Matfyz Postgraduate Student Receives Award from French Embassy
Dominika Hájková from the Department of Atmospheric Physics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, has received a prestigious award presented annually by the French Embassy in the Czech Republic. Her doctoral research on atmospheric gravity waves earned second place in the category focused on environmental issues.
The Make Our Planet Great Again award for environmental and climate research is organized by the Embassy of France in the Czech Republic and BNP Paribas. The award aims to recognize the research work of Czech students in the fields of climate change, environmental protection, and sustainable development.
Dominika Hájková is a member of the Atmospheric Gravity Waves Group at Matfyz. Her presentation in the competition was titled “Orographic gravity waves, their representation in numerical models and effects on the resolved dynamics,” and she focused on the impact of gravity waves on atmospheric dynamics and their representation in numerical models through so-called parameterizations.
Orographic gravity waves play a crucial role in transporting energy from the Earth’s surface to higher layers of the atmosphere, and for this reason, they must be included in numerical models. Proper representation of gravity waves in these models, through improved parameterizations, is essential for enhancing both short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate projections. Dominika Hájková’s research is therefore highly relevant and holds significant applied potential.
The scientific awards ceremonial took place at the Buquoy Palace, the seat of the French Embassy in Prague, in the presence of the event’s patron and Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, as well as the French Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Stéphane Crouzat. The winners were selected by a jury composed of 40 Czech scientists, headed, in each category, by a French specialist. Young researchers received financial prizes, and the top two awardees in each category were also granted a French government-funded one-month research stay at a laboratory in France. Our congratulations go to all the nominated students.
