From 20 to 24 July, Maj. Szymon Ptak, Head of the Department of Firefighting Technology, participated in an academic staff mobility as part of the Erasmus+ Programme. The visit was primarily aimed at enhancing professional competences in the field of scientific research, but it also represented another tangible step towards strengthening scientific cooperation between Fire University and the Faculty of Safety Engineering at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (Fakulta bezpečnostního inženýrství, VŠB – Technická univerzita Ostrava).
The main objective of the mobility was to continue joint research on dust explosibility, develop a method for analysing research results, and work on a publication presenting the findings. It was an intensive period of work despite the ongoing summer holiday period.
During the visit, Maj. Ptak had the opportunity to familiarise himself with the university's recently expanded research and testing facilities. The partner university can boast a large-scale furnace combined with a testing machine. The equipment makes it possible to test structural components under elevated-temperature conditions and to reproduce fire curves.
Ostrava is an interesting city. It can be assumed that the city developed around a mining and metallurgical area rather than the other way around, as was the case with most cities, including those founded in the Middle Ages or even earlier. This gives Ostrava its unique character, with the city's main thoroughfares running through former industrial areas.
The Faculty of Safety Engineering itself is located in the peaceful Výškovice district, bordered on two sides by extensive green areas, including the protected buffer zone along the Odra River.
Thanks to the Erasmus+ Programme, it was possible not only to enhance professional competences but also to further develop scientific cooperation with the partner university.
