From Stanford to Brno: Why these Czech scientists came home
This Czechast special features the winners of the 2025 Czexpats in Science Award. These outstanding researchers have worked at top institutions around the world. Now they’re bringing their expertise back to Czechia—and helping shape the future of Czech science.
What happens when some of the brightest Czech minds study and work abroad—and then decide to bring their expertise back home? The Czexpats in Science Award celebrates just that: researchers who’ve made their mark on the global scientific stage and continue to invest in Czechia.
In this special episode of Czechast, we speak with all three recipients of the 2025 award: a bioinformatician focused on genome sequencing, a legal scholar researching sentencing policy, and an AI researcher exploring the frontiers of machine learning. Each one offers a compelling story of academic excellence, international experience, and long-term commitment to Czech science and society.
“After ten years abroad, you really start to appreciate the things that work well here—like healthcare, education, and even the security situation,” says Stanislav Fort, one of the laureates, who returned to Prague after earning a PhD at Stanford and working in California’s AI startup scene.
The award is presented by Czexpats in Science, a platform that connects Czech researchers working abroad with institutions at home. As its director Matouš Glanc explains, the initiative is about more than recognition:
“We’re dedicated to advancing Czech science through international experience. These are people doing top-tier work in their fields, and yet they maintain strong ties to Czechia and use their experience for the benefit of the country.”
This year’s ceremony took place at Masaryk University in Brno—part of Czexpats’ ambition to reach beyond Prague and into other regions of Czechia.
“We want to highlight fantastic Czech scientists not just abroad, but across the whole country. There are hundreds of them, and we still don’t talk enough about their successes.”
For Monika Čechová, the laureate working in genome bioinformatics, the award represents not just personal recognition, but also a chance to bring researchers together:
“This community has been a lifeline for me—especially when I was abroad and feeling homesick. I want to use this award to organize events that connect Czech scientists and strengthen our collaboration, both here and internationally.”
And for Jakub Drápal, whose research looks at sentencing practices and institutional systems, the value of experience abroad lies in the contrast:
“You see how other institutions function, how people think about research—and you come home with a network, ideas, and new energy.” At a time when global mobility often feels like a one-way ticket, the Czexpats in Science Award offers a hopeful alternative: a dynamic exchange between Czechia and the world, with returning researchers bringing home more than just CVs—they bring vision, ideas, and a sense of possibility.
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Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
