Rectors of Czech universities ceremonially opened the academic year at BUT

The ceremonial assembly of dignitaries from Czech universities, the Minister of Education, and in the audience dozens of esteemed academics and prominent figures from the political and social life of the Czech Republic. Brno University of Technology (BUT) hosted the ceremonial opening of the 2025/2026 academic year for Czech universities. This was the first time the event took place on BUT’s campus. The ceremonial act was part of the two-day meeting of the Czech Rectors Conference (CRC), the highest body representing Czech universities.

The ceremonial opening of the academic year has been organized in cooperation with CRC for 25 years and is a significant event not only for the academic world. This year, it was opened by the Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek, who emphasized that education and science are among the strongest pillars of society. In his speech, he stressed that universities are places where new knowledge is born and where people capable of taking responsibility for the future of the country are educated. “Even in times of uncertainty, education and science remain one of the strongest supports of society. The pandemic, war, and energy crisis have burdened our state and its budget. All the more, I appreciate that it has been possible to keep education and science among the priorities,” said Minister Bek.


He also mentioned the approved draft state budget and highlighted key legislative changes: a new law on research, development, and knowledge transfer, a fundamental transformation of doctoral studies with guaranteed income for PhD students, and the transformation of the National Accreditation Office. At the end, he called for continued reform efforts: “It is clear that a fundamental reform of the management of public universities can no longer be postponed. This is a task awaiting the next government.”

Milena Králíčková: We begin the academic year with hope

The Chair of the Czech Rectors Conference, Milena Králíčková, noted that universities stand on the front line of social responsibility in times of geopolitical and security challenges. “We begin the new academic year with three things: with hope that society around us will calm down, with conviction that our work has deep meaning, and with faith that through education our students will help shape a happier and more stable country,” Králíčková said.

BUT Rector: Excellence lies in people

The host of the ceremonial event, BUT Rector Ladislav Janíček, highlighted the tradition of technical education in Brno and the role of the university in the current innovation ecosystem. “Our university is one of the oldest centers of technical education in Europe. Brno is today an industrial and technological center of the Czech Republic, and I am proud that BUT is a respected and innovative part of this environment,” said the rector. He also emphasized the importance of research and international cooperation and reminded that the university’s excellence comes primarily from its people. “Excellence must be sought primarily in our people – employees and students, in their interconnectedness and symbiosis. Without their talent and motivation, abilities, and will to achieve the best results, any strategy is merely utopia. Developing one’s own excellence is key to competitiveness and a path to prosperity not only for universities but for society as a whole.” According to him, it is also essential to connect technical and humanities disciplines so that their graduates can address complex challenges of today’s world in their full scope and to remove their illogical separation from the past, when universities were influenced by various ideological myths. In this sense, he emphasized the need to protect the independence of universities as centers of learning and knowledge, which necessarily includes financial autonomy. He stated that excellence can be achieved only by focusing attention and effort on the quality and relevance of research and education, internationalization, and benchmarking against the best in the international environment. He also noted that BUT aims to contribute to the path toward excellence of Czech higher education by hosting two major international events, which have significant international impact. In the second half of October, the university will host the annual assembly of the CESAER association, gathering over 50 European technical and research universities, whose representatives will meet in Brno. This will include an international conference on STEM education, serving primarily as a source of supporting arguments for national education policy discussions and economic strategy support. In 2026, BUT will host the Financial Forum of the European University Association (EUA). Both events will undoubtedly enhance the international visibility of Czech higher education.

The President of the Czech Academy of Sciences emphasized long-term cooperation between the academic and university sectors and the need for stable funding for science and research. Topics of artificial intelligence and the need to strengthen public trust in science were also addressed. The Governor of the South Moravian Region, Jan Grolich, pointed out the importance of Brno as an innovation center and of the South Moravian Region as an area where, with regional support, a thriving and collaborative ecosystem of hi-tech companies, universities, research institutes, and public institutions has been established. He highlighted the cooperation of the region with universities and their courage to undertake large projects.

Two-day CRC meeting

The ceremonial opening was part of the two-day CRC meeting held in Brno on October 2–3. The program of the 182nd CRC session included meetings with the Minister of Education and other ministry representatives on university budgets, research, new legislation, and other current higher education and research topics. The program also included a meeting with the new Chair of the National Accreditation Office regarding intentions and approaches to institutional and program accreditations.

The resolution, in which CRC as the representative of all Czech universities expressed its positions on the discussed topics, was presented at a press conference following the official meeting. The positions focused largely on public university budgets and research. Rectors highlighted that the budget increase is merely declarative and, after accounting for included obligations, remains stagnant and does not meet the government’s declared priorities in higher education. CRC also rejected the burdening of university budgets by transferring obligations from other ministries, as it distorts the actual level of university support and creates a non-systemic precedent.

University representatives also emphasized the need for a medium-term financial outlook and predictability, as a decline in funding is expected after 2026 due to the new programming period and new priorities set by the security situation. A key topic was science and research. CRC called for timely determination of funding allocation parameters (DKRVO) and highlighted the persistent inadequacy of research funding compared to relevant EU and OECD countries, urging an increase to maintain the competitiveness of Czech research and to fulfill the goals of the State Economic Strategy to build a knowledge- and innovation-based economy, for which research is a source.

The proactive approach of the National Accreditation Office, which is ready to cooperate with universities on adjusting processes and standards to enable the Czech Republic to enter the European accreditation system EQAR and ENQA, was positively evaluated.

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Author	Mgr. Kamila Šmídková
Published	2025-10-10 12:22
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/but/f19528/d305277