Doc. PhDr. Mikuláš
Bek, Ph.D.
Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports (since 4th May 2023)
Mikuláš Bek was born in Šternberk to parents from Litovel and Olomouc. He grew up in Prague, where his parents moved. After graduating from a grammar school in 1982, he came to Brno for the first time as a student of Musicology at the then University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně, which is Masaryk University today. In 1986 he completed his studies and, after completing military service, he continued at Charles University in Prague, where he obtained a doctorate. During his studies he completed a half-year study visit to the Humboldt University in Berlin. At the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, he then worked as an assistant professor; in 1994 he was a “visiting lecturer” at Royal Holloway College (University of London).
Since 1999 he has been teaching at Masaryk University in Brno, where he initially worked as the head of Department of Musicology, and since 2004 as vice-rector for strategy and external relations, among other things responsible for international relations and European Structural Fund projects. From 2011 to 2019 he served for two terms as the rector of Masaryk University. He also held the position of vice-president of the Czech Rectors Conference for education and represented the Czech Republic in the council of the European University Association. From 2000 to 2017 he lived in Dambořice, where he was a representative for a single term (2006–2010). In 2018 he was elected senator for the constituency of Brno-město and became Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on European Union Affairs; in 2020 he was elected its chairman.
Mikuláš Bek is married and lives in Hajany near Brno. He speaks English, German and Russian.
Personal Details
doc. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D., born 22nd April 1964
Education
2004 Postdoctoral degree at Masaryk University in the field of musicology
1995 Doctoral study of musicology, Ph.D.
1986 Study of musicology, PhDr.
Career and Public Service
2020: Chairman of the Senate Committee on European Union Affairs of the Parliament of the Czech
Republic
2020: Chairman of board of trustees of the Endowment Fund for the construction and operation of the Moravian
Holocaust Documentation Centre
2019: Member of the University Council of University of Augsburg
2019: Member of the board of trustees of the Nadace O2 foundation
since 2018: Senator of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on European
Union Affairs
2011–2019: Rector of Masaryk University
2008–2011: Chairman of the Advisory Board for Research Infrastructure at Masaryk University, Rector’s advisory
body for Structural Fund projects
2006–2010: Municipal representative, Dambořice
2004–2011: Prorector for Strategy and External Relations at Masaryk University
1999–2004: Head of the Department of Musicology at the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University
