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Vice-Rector Ladislav Krištoufek receives state honour

Czechs on Monday marked the anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, with President Petr Pavel awarding state honours. Among the 56 invitees for the ceremonial gathering at Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle was Charles University Vice-Rector for Research Ladislav Krištoufek, who received a Medal of Merit in the Field of Science from the head-of-state.

Professor Krištoufek graduated in economics from the Institute of Economic Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. He later worked as a researcher at Warwick Business School and the Czech Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on crypto-assets and cryptocurrencies, as well as a broad range of financial and energy topics. According to various rankings, he is the most cited social sciences researcher based in the Czech Republic. He achieved his professorship at the age of 35 (appointed in 2020).

At the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, he lectures on econometrics, data analysis, and data science. He has served as Vice-Rector for Research since 2022 under Rector Professor Milena Králíčková. Previously, he was Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Social Sciences and is a member of the Council for Research, Development and Innovation.

He is currently working on a three-year project titled Deep Dive into Decentralized Finance: Market Microstructure, and Behavioural and Psychological Patterns, supported by the Czech Science Foundation.

“I highly value the honour both personally and as recognition of the importance of science to society. Receiving the honour from the president is also a significant commitment for the future,” Vice-Rector Krištoufek emphasised shortly after receiving the award.

You can read more about some of the vice-rector’s activities here.

Order of the White Lion

Honours this year also went to several Charles University alumni.

The Order of the White Lion, Military Division, 2nd Class, was posthumously awarded by President Petr Pavel to Brigadier General František Moravec for outstanding leadership and military activity. Moravec, a legionnaire, Czechoslovak Army general, and head of military intelligence during World War II, was also a member of the military resistance in exile. He began his studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, but did not complete them, as he was conscripted in 1915.

Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk

The Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 3rd Class, was granted by the president for outstanding contributions to democracy, humanity, and human rights to Daniel Kroupa – politician, lecturer, philosopher, signatory of Charter 77, and former MP and Senator. Kroupa studied at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, in the 1970s and was part of philosopher Jan Patočka’s circle of students. Due to political reasons, he could not complete his studies until after the Velvet Revolution.

President Pavel also awarded the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 3rd Class, to Anna Šabatová for her contributions to democracy, humanity, and human rights. Šabatová, a signatory and spokesperson for Charter 77, former head of the Czech Helsinki Committee, and former Ombudsperson, was unable to complete her studies before the revolution but later graduated in Czech language and literature at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, in the mid-1990s.

Medals of Merit

The Medal of Merit in the Field of Culture, awarded posthumously, was given to journalist, commentator, and publicist Daniel Anýž, who focused mainly on foreign policy, particularly concerning the United States. Anýž was an alumnus of the Faculty of Science, Charles University, and passed away last year after a prolonged illness.

The Medal of Merit in Culture and Arts was awarded to Radka Denemarková, a writer, literary historian, screenwriter, and dramaturge, and an alumna of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. In addition to her own literary work, she also translates from German.

The Medal of Merit in Sport was awarded to Martin Doktor, an alumnus of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, a two-time Olympic champion in sprint canoeing, and sports director of the Czech Olympic Committee. Doktor has long collaborated with the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport.

The Medal of Merit in Culture was awarded to Pavel Kosatík, a non-fiction writer, essayist, screenwriter, and an alumnus of the Faculty of Law, Charles University.

The Medal of Merit in State Security and Citizen Safety was received by Mark Rieder, Director of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and an alumnus of the Faculty of Science, Charles University, for the institute’s significant role in managing this year’s floods.

The Medal of Merit in Science was awarded to Kateřina Šédová (formerly Vacková), an alumna of the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and founder of the NGO LOONO, which educates the public on serious disease prevention.

President Petr Pavel also awarded the Medal of Merit in Science to Professor Jan Švejnar, who is based at Columbia University and also works at the Centre for Economic Research and Graduate Education – Economics Institute (CERGE-EI), Charles University, which he co-founded. You can read an interview with Jan Švejnar in Forum magazine here

TEXT: Helena Zdráhalová

PHOTO: Hynek Glos, Shutterstock