Ambassador Bijan Sabet's lecture on the Czech-American partnership in times of global upheaval was organized by the Department of International Relations and European Studies at the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University.
Bijan Sabet has served as the US ambassador to the Czech Republic since 2023 and visited Masaryk University three times since being nominated for his post in 2022. Imparting knowledge and insights to students is not new to him, as his interests and work experience include mentoring students and young professionals. This experience was also reflected in Tuesday's lecture, where he gained the audience’s full attention.
“It is great to be back at Masaryk University. It's been exactly a year since I last visited this amazing institution, and I'm thrilled to be among you again,” Sabet said in his introduction, saying that in addition to his role representing the US president and leading the ambassadorial team in Prague, one of his top priorities is to spend time with students and young people across the Czech Republic.
He described the US Embassy in Prague as having about 250 employees, many of whom are Czech nationals. Their common goal is to deepen and strengthen relations between the US and the Czech Republic. “This includes a wide range of activities from strengthening trade relations to defence and security coordination. We are also working together to promote shared values such as human rights and democracy, to create partnerships, as well as to promote cultural exchanges and artistic cooperation between our countries,” Sabet said, outlining joint US-Czech efforts. The ambassador is confident that this cooperation will continue and the two countries’ fantastic relationship will endure even under President Trump’s new administration.
He said that one-third of US ambassadors come from the private sector, which is also the case with him. Sabet has spent a significant part of his life working with entrepreneurs and technology start-ups and has also been involved in the education sector. In his view, it is young people who shape the narrative and challenge existing perspectives. It is students who have always been at the forefront of social change. Today, Sabet said, students are highlighting very important issues, such as the challenges of addressing climate change or social justice issues. “These and other topics demonstrate the power that young people have to change the world and shape our future,” Sabet said, leaving most of the remaining lecture time for students’ questions. The attendees took full advantage of this opportunity.
In the discussion, the ambassador revealed what he sees as the strengths of Czech-American relations. “We have a common history that goes back to the First Republic [of Czechoslovakia], and this relationship continues,” Sabet said, expressing admiration for Václav Havel, who, in his view, played an important role not only in the Czech Republic but also in the US. “He inspired a whole generation to have strong Czech-American relations,” Sabet mentioned. He also did not hide his pride in the current Czech-American relations, which he said have never been stronger. Although he considers shared defence and security to be the cornerstone of these relations in many ways, in reality, he said, the heart and soul of good relations are mainly the ties and interactions between the citizens of the two countries. “I think that's the glue,” Sabet explained.
The students also wondered whether President-elect Donald Trump would live up to his campaign promises and refuse to provide assistance to NATO countries that do not spend enough of their GDP on defence. The ambassador responded that it is difficult to speculate on the future and the new administration’s policy changes at this time, and he would not like to get ahead of himself. However, he personally believes that the US’s commitment to NATO is unwavering. “I think Putin is counting on allies getting tired, and I believe that's not a luxury we can afford. We all have to stay committed,” he opined, adding that sometimes politicians say things in their election campaigns that do not reflect policy, and that there is a difference between policy and politics. We have to wait to see what happens.
The students also asked which sector is the most important for Czech-American relations and how the Czech Republic could contribute to further deepening the relationship. According to Sabet, bilateral trade between the Czech Republic and the US was estimated at around $12.5 billion last year, and expectations for 2024 are much higher. US companies in the Czech Republic are doing very well and continue to expand and prosper. Amazon, for example, has employed more than 1,500 Czechs in recent years, and US companies are investing massively in the Czech Republic. According to Sabet, this proves that the technical expertise in the Czech Republic is extremely strong, and cooperation has proven successful, as evidenced by the expansion of Czech companies in the US, which is higher than ever before. Sabet sees further opportunities for the development of mutual relations, for example, in Czech start-ups.
“I see a lot of tremendous talent in AI, healthcare, aerospace, and even defence, for example, and many new young entrepreneurs who want to build not only regional but also global companies,” Sabet responded, sharing his insights and adding that it is difficult to limit the opportunities to one particular sector. He highlighted the great potential in the new areas of quantum cybernetics and AI in particular.
One student asked Sabet about his favourite and least favourite moment in his career as ambassador to the Czech Republic. “I don't know if I have a least favourite moment because everything I have experienced here has been an adventure of a lifetime. Everything from work to play has been great," said Sabet, who smiled as he recalled a bicycle trip in Bohemia and hiking in South Moravia.
At the end of the discussion, the rector of Masaryk University, Martin Bareš, asked Sabet's opinion on Masaryk University’s role in strengthening Czech-American relations. The ambassador described the role of universities in Czech-American relations as very important, as universities raise the level of debate and discourse and their support for exchanges and mobility is essential. “I would like to see more faculty and students making the trip back and forth so that there is even more collaboration in new areas of research,” Sabet concluded. Attracting investments and highly skilled workers, he said, is precisely the result of collaboration between academia, the private sector, and government.
The author of the article is a student at the Faculty of Social Studies and a member of M Magazine’s student team.