On the first April day, despite the current epidemic, the newly elected Rector of the University of South Bohemia - professor Bohumil Jiroušek - assumed office.
Associate professor Tomáš Machula, who managed the University of South Bohemia for the past 4 years as the Rector, prepared a small symbolic surprise as, perhaps, befitting the April Fool’s Day. In the Rector’s office, in addition to wishing him well, he also handed over a face mask emblazoned with the symbol of the USB that he prepared specially for the occasion.
“After four years in the office of the Rector, first and foremost, I would like to thank all my colleagues. I tried to work in the interests of the University as best as I could and I am proud to have been given the opportunity to lead such an excellent University. I would like to assure everyone that everything that I did, I did with the intention of ensuring a just and sensible decision-making concerning the strategy of the University and the management of things within the Rectorate.” With these words, the Rector Tomáš Machula said his goodbye to the office of the Rector. Under his leadership, the University of South Bohemia performed well in the years of crisis during with demographic curves and the development of funding of universities were at their bottom. At the same time, the University of South Bohemia successfully underwent international accreditation, science evaluations and it prepared a number of investments. “The Rectorate’s agendas are difficult to understand for many people and underappreciated, but the entire organism of the University would not be able to function without them.,” added Tomáš Machula in his goodbyes.
The Academic Senate elected professor Bohumil Jiroušek as the new Rector of the University of South Bohemia last year on December 10. He was appointed to office by the president on March 16, 2020. However, he is not new to the management of the University. To date, he had been a Vice-Rector for Internal Evaluation.
“Under a different set of circumstances, I would probably be meeting everyone when handing over agendas of individual Vice-Rectors and we would be speaking of much of what is awaiting us in the upcoming weeks and months in corridors and offices, but the current situation changes it all”, so the new Rector commented on the current difficult situation. Despite that, he appointed his team of Vice-Rectors on the first day and officially presented the new management of the University. In addition to the Rector and the Bursar Ing. Jiřina Valentová, there will be PaedDr. Petr Bauman, Ph.D., as Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, associate professor Ing. Luděk Berec, Dr., as Vice-Rector for Research, Ing. Ludvík Friebel, Ph.D., as Vice-Rector for Internal Management and Public Affairs, Ing. Michal Hojdekr, MBA, as Vice-Rector for Development, associate professor Tomáš Machula, Ph.D., Th.D., as Vice-Rector for Internal Evaluation and last but not least associate professor PaedDr. Radka Závodská, Ph.D., as Vice-Rector for International Relations
“We must look towards the future above all else, see a return to normal ahead of us and develop our University for the upcoming decade. I believe that I have chosen good colleagues and that we shall work well together and that, together with others, we will be a friendly and successful team, the Rectorate of the University, without which even the whole of the USB would not be able to exist as such,” added to the presentation of the new management professor PhDr. Bohumil Jiroušek, Dr., the Rector of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice.
