Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Basic information

  1. What is the Association of Industrial Partners (SPP FI MU) and what is the purpose and goal of this association?

    The Association of Industrial Partners FI MU is an active platform that aims to establish cooperation with specific companies where a common interest in a selected activity is identified. The companies in the SPP FI MU have established a long-term cooperation with a specific team at FI MU. Mutual cooperation can take many forms - closer links between researchers and industry, cooperation in laboratories on science and research projects, cooperation on teaching and creating graduate courses and profiles, student internships, supervision of thesis projects, etc.

  2. How to become a member of SPP FI MU?

    Joining the SPP is conditional on establishing an initial collaboration with one of the research teams or even with several FI MU teams. You can also find a list of FI MU associate professors and professors together with their current research focus. Research teams or individuals from them can be contacted directly (i.e. it is not necessary to contact them through the SPP FI MU). In case the cooperation between a company and a research team takes off, we welcome the entry of such a company into the SPP (according to the limited capacity), where we offer further support to the companies involved in developing the cooperation and increasing its reach.

  3. Are there different forms of membership? If so, what are they?
    Involvement in the SPP FI MU is possible in one of three levels of partnership, which differ in the services offered and provided, as well as the varying level of financial commitment. The partnership levels are:
    • SME Partner
    • Partner
    • Strategic Partner

    For more information on the different levels of partnership, please visit the SPP website Categories of cooperation of FI industrial partners.

  4. What are the main activities of SPP FI MU?

    The main activities include collaborative research, thesis collaboration, involvement in teaching, Days with Industrial Partners, Competition for talented students, Ph.D. student support and internships. For more information on the activities of SPP FI MU, please visit the SPP website Main activities.

Collaborative research

  1. We have an idea for a joint research project. How to find out if it is interesting for FI? How to find collaborators?

    For partners: if you are a partner in the Association of Industrial Partners (SPP FI MU), you can approach your contact person at FI directly about the research project or for expertise and present the idea to her. For new participants: if you are not a partner of SPP FI MU, you can contact one of the research groups directly. Membership of a company in SPP FI MU is not a prerequisite for joining a joint research project. You are welcome to join several research groups in one project. To learn about the research groups and their focus, you can visit the Research Groups FI MU page, where the main contact persons are also listed. Another possible signpost is the Areas of Research FI, where you can also find specific researchers and the groups they belong to.

  2. Who among the members of research groups (i.e., laboratories) can we contact? And if we are not involved in the SPP FI MU, can we collaborate with research teams at FI MU?

    Both a company involved in SPP FI MU and a company that is interested in a joint research project but is not involved in SPP FI MU can approach or consult the issue. It is possible to contact both the head of the laboratory and any of the employees or PhD students involved in the laboratories.

  3. Is it possible to see the list of projects in FI?

    This is possible on the Masaryk University website - just enter the name of the person in the search engine on the top right, click on it and then the individual tabs (Basic data, Biography, Publications,...) will appear under the medallion with the photo. One of them is Projects. Here you can see the basic information about the project, including their staffing. Alternatively, news and project information can be found on the Research Support, Projects and Cooperation with Industrial Partners.

  4. What are the most meaningful forms of collaboration for academic teams?
    The answer is very individual for each academic. Some of the most valued forms of collaboration include:
    • Collaborative research that can be published
    • Submission of a joint grant supported by both national and supranational funding schemes (e.g. TAČR, Horizon Europe)
    • Allowing access to data on which experiments can be carried out
    • Involving students in company-supported research, from undergraduates to PhD students - you can watch a video of the students involved giving their presentation at the SPP Day
    • Systematic help in teaching - repeated engagement, ideally throughout the semester
    • Jointly defined thesis topics with the support of a consultant from the company
    • Support for the purchase of laboratory equipment or books for students

Cooperation in teaching and student internships

  1. What are the options for entry into teaching? Lecture vs. exercises? How to do it?

    There are different ways to connect. You can find a lot of valuable information on this topic on the SPP website in the annual report. More than half of the companies from the SPP are involved in the teaching, intertwining in more than twenty subjects. The specific involvement depends on your contact person from FI. She can go through the list of subjects she is coordinating with you and discuss whether she sees the possibility of your involvement in any of them. The main lecturer of the course always decides on the company's decision. A popular form of cooperation is individual lectures or leading a semester-long exercise. However, long-term involvement over many years is often expected. If you would prefer to offer a one-off lecture in a given year, it is better to organize it outside of class.

  2. Is it possible to organize a lecture outside the class?

    Yes, it is possible to arrange the lecture directly with us, but there is a high risk of low student participation unless the lecturer is involved and invites the students directly to the lecture. We can offer to post information regarding the upcoming lecture on the IS bulletin board and bulletin boards, provide the room and refreshments (paid for out of your budget).

  3. Can a company have its own subject?

    Very rarely it is possible. The actual creation of a course is a very lengthy process that must be approved by the relevant faculty bodies and is bound by a long-term commitment. There are certain pitfalls, e.g., that if the course is not included in the curriculum passage, there is a risk of low student participation. At FI there are courses taught by external students and these courses are introduced in the study passages. However, those towards the past are preceded by a long term process (5+ years) and also a commitment to the future (5+ years). The whole self-study option has multiple risks that outweigh the benefits. The better option is to engage with the existing subject.

  4. Do students have a mandatory internship in some study programs?
    Yes, we currently have four programmes at the faculty (two at the Bachelor's level and two at the Master's level) that have a compulsory internship in the penultimate semester of study. For more information click here:
  5. How to proceed if a company wants to offer an internship to students? What does it involve? What does such an internship have to do?

    Like study, the internship is governed by semesters. The student must complete at least half of the internship in the semester in which the course is taken. Students seek an internship so that they can complete it no earlier than July 1 in the fall semester and no earlier than January 1 in the spring semester. Internships for continuing students are a minimum of 400 hours in length, and internships in bachelor's studies are at least 480 hours long. They must spend at least half of the total hours in the workplace, the remainder can be worked remotely. The company must have a student supervisor who has a university degree and at least three years' experience in a technical field. The workplace will conclude some kind of employment contract with the student, or another contract, for example a student placement, etc. Work in the form of self-employment is not acceptable. For more information visit website here.

    The contact for information on internships is: koordinace.stazi@fi.muni.cz

  6. How does the Competition for talented bachelor students take place and how is the student then involved (in the company, in the laboratory)?

    At the turn of the year, the FI MU informs companies involved in the SPP with an interest in participating in the competition. The goal of the competition is to select talents among students of the 2nd and 3rd semester of bachelor's studies and offer them a position in their laboratories. The company (industrial partner of the laboratory) will include a scholarship for this particular student in its SPP budget. As part of the competition, computer science tasks are solved. Students have 24 hours to solve them. The final part takes place in the form of interviews with representatives of FI laboratories and partner companies, in which the finalists will then obtain the position of student researchers with a scholarship. Information about the competition for students can be found at the turn of March/April on the FI MU bulletin boards, the bulletin board in IS and also on the SPP website in the news. The competition itself then takes place at the end of March or in April. The winner is usually involved in the cooperation in September (according to the agreement, even earlier). For more information about the competition, please visit SPP website Competition for talented FI students.

Collaboration on the management of bachelor and diploma theses

  1. Is the company part of the final evaluation of the thesis?

    Where the representative has a consultant role, an assessment is not necessary, however, it is advisable to pass the informal assessment to the supervisor for consideration in their assessment. The firm's representative may also have the role of an opponent from whom the assessment is expected. The referee must be at least five years post-graduate in IT and must be an independent professional (cannot be the same as the consultant).

  2. How are the final theses conducted by the companies evaluated?

    Each year, among the works that lead the firms, many outstanding results, including those awarded the Dean's Award. Evaluations of these works can be found through the FI website - Dean's Awards for Bachelor's and Master's students, where public assessments are also available.

Marketing and promotion activities

  1. How can students find out about SPP FI MU?

    The best opportunity for students to meet companies is the SPP Day, where students can meet companies in person. The companies are presented on the SPP website, which is part of the official website of the faculty. In addition, they are informed about the activities of the companies according to the supplied documents through bulletin boards, information on the notice board in the IS, the SPP FI MU website, and the SPP FI MU annual report. Offers from companies are posted on the SPP notice board and the Thematic notice board in IS and printed on notice boards. We send students a summary of activities from the SPP three times a year in the Newsletter, to which the company can add exciting news.

  2. What is the method of distribution of vacancy announcements for students?

    The announcement is usually posted on the notice board in the IS (SPP and Thematic Notice Board), on the SPP website - see News on the main page and on notice boards in the FI building. Ideally, the offer should not exceed A4 size. For further details see the question below.

Other industrial cooperation platforms at the Faculty of Informatics and Masaryk University

  1. What are other platforms for industrial cooperation at FI and MU?
    • CERIT Science and Technology Park FI MU
    • Technology Transfer Office of Masaryk University
    • Career Centre MUNI
    • Internship FI MU
    • Spin-off Platform MUNI (TTO)
    • Department of Research Support, Projects and Cooperation with Industrial Partners FI MU

  2. What is CERIT Science and Technology Park FI MU, and how is it related to SPP FI MU?

    Centre for Education, Research and Innovation in IT focused on building a resilient digital society - The Centre, which is part of the Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University, prepares and integrates projects that together create a powerful and synergistic concept for supporting research, applications and innovation in ICT. It builds on its activities based on interdisciplinary partnerships with other national science and research centres and leading national and international institutions in areas of significant societal interest. It focuses on strategic projects and long-term development concepts, including technical support and operational activities. Some of the SPP FI MU companies are based in CERIT buildings.

  3. What is the Technology Transfer Office and how is it related to SPP FI MU?

    The mission of the MU Technology Transfer Office is to help them go beyond the boundaries of the university and transfer knowledge and technology into practice. One of Masaryk University's core values is responsible for the outside world. TTO and SPP FI MU are united by their support in establishing cooperation with the commercial sphere.

  4. What is the MU Career Centre and how is it related to SPP FI MU?

    The MU Career Centre connects students with employers and offers various forms of cooperation in the field of internships, employment relationships for graduates, thesis topics, moderated discussions and workshops. The mission of the MU Career Centre is, among other things, to facilitate students' and recent graduates' transition from the world of study to the world of work and to prepare them to manage their careers independently.

  5. How to get involved in the Internship area?

    For all the information you need to get involved in the internship area, please see a part: Cooperation in teaching and students internships questions 5. a 6.

  6. What is the MUNI Spin-off platform?

    The emerging Spin-off platform under the patronage of TTO creates a contact and communication environment that will connect MU spin-offs and the university. They have much to offer each other. Clicking through the platform will enable the development of all its members and allow closer cooperation and more effective support for technology transfer and commercialization. An MU spin-off can become a platform member by its creation or by being granted spin-off company status.

  7. Who can I contact to consult on cooperation opportunities and to be directed to the contact persons for each grant program if I am interested in submitting a joint grant project?

    The Faculty of Informatics has an entire department, namely the Department of Research Support and Projects, which provides support and information on projects and grants, provides administrative support in submitting and solving projects, manages the agenda of habilitation and professorial proceedings, doctoral studies, rigorous proceedings, scientific councils, disciplinary councils, etc. Alternatively, it is possible to negotiate grant support directly with the Research and Development office at the MU Rector's Office.