The University of Hradec Králové has new leadership as of July 1st. The university will be led by physicist Jan Kříž and his team from 2024 to 2028
After being appointed Rector of UHK by the President of the Republic on Thursday, June 27, 2024, physicist Jan Kříž can fully engage in managing UHK from July 1, 2024. He will be supported by a "new-old" team of vice-rectors and other colleagues during the 2024–2028 term.
Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jan Kříž, Ph.D.
"The meeting with the newly appointed rectors and the President at Prague Castle was very pleasant and dignified. Now nothing stands in the way of us fully engaging in our work. I have surrounded myself with reliable colleagues who are hard workers, and I sincerely look forward to working with them," says the new UHK Rector, Jan Kříž. He is returning to the rectorate, having served as UHK's Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development from 2016 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been the Dean of the youngest part of our university, the Faculty of Science UHK. His priorities are clear.
I will briefly mention the major topics I definitely want to actively address. These include our involvement in international research consortia and securing international projects. Greater involvement of students in UHK decision-making processes, utilizing their potential. Offering study programs that are attractive to applicants and needed by the job market. Continuing close cooperation with the Hradec Králové region and the city of Hradec Králové. In short, making UHK a research institution, attractive to students, responsible, and sustainable. We must also focus on the well-being of both students and employees.
In his free time, he enjoys hockey, both actively and in support of youth teams. He is a fan of cycling, skiing, and high-altitude hiking. The biggest challenges for his management in the coming months include preparing for the 2025+ evaluation, auditing and adjusting the strategic plan, membership in an international university alliance, changing internal budgeting methodology, and implementing the transformation of future teacher training.
Mgr. Leona Stašová, Ph.D.
Leona Stašová, a sociologist and social pedagogue, remains the experienced Legal Representative and Vice-Rector for International Affairs.
In my role, I will continue to focus on topics that still deserve our attention under the new university management. These include continuing the development of UHK's strategic partnerships, supporting student and staff mobility, developing study programs in foreign languages, and attracting self-funding students. An important part is also the development of so-called internationalization at home, i.e., supporting international and internationalization activities at UHK.
Vice-Rector Leona Stašová relaxes the most by cooking for her family or watching timeless detective series with Lieutenant Columbo. She sees the biggest challenges for the new management in supporting UHK's sustainable environment as an "attractive" employer, which means supporting employees in terms of salary issues, working environment, benefits, motivation, and maintaining and developing the university's competitiveness in the European and global educational space. This is linked to the ability to secure major international scientific projects and maintain international rankings.
Prof. PhDr. MgA. František Vaníček, Ph.D.
A newcomer among the UHK vice-rectors will be the renowned Czech organist and recent Dean of the Faculty of Education UHK, František Vaníček. A professor of music arts and a prominent chairman of the Association of Deans of Education Faculties, he will be responsible as the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Quality, and Creative Activities.
In the area of study, we need to quickly find a way to define how we want to continue with teacher education at UHK, as the framework requirements for this type of study have changed. At UHK, as we all know, we have three faculties preparing future teachers. There is also a so-called 'accreditation' amendment to the Higher Education Act in preparation, which will bring significant innovations and changes, requiring a different approach and legislative adjustments. In terms of quality, we need to clarify comprehensive evaluation systems, which will now be required to a greater extent, and we need to think through and build a new model for developing the pedagogical skills of academics.
The new Vice-Rector, František Vaníček, who will oversee creative activities across the entire university, continues: "I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues at the rectorate. It is a very experienced team, with the former rector, two former deans, and two continuing vice-rectors. We get along very well, both personally and professionally. Therefore, I firmly believe that we will successfully resolve all the mentioned changes and challenges for the benefit of the entire UHK." Internationally sought-after organist František Vaníček most relaxes (as he himself says) paradoxically through creative activity, mostly performing and traveling around the world. "I come to the rectorate with experience from the faculty, and I look forward to hopefully moving many things forward and creating new ones," concludes the emeritus Dean of UHK's largest and oldest part.
Prof. Ing. Kamil Kuča, Ph.D.
The continuity of leadership and direction UHK has taken in the last eight years will undoubtedly be ensured by the emeritus Rector of the University of Hradec Králové, Kamil Kuča. Jan Kříž appointed him to lead the area of Vice-Rector for Science, Research, and Knowledge Transfer.
I am very glad to have the opportunity to complete the topics in the areas of science, research, innovation, and transfer that we started working on intensively in the previous period and which have certainly paid off. Therefore, I will now focus on preparing for the 2025+ evaluation, anchoring data science at our university, finally securing prestigious European Horizon projects, and generally continuously preparing the ground at UHK for excellent scientists and teams that will bring excellent projects to our school in the future.
He enjoys spending time with his family, mushroom picking, or fishing. "When I finished my position as rector and said goodbye to my closest colleagues, they gave me an original gift – a moped, which I should use specifically for going fishing. And since I live just outside Hradec Králové, I am considering using the moped as a non-traditional means of transportation for a vice-rector to fully utilize it. This could be quite unique in the Czech context," shares emeritus rector Kuča, adding that he sees a major challenge in increasing employee salaries, scholarships for doctoral students, and participating in the university alliance project.
Mgr. Michal Strobach, Ph.D.
The quartet of vice-rectors is completed by historian Michal Strobach, responsible for the agenda of the Vice-Rector for Strategy, Development, and Digitalization, who represents the current university management. He will continue his previous efforts.
I want paper in the future to serve only as a medium for lofty thoughts, artistic works, or research results, and not as a tool of bureaucracy. My effort remains to secure as many external sources as possible for our further development.
Experienced project manager Michal Strobach sees the biggest challenge for the new university management in (re)setting the mindset of the academic community to work on common goals that have the potential to move UHK forward as a whole. Relaxation for him always involves cycling, spending time with family, or listening to good music.
Ing. Aleš Klicnar
The university's finances will continue to be managed by university Bursar Aleš Klicnar, who also faces challenging tasks.
In the upcoming term, the priority of the bursar's office is to continue balanced management of UHK, including strengthening the university's position in the job market. At the same time, we have ongoing projects to complete. The most significant is the completion of the reconstruction of the Faculty of Education building and the reconstruction of leisure and remaining accommodation capacities of UHK dormitories.
"The bursar's office includes the often invisible work of our colleagues, ensuring the technical operation of the university. Worth mentioning are all departments, from personnel, investment, economics, public procurement, operational-technical, HR, to dormitory management. All these departments diligently work to ensure that students receive scholarships on time, employees receive salaries, accounting is correct, the budget is prepared, heating works, cooling cools, cleanliness is maintained, plaster does not fall off, contracts are concluded on time and properly, and students are satisfied in their dormitory apartments. These are my priorities – everything properly, on time, and correctly to the satisfaction of UHK students and employees," reminds Aleš Klicnar, who clears his mind the most by assembling and modifying old motorcycles, working around the house, or building a pond. "But to not trivialize it too much – I really believe that we need to act as a confident regional university that does not only deal with internal problems and self-development but also significantly contributes to creating and financing the university environment in the Czech Republic. The potential is undoubtedly there," mentions Bursar Klicnar, who previously worked as the financial director of Batist Medical or the Head of the Public Procurement Department at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
Mgr. Jakub Novák, MPA
The last, new member of UHK's leadership is Chancellor Jakub Novák, the current university Spokesman and Head of the Publicity and Communication Department UHK. According to him, he will continue working on building UHK as an attractive and lucrative brand both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
In addition to professionalizing UHK in PR and marketing, i.e., external and internal communication in general, I see upcoming challenges especially in the context of rewarding our employees and creating appropriate working conditions for them. Likewise, we need to keep pace with other universities in the area of recruitment and be an attractive choice for study, reflecting societal trends and needs with our field offerings. Finally, which is an area we have already succeeded in several times, we must remain a trustworthy, relevant, and socially responsible partner for the residents (not only) in our region.
He complements the other members of the leadership, political scientist, and graduate of the Philosophical Faculty UHK Jakub Novák, for whom the greatest reward is time spent with his family or working in the forest.
Management of the University of Hradec Králové from July 1, 2024
- Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jan Kříž, Ph.D.
Rector - Mgr. Leona Stašová, Ph.D.
Legal Representative and Vice-Rector for International Affairs - Prof. PhDr. MgA. František Vaníček, Ph.D.
Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Quality, and Creative Activities - Prof. Ing. Kamil Kuča, Ph.D.
Vice-Rector for Science, Research, and Knowledge Transfer - Mgr. Michal Strobach, Ph.D.
Vice-Rector for Strategy, Development, and Digitalization - Ing. Aleš Klicnar
Bursar - Mgr. Jakub Novák, MPA
Chancellor and Spokesman, Head of the Rector's Office
