On February 24, 2026, the first meeting of the newly established Advisory Board for Science and Research at FEM was held. This body was established as an advisory platform for the dean of the faculty on strategic issues related to the development of science and research.
The meeting was opened by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Ing. Lukáš Čechura, Ph.D., who welcomed the board members and presented them with their letters of appointment. In his remarks, he introduced a new concept for the development of research activities at the faculty, aimed at systematically enhancing the quality of research and creating a motivating environment for top-tier academic staff. The next part of the meeting focused on discussing the statutory and organizational aspects of the board’s operations, which are now enshrined in the FEM Statutes. The board will serve as an expert advisory body, whose recommendations will inform the faculty leadership’s decision-making. Basic organizational rules were also established, including the frequency of meetings and the use of tools for effective communication.
A key item on the agenda was a discussion regarding the introduction of an incentive system based on the statuses of Junior Researcher and Senior Researcher. These statuses will be granted based on transparent criteria in accordance with a forthcoming dean’s regulation and will be accompanied by financial support beyond the standard remuneration. Board members focused primarily on setting evaluation criteria regarding the faculty’s disciplinary diversity, the importance of project activities, publication output, and involvement in international collaboration. The discussion led to proposals to adjust certain parameters so that the system would be fair, motivating, and reflective of the specific characteristics of individual disciplines.
At the conclusion of the meeting, an election was held to select the board chair. Assoc. Prof. Tatiana Guy, Ph.D. (Mathematics; Computer and Information Sciences) was unanimously elected to this position and will coordinate the board’s activities in the coming period.
Other members of the Advisory Board (for the 2025–2029 term) are Prof. Jindřich Špička, Ph.D. (Social Sciences), Assoc. Prof. Lukáš Zagata, Ph.D. (Sociology; Social and Economic Geography; Other Social Sciences), Assoc. Prof. Ing. Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová, Ph.D. (Economics and Business), Assoc. Prof. Ing. Robert Hlavatý, Ph.D. (Mathematics; Other Agricultural Sciences; Education), and Mgr. Jana Kholová, Ph.D. (Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences).
The meeting reaffirmed the faculty’s commitment to systematically developing its research activities and enhancing their quality through well-designed tools and expert discussion. The faculty leadership thanks all board members for their willingness to participate in this initiative and wishes them every success in achieving the set goals.
