The incoming Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology, Karel Šuhajda, outlines his future plans and vision in an interview.

Mr Šuhajda, congratulations on your appointment. You often say that you see this role as a form of service. What does that mean for you in practice?

I have spent my entire professional life at FCE, and I know that the best ideas are not born behind a desk, but through discussions with colleagues and students in corridors or classrooms. I want to be a dean who listens. That is why we are introducing regular meetings between the faculty management, staff, and students, so everyone has the opportunity to address concrete issues. I also want the new management team to work with a coach right from the start. We need to clearly define our rules of cooperation so that we function as a transparent and professional team.

According to your programme, students are the centre of the universe of the faculty. But let’s be honest: the first year is a shock for many of them. How will you turn it into the promised “bridge to the discipline”?

An overload of theory without context can discourage even the most talented students. Our response is curriculum modernisation—we want to show the reality of civil engineering from day one. We will strengthen tutoring and peer learning. Students will work on real assignments from cities and companies, where they can immediately see the impact of their work. Teachers should pass on not only expertise, but also enthusiasm for the field. FCE must be a place where studying is a joy.

Many students have great ideas but are afraid they will be overlooked. Will their voices truly be heard?

I want students to be active partners who help shape the faculty with us. In addition to an anonymous feedback form — where we will also publish adopted measures — I plan regular informal meetings with students focused on specific topics. We will support student organisations and community events, because that is where a sense of belonging and pride in our brand is created. FAST should be a place where no one is afraid to ask questions or create something new.

The world is changing, and so are technologies. Will students be able to work with tools such as artificial intelligence or advanced digitalisation without being accused of cheating?

Absolutely. Our goal is for digital competencies and AI to be natural tools, not sources of fear. We will integrate AI into teaching with clear and honest rules in line with the official BUT framework. We want graduates to enter practice fluent in digital tools such as BIM. Curriculum modernisation is a priority — we want to teach what truly matters in the real world.

University life is not only about lecture halls. What do you plan for students who want international experience or to work on real projects for cities and companies during their studies?

We are opening the faculty to the world and to practice. We will develop student challenges and hackathons, supported by small grants, where students create prototypes or analyses addressing real topics and publicly present their results. We also aim to increase student mobility by 30% and introduce joint courses with international partners. For those who prefer hands-on experience at home, we will expand project-based teaching using real assignments from cities and companies, so students can literally get their hands on science and practice.

Academics often complain that paperwork takes time away from research. You promise to free their hands. How will you do this without expanding administrative costs?

This is a key issue. We do not want administrative bloat, but professionalisation. We will gradually strengthen the Office for Research Support (OPT), with staff primarily funded from projects. They will provide full service — from monitoring deadlines to transferring knowledge into practice. Academics should research and teach, not fill out forms. We will also create a single “source of truth” on SharePoint, where all templates and procedures are available in one place, saving time for everyone.

Funding is always a sensitive topic at universities. How will you ensure that financial allocation is seen as fair support rather than a tool of power?

Transparency is the only path to trust. We will work with an open financial dashboard that heads of departments and senate members can access at any time. Departments should be able to plan in multi-year frameworks (two to three years), which brings stability. And an important step: we will establish a faculty fund for early-career researchers to help them build their own teams in areas such as sustainability or digitalisation. For us, finances must serve good work.

What would you say to those who view these changes skeptically and fear, for example, the merging of departments?

I want to reassure everyone that we do not intend to impose changes by force. My vision is based on natural cooperation. If two departments find that sharing a laboratory or administrative support saves money and energy for their people, the management will support it. I want to build the faculty on respect for disciplinary traditions. My message is simple: let’s do this together — honestly and with pride.