On Monday, March 13, we spent our first full day in Brno. To start the day, we walked to the school canteen at Mendel University. We sat down for a group breakfast and got fueled up for the fun day that awaited us. We then met up with some of the students from Mendel, who walked us from the dorms to the campus, so we could start our tours. During the day, we toured multiple facilities, including the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology and the AgriSciences Faculty. A faculty at Mendel University is equivalent to what we know as senior colleges here at Louisiana State University. Mendel University consists of five faculties, which include the Faculties of Business and Economics, Horticulture, and Regional Development and International Studies, in addition to the two faculties mentioned above.
The facilities of the Forestry Faculty are divided into multiple units. Some of the studies that we got to see during our tour included soil composition, drone studies, entomology, and seed health. I was personally very interested in the work that they did working with forest vegetation from seed to tree. They had amazing facilities that showcased every aspect of their studies. My favorite for these facilities included the bark beetle room that displayed different varieties of beetles and bugs that could affect the forest, and the wild game room, that displayed different types of wild animals generally found in their forest. After a group lunch in the campus dining hall, we met up with Dr. Daniel Falta and began our tour of the AgriSciences Faculty. We got to see many interesting things, including their fisheries and aquaculture department, which focuses on local and tropical species, their poultry unit with chickens and quail, and their incredible collection of bones and animal organ systems that are displayed for students to study.
Finally, we went to their food technology unit, which includes a meat lab, a dairy products lab, a bakery, and a brewery. The food technology facility is used by classes and individual students to learn more about food processing and the science behind each of these crafts. It was amazing to see these facilities, especially the brewery, where students learned how to make beer. Beer is a staple in Czech culture and at most restaurants it will be one of the cheapest options on the menu. The Pilsner style lager was actually invented in the Czech Republic, and this has helped create and maintain the culture surrounding the drink.
I was extremely impressed by their different faculties and discovered how much freedom their facilities give their students to learn, not only in the classroom, but also while waiting in the hallways. Each facility had exhibits and information presented throughout the hallways for students to look at and use for their studies. After touring these facilities, we were able to venture out with our wonderful guide, Tereza, and some forestry students from Mendel to explore a common destination in Brno called náměstí Svobody or Freedom Square. Freedom Square has both historical sites as well as modern stores and restaurants. During this tour, we got to see different historical sites, such as the Old Town Hall and the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. These historical sites not only post the beautiful architecture, but also overlook the city on a hill with an amazing view. Once we toured some of the more historical sites, we met up with more friends from Mendel University for dinner at the restaurant U Tomana in the Square. At this restaurant, we enjoyed some great modern Czech food and tried my favorite dish of the trip, Smažený sýr, which is essentially fried cheese (Gouda or a cheaper cheese) served with french fries. We then got to explore the Square a bit more and socialize with the lovely students from the university. We ended the night by taking the tram back to the dorm and getting prepared for the next day.
This was one of my favorite days of the trip. I enjoyed seeing the differences in some of LSU’s agriculture facilities compared to Mendel’s. I also enjoyed seeing how their students were taught information in majors similar to what we have here at LSU, such as forestry or fisheries. When speaking to some of the students and professors, we learned so much about the interesting research they are doing at their facilities. I was really intrigued by the research being done in the fisheries department. The university is doing research on different types of tropical fish, which was very interesting to see. I also got to see an African catfish for the first time which was exciting considering their large size compared to our local catfish. As someone who has a passion for wetlands and fisheries, it was amazing to see their fisheries work and how it contrasts so much from ours because of our geographical differences. I think some of the most interesting things I learned that day were about the research they are doing because of cultural differences that we wouldn’t necessarily think about here in Louisiana. I think a great example of this is the research that they are doing and their poultry unit is to darken the color of the eggs that their chickens produce, because in Czechia, the desirable egg color when at a supermarket is an extremely dark and rich brown. It was so fascinating to see how even the things that we do similarly can have major differences because of the difference in our cultures. It was so interesting to learn more about their culture, their academics, and their lives outside of school.
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