Petr Doležal

Ever since I was born I have always been encouraged to be curious and enjoy learning; I dare say this has been my defining trait to these days. When I was at secondary school, I always sought to figure out ways to learn something extra; in this respect I was helped a lot by various subject-specific contests (‘Olympiads’) and the people I met at such events. Correspondence seminars, in particular the Fykos physics seminar, were crucial for me as they helped me get to know talented peers from all over the country, and also meet the inspiring university students who organized the contests. During that period, at the local Scout centre I also gradually grew to recognize the great value of Scout principles and the importance of passing them on to others. One year before the school leaving exam I also fell in love – thanks to the local folk ensemble – with Czech and Slavic traditions, ranging from dances and songs to the patriotic importance of wine and beer.

Following admission to a university outside the Czech Republic I have, unfortunately, had to pare down many of these activities. But in the amazing environment of Cambridge, I have quickly found new areas for both the physical (in new sports like rowing, fencing, and water polo) and the mental (in various student communities like the students’ association, effective altruism, and physics, math and other scientific societies. Conversations with people from all over the globe and with talented students taking a broad range of subjects are helping me form a new view of the world, and I truly look forward to see where this experience as a whole will take me.

Secondary

The Zikmund Winter Grammar School in Rakovník, graduated in 2015

Tertiary

The University of Cambridge, Trinity College, U.K.; Natural Sciences (matriculation in 2015)

E-mail:

pd423@cam.ac.uk

Goals

My highest ambition is to help mankind switch over onto the path of sustainable development and sprint down it as quickly as possible. In practical terms, for now that means graduating from university, then spending some time on research so that I can also contribute my bit to human knowledge, and guiding and educating younger generations of students; however, as to the more distant future, the dice have not yet been thrown.

Interests

Besides the subjects I’m now studying at university I also have an abiding interest in various other scientific disciplines such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, and philosophy. In addition to learning new things I enjoy rowing, dancing in a folk ensemble, and Scouts.