Hello everyone in the BRT community!

 

My name is Michaela Šrubařová, and I am excited to join the BRT project team as its newest member. I hold a Master's degree in International Territorial Studies from Mendel University in Brno and am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Agroecology at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Before joining the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ) at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), I worked in the NGO sector, where I managed international development and humanitarian projects.

 

My journey to FTZ at CZU has been quite a long one. During my studies at Mendel University, I gradually realized that well-functioning agriculture is one of the fundamental pillars of social and economic development. Agriculture is a key sector in every country and has enormous potential to drive sustainable growth. However, this is only possible if farmers and local communities have access to knowledge, innovations, and practical solutions to the challenges they face.

 

This realization motivated me to focus more on agriculture and rural development. During an internship in Ghana, I had the opportunity to see firsthand that the reality on the ground is often far more complex than it appears in textbooks or research papers. Over time, my interests naturally evolved toward helping people farm in ways that are both productive and environmentally sustainable, while protecting natural resources and surrounding landscapes.

 

This path eventually led me to development and humanitarian projects within the NGO sector, where I increasingly focused on agriculture-related projects. Through one of these projects, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my current colleagues from FTZ. That experience inspired me with the idea that one day I would love to work alongside them—and now that has become a reality. I hope that being part of this team will allow me to contribute to impactful projects while continuing to learn new approaches to sustainable farming and rural development in tropical and subtropical regions.

 

Within the team, I will primarily be responsible for project and financial management. At the same time, I am looking forward to gaining a closer insight into project implementation and, most importantly, seeing the long-term impact of the projects I will help support. My interests cover a broad range of topics, including agroforestry, waste management, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, post-harvest processing, and the economic impacts of agricultural development on local communities. In the future, I would like to further specialize in one of these areas and perhaps one day contribute not only as a project manager, but also as someone who can share knowledge and expertise with others.

 

Outside of work, I am always excited by the prospect of a new adventure. I especially enjoy travelling, and I believe every place has something unique to offer, so I rarely turn down an opportunity to explore somewhere new. I also value spending time with my friends, and I am looking forward to creating many great memories with my new team as well!

 

I am very happy to be part of BRT and look forward to working with all of you.