The inauguration of the new Rector of the University of South Bohemia, Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Machula, Ph.D., Th.D., took place in the auditorium on Wednesday May 25.
Representatives from more than two dozens of other universities from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and members of the academic community attended the ceremony, at which the new Rector was put into function.
Among the most distinguished guests were the Deputy Minister of Research and Higher Education Ing. Robert Plaga, Ph.D., the Mayor of České Budějovice Ing. Jiří Svoboda, the Bishop of České Budějovice, Mons. ThDr. Vlastimil Kročil, Ph.D., representatives of the Academy of Sciences PhDr. Pavel Baran, PhD., and prof. Ing. Miloslav Šimek, PhD., and also the rector emeritus of the University of South Bohemia Assoc.Prof. PhDr. Jiří Divíšek, PhD., Prof. PhDr. Václav Bůžek, PhD. and prof. RNDr. Libor Grubhoffer, PhD., Hon. D.Sc.
Assoc.Prof. Machula received the rector´s ceremonial chain from its predecessor, prof. Libor Grubhoffer, who headed the university in the years 2012 – 2016. Then he said the promise "Spondeo ac polliceor" (pledge and promise) and recited his inaugural speech.
After that, the chairman of the Academic Senate Dr. Ladislav Nagy, Ph.D., officially introduced the new team of vice-rectors. It consists of the Vice-Rector for studies PaedDr. Peter Bauman, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for International Relations doc. PaedDr. Radka Závodská, Ph.D., Vice- Rector for Development and internal evaluation prof. PhDr. Bohumil Jiroušek, and Vice- Rector for Science and Research prof. RNDr. Tomáš Polívka, Ph.D.
At the end of the ceremony, František Lejska, the student of the Department of Music of the Faculty of Education, played three piano compositions.
The ceremony finished with the anthem Gaudeamus igitur and the procession of academics worn in the academic gowns left the auditorium by the sounds of festive fanfares.
Let´s recall that Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Machula was elected to the function of the rector by the Academic Senate on 3 March 2016 and then appointed to the function by the president of the Czech Republic with effect from 1 April 2016.
