“We are right on time,” say Michal Pěchouček and Michaela Bakala on attracting top international researchers

Or perhaps more accurately, a step closer. While the foundation has historically focused on supporting gifted students on their journeys to prestigious universities abroad, it is now joining forces with the oldest technical university in Europe to bring top-tier science directly to the Czech Republic.

The Bakala Foundation is donating one million dollars to the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), creating a new endowed position: the CTU-Bakala Distinguished Chair, set to be filled by an elite international scientist.

In an exclusive joint interview, Michaela Bakala explains the reasoning behind this strategic move and whether this is merely a one-off initiative. CTU Rector Michal Pěchouček details what the Prague-based technical university has to offer to attract global scientific luminaries.

“I brought the signed agreement, Foundation Director Václav Pecha will ensure the funds are transferred, and Michal Pěchouček and his team will select the right candidate,” said Michaela Bakala, summarizing the division of roles. She flew into Prague from the United States just hours before signing the deed of donation for CTU. Despite the whirlwind trip, she exuded energy and genuine enthusiasm for the new project.

How did this all come about? What convinced you that CTU was the right partner for such an extensive collaboration?

Michaela Bakala (MB): Michal Pěchouček and I go back a long way; together, we built the Scholarship program, which has been running for nearly twenty years. Its sole purpose is to support talented young students. Michal also serves on the program’s selection committee. We don’t restrict candidates by field of study or geography, but experience has shown us that the top students who need our foundation’s support generally head to the United Kingdom or the United States.

Given the shifts that began unfolding in the United States a few years ago—who came into power and their approach to education—along with Brexit, which made access to top British universities significantly more expensive and complicated for Czech students, we started exploring new pathways to foster access to elite education. This meant considering both how to increase our funding and how to deploy it differently. We knew Michal was keen on deepening his engagement at CTU, so our conversations about a potential partnership naturally intensified.

And that aligned with your overall vision?

MB: Exactly. When Michal became Rector of CTU and came forward with his own vision and programs—specifically looking at how to harness the potential of individual donors and sponsors in the Czech Republic, and how to apply the lessons we’ve learned from foreign universities here—we realized it fit our mission seamlessly. Quality education is the ultimate key, and empowering it is our raison d’être.

So the Bakala Foundation will no longer “only” send students abroad, but also bring the world to the Czech Republic?

MB: Precisely. On one hand, we send the most talented graduates from Czech secondary schools abroad and provide them with sustained support, with the vast majority eventually returning home. The second thought was to take a hard look at the quality of Czech universities: what caliber of graduates they produce, and what might be preventing them from achieving even greater excellence.

Naturally, we cannot send every student abroad to learn from the world’s leading minds—so why not bring one of those minds here? We are expanding our scope and dedicating a substantial portion of our resources to establishing a world-class scientific workspace here in Prague, enabling students to collaborate with the best without having to relocate to the United States or elsewhere.

How does your own background inform this initiative, Rector?

Michal Pěchouček (MP): I am an ardent supporter of the Bakala Foundation Scholarship program, and I am delighted to be involved and help Michaela and Zdeněk [Bakala] shape the vision. In part, this stems from my personal commitment: thirty years ago, I completed my studies in the United Kingdom thanks to private funding. I deeply believe in the power of private philanthropy to support students who attend world-class institutions and eventually return to the Czech Republic to contribute to our society. That is a path I walked myself.

CTU is a premier technical university in the region—a venerable institution with a distinguished track record—and I take immense pride in steering its development. However, one area where CTU remains somewhat traditional is its lack of private endowment capital dedicated to fostering university excellence. World-class institutions abroad rely on societal, philanthropic backing to drive academic excellence. In the Czech Republic, that tradition is still in its infancy.

And that is a culture you wish to cultivate here?

MP: Yes, that is precisely the model I want to bring to the Czech Republic. I want to demonstrate that it makes tremendous sense for visionary individuals who believe in education and excellence to invest directly in a university. The CTU-Bakala Chair complements the Scholarship program beautifully: it scales the experience students can gain, but reverses the direction. Rather than solely sending students overseas, we can attract a top-tier scholar right here to CTU.

What real-world impact do you anticipate from this initiative?

MP: The impact will be multifaceted. First, it brings a fresh perspective—an international perspective from an elite institution—demonstrating alternative methodologies in research and teaching. Second, such a figure builds research teams around themselves, generating a powerful multiplier effect. And third, demonstrating this proven, internationally recognized philanthropic model at CTU can inspire other benefactors. Our hope is that this will pave the way for more partnerships like this in the future.

Mrs. Bakala, how do you view this from the foundation’s perspective?

MB: I believe that the scholar chosen by CTU—and I am eager to see who it will be—will inspire our students and help develop academic programs that are still lacking here. Drawing on their own journey, they can guide students on where to take their careers next. That is a fundamental question that our team has been helping students navigate from high school onwards.

Whenever a student shows promise, we help them identify the right university, find counterparts and mentors, understand expectations, prepare for international study, and select target schools with purpose. In this regard, I see this chair as a bellwether for what could—and under normal circumstances should—be happening here just as it does abroad.

I am thrilled that our country’s oldest technical institution has the vision and courage to lead the way for others. This is the start of a journey, not the finish line. We view this as a pilot project; signing our first agreement today by no means implies it will be the last. I anticipate this will mark the beginning of a sustained collaboration. We have committed to an initial three-year term and look forward to the insights it yields.

Who are you hoping to recruit to the university? What should their profile look like?

MP: We want to find the most inspiring, compelling individual who has an appetite to relocate to the Czech Republic. At the same time, we hope to find someone who aligns with our strategic priority areas. CTU has three key priority fields where we are currently experiencing rapid growth and intend to expand further.

Which fields are those?

MP: The first is Artificial Intelligence and robotics, including practical applications. CTU boasts a proud tradition in both AI and robotics. The second area is energy and cleantech (editor's note: technologies aimed at minimizing negative environmental impact through improved energy efficiency, sustainable resource use, and environmental protection). We have a dedicated Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, making us one of the few institutions in the region with highly competitive expertise in nuclear engineering, and we also house the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings.

The third area encompasses microchips and quantum technologies. We are scaling rapidly in quantum computing, host the Quantum Innovation Center, and actively collaborate on microchips with partners in Taiwan and Dresden. Microelectronics has historically been a hallmark of excellence at our Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and we want to build upon Czechoslovakia's semiconductor legacy.

These are our three priority domains, and we would welcome a candidate whose work falls within one of them. That said, we have set no rigid boundaries. The selection process will be strictly guided by true excellence, quality, and the ability to inspire our students.

Do you genuinely have a shot at attracting the very best? What is the draw, beyond remuneration?

MP: We are offering a named chair, which holds enormous inherent value for anyone contemplating a move to the Czech Republic. Without such an endowed post, candidates often face uncertainty about whether a permanent position will materialize in the department. That structured commitment is invaluable to someone considering a move from the United States to Europe at a stage in their career when they want to establish their own research group. Very few Czech universities are capable of offering this, which sets us apart considerably.

Another significant asset is CTU itself. We have a stellar track record with doctoral candidates. In science, PhD candidates are the true engine of research. In an era when finding top doctoral talent is increasingly difficult, CTU represents an attractive destination for senior faculty precisely because of the caliber of our rising scientific generation.

And the third factor—let’s be frank—is Prague. That means quality of life, public safety, and institutional predictability. These are compelling considerations for researchers weighing a relocation from another part of the world to Europe. If you look at the QS World University Rankings, Czech universities typically place around 200th (Charles University) or 400th (CTU). Yet when the same rankings assess student cities and urban livability, Prague ranks 27th globally—far higher than the universities themselves. So the city itself is an immense competitive advantage.

Mrs. Bakala, do you share this perspective?

MB: We all sense that potential. Education in the Czech Republic is currently undergoing a degree of transformation regarding budgets and government strategic priorities. Overall, however, I believe Czech education ranks among the solid performers in Europe. We all recognize that investing in it makes sense and represents our future.

Does living primarily outside the Czech Republic shape your perspective?

MB: I see how the United States—where our children are studying—is evolving. Over recent years, we’ve witnessed a growing desire among American academics to gain international experience in Europe, and I anticipate that trend will accelerate. We are seeing a distinct recalibration of how America views the rest of the world, and how we relate to it. That connection will likely become more open and fluid, which will be particularly evident in academia.

Quite candidly, many people in the United States today feel unsettled; they sense constraints and pressures because education has not been prioritized by the current administration. Even top-tier institutions have come under intense social and financial strain. In that light, I believe our new initiative could not be better timed.

Do you share that sentiment, Rector?

MP: Even for established professors planning their lifelong academic careers, spending time in Europe at an institution of our caliber can provide transformative experience for their professional trajectory. I also believe the timing is ideal given the current dynamics between Europe and the United States.

Twenty years ago, everyone wanted to leave. Today, the time has come for leading minds—whether from the UK or the US—to come here, creating an opportunity for mutual enrichment. When that collaboration aligns, something profoundly positive and valuable emerges.

What else makes CTU compelling to international scholars?

MP: From an American standpoint, what makes CTU particularly appealing is that it is not an insular institution; it is integrated into several broader academic ecosystems. The first is domestic: we have established a strong partnership with Brno University of Technology and are expanding our collaboration with Masaryk University. I am an enthusiastic proponent of the Prague–Brno axis in technology and education.

The second ecosystem connects us to the Germanic tradition of historic technical universities; we enjoy outstanding partnerships with institutions in Munich, Dresden, Vienna, and Graz.

Most crucially, CTU is a member of EuroTech—a prestigious alliance of leading European technical universities that includes TU Eindhoven, TU Munich, DTU in Denmark, École Polytechnique, and EPFL in Switzerland. CTU joined this elite group this year. Scholars joining CTU gain direct access to networks in Munich, Paris, and Lausanne. That is an enormous asset, as it ensures they are not isolated in Central Europe wondering about their next steps.

What will the recruitment and selection process look like in practice?

MP: It will combine an open call with targeted recruitment. Because we are not looking for an early-career researcher, but rather an established, mid-career professional capable of driving a transformative impact in their field at CTU, we will personally leverage our networks in the US and the UK to reach out to select figures. We are not engaging an executive search agency.

This initiative is built on personal connections—on faculty members with existing or past ties to the United States. Our goal is to identify the very best candidates. We aim to finalize a shortlist by year-end and make the appointment early next year so that we know who will fill the chair. After that comes the more nuanced onboarding negotiation, as an elite scholar cannot simply pack up and relocate within a week.

When do you anticipate they will actually arrive on campus? What is the timeline?

MP: We foresee a phased transition. The selected scholar might initially split their time fifty-fifty between CTU and, say, Princeton or wherever their current obligations lie. Over the course of the first nine months, we would aim to transition them to a full-time appointment at CTU.

Naturally, this is a competitive endeavor. Similar recruitment drives are underway across Europe, as many universities are seeking to capitalize on the current interest in the continent. Thus far, institutions like Cambridge, Oxford, or ETH Zurich have been the primary beneficiaries, experiencing a massive influx of global talent. We have to do the legwork to earn our share of that momentum.

What is your ideal vision for the candidate? Beyond being a leader in one of the fields you mentioned, should they lean more toward applied innovation or fundamental research?

MP: I don’t want to express a bias either way, not least because I don’t place applied research above basic research myself. I firmly believe a university’s core duty is to pursue cutting-edge, excellent science. Parallel to that, a university needs individuals who want to innovate—who take scientific breakthroughs to launch startups or partner with industry.

These don’t need to be the same people; the PhD students trained by elite fundamental researchers are often the very ones who go on to build startups. I certainly don’t want to predetermine a preference in this search. However, I am convinced that bringing in the right caliber of talent will inherently boost CTU’s competitiveness in applied research and venture creation—even if that isn’t the direct focus of the appointed chair.

Will the Foundation have a say in the final selection, or is that strictly CTU's domain?

MB: We place full trust in the search committee established by CTU and Michal Pěchouček. We leave the academic assessment entirely in the hands of the university. I believe this will be a fascinating process; it is a true vanguard initiative, an initial step that I am confident will succeed and inspire other benefactors and institutions to follow suit.

I would love to see other donors recognize that this is a highly effective way to support Czech science and higher education. We have an abundance of bright, capable individuals who can contribute far more to society if given the right resources and environment.

Rector, how do you perceive the role of private philanthropy in the Czech Republic?

MP: You know, many high-net-worth Czech individuals whose businesses operate primarily abroad argue that they prefer to direct their support to the markets where they conduct business. When the Czech Republic is not their commercial focus, the chances of domestic universities securing their backing diminish. That makes me all the more appreciative that the Bakalas, despite having their primary business interests abroad, are committed to funding education and nurturing talent right here in the Czech Republic. That carries immense value.

Mrs. Bakala, how do you reflect on your relationship with the Czech Republic after all these years living abroad?

MB: We have never truly left the Czech Republic, even though our permanent footprint here is smaller and we do not reside here full-time. The commitment—both my husband’s and my own—remains steadfast. Through this next step, we are reaffirming that our country’s future matters deeply to us, even though our lives have unfolded largely abroad for nearly two decades.

Author: Pavla Francová, FORBES.cz