On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the Academic Senate decided who would succeed the outgoing rector, Petr Sklenička, and lead CZU for the next four years. From three candidates for the post of rector, the senators elected the current first vice-rector, Professor Michal Lošťák. The new rector's four-year term begins on February 1, 2026.
Professor Michal Lošťák (* December 3, 1963, Šumperk) is currently the first vice-rector of the CZU in Prague and works as a lecturer at the Department of Humanities of the CZU Faculty of Economics and Management, majoring in Regional and Social Development.
He focuses on the issues of regional and rural development and the socio-cultural and socio-economic context of agriculture and food. His focus is also on social innovations. He guarantees the follow-up master's degree program, Public Administration and Regional Development, and the Social and Regional Development doctoral program. He participates in seven projects of the Horizon program.
He is a graduate of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, majoring in sociology, and the Belarusian State University in Minsk, majoring in philosophy. He received his highest academic degree in 2017 in Management. He is a member of the editorial board of the impact journal Agricultural Economics, the president of the international organization of universities, The ICA Regional Organization for Central and South Eastern Europe (CASEE), and a member of the scientific board of the Faculty of International Relations of the University of Economics and Palacký University in Olomouc.
The vision he presented in his presentation to the Academic Senate of CZU consists of building an excellent university, which will result from the joint activities and successes of all academics, employees, and students of ČZU.
In his opinion, the paths leading to excellence are as follows: Innovation in teaching based on the latest student-oriented knowledge; acceleration of technology transfer, continued support for scientific activities in prestigious grant schemes and socially desirable areas using the university's human potential; a safe environment and facilities that are welcoming to all and support the pursuit of excellence; international cooperation within the framework of the alliance of universities under the name "Euroleague for Life Sciences" as a path to excellence; use of artificial intelligence for the benefit of the entire university; fairness in the distribution of state resources among universities in the Czech Republic as a prerequisite for excellence; fundraising as a means of supporting excellence.
