Petr Dvořák Was Elected Head of Prague University of Economics and Business

The Academic Senate of the Prague University of Economics and Business has elected a new Rector Petr Dvořák, current Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs. Officially, he will become the Rector after appointment by the President of the Czech Republic. The term of office of the new Rector will last from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026. Petr Dvořák replaces Hana Machková in the position, who ran the largest Czech public university focused on economics and business for two terms.

Petr Dvořák won the required majority of votes in the first round of secret ballot of the Academic Senate of the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE). The only opponent was the Dean of the Faculty of Finance and Accounting VŠE, Ladislav Mejzlík Thirty-one senators voted in the election. Petr Dvořák received twenty-five votes, Ladislav Mejzlík five and one vote was invalid.

“I want to build on the successful development of the school in recent years and further move the University to be a modern, effectively managed university that will be open to new trends. For me, modern means above all the offer of quality study programmes implemented with the use of modern forms of teaching, of course based on a high level of scientific research. University management must be much more data-driven, streamlining all administrative processes and digitizing them. And VŠE must be more inspired by foreign trends, it must be more open towards companies, but also in relation to students and graduates, it must also be more actively involved in solving our current economic problems. A key element in achieving these goals will be the active involvement of suitably motivated employees, students and graduates of the Prague University of Economics and Business,” the future rector explains his priorities.

Petr Dvořák graduated from the Prague University of Economics and Business in 1984, majoring in Finance. He later received his doctorate and associate professor at the same institution. Throughout his career, he has worked at the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at VŠE, where he held the position of the Dean or Head of the Department of Banking and Insurance, among others. Since 2014, he has been the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs. He specializes in commercial banking and financial derivatives. He works closely with the practice, is a member of the Supervisory Board of Komerční banka or the ČNB Appeals Commission, and sits on scientific boards, such as the Faculty of Economics of the University of Economics in Bratislava. He is also a member of the editorial board of the journal Banking or the scientific board of the Czech Banking Association. Petr Dvořák is the author or co-author of several monographs and textbooks, dozens of articles in Czech and foreign professional journals and research studies.

The candidate for the position of Rector is elected by the Academic Senate (AS) by secret ballot, in a maximum of three rounds. The candidate who obtains an absolute majority of votes of all members of the AS VŠE is elected to office. The term of office of the Rector is four years and the same person may hold the position of Rector for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Rector appoints Vice-Rectors to represent him to the extent determined by him.