Looking Back to 2024 and Rector's New Year's Wish

Rectorate of BUT, illustration photo. | Autor: Václav Koníček

Dear colleagues,

Dear students,

Dear alumni,

Dear partners,

We are at the end of this year. It has been a year full of significant events that, through our joint efforts, have contributed to building a favorable image and respected position for our university on both national and international levels. I sincerely thank all of you—our staff, students, alumni, and partners from the industrial and public sectors—for this. I am convinced that through the results achieved, we have also dignifiedly celebrated the 125th anniversary of our founding.

The year 2024 was marked by numerous events at both national and international levels that we organized or actively participated in. This year focused on key topics such as semiconductor technologies, nuclear energy, and the space industry, in which our university, as a leading technical institution in the country, played an active role. The main and now traditional communication theme of our university has been supporting STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) on both national and international levels. We built partnerships across sectors—collaborating with industries, universities, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport, Office of the Government, South Moravian Region, the city of Brno, and other, especially international, partners. Our aim was to show that STEM education is essential for ensuring the competitiveness of the Czech Republic's and the European Union's economies. At the same time, we presented it as an opportunity for developing a knowledge-based and innovative economy. We also realized how crucial it is to keep this topic in the spotlight and actively advocate for it so that it translates into national educational policies.

Allow me to briefly look back on the past year and recall some of what I consider the most significant events for our university:

  • We signed a key memorandum as part of a project to support STEM education in the South Moravian Region, aiming to increase the number of applicants for technical and scientific fields in the region by 30% within five years, actively engaging alongside nearly twenty other partners,
  • We organized another edition of the roundtable on supporting STEM education, attended by the Prime Minister, representatives from the Ministry of Education led by the Minister of Education, rectors and vice-rectors of technical and scientific universities, industry representatives, and other organizations and institutions supporting STEM studies as part of their activities,
  • We actively participated in national and international conferences, advocating for the role of STEM education in competitiveness, and hosted numerous events focused on supporting technical education, such as the meeting of the Task Force Learning and Teaching of the international network of technical and research universities, CESAER, on the topic of STEM education,
  • We hosted the Forum of Rectors of Universities from the Visegrad Four and the Republic of Korea on the topic of STEM education and human resources for nuclear energy,
  • In alignment with the National Semiconductor Strategy, we collaborated with partner institutions and organizations to prepare and successfully submit a project for establishing the Czech National Competence Center for Semiconductors, which will be based at our university (official results from the European Commission will be announced at the beginning of 2025).
  • We developed our strategic interfaculty areas and promoted their presentation not only within the university but also significantly at national and international levels, among professionals and the general public.
  • In terms of international activities, we hosted the General Assembly of our European University Alliance – European University EULiST, secured its presidency for the next two years, and shared our experiences with managing the Alliance at the international CZEDUCON conference.
  • We continued expanding our collaboration with industrial partners of BUT through representatives in the Industry Council BUT, which will include additional key partners from industrial sectors across the university starting early 2025.
  • We excelled in the arts, achieving second place nationwide for artistic outputs despite not being an art academy.
  • In 2024, we underwent an international evaluation of research, creative activities, and doctoral studies in collaboration with and supported by our International Scientific Advisory Board, as preparation for the evaluation of research organizations planned for 2025.
  • We honored two prominent international scientists with the title Doctor Honoris Causa.
  • We successfully secured numerous projects at both national and international levels, including several Horizon Europe, TAČR, OP JAK, and National Recovery Plan projects. Notably, we acquired another prestigious ERC grant and four new prestigious GAČR grants (two GAČR EXPRO and two GAČR Junior Star).
  • We hosted the National Conference on Knowledge Transfer. Thanks to established support for knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship, four new startups were founded at VUT this year, three of which were student-led.
  • We welcomed the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, to our university. We had the opportunity to present our student creative teams and their outputs, followed by a discussion with VUT students on topics focused mainly on technical education and innovation.
  • Numerous other notable figures visited the university, with whom we discussed and showcased our technologies and activities relevant to their fields of expertise. These included the Minister of Transport, the Director of the Space Program and the guarantor of the Czech Journey to Space project, and representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Czech Army, for whom we organized a presentation on technological collaboration opportunities with universities.
  • We also welcomed ambassadors from the USA, South Korea, and Slovakia to the university.
  • We launched new bachelor's and master's degree programs to address industrial demand and national economic needs. Additionally, we introduced professional MSc. educational programs.
  • Our academic and research staff received numerous prestigious awards for their teaching, research, and artistic achievements at national and international levels.
  • Our students excelled in national and international competitions for their professional work, academic results, artistic and creative endeavors, and athletic achievements.
  • We retained our positions in all major international university rankings (QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education Rankings, and ARWU). In specific criteria, such as THE rankings, we achieved first place among Czech universities for industrial collaboration.
  • At the end of the year, we also received results from the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, where we ranked among the top 500 for the first time, securing the 477th spot, reaffirming the importance of our systematic efforts in sustainability.

And this list could go on. Many more events, results, and details will be part of the Annual Report on BUT's activities for 2024. These achievements bring me immense joy and confirm that BUT has exceptional people – employees, students, alumni, and partners. I am proud of that.

Looking ahead to 2025, we face new challenges, including new evaluations of research organizations, the implementation of doctoral study reforms in line with new higher education legislation, changes in the university funding system, and more. Our university is at the source of information and actively advocates for beneficial adjustments to these upcoming changes. We are also preparing a new strategic plan for 2026+. I firmly believe that we will continue in this trend and pace, confidently overcoming all challenges. Through our collective efforts and interfaculty collaboration, BUT will further strengthen its position as a prestigious technical university nationally and internationally. Our university is recognized, and it’s thanks to you – your work and achievements.

As I conclude this, originally intended brief summary, I thank you all once again and look forward to our collaboration in 2025. I wish you all the best, everything truly necessary, and especially good health and strength to face life, professional, and academic challenges in the new year.

Ladislav Janíček

Rector of BUT

 

Responsible person Ing. et Ing. arch. Jana Němcová
Date of publication