Today I attended two lectures at Charles University. The first was on the historical roots of the Czech Republic, taught by Šárka Boušková Vašíčková, who was extremely engaging. I would not consider myself a history person, but I enjoyed the lecture. Šárka discussed how CZ used to be Bohemia, part of Austria-Hungary, and then Czechoslovakia. Currently, it has been renamed to Czechia, although most Czechs do not accept this rebranding. It was interesting to learn about the mix of identities when the country was Czechoslovakia, having Germans, Czechs, Poles, Ukrainians, and Hungarians. This diversity shaped families, who often spoke multiple languages in one household.
The second lecture was about science and engineering, and it was interesting to learn how the country’s main industry was mining silver. By investing in mining, the country was able to grow into a large car and aircraft industry, with their main companies being Škoda Auto and Tatra.
My favorite part of today was visiting Podolí Waterworks. We walked through their museum and then viewed the operating facility. The tour was led by Vladimír Rösel, and you could tell how passionate he was about the plant. The architecture was extremely impressive, but their treatment system was even more so. They use trout as a bioindicator of the river’s health before treating the water. I was surprised to hear that they use artificial sand filtration. Their last step was a recent addition in 2021, where they implemented activated carbon. Czech attitudes toward water seem to be full of pride. Most people drink tap water.
Something I’ve noticed is that both industry and education here place a strong emphasis on aesthetics—especially in architecture and entryways. Walking into Charles University and the waterworks, I felt like I was stepping into a focused, purposeful world. It’s clear that people have invested time and resources into creating spaces they’re proud to work in.
I am feeling some culture shock, especially this morning when I first walked out of the hotel and realized that I am still here. We had some downtime today, so having the freedom to explore at my own pace helped me to adjust more.
Swanson School of Engineering 