The ceremony on 21 November was held for four women and eight men from five faculties: the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Economics and Administration and the Faculty of Social Studies.
Speaking at the ceremony, Masaryk University Rector Martin Bareš acknowledged the hard work the new associate professors had put into their habilitation theses. “At your respective faculties, you are entering the ranks of those who are much more involved in the formulation of policies in education and science, teaching, grant applications and the public discourse,” Bareš said, adding that academics and scientists share an obligation towards the society at large, as it trusts them in their freedom to learn and teach, and they must be able to explain to the society the benefits of their work for the society as taxpayers.
Botanist Jan Roleček represented the newly appointed associate professors with his speech. “Our individual journeys to this very point were very different. Becoming an associate professor means something else to each of us: a new step in their career, a lifelong dream, or a mandatory step required by the underlying circumstances. That being said, it is an opportunity for us today to accept recognition for our work, to stop and look back, and to accept the responsibility for a greater role in the operation of the university and beyond,” Roleček said, acknowledging the support from families, friends and colleagues throughout the habilitation process.
Newly appointed associate professors:
Zita Chovancová is Deputy Head of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and St. Anne’s Faculty Hospital.
Vojtěch Peřina
Vojtěch Peřina is Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and the University Hospital Brno.
Petr Šín is Head of the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno.
Ioannis Chrysikos
Ioannis Chrysikos works at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University.
Jan Roleček
Jan Roleček works at the Department of Botany and Zoology of the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University. He is also Head of the Department of Paleoecology of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Václav Linkov
Václav Linkov works at the Institute of Applied Psychology of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences of the Comenius University in Bratislava.
Michaela Pešková
Michaela Pešková works at the Department of Russian Language of the Faculty of Education of the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň.
Lukáš Lafférs
Lukáš Lafférs works at the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica.
Pavol Minárik
Pavol Minárik works at the Department of Economics and Management of the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies of the J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
Alena Kluknavská
Alena Kluknavská works at the Department of Media Studies and Journalism of the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University.
Hedvika Koďousková
Hedvika Koďousková works at the Department of International Relations and the International Institute of Political Science of the Faculty of Social Studies of Masaryk University.
Jan Kovář
Jan Kovář is Research Director at the Institute of International Relations in Prague and he also works at the Department of International Relations of University of New York in Prague.