Czech defense and security specialist elected dean of NATO Defense College

Brigadier General Franišek Mičánek, head of the Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies at the University of Defence in Brno, has been elected dean of NATO Defense College in Rome. He is the second Czech to secure a high post in NATO structures, following General Petr Pavel’s appointment as chairman of NATO’s Military Committee.

František Mičánek, photo: CTK

The prestigious NATO Defense College in Rome is one of two top institutions that train high ranking military officers, diplomats and defense specialists for NATO member states. General Frantisek Mičánek, who was elected dean by members of NATO’s military committee, himself studied at NATO Defense College and later served as faculty adviser. He joined the Czech military in 1988 and spent most of his service in the anti-aircraft defense forces, later heading the Forces Planning Division of the Czech Defense Ministry. He also served within SFOR, NATO’s Stabilization Force, in Bosnia at the end of the 1990s. Today he is one of the Czech Republic’s leading authorities in defense planning and security policy and currently head of the Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies at the University of Defence in Brno.

General Mičánek, 52, will start his three-year term as dean of NATO Defense College in September, taking over from Slovenian political scientist Daria Skodnik, who is the first woman to hold the post. The dean is subordinate to the commander of the school, Polish Major General Janusz Bojarski.

General Mičánek welcomed his appointment as a major challenge saying he was greatly looking forward to the work ahead. In an interview for Czech Television shortly after the news was announced, the brigadier general said he knew the ground well and what would be expected of him in the post adding that he valued the recent trend of NATO looking to central and Eastern Europe for candidates to leading posts.

NATO Defense College in Rome, photo: NATO

“There is one area to which I particularly want to contribute. NATO Defense College has only had two officials from central and Eastern Europe –the school’s present commander, Polish Major General Junusz Bojarski and my predecessor in the post of dean Daria Skodnik from Slovenia. I want to add to their contribution in bringing the Central and East European perspective to students, to give them a deeper understanding of our culture, our traditions, and our perception of present day threats. That I see as my main task.”

General Mičánek will travel to Rome in March to discuss work issues with the school’s commander General Bojarski. He is expected to take up office on September 1st. His appointment was welcomed not only by his Czech compatriot, the head of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel, but leading Czech top officials who described it as international recognition of the high standard of Czech military experts.