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Where will Palacký University go in the coming years? Will it remain among the best in the Czech Republic? Will it be economically stable? How quickly will it develop, digitize, and internationalize? Will its graduates find employment? All this and much more will be decided by the UP Academic Senate, which will meet in its new composition in May. The academic community will elect representatives of its faculties in electronic elections from March 11 to 18.
UP students and academics will decide in mid-March who will sit on the university's key body for the next three years from May 2026. They will choose from 70 nominated candidates. Anyone who cares about the quality of study, teaching, science and research, the working environment, or the reputation of Palacký University should not miss this opportunity. Voting is simple and can be done online at volby.upol.cz.
"Elections to the Academic Senate represent a unique opportunity to influence the future of our university, defend academic values, freedom of research, quality of teaching, and open dialogue between students and teachers," says current Senate Chair Irena Smolová.
The UP Academic Senate (UP AS) approves the budget, participates in fundamental internal regulations, and is involved in other strategic, student, and employee matters. A third of its members, known as the student curia, are representatives of the university's students.
What role do student representatives play in the senate?
Petr Mocek decided to run for the university Academic Senate about three years ago, shortly after beginning his doctoral studies.
"My supervisor pointed this opportunity out to me at the time, and I saw it as an interesting chance to gain insight into how the university works from a perspective other than that of a student. At the same time, I was motivated by the chance to contribute, at least in part, to its further development, because the decisions of the Academic Senate can have a long-term impact on how it operates," explains the current student senator for the Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology.
"As students, we have the opportunity to actively participate in discussions and decision-making processes on issues that directly affect us. These include, for example, the development and security of dormitories, the improvement of study conditions, or the opportunity to participate in the approval of important documents with a university-wide impact, such as the currently debated university statute. For these reasons, the elections to the Academic Senate represent a real opportunity to influence the university environment in which we study and work," he adds.
Where can I find details about the UP AS elections?
All details about the elections are summarized on the website upol.cz/elections. A total of 24 candidates will be elected to the UP Academic Senate, two academics and one student from each of the eight faculties. They will take their seats in mid-May 2026 and their term of office will last until May 2029.