Prestigious Werner von Siemens Award Went to TBU Student with a Hearing Impairment
11. March 2021Josef Zaduban, a 22-year-old student of the Faculty of Technology (FT) of TBU in Zlín received the prestigious Werner von Siemens Award for 2020. He also obtained a special Award for Overcoming Barriers to Study.
Josef Zaduban is a student with congenital bilateral deafness. At the age of two and a half, he had a surgery to have his cochlear implant fitted, thanks to which he was able to attend a common primary and secondary school. When he later commenced his studies at the Faculty of Technology of the university in Zlín, he was not sure whether he would be able to cope with the difficult studies. His worries proved immature, and the selected degree course in Technological Equipment completely won him over. The Award is a proof of his strong will and efforts to overcome everyday barriers.
It’s hard, but I don’t give up
Both Josef’s parents are deaf, which is why his grandmother and grandfather have been helping him with learning since he was a child. In classes, the hardest thing for Josef is to understand spoken language and follow the topics discussed during the lectures.
“Sometimes I don’t understand the content of sentences and words exactly, I have difficulty participating in group work and concentrating my attention on all my fellow students. I mainly find it hard to understand technical expressions, I often have to guess their meaning and later look up the information which escaped my attention during the class,” describes Josef.
“Sometimes I don’t catch important information, for example, examination deadlines or take-home assignments. That is why I need to have study materials and all the study supporting documents in writing, ideally in electronic form,” says Josef. “Mostly, I have to rely on lip-reading. I always sit near teachers to be able to better understand the topics discussed. However, nowadays, when we all wear face masks and have our mouth covered, it’s quite impossible to lipread,” he adds.
Nevertheless, he does not give up his studies. On the contrary. Desire for knowledge is the biggest driving force for him. At TBU in Zlín, he may use an individual computer room equipped with special technical devices. As a students with a severe hearing impairment, he may use the services provided by a sign language interpreter, transcription service, subtitling of video documents or digitization of study materials in his classes.
“Thanks to the teachers’ individual approach and the support provided by our University, particularly by the Centre for Special Needs Students, I feel much more confident in my studies than I used to,” says Josef.
He is most interested in course units related to construction and computer work. “Personally, I want to improve my technical drawing skills, focus on the construction of products, create things that surround us,” he describes his professional plans. “I have the opportunity to work in the automotive or aerospace industry. I will be able to control advanced technologies, which is very much in demand in the labour market,” says Josef, for whom winning the competition is a motivation for further studies.
About Werner von Siemens Award
The Czech branch of Siemens announces the best students, teachers and young scientists, who can then advance their scientific career thanks to the prestige of the contest and the financial reward obtained. In terms of its scope, amount of financial rewards and a long tradition, the contest ranks among the most significant independent initiatives of this kind in the Czech Republic. Its 23rd edition will be held this year. However, due to the pandemic, the winners will be announced online. The event is traditionally held in the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague and tends to be attended by Rectors and other representatives of the academic and scientific community.
