The traditional POSTER competition at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague (FEE CTU, czech acronym: FEL ČVUT) was scheduled to be held in 2020 for the 24th year running. Back in 2004, the event was extended by adding the section History of Science (HS). In this category, PhD students attending the doctoral study program History of Technology submit their partial studies for their doctoral dissertations or undergraduates of the master´s degree historical and economic branches from the FEE CTU in Prague, the Institute of Economic and Social History of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University (ÚHSD FF UK), the Faculty of National Economy of the University of Economics (VŠE) or the Institute of History of the Faculty of Arts of the Hradec Králové University present parts of their degree works. Frequent competitors are also undergraduates from Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne in France, the technical universities in Berlin, Aachen or Darmstadt. Other foreign participants include our colleagues studying historical branches at the Faculty of Arts of the Bratislava University in the Slovak Republic or the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Judges of the submitted papers come from the above-mentioned institutions, the main long-term partner of the HS section being Professor PhDr. Ivan Jakubec, CSc., Director of the ÚHSD FF UK, while cooperation has also proved to be very useful with Professor Eric Godelier from the Paris-based Ecole polytechnique or with Professor Michel Figeace from the Université Montaigne Bordeaux, or, within the CTU, with its Faculty of Architecture where entries in the HS commission are judged by the current Vice Dean, Associate Professor Ing. Dr. Michal Pospíšil, Ph.D. As chance would have it, Professor Pospíšil is also a graduate of the doctoral program History of Technology, completed in a double-degree program with the Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne. Seen in this light, participating PhD students and undergraduates have truly excellent models to emulate.

As time went by, the number of entrants has grown, ranging from 10 to 14. The principal reward for participation is the guarantee of exacting standards of judging the posters, allowing PhD students and undergraduates to show their mettle, for the first time in English, the language of communication for the competition posters, at a scholarly conference lock, stock and barrel. Traditional words of thanks for organizing this scientific event for students are due to all the FEE´s Vice Deans for Science and Research who have been in charge of the competition so far, also to Ing. Dr. Libor Husník, an accomplished organizer since the early days of the competition, to the Historical Laboratory of (Electrical) Engineering for its scientific and specialized supervision of the individual entries, and to Professor Ing. Jaroslav Knápek, CSc., Head of the Department of Economics, Management and Humanities (K13116), for all-round support and for contributions to the financial reward for the winning entries in the HS section.

For the very first time in its successful history, this year´s competition could not be held due to the COVID19 pandemic, and since the process of registering entries had to be stopped before the announced deadline, the HS section understandably recorded a lower number of entrants this year. In spite of that, the Historical Laboratory of (Electrical) Engineering, led by Professor PhDr. Marcela Efmertová, CSc., and K13116 with the section Management (M), headed by Professor Ing. Jaroslav Knápek, CSc. and Ing. Jan Jandera, Ph.D., decided to make it possible for the competitors to present their works on webpage.

The following works were entered in the History of Science section:

BITAR, Nádia. Technicalities of hydropower development: river basin management and territory control. (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology),

BORKOVEC, Pavel. First lectures in the field of leather tanning at the Imperial and Royal Czech Technical University in Prague and the development of leather tanning education at Czech technical schools. (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology),

DUDZIK, Michael. Jean-Antoine Chaptal and the establishment of French industrial society in the 19th century. (Institute of Economic and Social History, Faculty of Arts of the Charles University),

HOLEČEK, Vít. The Women at the first Czech Technical Academy – Masaryk Academy of Labour. (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology),

KOLÁŘOVÁ, Dana. Two Historical Bridges in One in Roudnice nad Labem (CTU Faculty of Architecture),

NIKEL, Zbyněk. Innovative activities in the firm Pála, joint-stock company, in the period 1919–1945, inventions and trademarks. (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology),

VYCHYTIL, Martin. Buildings of the Apprentice School OEZ Letohrad in the 1950s. (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology).

Out of the above, the first three winners in the section History of Science are:

1. Vít Holeček (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology),

2. Pavel Borkovec (CTU Faculty of Electrical Engineering, All-university doctoral study program History of Technology

3. Michael Dudzik (Institute of Economic and Social History, Faculty of Arts of the Charles University).

We congratulate the winners and hope that next year´s 25th POSTER 2021 competition will be in a position to follow its classical pattern. That is our heartfelt wish. 

On behalf of the panel of judges of the History of Science POSTER 2020

Prof. PhDr. Marcela Efmertová, CSc. 

Head of the Historical Laboratory of (Electrical) Engineering

FEE CTU in Prague, K13116

In Prague, May 31, 2020