Charles University awarded Associate Professor Alice Němcová Tejkalová with the Cori Prize

For the second year in a row, Charles University has been awarding personalities who contribute to equal opportunities through their work. The 2025 Carl and Gerty Cori Prize was also awarded to Alice Němcová Tejkalová from the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism FSV UK. The award ceremony took place on November 17, the Day of the Fight for Freedom and Democracy and International Students' Day, in the Great Hall of Karolinum. Alice Němcová Tejkalová, a scientist, journalist and head of the Department of Journalism at the ICSJ FSV UK, has been working on the topic of equal opportunities for a long time – in academia, journalism and in the field of parasports.

“It is a huge honor for me. Although the situation has improved significantly, equal opportunities in Czech society are not exactly a bed of roses. However, during my professional journey, I have met many people who have supported me and shown me that my efforts are meaningful. I try to do the same for those around me,” said Němcová Tejkalová and added: “I would like to take it even further thanks to the financial reward that comes with the award. I plan to support a student project or work focused on this topic – but I have to think about how we will do it with my colleagues at the faculty.”

Alice Němcová Tejkalová has been systematically advocating for equal opportunities across the academic, media and sports environments for more than two decades. As a member of the Rector's Board and the first Dean of FSV UK she advocated structural changes for the benefit of students and employees with disabilities, parents and the socio-economically disadvantaged - from kindergarten fees to mapping accessibility to the creation of mentoring programs for female academics.

She has significantly contributed to the professionalization and media coverage of parasports - as a commentator, founder of the Handisport.cz portal and author of professional publications on stereotyping of athletes with disabilities. She leads the first all-female research team at FSV UK, which became a co-investigator of the prestigious Horizon Europe grant. Currently, as the coordinator of a consortium with the European Olympic Committee, the European Broadcasting Union and five foreign university partners, she is preparing an application for Horizon Europe focused on combating gender-based violence in sport and sports journalism. As Vice-Chair of the Equal Opportunities in Sport Commission of the Czech Olympic Committee, she was at the origin of an action plan to support women in the management of sports institutions. Her work represents a unique combination of scientific expertise, institutional change, and long-term public engagement in the field of equality and inclusion.

Congratulations!