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You are taking up the position again for another four-year term. What will the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering look like in 2030?

It will aim to improve its rating in the International Evaluation Panel’s (MEP) assessment of research quality. We are preparing to re-accredit degree programs focused on nuclear energy, transport engineering, advanced technologies and materials, intelligent manufacturing systems, and virtual reality. I expect our faculty to offer a strong, research-oriented doctoral program led by young professors with internationally recognized achievements. Our goal is also to expand the laboratory facilities at the RTI research center, particularly in infrared technologies and materials chemistry. Training mechanical engineers is an integral part of Pilsen’s identity, and we will naturally continue this tradition.

The faculty wants to increase its student numbers. How do you want to convince young people that mechanical engineering has a future?

We are already preparing degree programs that respond to the current needs of industry. With our partners' support, we can run our marketing online and through engaging outreach programs. We have established systematic cooperation with secondary schools in the Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, South Bohemian and Central Bohemian regions to promote mechanical engineering and strengthen the interest of young people and their parents in studying at a technical university. We know that engineering and industry are the only realistic prospects for future generations.

This year, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering launched a new degree program focused on environmental engineering and technologies. What was the response? And how do you think the role of mechanical engineers is changing at a time when the industry has to address its consumption of energy and materials as well as its environmental impact?

Our new Environmental Engineering and Technologies degree, built on high-quality teaching in theoretical engineering disciplines, demonstrates that we still have a lot to offer in higher education. This autumn, we are opening one teaching group, with 23 students enrolled out of 43 admitted applicants.

Mechanical engineers have always had to respond to external regulation – complying with the rules, laws and safety standards in force at any given time. The same applies today, with one important difference: greater emphasis is now being placed on saving energy and materials, as companies have to find ways to meet the requirements of sustainable production.

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has close links with industry in the Pilsen region. What do you think companies will need from the faculty in the coming years, and how is the faculty preparing for this?

The link between the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and industry is strong and long-standing. Alongside our strong applied mechanical engineering research, we aim to expand international contract research with industrial partners and create the conditions for spin-off companies to emerge. Many of our partners use our certified continuing education courses to build their professional expertise.

We are not concerned about the future, even at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing industry, as well as many other areas. We continue to need qualified mechanical engineers, and our teaching is well prepared for new trends.

What specific measurable targets have you set for the next four years – for example, in terms of student numbers, new programs, graduates, or cooperation with industry?

In the coming years, our target is to have 300 students enrolled in the first year of our bachelor’s programs. This year, 263 students enrolled. We would also like to increase the volume of contract research to around CZK 30 million a year, up from the current CZK 25 million. Another goal will be to re-accredit five attractive degree programs out of the faculty’s total of eleven.