The Academic Senate of the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University selected its candidate for dean on Tuesday, 29 September. The secret ballot began at 2 p.m. A candidate needed to receive a majority of all 23 members of the Academic Senate, i.e. at least 12 votes, to be elected.
Before the vote, Deputy Chair of the Academic Senate Dagmar Sochorová announced that if neither candidate received the required majority in the first round, a second round would be held later that same day.
The election was decided in the first round. Following the vote and a short break to count the ballots, Sochorová announced that all ballots cast were valid. Simona Koryčánková received 17 votes, while Marie Koldinská received 3 votes. One senator abstained.
“I can promise dedicated work and close cooperation between the academic and non-academic staff of our faculty, and I look forward to working with all of you,” Koryčánková said immediately after her election. The members of the Academic Senate then responded with a standing ovation.
The Academic Senate will now propose to the Rector of Masaryk University that Simona Koryčánková be appointed Dean of the Faculty of Education for the term running from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2031.
Two candidates stood for dean
Two candidates ran for the position of dean: incumbent dean Simona Koryčánková and historian Marie Koldinská. Both presented their programmes to the faculty community at a public debate on 22 September.
Koryčánková entered the election with a programme focused on continuity, completing projects already underway, and implementing specific measures. Her programme, under the motto “Continuity, Certainty, Openness,” emphasized building on the faculty’s existing direction while also responding to new challenges in education.
Koldinská’s programme focused in particular on changes to the way the faculty is managed, academic culture, and greater involvement of the academic community in decision-making.
Simona Koryčánková has worked at the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University since 1994. From 2011 to 2022, she headed the Department of Russian Language and Literature. From 2016 to 2020, she served as Vice-Dean for Development and External Relations and subsequently as Masaryk University Vice-Rector for Student and Alumni Affairs. She has served as Dean of the Faculty of Education since February 2023.
Meeting opened with a minute of silence
The Academic Senate’s election meeting also began with a tribute. Its members observed a minute of silence in memory of Professor Radek Horáček, who died last Friday.