The session of the Academic Senate of the Faculty of Arts was convened to elect the new dean in a hybrid online form with 21 senators participating. MU Rector Martin Bareš expressed his conviction that they would elect the best candidate to serve as the head of one of Masaryk University’s founding faculties.
The first to speak before the election was Irena Radová, who ran for dean with her “Modern Faculty Open to Dialogue” programme. “We all share the belief that the Faculty should continue to develop and prosper. We must also urgently increase the Faculty’s funding and strive to make sure that graduates of the Faculty of Arts are known for their competence and professionalism,” said Irena Radová.
She also warned that the new dean will have to fight hard to defend the interests of the Faculty of Arts. According to Radová, the Faculty’s voice within Masaryk University should be heard louder.
Her opponent, Markéta Kulhánková, a scholar and teacher of Byzantine and Modern Greek literature at the Department of Classical Studies, said in her election speech that her team would not make radical changes if elected.
“We will not submit to various interest groups and give up on scholarship and our educational activities. Our objective is to ensure a smoothly functioning Dean’s Office,” said Markéta Kulhánková, who ran for office with her “VIZE22” agenda.
She also stressed that both academics and students could expect a responsible approach from her team with an emphasis on good communication. “We want to promote the humanities more strongly and secure better funding for the Faculty of Arts,” Kulhánková said.
The speeches by both candidates were followed by the election of the new dean, who will replace Milan Pol after eight years in office beginning from 1 April 2022. “By 11 votes, the Academic Senate nominated Associate Professor Irena Radová for the position of dean,” announced Václav Štěpánek, Chair of the Faculty’s Academic Senate.
The newly elected dean thanked the Senate for the trust she has been given. She recalled that the Faculty of Arts has about 750 employees and more than 8,300 students. “For me, these people represent over 9,000 reasons to improve the operations of our Faculty. I promise to fulfil everything I outlined in my programme,” said Irena Radová.
She is expected to take office after her formal appointment by the Rector of Masaryk University on 1 April and should head the Faculty of Arts until the end of March 2026.