CEERES and the University of Chicago Division of the Social Sciences present the inaugural event in the Václav Havel Lecture Series, commemorating the Czech dissident, playwright, and statesman.
His Excellency Petr Pavel, president of the Czech Republic, will give an address titled “The Transatlantic Bond: Challenges and Opportunities.” He will be joined in conversation by Benjamin Frommer of Northwestern University.
Mr Pavel has many years of military experience spanning from 1983 to 2018, ascending from a Special Purpose Airborne Reconnaissance Platoon Leader to the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. Notably, he chaired the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018, further solidifying his expertise and leadership within the international defence community. Throughout his career, he led various positions, such as the Commander of Special Forces Brigade or the Deputy Military Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU.
After retiring from the army, Mr Pavel continued his dedication to public service, engaging in civil society initiatives and as a freelance lecturer on defence, security, and international relations. In 2022, as an independent candidate nominated by the citizens and supported by a central-right coalition government, he announced his candidacy for the presidential election, which he won in January 2023. Subsequently, in March 2023, he was inaugurated as the 4th President of the Czech Republic.
The Václav Havel Lecture Series is made possible by a generous gift from Gabriel Eichler (A.M., ’74) and Tatiana Eichler.