Academic ranks Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the rank of a scientist or teacher in a college, high school, university or Research institute, research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals in academia. ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

and in

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

are the titles, relative importance and power of professors, researchers, and administrative personnel held in

academia An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

Overview

* (

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

), both degree (written before name) and position. Professors are appointed by the president after a successful accomplishment of the process of awarding a professorship. One of the requirements is an already accomplished ''docent'' degree. * (

associate professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a position ...

), both degree (written before name) and position. The degree is awarded by the rector after a certain number of years of teaching and after successful accomplishment of "habilitace" (czech)/"habilitácia" (Slovak), a process concluded by a defense of a reviewed research manuscript and a public lecture. * (

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

researcher Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

), this title covers positions from lecturers to researchers. Requirements for lecturers / researchers vary, usually a Ph.D. /

Th.D. Doctor of Theology (, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equivalent to the Doctor of ...

is required * (assistant lecturer), at least

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

is required Special * / (visiting professor), significant expert with whom a dean with the approval of the scientific council of a faculty concluded employment at the position of professor * / (visiting associate professor), significant expert with whom a dean with the approval of the scientific council of a faculty concluded employment at the position of associate professor * / (adjunct professor; sometimes also translated as associate professor, but it is not the same position as ), associate professor temporarily appointed to the position of professor at a faculty while being an expectant to professor degree (written ''mimořádný profesor'' after name) Administrative * ( rector), head of the university * (

vice-rector A rector (Latin for 'ruler') is a senior official in an educational institution, and can refer to an official in either a university or a secondary school. Outside the English-speaking world, the rector is often the most senior official in a u ...

), typically three to five people are vice-rectors; the position is further specified by indicating domain a vice-rector is responsible for (e. g. study-related issues, research, public relationships, international relationships, development, information technology) * ( registrar,

bursar A bursar (derived from ''wikt:bursa, bursa'', Latin for 'Coin purse, purse') is a professional Administrator of the government, administrator in a school or university often with a predominantly financial role. In the United States, bursars usual ...

), senior professional financial administrator of the university * / (

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

), head of a faculty * / (vice-dean); the position is further specified by indicating domain a vice-dean is responsible for (e. g. admissions, study-related issues, research, public relationships, international relationships, information technology) * / (director), head of a sub-unit at the university or a faculty (institute, research center), e. g. Institute of Life-Long Learning of the Slovak University of Technology, Institute of Physical Education and Sport at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University * / (departmental chair), head of a ''katedra'' (department) – sub-unit at a faculty * / (deputy departmental chair), deputizes department chair if necessary Honorary ranks * / (

professor emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

), may be awarded by the rector on the proposal of the scientific council of the university for significant contributions in the field of science, art or education to professor older than 65 years who is no longer employed at the university, but is still active in research and teaching * ( honorary doctor for the sake of the honor), honorary doctorate of the university or a faculty awarded for special merit (written before name)

Professorship

The title of professor is a pedagogical-academic title (''pedagogicko-akademický titul'') awarded to university teachers holding a Ph.D. degree or equivalent who excel in a specific field of science and have special merits in both research and university teaching. Excellent scientists who do not teach at a university (but work in a research institution, for example) do not receive the title of Professor. The title of professor is indicated in abbreviation in front of a holder's name, e.g. prof.

Jan Švejnar Jan Švejnar (born October 2, 1952) is a United States-based, Czech-born economist. He was a candidate for the 2008 election of the President of the Czech Republic. Professor Švejnar is director of the Center on Global Economic Governance and ...

or prof. MUDr. Josef Koutecký, DrSc. The title of professor is awarded to a particular person on the basis of the recommendation by a university, in particular, by its Scientific Committee (''vědecká rada''), which is accredited to do so by the Accreditation Commission (''akreditační komise'') of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (Czech Republic) (''Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy''). The recommended nominee is promoted to professorship by the president of the Czech Republic through the Minister of Education (art. 76 of Higher Education Act, act No. 111/1998 Col). The system of awarding of the title of professor means that the title is not bound to a position at a university, e.g. a director of a department, and vice versa – one is not required to be a professor to hold a high-ranking position at a university. A university must have a certain number of professors and

docent The term "docent" is derived from the Latin word , which is the third-person plural present active indicative of ('to teach, to lecture'). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic qualifi ...

s among its staff to receive accreditation for its study programs, but these need not necessarily be heads of departments or university faculties. According to the Higher Education Act, No. 111/1998 Col. the nominee’s qualifications are assessed by at least five professors, specialists in the field or a field similar to the field in which the nominee is to be pronounced a professor. At least three of these professors must be from universities other than the nominee's one. An important precondition set by the law is that the nominee must already have the title of

Docent The term "docent" is derived from the Latin word , which is the third-person plural present active indicative of ('to teach, to lecture'). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic qualifi ...

. (The procedure of qualification, ''habilitační process'', leading to the awarding of the title of docent is similar to the one leading to professorship. Docents are pronounced by the head of the university, ''rektor'', accredited to pronounce docents in a particular field.) The ranking system of teachers at Czech universities: * is usually a doctoral student or a graduate of a PhD. study program. * is usually a graduate of a PhD. study program with some teaching and/or research experience. * Docent has finished a PhD. program and has been awarded the title of docent after their work and contribution to science or scholarship had been scrutinised by an assembly of five professors and docents. * has been pronounced a professor after being pronounced a docent.

Other professors

In the past, there were two titles of professor recognised in Czechoslovakia (predecessor state of today's Czechia and Slovakia): #University professor (''universitní profesor'') #Secondary school professor (''středoškolský profesor'') Awarding of both of these titles was regulated by law before the World War II. The title ''středoškolský profesor'' ceased to exist after the war. However, on most of the secondary schools in Czech Republic and Slovakia students still address their teachers as professors (''profesoři'') out of tradition.

References

Bibliography

* {{Academic ranks overview Academic ranks Education in the Czech Republic Education in Slovakia

Ranks A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...