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Tereza Šlehoferová, the newly elected candidate for Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of West Bohemia (UWB), plans to build on the work of the current leadership team, in which she serves as Vice-Dean for Strategy and Development. She aims to lead the faculty in a direction that will anchor it more firmly in the region while also enhancing its international reach. Her goal is to create a free, safe, and inspiring environment that can respond flexibly to rapid societal change and contribute—through both teaching and research—to shaping an open, responsible, and resilient society.

"I see the main task of the faculty’s leadership as ensuring the right conditions for stability, growth, and development across different areas. I see the role of the Dean like that of a gardener—someone who has a vision of how the garden should look, supports certain plants, curbs the harmful ones, watches what thrives and what doesn't, and acts accordingly. In the same spirit, I want to work as Dean for the good of the whole, encourage collaboration, and cultivate a welcoming, strong, and diverse academic community," Šlehoferová explains.

Under her leadership, the faculty will need to respond to an ever-changing and largely unpredictable external environment and current issues, such as the use of artificial intelligence in education and academic work. According to the newly elected candidate, another challenge will be preparing for a sharp demographic decline in high school graduates expected in the coming years. "This, however, can also be an opportunity for the faculty to seek out new applicants, including international students, and to explore new forms of education. Another challenge ahead will be the standardization and defense of the quality of doctoral studies in line with the recent amendment to the Higher Education Act," she added.

PhDr. Tereza Šlehoferová, Ph.D., has served as Vice-Dean for Strategy and Development at the Faculty of Arts since 2018 and is the statutory representative of the Dean. From 2015 to 2017, she held the position of Vice-Rector for Quality and Project Activities at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. She has been active at the Department of Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts since 2007. In the past, she also worked in the non-profit sector, focusing on project design and coordination as well as organizing leisure activities for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. She studied Social and Cultural Anthropology at UWB and holds a PhD in Ethnology. Her educational and creative work focuses on a variety of topics, including the anthropology of food, political anthropology, applied anthropology, and the civic sector. She has extensive experience in project work, including the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of various types of projects, both domestic and international, as well as inter-university collaborations.