On October 6, 2025, physicist Václav Špička from the Institute of Physics received the De scientia et humanitate optime meritis medal, the highest award of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Václav Špička's research focuses on the theory of non-equilibrium many-body systems, where his goal is to better understand quantum phenomena in systems that are generally far from equilibrium. He also uses his experience in various areas of non-equilibrium statistical physics in the study of biological systems and the thermal properties of matter.
In 2004, Václav Špička established a tradition of prestigious international scientific conferences in the Czech Republic called Frontiers of Quantum and Mesoscopic Thermodynamics (FQMT), which are dedicated to the study of very small systems in generally non-equilibrium conditions and setting new directions for further research, e.g., in the fields of quantum informatics, teleportation, optomechanics, molecular motors, quantum heat engines, neural networks, and others.
Over the past ten years, many prominent figures, including Nobel Prize winners, have accepted invitations to the conferences. The conferences also have a social and cultural dimension, with the program including concerts of classical and popular music. Together with lectures for the public, they thus contribute significantly to the popularization of science.
We congratulate Václav Špička on his award and look forward to the next FQMT conference, which will take place from July 26 to August 1, 2026, in Prague.
Photo: Jana Plavec, External Relations Division of CAS
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