Dear colleagues,
On behalf of the entire management of the Faculty of Arts, I want to express our gratitude to all who have chosen to participate in the warning strike called by the Czech University Trade Union in collaboration with the Hour of Truth initiative on Tuesday, 17 October 2023. As we witness the full impact of underfunding in higher education, it becomes crucial to strongly yet objectively voice our dissatisfaction with the current state and how some political representatives characterize its roots. We are confident that this strike will unequivocally highlight the unsustainable situation in the humanities and complement other strategies that we, along with deans from other humanities faculties and representatives from various fields, are developing at the faculty, university, and national levels to exert pressure for its rectification.
Our common objective extends beyond securing favourable working conditions for academics. The underfunding of humanities faculties affects everyone, including students and administrative staff. Drawing from the spirit of solidarity and our shared resolve to advocate for a better environment for learning, research, and public service, we believe that we will all find inspiration for further actions that will lead to the flourishing of our faculty. With this in mind, I extend my gratitude to the organizers of the strike for the energy they have dedicated to its preparation. I also wish to thank those who, for various reasons, are unable to join the strike but have shown their solidarity. I look forward to seeing the rest at the gathering in Jan Palach Square on Tuesday at 2:00 pm.
Eva Lehečková
