In addition to the previously announced intention of Rector Martin Bareš to appoint two new vice-rectors, there will also be a change in the position of vice-rector for internationalisation, currently held by Břetislav Dančák. The former dean of the Faculty of Social Studies decided to accept the offer by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will leave the university’s management as of the last day of August. In this context, the Rector of Masaryk University Martin Bareš decided to entrust this vice-rectorial portfolio to Petr Suchý, the current Vice-Dean for Internationalisation and Student Affairs of the Faculty of Social Studies, as of 1 September. The Rector’s vice-rectorial team appointments will still have to be discussed by the MU Academic Senate.
“I have had information about contacts between representatives of the Foreign Ministry and Vice-Rector Dančák for quite a long time, so this is not information that would take us by surprise,” said Rector Martin Bareš, who praised Vice-Rector Dančák’s contribution in the area of international relations. “For us, internationalisation is one of the fundamental pillars of the MU Strategic Plan, because I believe that cooperation with foreign countries can significantly enrich every individual and the entire institution. In this area, Vice-Rector Dančák has done a great deal of work, especially in the EDUC alliance of European universities and in the area of Czech-Polish relations, to which he has been devoted professionally for almost 30 years. He has also been active in establishing the university’s Fulbright Alumni Club. He deserves our gratitude for all his hard work and I would like to wish him good luck in his future career,” Bareš added.
Petr Suchý will become the next new vice-rector appointed in Martin Bareš’s second term as MU Rector, after his re-election for the term of office from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2027 with a convincing 51 out of 55 votes. He was officially appointed to the post the week before last at Prague Castle by President Petr Pavel. Mr Bareš had earlier appointed Jana Fialová as Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and External Relations and also expressed his intention to appoint Monika Jandová as Vice-Rector for Personnel Policy, Lifelong Learning and Sustainability from 1 September.
Petr Suchý, candidate for the new Vice-Rector for Internationalisation:
Petr Suchý has been employed at Masaryk University since 2001. His expertise is in the field of nuclear weapons and their role in international relations – nuclear deterrence, motives of nuclear proliferation, as well as arms control processes and their results. He is also professionally interested in US foreign policy, especially during the Cold War.
Since 2002, he has been an assistant professor at the Department of International Relations and European Studies at the MU Faculty of Social Studies and between 2006 and 2019 he served as its head. Since 2019, he has been the Vice-Dean for Internationalisation and Student Affairs at the MU Faculty of Social Sciences. He has been active in academic bodies for a long time (e.g. in the MU Academic Senate between 2004 and 2019); he is a member of the Programme Board of the Telč University Centre and the Accommodation Committee.
“I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the Rector’s offer. At the same time, I approach it with great humility and respect. Vice-Rector Dančák has left a very deep mark on Masaryk University and the MU Faculty of Social Studies in the field of internationalisation. It is an honour for me to be able to build on his work. We have been cooperating intensively in internationalisation for more than twenty years,” said Suchý, who also considers internationalisation drive to be one of the hallmarks of an ambitious, dynamic and constantly developing institution, which Masaryk University undoubtedly is.
“Working with students is a pleasure for me and I look forward to continuing to do so in the area of internationalisation at the university level. I would like to focus on supporting the mobility of students, as I have done in my role as Vice Dean for Internationalisation at FSS MU, which has achieved excellent results in this area. I know from experience that an extended time abroad is a life-changing experience, with invaluable benefits not only for professional development, but also for personal growth,” he added.