DOT Awards 2026

The 2026 Deloitte Outstanding Thesis Awards (DOT Awards) were presented on October 7, 2026. The award recognizes exceptionally high-quality Bachelor’s and Master’s theses written by IES students and has been awarded since 2018 as part of the partnership between IES and Deloitte.

Theses are nominated for the award by the heads of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in cooperation with the examination committees for final examinations at IES FSV UK. The choice is based on the overall quality of the thesis and the student’s performance during the thesis defence.

Although the award is supported by Deloitte, there are no restrictions on the topics of the theses. The only criterion is their academic quality. This year’s nominees and winners covered a wide range of topics. Using a variety of approaches, they explored important relationships and questions, often applying some of the most advanced methods used in their respective fields.

This year, the following students received the DOT Award:

Bachelor’s theses

Bc. Júlia Danielovičová
Evaluating the Impact of VEGA Research Grants on the Publication Performance of Slovak Scientists 
advisor: Matěj Bajgar, D.Phil.

Bc. Hoang Viet Pham
When Central Banks Mention War: Market Sentiment and Monetary Communication 
advisor: Mgr. Josef Švéda, Ph.D.

Bc. Jana Buchtová 
Discrimination of Physically Disabled People in the Czech Labor Market
advisor: doc. PhDr. Julie Chytilová, Ph.D.

Bc. Mykyta Huskov
The Role of Voice Tone and Facial Expressions in Federal Reserve Communication during FOMC conferences
advisor: prof. PhDr. Tomáš Havránek, Ph.D.

Bc. Dominik Švestka
Post-Earnings Announcement Drift on the London Stock Exchange
advisor: doc. PhDr. Jiří Kukačka, Ph.D.

Diplomové práce

Mgr. Karolína Vyzulová
Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treatment Costs in the Czech Republic: A Registry-Based Generalized Linear Model Approach.
advisor: PhDr. Mgr. Jana Votápková, Ph.D.

Mgr. Lum Skeja 
Macroeconomic Dynamics in Kosovo: A Semi-Structural New Keynesian Approach to Fiscal and External Shocks
advisor: PhDr. Simona Malovaná, Ph.D.

Mgr. Eric Žíla
Deep Neural Network Estimation of Financial Agent-Based Models: A Comparative Study
advisor: doc. PhDr. Jiří Kukačka, Ph.D.

Mgr. Natálie Dvořáková
The Interplay Between Supply Shocks and Inflation Expectations: Bayesian SVAR Evidence from Czechia
advisor: PhDr. Jaromír Baxa, Ph.D.

Mgr. Jakub Strašlipka
Reverse Stress Testing: Practical Implementation in a Czech Commercial Bank
advisor: Mgr. Magda Rejentová, Ph.D.