Special seminar at the NPI marks the 80th birthday of Prof Jan Kučera

20. 03. 2026

On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, a special seminar was held at the Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Czech Academy of Sciences to mark the 80th birthday of Prof Jan Kučera, a long-standing expert in radioanalytical methods, particularly neutron activation analysis.

The seminar was opened by Prof Anna Macková, Deputy Director of the NPI, who highlighted Prof Kučera’s professional career and his significant contributions to the development of radioanalytical methods as well as to building the institute’s scientific infrastructure.

This was followed by a lecture by Prof Jan Kučera titled “53 Years of Work in the Řež Valley,” in which he offered a personal reflection on his career and the development of the field over more than five decades.

The technical programme continued with thematic presentations focused on the history and current applications of advanced analytical methods. Assoc Prof Mojmír Němec (CTU) presented on the establishment of the AMS laboratory, followed by Dr Ivo Světlík and Dr Jan Kameník (NPI), who introduced specific applications of these methods.

The formal part of the seminar was followed by an informal gathering, during which the institute’s leadership congratulated Prof Kučera on his jubilee. The programme concluded with birthday cake cutting and informal discussion, providing space for personal interactions.

More about Prof Jan Kučera’s career and significant contributions can be found in the medallion here (avalable only in Czech), prepared by Dr Jiří Mizera from the Department of Neutron and Ion Methods at the NPI.