News from the Scientific and Pedagogical Life of the University Results and Perspectives of Doctoral Candidates' Conferences at the University of Fin a nee and Admin istratio n Výsledky a perspektivy konferencí doktoranda na Vysoké škole finanční a správní MOJMÍR HELlSEK1 The highlight of university education, after completing the Bachelor's and Master's degrees, comprises doctoral studies. It also includes research conducted by a doctoral student under the supervision of their supervisor. After that, the doctoral student must present their research results, discuss them, get incentives for further research, and then publish the research results. The obligation to publish the research results focusing on the doctoral dissertation thesis is enshrined in the Higher Education Act: "The dissertation must contain the original and published results or the results received for publication." In the previous issue (ACTA VSFS 1/2018), we have reported on a publication that included papers presented at the doctoral students'conference at the University of Finance and Administration in May 2017. Now we would like to introduce a more detailed history of these conferences. The University of Finance and Administration is accredited to carry out the doctoral study programme Finance. The doctoral students' duties include the obligation to present the research results at the home university, so that the doctoral students' performance can be monitored by their supervisor, a doctoral degree programme guarantor, or a doctoral board of study. This presentation at the doctoral students'conference must take place at least twice for the duration of the study. That is why we have started a one-day doctoral conference every year (except in 2016) since 2013.The last one took place in May 2018. At each conference, there were on average about 20 contributions. In total, five conferences took place. Although it is not a long-standing tradition, however, the interest in our conferences has also spread among doctoral students from other universities. These "strangers" comprise roughly half of the total number of participants each year.They are doctoral students from the University of Economics in Prague,Technical University of Liberec, Charles University, University of Defence, Czech University of Life J The author is the guarantor of the doctoral programme Finance at the University of Finance and Administration. ACTAVŠFS, 2/20IE. vol. 12, www.vsfs.cz/acia 191 Sciences in Prague, Mendel University in Brno, University of Pardubice, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Silesian University in Opava. Every year doctoral students from Slovakia also arrive, especially from two Bratislava universities -Comenius University and the University of Economics in Bratislava. The thematic focus of the conferences is defined only by the framework of "economic issues" It is, therefore, very wide. Contributions from the field of public finance, banking and insurance, monetary theory and policies, monetary integration, enterprise economics, accounting and human resources, international economic relations and foreign trade, economic history, economic and social policy, employment, or financial literacy were presented. There were also unconventional contributions, such as the transformation of the Chinese economy, the economic reform of Ota Sik or the context of economic and Muslim migration in the EU. Doctoral students'papers are published in conference proceedings. One reviewer reviews each contribution in an anonymous review process. These publications help to meet the doctoral dissertation requirements imposed by each university. Beneficial discussions took place at all conferences, surprisingly lively and critical for some contributions. This is a part of conference discussions, though. These discussions undoubtedly contributed to the quality of future dissertations. The publication of contributions from this conference will contribute to the fulfilment of the doctoral dissertation requirements. From the above-mentioned text, the objectives of our doctoral students'conferences are summarized and supplemented: * Present research results, listen to critical remarks and get incentive for further research (students can learn to accept even the unfavourable assessment that they still encounter many times). * Improve the presentation technique (on thetitle page of the presentation, present its content, concentrate on the essence and refrain from adding many tables and graphs unnecessarily...), improve the discussion on the contribution and the defence of its contribution. * Obtain further publication output required for successful completion of doctoral studies (of course, knowing that major doctoral publications comprise more demanding outputs, especially articles in review journals). We want to keep these goals with respect to other doctoral conferences as well. In addition, we expect the winners of the Professor František Vencovský Prize Contest to be present at the doctoral conferences. The contest is announced by the Rector of the University of Finance and Administration at a two-year interval. In 2017, its sixth year took place. The contest is open to young economists under 35 and is also attended by doctoral students from universities in the Czech Republic. An overview of all previous conferences, including the texts of the contributions, is available at www.vsfs.cz/konferencedoktorandu. 192 ACTA VŠFS, 2/2018, vol. 12, www.vsfs.czJacta The financial support of the conferences is provided from the resources of the targeted support for specific university research provided by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. Contact address prof. Ing. Mojmír Helísek, CSc. University of Finance and Administration, Department of Economics and International Relations / Vysoká škola finanční a správní, Katedra ekonomie a mezinárodních vztahů (mojmir.helisek@vsfs.cz) ACTAVŠFS, 2/2018. vol. 12, wwT.vvsft.cz/acta 193