TOMÁŠ POJAR: I Try to Bring Academia Closer to the Real World

Tomáš Pojar, Vice President for International Relations at CEVRO University, is one of the key figures of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations (PCTR), a unique hub where foreign and security policy is shaped not only within the framework of transatlantic relations. In this interview, Tomáš Pojar speaks about the Center, its prominent guests, and the connection between public administration, the military, universities, and business.

General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Tomáš Pojar at CEVRO University on May 26, 2026. Source: PCTR / Michal Čížek.

What is the focus of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations at CEVRO University, where you have long been one of the key figures?

The Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations at CEVRO University has a long history dating back to 2009. The aim was to create a place in Prague where issues of foreign policy, security, and defense within the North Atlantic area would be addressed. Even today, I am convinced that we remain unique. The Transatlantic Center at CEVRO University is the place where interesting and prominent figures from the United States and Europe come to lecture, take part in various public events or closed roundtables, and discuss the pressing issues of our time. Ultimately, this contributes to maintaining and strengthening the transatlantic alliance for the future.

So is this about shaping Czech foreign and security policy?

I believe that the activities of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations help strengthen and refine the Czech security and foreign policy community. People who currently work for the state meet at CEVRO University and exchange views with those who work in the private sector, academia, or the media. Over time, their roles also change. I think this is extremely important for the long-term sustainability and predictability of our country.

An integral part of PCTR’s work is also to involve international guests in its activities. The team of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations, led by Kateřina Weissová, is able to bring names such as Polish President Andrzej Duda, former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations and former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker, world-renowned expert on Russian security affairs Professor Mark Galeotti, and Chief of Defense of the German Armed Forces General Carsten Breuer to CEVRO University. And those are only some of the names from recent years. Almost every week, there is an interesting event taking place in the atrium of CEVRO University that we organize.

Who makes up the expert team of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations?

Most of the members are people with experience in public administration who, at some point over the past decades, held senior positions. The founder of the Center was — and is now once again a member — Jan Jireš, who last year left the Ministry of Defense after many years, where he served as Senior Director. One of the founders and members is Alexandr Vondra, who has served several times as a minister and ambassador and is currently a Member of the European Parliament; former Chief of the General Staff General Jiří Šedivý; as well as former senior intelligence officials Jaroslav Kuchyňa and Jan Paďourek.

Tomáš Pojar, Vice President for International Relations at CEVRO University and one of the founders of the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations at the university. He studied political science at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University in Prague and Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Studies at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Israel. Until December 15, 2025, he served as National Security Advisor to the Government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala. In the past, he was Director of People in Need (1997–2005), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005–2010), and Czech Ambassador to Israel (2010–2014). He worked for Czechoslovak Group, and since 2026 he has been part of the American conservative think tank Hudson Institute.

From the diplomatic world, I can mention Michael Žantovský, former ambassador to the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom, a former close associate of Václav Havel and current advisor to President Petr Pavel, as well as Maciej Ruczaj, who served as Polish ambassador to Slovakia. Until recently, the current Czech ambassador to Russia, Daniel Koštoval, was also a member of the Center.

Can CEVRO University be presented as an American-style university, given the way it combines academia with practice?

At the Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations, and ultimately across CEVRO University as a whole, we truly strive to connect the academic world with real business and politics, which is ultimately beneficial for everyone.

It is useful to break open often closed professional bubbles and bring people with practical experience into teaching.

I must say that the response from our students is always positive. This kind of connection between different worlds enriches all sides. Professional worlds — academia included — that remain closed in on themselves are neither richer nor better-functioning than those that are interconnected.

How does cooperation between the military, business, and the university world work?

So far, we have not fully succeeded in making public administration work with business, business with universities, and security forces with business and universities in a truly interconnected way. That said, the situation is improving in this respect. The military is, by its very nature, a conservative institution where change does not happen quickly, and its inertia is enormous. The military and the Ministry of Defense need maximum support in improving the situation. At the same time, our modern armed forces must ultimately, also with regard to the labor market, become far more open and more closely connected with the needs of modern business.

What exactly should we imagine under that, and how can it be achieved?

The military now needs far more IT specialists among its own soldiers, as well as other college-educated people and specialists, than it did in the past. At the same time, the military can offer these people a strong starting environment for their future employment in top companies after they complete their military service. More than ten years ago, I myself was involved in preparing a postgraduate MBA program at CEVRO University focused on cybersecurity management. In creating this program, we drew inspiration from specific experience in Israel.

At the time, cybersecurity management was still a neglected field in the Czech environment. Not only did no one offer such a program, but too little emphasis was also placed on the fact that cybersecurity is not only about IT, but also about proper management of people. Several hundred students have already completed this program, many of whom work in the security forces of our state.