Professor Rudolf Urban, Czech University of Defence rector, visited the University of Defence in Belgrade on 12 April 2011 accompanied by the Defence Attache of the Czech Embassy to Belgrade colonel Lórant Kürtösi and the Czech Embassy to Belgrade representative Mr. Jiří Juřík. Received by University rector, major general prof. dr. Miodrag Jevtić, the guests were acquainted with the Serbian University of Defence structure and plans of further development. That school’s history is very short as the decision of its establishment was made by Serbia government only on 24 February 2011.
Belgrade’s University of Defence is formed by Military Academy, Military Medical Academy and Military Technical Institute. The interesting point is that the merits for its birth should be partly given to Brno University of Defence too. Professor Dr. Miodrag Jevtić’s words communicated for domestic media are a piece of evidence: “Our collaboration with the Brno University of Defence and with the Czech Republic, particularly their lessons learnt meant a lot for us. The university shows an example of a way how to integrate military and civilian education and that such a synergy may bring a higher quality in the process.”
Brigadier General Mladen Vuruna, Military Academy commandant, briefed at the meeting with professor Urban of Academy’s activities and structure, especially they discussed collaboration in research and development. During their visit to Military Medical Academy, the guests met MMA’s new commandant, colonel prof. dr. Marijan Novaković, and were briefed of its missions. In return, professor Urban informed the academic community there of the structure and missions of the Faculty of Military Health Sciences acting in Hradec Kralove.
Morning the next day (13/4), Czech rector paid a visit to the local NATO MLO (Military Liaison Office) lead at the time brigadier general Mauro DeVincentis (Italy). The working meeting was to introduce the structure and missions of both the institutions, i.e. NATO MLO and Czech University of Defence , to one another. Another visit in the afternoon was to the local UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) office.
Rudolf Urban spent a part of his last day (14/4) of the visit by listening to a lecture from the week-long logistics workshop lead by colonel Zbyšek Korecki and Ms. Nataša Pomazalová – both for the Czech University of Defence. The workshop was another event on the list arranged by NATO Contact Embassy for the Serbian Ministry of Defence, with contributions by the Czech University of Defence.
UD rector concluded his visit having a working lunch with the Czech ambassador to Belgrade, Ms. Hana Hubáčková. They exchanged information of NATO contact embassy to Serbia activities, University of Defence missions and of future projects. Madam Ambassador appreciated University’s of Defence continuous collaboration with Serbian military education system launched in fact as early as in 2006 and growing in intensity now during the first and second mandate period of NATO contact embassy.
Text: Zdeňka Dubová, Jiří Juřík, photo: Jiří Juřík