The program also included three competitions, featuring awards from the Professor Rudolf Bárta Endowment Fund, the Czech Ceramic Society, and the Czech Glass Society. The awards were granted by a four-member committee consisting of Assoc. Prof. Jaroslav Kloužek (UCT Prague), Dr. Jan Hostaša (CNR-ISSMC, Italy), Dr. Eva Bartoníčková (Brno University of Technology), and Dr. Jan Macháček (UCT Prague). 

The Professor Rudolf Bárta Endowment Fund Award was presented to Ing. Vojtěch Ševčík (UCT Prague) for his contribution “Carbonate-free BaHfO₃ as a pinning phase in bulk REBCO superconductors.” The Czech Ceramic Society Award was received by Ing. Daniel Valášek (CEITEC Brno) for the contribution “Comparison of sintering techniques for high entropy carbides derived from high entropy alloys.” The Czech Glass Society Award was awarded to Ing. Herbert Kindl (UCT Prague) for the contribution “Growth and characterization of Y₂SiO₅:Ce,Mg single crystals.” 

The seminar took place over two days and also included a creative evening, during which participants received small souvenirs in the form of plaster casts. 

We look forward to the next edition of this traditional meeting and believe that it will continue to contribute to the development of the scientific community in the field of inorganic non-metallic materials.