Rectors of four leading technical universities from Czechia and Austria met at BUT

Brno became the meeting place for the rectors of the largest technical universities in Austria and the Czech Republic: Technische Universität Wien (TUW), Technische Universität Graz (TUG), the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), and the host institution, Brno University of Technology (BUT). Representatives of four technical universities, among the oldest in the Central European region, gathered at BUT. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen traditional ties dating back to the 19th century and to seek answers to contemporary challenges such as the rise of artificial intelligence and the need to increase the number of students in engineering and natural sciences.

Shared history and common challenges

The presentations of the individual universities revealed a number of shared themes and challenges facing higher education institutions, especially technical universities. These four universities are linked not only by a common history in the heart of Europe dating back to the 19th century, but also by many parallels in their current operations. They have nearly identical academic structures, educate approximately the same number of students (around 20,000), and employ about 4,000 staff members. BUT also shares membership in prestigious alliances with two of them – with TU Wien in the alliance EULiST – European Universities Alliance, and with CTU in the domestic Research Universities Association.

“It became clear that our institutions have more in common than one might think at first glance. In addition to our similar size and structure, we share a similar approach to addressing many of the issues and challenges we face as technical universities – such as how to attract more young people to engineering studies and how to help them overcome psychological barriers associated with demanding subjects, especially mathematics,” said BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček.

Meeting of Rectors of Austrian and Czech Technical Universities in Brno Horst Bischof, Rector of TU Graz since October 2023 and re-elected for the 2027–2031 term, Ladislav Janíček, Rector of BUT since February 2022 and re-elected for the 2026–2030 term, Michal Pěchouček, Rector of CTU, elected to serve from February 2026 to January 2030, Jens Schneider, Rector of TU Wien since October 2023 and re-elected for the 2027–2031 term,

AI as a defining challenge of our time

One of the main topics of the productive discussion was artificial intelligence. AI is undeniably becoming a strategic tool that fundamentally changes the principles and rules of the game, and it is urgently necessary to find ways to accept, integrate, and use it effectively in teaching and learning, research, and also in management and decision-making support. “A major task for us is to find effective ways to incorporate artificial intelligence into academic activities and decision-making, while also establishing rules and conditions, including ethical principles for its use. In particular, we need to educate and develop its users – our staff as well as students – in ways of thinking that will enable them to critically assess outputs generated by AI and evaluate their relevance,” the BUT Rector explained.

People as the greatest asset

The meeting, which took place based on a spontaneous agreement among the rectors, also focused on the structure and legislation of higher education systems in the Czech and Austrian environments. This topic is currently especially relevant for Czech universities in connection with the forthcoming amendment to the Higher Education Act.

The discussion also addressed human resources and legislation related to people management. Two key conclusions emerged. First, that the prosperity of every institution, including universities, depends primarily on its people, and caring for them and supporting their development is a fundamental investment in the future. Second, it is essential that technical universities remain pillars of industry and continue to fulfil their core educational role by ensuring a sufficient number of high-quality graduates for the labour market, especially for industry.

“We clearly agreed that the competitiveness of every university depends on the quality of its people, and especially on its ability to attract the very best. In the area of human resources, we see significant opportunities to strengthen the international competitive potential of our universities by making better use of our cultural and geographical proximity and naturally supporting exchanges and visiting appointments of academic staff, researchers, and students at all levels of study,” emphasized Rector Janíček, adding: “It is only natural to respect the fact that the international dimension and mobility remain important parameters in the evaluation of universities in international rankings.”

Meetings will continue with the goal of sharing good practice

One of the outcomes of the meeting was an agreement to map existing ties and, above all, to continue these coordination meetings. “It was a great honour for me to offer the facilities of our university for this gathering, which I consider one of the most productive. Most importantly, it showed that we truly have much to discuss and that there is great potential for us to inspire and support one another, or at the very least to serve as references of good practice to which we can relate our decisions and from which we can derive suitable solutions for our own universities,” concluded the BUT Rector.

---

Published	2026-05-18 10:15
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d330023