According to the MENDELU scientists, who were on an internship in this Nordic country, there are many differences between the Icelandic approach and the rest of Europe. “Iceland’s employment rate is around 90 percent for men between the ages of 55 and 59, and about 80 percent for women, which is the highest number among European countries. In the Czech Republic the number is fewer, but in Slovakia, for example, less than 70 percent of women go to work in this age group. The worst situation is in Greece, where the employment of women in this category is less than 40 percent,” says Martin Lakomý from Department of Law and Social Sciences, FBE. His scientific topic is digitization in the labour market, specifically the challenges, opportunities and inequalities to older employees.
Běla Mikulášková, a doctoral student from Economics and Management (FBE), had a one-month internship in Iceland, and her topic is retirement. According to her, the situation in the Czech Republic and Iceland is totally impossible to compare. “People in Iceland have only six working hours, so they have more time for their hobbies, sports and especially their families. It is also interesting that both partners can go to maternity leave there and they can both have shorter working hours. They have enough time to raise their children together. The state also has a well-thought policy and support of citizens who would like to study, and at the same time start their family, so they are not afraid of parenthood during university studies,” said Mikulášková.
According to her, Icelandic policy is generally different. It enables young people to study while they have their family. People work until old age and in old age they are secured and their children are also secured. “They are not as stressed as Czech retired people. Overall, the society’s set-up and mentality is completely different,” says the young scientist. The Icelandic internship has been her first experience during her studies at MENDELU. “I like travelling, but it has been the first time at university, I would definitely recommend it to my colleagues,” said Mikulášková.
The internship will help her in her doctoral thesis, which topic is the influence of selected factors determining the living standards of people in the post-productive age. “Thanks to the experience from Iceland, I will formulate various recommendations to ensure that older people in the Czech Republic are not as stressed as in the past,” said Mikulášková, added by her colleague Drahomíra Zajíčková from the Department of Law and Social Sciences FBE MENDELU, who deals with the impact of parenthood on labour market outcomes and the gender pay differences. The Nordic countries are inspiring in this area. “In our country, women’s salaries are about a fifth lower than men’s,” Zajíčková points out.
According to Professor Sigurveig H Sigurðardóttir of the University of Iceland, the labour market situation in Iceland is stable after the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had unemployment for some time and now we are looking for employees. We are more concerned about the psychological effects of the pandemic, especially on parents with children,” she mentioned.
More news
-
On 13 September, Emmanuelle Charpentier, a French researcher in the fields of microbiology, genetics and biochemistry, received the honorary degree of doctor honoris causa at Mendel University in Brno. Together with her colleague Jennifer Doudna,…19. 9. 2023
-
Digital Water Lab: two MENDELU faculties collaborate on a new form of teaching…
A digital water laboratory is being established at the Institute of Applied and Landscape Ecology, which will be part of a network of centres using mixed reality to teach future experts in water management. The digitisation of water management data,…6. 9. 2023 -
LDF researchers help kick-start forestry in Aragvi, Georgia
Georgia's Aragvi - a newly established protected landscape area (PLA) of almost 100,000 hectares - is located in three separate valleys about 80 km north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. "We are working in an area with harsh winters, sultry summers…1. 9. 2023 -
Science team focuses on the decline of seagrasses, important ocean ecosystems
Seagrass beds are considered ocean rainforests. They are some of the richest marine ecosystems and play an important ecological role in the world of the seas and oceans. Globally, however, seagrass meadows are declining, with a species of seagrass…8. 8. 2023 -
MENDELU in Mongolia helps with the implementation of the Czech tourist signage…
Mongolia will use the Czech system of marking tourist routes. The Mongolian Tourist Association (MWA) has signed a contract with the Czech Tourist Club in Bogd Khan Mountain, one of the oldest protected areas in the world. The sprawling capital city…10. 7. 2023 -
Scientists develop new fertilizers for drought, should supply plants with…
New fertilisers being developed by scientists at Mendel University in Brno in collaboration with a commercial partner could help plants overcome drought stress. The natural-based preparations should provide crops with a controlled supply of…27. 6. 2023 -
School Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny and Forests of the Czech…
The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on 23 June by Tomáš Vrška, Director of the Masaryk Forest School in Křtiny, and Dalibor Šafařík, Director General of the State Enterprise Forests of the Czech Republic. The agreement was created with the full…23. 6. 2023 -
The Dutch Ambassador visited MENDELU
On Wednesday 7 June, Mendel University in Brno was visited by the Dutch Ambassador Daan Feddo Huisinga. The main subject of the meeting was the issue of water in the landscape, which was presented by Milada Šťastná, Head of the Department of Applied…8. 6. 2023 -
A student tries to make fertilizer from the waste produced in recirculating…
Experts from the Faculty of Agronomy have extensive freshwater fish farming right on the premises of MENDELU. They use the so-called recirculating aquaculture systems, which allow sustainable breeding by reusing the water in the tanks. Until now,…7. 6. 2023 -
NAB reversed the decision: doctoral students can continue their studies at the…
On 19 May, the Review Commission of the National Accreditation Bureau revoked the decision of the NAB Council to terminate the authorization to implement three doctoral study programmes at the Faculty of Business Administration and discontinued the…31. 5. 2023