“The Russian occupiers are dropping bombs on civilians,” says Tamara Bardina from Chernihiv, Ukraine, a student at Charles University. Her indignation was in immediate response to the invasion on 24 February. Since, the situation in Ukraine has only grown worse.

Jan Exner has taken part in more Olympic Games than many, first as a volunteer and later as a lawyer for the Czech Olympic Committee. He was in PyeongChang and Tokyo, but he won’t be headed to Beijing; he discovered he enjoys teaching at university most of all.

A specialist in North Korean studies, activist and feminist. That is how the Czech media describe Nina Špitálníková, a student of Oral and Contemporary History at the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University. Her book Witnessing Life in the DPRK (2020) became a bestseller and won the Magnesia Litera Award in the category of journalism.

The Church of St. Bartholomew in Kolín is a national cultural monument and for  good reason. It is one of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in Central Bohemia. Among the church’s many gems are extraordinary stained glass windows. These caught Anna Bartoňová's eye.; she is a student at the Catholic Theological Faculty.

Science Slam is a popular stand-up comedy show held annually at Charles University. In it, students poke fun at their academic and research projects. Monday saw outstanding performances at Kampus Hybernská which wowed not only the audience but the expert panel of judges. This year's winners were CU's Lucie Urbanová and Jakub Mazanec.

Along with ice hockey, Czech universities can now compete in an additional leagues as of this academic year. The university leagues include football, futsal, basketball, floorball and volleyball. How did they come together and what are the ambitions of Charles University’s teams when it comes to different sports?

The last year-and-a-half brought many changes and challenges for the education sector, given little choice but to adapt - as quickly and effectively as possible. Many enrolled at Charles University reassessed their aims with new vigour. Tracy Okine writes about two foreign students who took stock of the situation and persevered.

Over the last few years, more and more young people in the Czech Republic have taken up longboarding, a hobby and sport related to skateboarding but different in many respects. Longboards, as the name suggests, utilise a longer deck but feel very different, offering a more stable ride on softer polyurethane wheels.

Karolína Bartošová is a student at Charles University who was accepted for a six-month internship at Australia's Macquarie University. She had a fabulous time and told Forum not only about what studying there was like but also about travel and adventures in the Australian outback.

Three brothers, all slalom canoeists; two have competed for the Czech Republic. That's the Hegers. Vojtěch, the middle brother, clinched a spot in canoe slalom for the Czech Republic in the upcoming Olympics. But he won’t be heading to Tokyo this summer.