After a parental break,she returns to scientific work with new energy and clear goals. Russian language researcher and faculty assistant Mgr. Bc. Oxana Truhlářová, Ph.D., shares her journey back into academia, the challenges of returning, and the importance of the Career Restart grant. This Masaryk University program supports scientists who have temporarily interrupted their careers and helps them re-engage in research
As an assistant professor at the Department of Russian Language and Literature, I have long focused on comparative linguistics, specifically on the morphology and syntax of Russian and Czech. As part of my dissertation and subsequent projects, I have worked to gain a deeper understanding of these languages in historical and contemporary contexts. That is, I seek to uncover the similarities and differences between the two languages, both in their current form and in their historical development.
Modern trends in Russian language teaching are also at the centre of my attention. In 2018, I led a project that resulted in a mobile app for teaching Russian. Together with my colleague Dr. Sokolova, I published two Russian grammar exercise books in Fraus publishing house, which are now used in teaching at A1 and A2 level. I am also actively interested in more general questions of linguistics. I am a member of the Linguistic Association of the Czech Republic and in 2023 I was elected chair of the Brno branch of this association. This allows me to be in contact with other linguists and discuss current topics and challenges in linguistics. Currently, due to taking care of my two young daughters (6 and 3 years old), I still work part-time. However, I would very much like to fully return to my active research activities, which were interrupted by parental leave.
One of the most important projects I consider to be the development of the mobile application "Interactive Russian Script", which was created within the framework of the MU Development Fund project. Although it is not a project of great scientific value in the traditional sense, its social relevance and practical impact are undeniable. The application enabled students and those interested in the Russian language to practice writing Cyrillic in a playful and interactive way on tablets and mobile phones. The project was very successful and promoted Masaryk University as an institution that actively participates in the popularization of scientific knowledge and the development of language education.
During my first parental leave, I managed to keep in touch with the workplace and academic activities through small collaborations and part-time work (0.2). With the second parental leave, when taking care of two small children required full-time commitment, unfortunately all my research activities ceased. It is very challenging to combine caring for two young children with scientific work, especially without family support.
Thanks to the Career Restart grant, I can fully focus on my research and take care of my younger daughter. It allows me to fund scholarly activities such as conferences and publications, which is essential for advancing my academic career and achieving my scholarly goals.
My main goal for the next two years is to fully return to professional and teaching activities and to successfully develop my career. The Career Restart project is key for me in this respect. It will enable me to deepen my knowledge in the area of grammatical competence development and gain valuable insights into grammatical phenomena in Russian textbooks. I will then use this knowledge to improve the quality of my teaching and create more effective and comprehensible teaching materials.
It definitely is. It sends a clear signal that the scientific community (especially Masaryk University) is aware of the importance of supporting scientists at different stages of their careers. I see this grant as an appreciation of the efforts that women in particular are making to return to scientific activity and restart their academic careers.
The flexible hours that I have been afforded are invaluable to me as a mother of two young children. It has enabled me to gradually return to work and balance caring for my family with my work commitments. I am very grateful for this.
“I see this grant as an appreciation of the efforts that women in particular are making to return to scientific activity and restart their academic careers.”
In February 2023 I started part-time at 0.4 (my younger daughter was 13 months old at the time). From September 2023 I work employment contract 0,5.
Yes, this service is a great help. I can see that the students are lovingly devoted to the children, both my daughters always look forward to the games and activities they prepare for the children here.
I welcome flexibility in scheduling. It allows me to better organize my work and family responsibilities.
I plan to continue my research in the field of comparative linguistics and prepare for the habilitation process. Specifically, I would like to focus on the comparison of grammatical phenomena in Russian and Czech. I would also like to continue to research and develop innovative teaching materials for Russian.
I realize that with children, flexibility is needed. That's why I try to prioritize and be able to adapt to unexpected situations.
English language courses for international cooperation would be a great asset. I would like to get better at writing professional texts in English.
In 2024, the Faculty of Education of Masaryk University was in the middle of the second implementation period of the Revised HR Award Action Plan. This year, the focus was on improving internal communication, education, the working environment and the adaptation of new employees.
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