ENG
Dear colleagues, dear students,
It has been exactly eight years since I took office as the new dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, succeeding my predecessor, Prof. Červinka, with a clear goal. To maintain the faculty’s existing high standards, as achieved and established by my predecessor, Professor Červinka, during his two terms in office—and, of course, by all his predecessors.
The two terms—2018–2022 and 2022–2026, the maximum time allowed for holding this position—have flown by incredibly quickly, and today I can look back and take stock.
The ceremonial inauguration for the second term took place in September 2022.
Although I had some idea of what the role of dean entailed from my time on the faculty council as vice dean for academic affairs, I must admit that I was surprised by the sheer volume of work involved in this position. In addition to teaching and research, the primary responsibility is ensuring the smooth operation of the institution, along with many other faculty, university, and community obligations. All of this while sincerely striving to complete the construction of the new campus.
Very soon, however, we were faced with other significant challenges.
The first of these was a government resolution to increase the number of students in general medicine. This was a demanding process requiring many organizational changes and the efforts of all faculty staff. However, this task was supported by a financial grant, which made possible, among other things, increased compensation and salary adjustments. The process, originally intended to last ten years, will continue according to the latest government decisions, thereby helping to finance the faculty’s operations.
Opening of the ECMO Simulation Center May 2023. 
Opening of the Midwifery Model Classroom in 2024.
However, what came next was something probably no one could have foreseen. The coronavirus pandemic, which unexpectedly and dramatically disrupted every aspect of life throughout society—and, of course, the operations of our faculty as well. Severe limitations and restrictions, building closures, forced organizational changes, bans on movement and gatherings, and much more. The consequences were far-reaching and paralyzing. The pandemic, with several waves of resurgence over the course of several years, shaped the faculty’s operations. However, I am very pleased that we tackled all these challenges with the utmost dedication and professionalism—and, above all, with honor. And once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our students, who volunteered and gave their all to assist in healthcare facilities. I truly appreciate it.
Paradoxically, this difficult situation ultimately helped us, as it pushed us toward modern teaching methods and the use of the internet to connect remotely. Just as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.
And as if that weren’t enough, another unexpected event occurred in 2022, one whose serious social and economic consequences continue to affect life throughout Europe and around the world to this day: the invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing armed conflict. A tragedy that has lasted for more than four years.
Yes, my first term in office was challenging because of this, and it was not easy. In comparison, my second term was, after all, a bit calmer.
One event, however, stands out. In May 2023, our faculty hosted a large-scale exercise involving all components of the Integrated Rescue System, led by the Czech Police, to practice responding to a situation following an attack by an armed assailant. In October, the Czech Police conducted follow-up training for students and staff. Many, including the then-leadership of Charles University, viewed this activity with skepticism, considering it unnecessary. How shocking, then, was the tragic event at the Faculty of Arts in December of that same year. Unfortunately, it turned out that no place and no one is absolutely safe, but any drill can increase the chances of those under attack and reduce the risk of tragedy.
Despite all the complexities and challenges, life at the faculty continued as usual, and all assigned tasks were completed. Instruction proceeded as appropriate, using the latest pedagogical methods, even as the number of general medicine students continued to rise through 2025. Currently, student enrollment in this program has stabilized, and we do not anticipate any further growth.
However, there has been a slight increase in the number of students in our bachelor’s degree programs. We launched the Midwifery program, which complements the existing General Nursing program. Practically doubling the number of students and ensuring adequate instruction was a challenging process, and I am very pleased that we succeeded completely. Thanks to this, we can now benefit from a new government grant program that provides financial support for its implementation.
Throughout this period, my colleagues and I have also worked intensively to revise the general medicine curriculum, optimizing the content of individual courses to reflect the changes, high demands, and needs of modern medicine. It is a demanding and complex task, but I am convinced that it will ultimately bring about positive and much-needed changes.
In 2025, the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Biomedical research, which takes place at virtually all of the faculty’s departments, is one of the faculty’s core missions. However, its organization has undergone a significant change in recent years under the university’s new Cooperatio program. This initiative aims to foster greater scientific collaboration within our university across faculties. Unfortunately, we are still far from the desired level of collaboration, and there is now talk of the need to overhaul the entire program. An unprecedented administrative burden and insufficient inter-faculty collaboration are calling this originally interesting idea into question.
With its seventeen faculties, the university is a vast institution, and harmonizing the various processes across faculties with different specializations and scopes is extremely challenging. Nevertheless, I can state with a clear conscience that the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové is an integral, solid, and indispensable part of Charles University. However, I consider the development and cultivation of a certain distinctiveness and specific autonomy for our faculty within the strong framework of the university to be fundamental. And I am very pleased that our cooperation with the university administration—especially in recent times—has been excellent.
Relations and cooperation with the Hradec Králové University Hospital, which provides facilities for our students’ clinical training, are also strong. However, we have experienced difficult times in this area as well over the past few years. For some time, the dissatisfaction of young doctors and union members with working and pay conditions complicated the fulfillment of the faculty’s and the hospital’s obligations. And unfortunately, the significant disparity in pay conditions between the education and healthcare sectors continues to widen the so-called pay gap. Securing staff for teaching and other activities is thus often very, very difficult.
However, one of the greatest challenges that kept me and my colleagues busy throughout both terms of office was undoubtedly the completion of the new campus of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, the Charles University Teaching and Research Center. It was a truly long and incredibly demanding process—from the initial design, selection of the contractor, obtaining building and numerous other permits, securing sufficient funding, all the way through to the actual construction. In total, over 70,000 m² of usable space has been built for 3,500 students and 700 employees of both faculties, at a cost of nearly 7 billion CZK. And I am truly proud that, despite all the hardships, problems, and complications, we managed to complete the project and move all of our departments into the new building during the summer break. We will be leaving the building on Šimkova Street as well as the building at Na Hradě, and the 2026–27 academic year will begin in the new facility.
The ceremonial laying of the cornerstone for the Charles University Campus in Hradec Králové took place in March 2024.
We have thus succeeded in accomplishing a remarkable feat—building a one-of-a-kind biomedical teaching and research center that effectively connects the faculty’s departments with the neighboring University Hospital, in the immediate vicinity of our partner, the Military Medical Faculty, the Hradec Králové Region Emergency Medical Service, and the nearby University of Hradec Králové.
However, the faculty is not just about buildings. Our faculty is, above all, the people who work here and the students who study here: leading experts, physicians, scientists, and educators; outstanding students and alumni. Thanks to all of them, we are able to host extraordinary and popular events such as Open House, Medikemp, Researchers’ Night, the Science Marathon, and scientific conferences. Among the most popular social events are the annual faculty gala, student benefit concerts, and other cultural and sporting activities. There are also pre-Christmas gatherings, celebrations of significant November events, and a whole range of other activities, in the organization of which all student organizations—ASM, SSSČR, IFMSA, and ISU—active at our faculty are actively involved. Social life at the faculty is rich, and I appreciate the friendly and collegial atmosphere that prevails here.
It is a cherished tradition at our faculty for the faculty administration to visit the orientation course for freshmen.
Dear Readers,
It has truly been an honor to serve as dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové for two terms, and I deeply appreciate the trust that was placed in me. At the meeting of our faculty’s Academic Senate on April 27, Prof. MUDr. Petr Hejna, Ph.D., currently the Vice Dean for Research and Head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, was elected as the candidate for the position of Dean for the 2026–2030 term. Following his appointment by Rector Zima of Charles University, he will assume the position on September 1, 2026. I am confident that, even under new leadership, the excellent cooperation with the Academic Senate, the Scientific Council, all faculty departments, staff, and students will continue, enabling us to fulfill the tasks set before the faculty.
Quod bonum, felix, faustum, fortunatumque sit.
Translated via deepl.com