Endorsements

In my view he represents his university very well and he is, for me, a strong player within the higher education representative bodies, as is shown by the fact that he was elected Vice-President of the Czech Rectors’ Conference (CRC). In my opinion Petr Kopecký is able to formulate clear and well-founded positions on a whole range of questions concerning higher education, and thanks to him the University of Ostrava has a strong voice within the Czech Republic.

On the basis of that personal experience I can say that our cooperation has always been proper, open and grounded in respect for differing opinions.

In his work so far there are three areas I particularly value:

University-wide perspective: In his decision-making he is able to look beyond the perspective of individual units and to think about the long-term development of the University of Ostrava as a whole.

Support for cooperation: He creates space for cooperation between the University’s individual units, which is essential for the healthy development of the institution.

Representing the institution: In his first term of office he has shown that he can build good relationships with regional partners and represent the University well in the media and in the Czech Rectors’ Conference, where he actively defends the interests of higher education.

My support for his candidacy rests above all on concrete experience of his work and on the results the University of Ostrava has achieved over the past term. I believe it would be of benefit if he were able to serve a further term of office, continuing the work he has begun and going on building the University’s good name at home and abroad.

Since then we have met regularly and worked together on initiatives drawing attention to the underfunding of public higher education institutions. And it is not only in this area that our cooperation has become even more intensive over the past year, during which I have had the honour of chairing the Czech Rectors’ Conference. Both in closed sessions and in public debate, Petr defends the importance and the needs of public higher education institutions very actively, constructively and on the basis of relevant data. We do take a different view of the budget allocation methodology for public higher education institutions and of the so-called unfreezing of it, but I understand that as Rector of the University of Ostrava my colleague Kopecký has to advance the interests of his own university. In any case, his voice in the leadership of the Czech Rectors’ Conference carries a long way, he is a respected member of the Conference and, above all, he is a good team player, a man who keeps his word and who can be relied upon.

Throughout his first term of office he has represented the University of Ostrava with great dignity, both at home in the Czech Republic and abroad. As Vice-President of the Czech Rectors’ Conference he has been particularly active on the issues our University regards as key, such as funding. I trust that he will have the opportunity to build on that work as Rector for another four years.

This line of dialogue with the trade unions is confirmed by my own experience as well – every year I take part in the annual conference of the University of Ostrava branch of the Higher Education Trade Union, which the Rector has never missed. Despite the occasional sharp exchange of views, discussion with him is always constructive and usually ends in an agreement with a positive impact on all staff. I therefore see the Rector as someone who genuinely cares about dignified conditions for the University’s employees.

This is also evident in the Representative Commission for the Allocation of the Public Higher Education Budget (Reprezentativní komise) at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, where we sit as colleagues – there he very actively promotes the unfreezing of the budget of public higher education institutions, which is a fundamental question for the University of Ostrava.

What I consider important above all is that in his decisions he works for the stability and development of the University as a whole, nationally and internationally, rather than simply advancing the interests of one or a few of its constituent parts.

As Director of the Institute I greatly appreciate his openness and his ability to listen in our discussions and then to look for constructive solutions, even when reaching them sometimes calls for compromise on all sides. I value his patience in seeking consensus and his open communication towards the leadership of the faculties and the Institute and towards the whole academic community. I also regard it as essential that he does not merely solve problems but at the same time explains clearly the reasons for each decision and the steps that lead to it.

I also view very positively the deepening cooperation and mutual communication with the other universities in the region, which I consider important not only for the further development of the University of Ostrava but for the whole region.

As Director of the Institute I identify with the University’s current direction and with the visions and goals we have set together. I see Petr Kopecký as someone who, thanks to his personal qualities, his experience and his proven managerial ability, can continue along the course that has been set and help fulfil the shared goals of the whole University. That is why I would be glad to work with him as Rector of the University of Ostrava in the years ahead.

What I find valuable about his work is that he does not understand the role of Rector narrowly. Under his leadership the University of Ostrava does not act merely as one higher education institution among others, but as the confident voice of an entire region. In this sense Petr Kopecký is an ambassador for the Ostrava region within the Czech Republic – someone able to show its energy, its potential and its future.

At the same time his thinking reaches beyond the boundaries of a single university. He thinks about higher education as a system, he is able to connect people, institutions and topics, and he can name the shared interests of Czech universities in an intelligible way. It is precisely this ability to see one’s own institution as part of a wider responsibility towards society that I consider exceptionally important.

I am glad to have met an academic leader who is anchored in values, communicative and at the same time bold enough to formulate a vision that goes beyond the day-to-day running of a university.

I have long valued his interest in civil society and in topics that are not always at the centre of attention. At the same time he is able to conduct a dialogue with respect for differing opinions and to look for a common path even where agreement is not a matter of course.

As Rector he has, in my view, shown the ability to listen to the needs of individual faculties and to be aware of their differing circumstances. In our cooperation I particularly appreciated his openness, his focus on substance and his willingness to look for solutions. His support, and that of his team, was significant in university-wide processes that required coordination, communication and mutual trust between the University’s leadership and the faculties. I also value his emphasis on the quality of education and on creating the conditions for the University of Ostrava to be a place of good teaching and professional growth for its students.

He also represents the University of Ostrava very well externally – whether in the media, within the Czech Rectors’ Conference or in negotiations with partners from public administration, from academia or from the civic sector. He acts professionally, with a broad overview and with the ability to defend the University’s interests. I have repeatedly heard positive assessments of his work from external partners as well, who valued his focus on substance, his trustworthiness and his ability to build cooperation.

I consider his capacity for self-reflection and his willingness to go on developing to be among his strengths. In the time I have known him I have been able to watch how he listens to feedback, reconsiders his own positions and learns from new experience. It is precisely this openness and this willingness never to stop looking for new perspectives that are, in my view, an important prerequisite for leading a modern university in a time of rapid change and new challenges.

That is why I am glad to support Petr Kopecký’s candidacy for the office of Rector of the University of Ostrava.

As a member of the Internal Evaluation Board of the University of Ostrava. Petr Kopecký chairs almost all of its meetings and runs the Board to a high standard, aware that accreditation processes within the University of Ostrava and in relation to the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education must be conducted, in the vital interest of the University, with the highest possible quality of substance and of form. The Rector leads every meeting of the Board directly towards the goals set for the individual items on the agenda, while at the same time giving space for discussion both to those submitting applications and to members of the Board.

As a co-organiser of the large congress and festival of intensive care medicine Colours of Sepsis, I greatly appreciate the fact that every year the Rector grants the patronage of himself and of the University of Ostrava to this event, that he takes part in its ceremonial opening each year and thus gives the congress significant support.

As a member of the academic community I meet the Rector as a participant in the annual University of Ostrava Academic Days and the staff dinners. Maintaining academic traditions and a sense of belonging is immensely important for a university, and the Rector does this with style and at a high social standard.

I follow closely the wide scope and engagement of the Rector as a significant figure at both national and regional level. Examples: he was elected Vice-President of the Czech Rectors’ Conference; he invites important figures from cultural and political life to the University (Jacques Rupnik, Zuzana Čaputová and others).

As Chair of the Board he came to our sessions well prepared, but not with his mind already made up. That may seem obvious, but from my experience of more than thirty years at the University of Ostrava in various positions I can say that it is not.

It is not easy for rectors or deans to get into the details of accreditations, to listen to other voices and to remain impartial. Petr Kopecký manages all of this; he respects and helps to shape the demanding system of quality evaluation at the University of Ostrava, while knowing full well that the University as a whole has its priorities.

That is precisely why watching the University of Ostrava’s trajectory – especially its accelerated research momentum post-COVID – is so inspiring. Ostrava is proving that post-industrial transformation is not just a policy ambition, but a lived academic and regional reality.

The University’s strategic growth is unmistakable and the key metrics speak for themselves: making steady ascents in Czech, European, and global university league tables (including strong subject performances in regional planning, social sciences, and environmental science by EduRank and QS), securing a place in the top 500 of the THE Young University Rankings, joining the prestigious NEOLAiA European University alliance, leading the landmark multi-billion CZK initiatives like LERCO (Life Environment Research Center Ostrava), and steering the flagship REFRESH (Research Excellence For Region Sustainability and High-tech Industries).

Tremendous credit goes to the senior leadership team and Rector Petr Kopecký. As an environmental humanities scholar and far-sighted academic leader, Rector Kopecký truly embodies the university’s guiding ethos: “Open to the world and working for the region.” His strategic focus on turning brownfields into innovation hubs, tackling regional brain drain, and upholding universities as pillars of democratic values has set Ostrava on an exceptional path.

I am thrilled to contribute to this vibrant academic community and look forward to collaborating with colleagues and students in Ostrava this autumn!

During his time in office he has clearly shown that he is able to stabilise an organisation, to create a motivating environment for work within it and to build strong partnerships.

Petr has natural authority, deep knowledge and the ability to pursue a long-term vision. Most importantly of all, he always does so with respect for academic freedoms and human values. I am certain that his experience, his fairness and his leadership qualities make him an excellent candidate for the office of Rector of the University. I recommend Petr with full confidence.

At the same time I follow him in his role as Rector of the University of Ostrava from my position as Director of the J. William Fulbright Commission. Under his leadership the University of Ostrava is transforming markedly into a modern university anchored in its region while building strong potential to become a significant international player in strategic fields.

Dynamic internationalisation, openness to new partnerships and support for the development of fields and topics essential to the future all bear Petr’s signature at the University of Ostrava. It is precisely this ability to combine knowledge of the region with a vision that reaches beyond its boundaries that I regard as one of his great strengths.

I am convinced that Petr Kopecký has the ability to listen and to communicate, and that he makes an effort to look for solutions. As one of the deputy directors of IRAFM, who takes part in a number of internal university meetings, I appreciate the welcoming atmosphere established by the Rector’s team, as well as its willingness to give a clear response to every suggestion the Institute puts forward.

From where I stand, I see the setting up of an ecosystem for winning further strategic and international projects as essential to the University’s continued development. I am aware of the many negotiations Petr Kopecký and his team have conducted outside the University which, in my view, have in this respect strengthened the position of the University of Ostrava in relation to the Moravian-Silesian Region, the City of Ostrava and other regional universities.

This seems largely the case to me, based on my circulation among academics during multiple sojourns there. He’s far from the only Czech ecocritic now, as I see by another thing I did: read the intro and note the contributors to his recent edited collection of environmental justice criticism. That so many scholars at Ostrava University alone, let alone other Czech schools, are producing sound work in this nascent area is a testament to Kopecky’s leadership and example.

And I did a more substantial thing: looked back over my review of his monograph The California Crucible: Literary Harbingers of Deep Ecology (Moravian Journal of Literature and Film, vol. 3 no. 1). There, I remark on the virtues of the book’s overview of ecocriticism, its cogent theoretical framework, and the service it renders in familiarizing Czech readers with important writers little known to them, as well as new vantages on ones well circulated.

I expressed a hope that nature-oriented approaches to American literature and culture in Czech lands might be “stimulated and advanced by Kopecky’s lucid book.” Considering his new collection, I’d say that hope is being borne out. Prof. Kopecky’s scholarly bona fides are robust, buttressing what, in his radio interview, seems the fine figure he cuts as University Rector. I heartily endorse him.

Petr Kopecký is a rector with an international outlook who understands well where Czech higher education needs to move. I know this from our shared debates too, for example on the amendment to the Higher Education Act. His work in the leadership of the Czech Rectors’ Conference shows that he looks at the future of higher education in a broader context – not only from the point of view of a single university, but also of where Europe and the world are heading.

I also appreciate that under his leadership the University of Ostrava has established close cooperation with the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic. It was through this that I came to see that Petr Kopecký is able to connect worlds that often pass each other by. In a time of headlong technological change we need people who can link academic excellence with what is happening in the real world beyond the university gates. Petr Kopecký is one of them.

He has given the necessary attention to questions of ethics and safe relationships, as well as to other fundamental agendas. He has my respect and my support.

It is precisely his ability to build trust between different actors and his effort to seek shared solutions that are, in my opinion, key prerequisites for the successful leadership of a modern university and for the transformation of the Moravian-Silesian Region. I greatly appreciate Petr’s ability to listen to different opinions and to create space for open debate.

In his work he has repeatedly shown that he understands the changing role of universities in society and that he is very good at representing the University of Ostrava not only nationally but internationally as well. At the same time he retains his personal integrity and his respect for academic values, which I value enormously.

I was pleased that after Petr Kopecký took office as Rector of the University of Ostrava these close working ties extended to the leadership of the whole University. Our contacts and the links between the two institutions have intensified thanks to joint events and projects.

We have succeeded, for example, in securing the very important accreditation of the Dentistry degree programme; we co-organise the Health Days for students, staff and the general public; students of the University of Ostrava come to us to donate blood and have also organised a mass collection of samples for the bone marrow donor registry. At present we probably meet the University’s leadership most often over the LERCO project, a research hub that will change the face of the Moravian-Silesian Region in many ways in the future.

For me Petr Kopecký is a reliable, consistent and fair partner in negotiations. He is also a decent and courteous man with natural authority. I support his candidacy for the office of Rector. Through his work to date he has shown that he handles this difficult role excellently, a huge amount of work stands behind him, and I would be glad if the University Hospital could continue the open and active communication it has with the University of Ostrava under his leadership.

Throughout that time I valued his professional approach, his broad overview and his careful preparation for meetings and for dealing with individual issues. Mr Kopecký is a person who naturally earns the respect of those around him.

He stands out for his high moral standing, for his ability to act matter-of-factly and correctly even in demanding situations, and at the same time for his open approach to cooperation. His conduct is always responsible, constructive and oriented towards finding meaningful solutions. I also regard very positively his ability to connect institutions and to support cooperation between academia and public administration.

I particularly appreciate his initiative in developing cooperation between the Czech Rectors’ Conference and the Association of Regions of the Czech Republic, which can contribute significantly to strengthening universities in the regions and to creating a level playing field in the funding of higher education. I consider the cooperation with Mr Petr Kopecký to be very beneficial and I can recommend him as a person of high professional standing and integrity, able to conduct a dialogue across different areas of public life.

In our cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment within the Just Transition programme I have always felt the fullest understanding of our shared goals and a personal commitment, which ensured that strategic projects in the Moravian-Silesian Region worked exceptionally well, whether within the University of Ostrava or in cooperation with other universities and partners. This creates the right environment for the development of the region – without people like this it would not be possible!

During his time in office the University of Ostrava has become strongly involved in further cooperation with the city, it resonates strongly within the Czech university environment and it has a good reputation abroad as well. Today it is precisely relationships and reputation, including a grounding in morals and values, that matter most, and I am convinced that Petr Kopecký not only possesses all of this but is able, through his efforts, to represent the University of Ostrava and its values in this respect at the highest possible level.

What we value most about him is his authenticity – no playing of roles, no distant phrases. With Petr you can talk just as sincerely and spontaneously over a coffee as in a formal meeting. And that shows. His interest in the world beyond a single university, the connecting of people and cultures, an openness to a different view of things – all of that is close to our own work on the Mygranti project, where we try to show the world without embellishment and without shame about who we are.

Petr is someone we trust, and we support his candidacy for Rector of the University of Ostrava with full conviction – as people who know that it is exactly people like this who are needed in such positions.

We greatly appreciate that the University’s leadership has long supported the linking of academia with practice. Thanks to an open dialogue with employers, professional organisations and public institutions, projects are emerging with a concrete impact on the development of the region, on raising the quality of human capital and on the employability of graduates. We consider such an approach essential for the future competitiveness of the Moravian-Silesian Region.

In our joint activities we value above all Professor Kopecký’s professionalism, reliability and personal commitment. His ability to bring different partners together, to create space for cooperation and to seek practical solutions leads to results that are beneficial in the long term. Under his leadership the University of Ostrava has become a respected partner for the business sector and for regional institutions.

We are convinced that through both his professional and his personal approach Professor Petr Kopecký contributes significantly to the development of higher education, of innovation and of the whole Moravian-Silesian Region. His work is an example of modern university leadership built on partnership, openness and the ability to respond to the challenges of the present. It is therefore our honour to support and recommend his work unequivocally.

Another significant contribution of Professor Petr Kopecký’s time in office is his emphasis on the development of international cooperation. Under his leadership the University of Ostrava is systematically expanding its partnerships with foreign universities, research institutions and major European organisations, and is actively involved in international projects and research initiatives. In doing so it not only strengthens its position on the European academic scene, but also increases the attractiveness of the Moravian-Silesian Region for international cooperation, knowledge transfer, innovation and the development of human capital. This open approach brings new opportunities for students, academic staff and partners from the business sector, and contributes significantly to the internationalisation of the whole region.

Personally I share this outlook with Petr, and I am proud that we can work together on projects that help to improve the world around us.

He has my great admiration for the commitment and energy with which he cares for the development of the University of Ostrava and for its prestige and reputation both in the region itself and throughout the Czech Republic. At the same time I value immensely his support for public service media and his position in defence of democratic values and principles not only in academia but in our society as a whole.

The coming generation must without doubt have a fundamental voice here, because it is they who will live in the world we are creating today. These challenges place demands both on the form of teaching itself and on public debate. In both these respects I see an irreplaceable role for universities and for the academic world as a whole.

It is necessary to create space for free and expert discussion, for critical thinking and above all for open communication with society at large. And it is universities that should take up this challenge and initiate the creation of such an environment. That requires will, courage, competence and social capital.

And that is precisely why I would like to see Petr Kopecký in the role of Rector of the University of Ostrava; I have no doubt about his ability to face up to the challenges mentioned above and at the same time to withstand the pressures that can be expected. My trust in him grows out of our long-standing cooperation and hence out of personal experience.

I greatly value the fact that the cooperation between the University of Ostrava and Post Bellum has not remained merely formal, but has turned into concrete joint activities – debates, exhibition openings and public meetings devoted to the history of the region in the twentieth century, and support for mapping the lives of the oldest generation of witnesses.

I also greatly value the Rector’s traditional personal participation in the Run for Memory of Nations, which commemorates and supports those who gave up neither in the war nor in life. It is not only my colleagues who appreciate his human approach, his openness and his ability to be an authentic and attentive partner in dialogue even while holding a leading position.

It has been a great honour for me to come to know this fundamental attitude of his to life not only in working meetings but above all in personal encounters. In my life I have had the rare opportunity to meet a number of significant figures of Czech and world art. It was precisely openness – to people, to ideas and to the world – that was the quality they all had in common.

His emphasis on the social responsibility of the University is evident in its strong engagement in the transformation of a region as complex as the Moravian-Silesian Region, and in its direct communication with diverse but natural partners, among which I count our city gallery of contemporary art. His comprehensive approach, but also his personal commitment, are for me inspiring and also encouraging.

In our joint meetings his personal commitment to the development of the University is evident, as is his effort to move concrete things forward. I appreciate his willingness to listen, to look for shared solutions and to connect the academic and the cultural worlds. I therefore regard my experience of working with Petr Kopecký to date very positively.

The cooperation between the University of Ostrava and the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre continues to develop successfully, despite many limits, financial ones above all. Since the 2018/19 season we have run a joint project, quite unique in the Czech context, the Ostrava Opera Academy. Alongside the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, cooperation is also developing very intensively with the Faculty of Arts in particular, above all in student placements. And there are plans for a further widening and intensification of this cooperation.

Petr Kopecký has done a great deal of work as Rector of the University of Ostrava and it would be desirable for him to continue his commendable work in a second term of office.

As good neighbours we also cooperate on a number of other projects that support education, dialogue and an active interest in public affairs.

Also worth mentioning is the successful drawing of European funding and the active involvement in international research and in European projects.

Despite his heavy workload he retains a human approach, an ability to listen and a sense of humour. I support his candidacy for the office of Rector of the University of Ostrava for the coming term and I look forward to our further cooperation.

Under his leadership the University of Ostrava has succeeded in developing major strategic projects that connect top-level research with the needs and the transformation of the Moravian-Silesian Region. I have come to know the Rector personally as someone with a deep interest in the wider context of university education – whether that is graduate employability, the development of careers guidance, or support for new degree programmes that matter to the region. I also greatly value our cooperation in supporting lifelong learning, which will become an ever more important part of what every modern university offers.

For me, Petr Kopecký is a leader who understands his times, follows the trends and knows how to surround himself with inspiring people. He is willing to listen to views from outside and has the courage to change established ways. I therefore consider him a very good choice for the continued development of the University of Ostrava.

I hold him in high regard as Rector of the University of Ostrava for his managerial skills and for his visionary, strategic and thoroughly modern thinking. I also appreciate the cooperation between the University and the National Open-Air Museum, specifically the Wallachian Open-Air Museum, on a whole range of research activities and conferences on the Wallachia region.

My sense is that under Petr Kopecký’s leadership the University is heading in the right direction and is deservedly a modern centre of higher education in Ostrava.