Habilitation Procedure | Filozofická fakulta Univerzity Karlovy

As part of the habilitation procedure at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, the candidate demonstrates their pedagogical and scientific competence and experience to obtain the academic title of Associate Professor (docent). The procedure includes the defence of the habilitation dissertation and a habilitation lecture before the Research Board of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University.

Detailed information for candidates, the Chair of the Subject-Area Board, reviewers, and the Associate Professorship Commission can be found in the sections below.

List of accredited fields for procedures to attain associate professorship and procedures for the appointment of full professorship at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University is available here.

Relevant regulations and guidelines for the procedures to attain associate professorship and procedures for the appointment of full professorship:

Act No. 111/1998 Sb.
Code of Procedure for the Granting of Associate Professorship and Full Professorship of Charles University
Code of Procedure for the Research Board of Charles University
Constitution of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University
Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025 – Criteria and Field-Specific Requirements for Habilitation and Full Professorship Appointment Procedures Implemented at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. Applicable to procedures initiated from May 15, 2025.
Rector’s Directive No. 55/2023 – Prevention of Conflicts of Interest in the Habilitation Procedure and the Procedure for Appointment as Professor.
Rector’s Directive No. 6/2025 – Documents required for the commencement of the procedure aimed at granting associate professorship and full professorship, and recommended criteria for the assessment of qualifications and competences for the purposes of such procedure at Charles University. Applicable to procedures initiated from March 31, 2025.
Rector’s Directive No. 72/2017, as amended by Rector’s Directive No. 16/2019 – Access to the Electronic Database of Final Theses.

Submission of the Application
- The candidate submits an application to commence the habilitation procedure along with all required appendices.
- The procedure officially begins on the date the complete proposal is received by the Research Department of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University (hereafter referred to as “OV”).
Establishment of the Associate Professorship Commission
- The subject-area board of the most relevant doctoral program is asked to propose a habilitation commission.
- The application is reviewed by the Dean’s Board.
- The proposed commission, along with the proposed habilitation lectures, is approved by the Research Board of the Faculty of Arts.
Fee Payment and Submission of Lecture Abstract
- The candidate is requested to pay a fee of 2,000 CZK.
- The candidate must also submit an abstract of their selected habilitation lecture.
Appointment of Reviewers
- The appointed habilitation commission designates three reviewers for the habilitation dissertation.
- Upon receiving the reviewers’ reports, the candidate updates the appendices of their proposal accordingly.
Evaluation and Recommendation
- The commission formulates an evaluation opinion regarding the candidate’s scientific and pedagogical competence and provides recommendations on the further course of the procedure.
- The candidate receives the opinion for review immediately, but no later than 14 days before their presentation before the Research Board of the Faculty.
Presentation before the Research Board of the Faculty
- The candidate delivers their habilitation lecture and addresses the commission’s opinion.
- The Faculty Research Board then votes in a closed session on whether to recommend or not the candidate for habilitation.
- If the candidate is not recommended, the habilitation procedure is terminated.
Further Approval Process
- If recommended by the Faculty Research Board, the candidate’s file is forwarded to the Rectorate of Charles University.
- The final decision is made by the Rector’s Board or, if necessary, by the University Research Board.
Appointment of Associate Professors
- The Rector appoints Associate Professors, with the appointment taking effect on the first day of the month following the final approval by the Rector’s Board or the University Research Board.

Conditions for Initiating the Procedure

Recommended criteria are detailed in Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025. For procedures initiated before May 15, 2025, Rector’s Directive No. 35/2019 also applies. A careful review of all relevant regulations is strongly recommended (see the Regulations section).

Previously obtained scientific degrees, such as CSc., Dr., Ph.D., Th.D., DrSc., or an equivalent scientific qualification. For more information on the recognition of foreign education (the so-called nostrification process), please visit the rectorate’s website.
Continuous pedagogical activities for at least the past three years. An applicant who has completed maternity leave, parental leave or long-term stay abroad may provide a statement of teaching activities for the three-year period immediately preceding or partially overlapping with these events.
Habilitation dissertation (according to § 72(3) of Act No. 111/1998 Sb.).
Minimum of 20 publications.
Minimum of 5 international or foreign-language publications.
Minimum of 20 citations in scientific literature (out of which 10 citations appear in international scientific literature). For more information on possible exceptions to the minimal counts, please see Article 3 (4) in Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025.

Application to Commence the Habilitation Procedure

The application and its annexes are the key document of the habilitation procedure. Based on the documents in the application, the commission forms its opinion. The documents are also available to the Research Board of the Faculty.
It is submitted to the Research Department, both in paper and electronic form (the preferred format for appendices to the proposal is .docx).
Individual annexes to the application may be updated during the procedure. The applicant is usually also asked to update if the academic or calendar year has changed during the procedure or if the application shows any formal deficiencies.
By signing, the applicant confirms the truthfulness and correctness of the information provided.

The application has the following requirements. All mandatory forms can be downloaded from the section below.

The application to commence the habilitation procedure. The list of accredited fields for procedures to attain associate professorship and procedures for the appointment of full professorship at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University is available here.
Appendix 1: Curriculum Vitae.
Appendix 2: Diplomas. Officially verified copies of diplomas for all titles preceding and appended to the applicant’s name must be provided, with the obligation to submit the doctoral title. In the case of a title obtained abroad, an officially verified translation must also be provided. For more information on the recognition of foreign education, please visit the rectorate’s website. Please note that the requirement to submit the diploma applies to graduates of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University as well.
Appendix 3: Verification of professional experience from all workplaces where the applicant is currently employed. Confirmation for the Faculty of Arts, Charles University is provided by the Research Department upon application for the procedure.
Appendix 4: Evaluation of Candidate’s Professional and Scientific-Pedagogical Activities. The evaluation will be prepared and signed by the candidate’s supervisor (usually the head of the department / director of the institute) at all workplaces where the candidate is employed. The format is flexible.
Appendix 5: Pedagogical Activity. It is reported for the current academic year and the three preceding years. It is documented using form 5a.
Appendix 6: Publishing Activity. Only published scientific, professional, or artistic works can be reported. In the case of collective publications, the applicant will indicate their authorship share (in percentage). For no type of procedure are popular publications, abstracts (even if published in quality journals or collections), and letters to the editor counted among the number of relevant studies.
Appendix 7: Citation Counts. Multiple citations in one text are counted only once. Self-citations and citations from students’ theses are not included.
Appendix 8: Placements. If the applicant has not completed any academic stay, this Appendix should be submitted in the form of a statutory declaration.
Appendix 9: Grants.
Appendix 10: Conferences.
Appendix 11: Proposal for three habilitation lectures. The topics of the lectures to qualify for associate professorship must not overlap with the topic of the habilitation dissertation. After the selection of the topic by the Research Board of the Faculty, the candidate will be invited to submit detailed theses of this lecture.
Appendix 12: Annotation for the habilitation dissertation. In the case of submitting the habilitation dissertation in a language other than Czech, the abstract must be submitted in both Czech and the language of the dissertation. Length: max. 1 page of typescript.
Appendix 13: Habilitation Dissertation. The dissertation is submitted both electronically in the form of a machine-readable .pdf and in printed form in 2 copies.
- The dissertation is published in the repository of final theses of Charles University after the defence before the Research Board.
- The following are excluded from publication:
  1. a printed monograph, for which the relevant bibliographic data is published,
  2. a printed collection of articles, for which a commentary on the collection and a list of articles constituting the collection, along with the relevant bibliographic data, is published.
- A request for postponement of the publication of the habilitation dissertation for a maximum period of 3 years can be made.
- The scope of the habilitation dissertation is not defined by regulations.
- In the case of an unpublished habilitation manuscript, working copies bound in a hard cover with a mandatory title page must be submitted: Title page of the habilitation thesis.
- In the case of habilitation dissertation, which consists of a collection of published articles, the applicant electronically submits both the full text of the dissertation and a file containing only the previously unpublished commentary supplemented by a list of articles that constitute the habilitation dissertation.

The habilitation commission consists of five members, including professors, associate professors, and other distinguished representatives of the candidate’s field or a related discipline. The chair of the Associate Professorship Commission must be a full professor.

Formal requirements for the commission are defined in the Code of Procedure for the Granting of Associate Professorship and Full Professorship of Charles University and in Rector’s Directive No. 55/2023. For procedures initiated after May 15, 2025, the commission’s composition must also comply with the conditions set forth in Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025.

A mandatory part of the commission proposal is a brief biographical summary of the proposed members (format flexible).

Current rules for commission composition
Commission proposal form

Commission Responsibilities

The habilitation commission is responsible for:

Appointing reviewers for the habilitation thesis (see the Reviewer section).
Providing a written opinion on the candidate’s scientific and pedagogical qualifications which concludes whether the commission recommends the candidate for appointment as Associate Professor to the Faculty Research Board or not.

The commission’s statement is prepared based on:

The candidate’s application and supporting documents.
Reviewers’ reports.
Compliance with Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025 (for procedures initiated before May 15, 2025, also in accordance with Rector’s Directive No. 35/2019).

All document submissions are handled by the Research Department via the CHRES application, which provides commission members with access to relevant materials. The commission’s statement can also be submitted through this application.

Role of the Habilitation Commission

The habilitation commission is invited to the Faculty Research Board meeting, where the candidate’s dissertation defence takes place. The chair of the commission or a designated member is responsible for introducing the candidate, summarizing the reports of absent reviewers, and presenting the commission’s final opinion.

Honorarium

The chair of the commission, if external to the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, is also entitled to a financial honorarium, payable on the date the habilitation commission’s statement is approved.

Commission Meetings

The chair of the habilitation commission is responsible for scheduling meeting dates. The chair also presides over the meetings; if they are unable to attend, a designated member (or, if necessary, the senior-most member of the commission) takes over. Meetings may be held both online and in person.

The commission reaches a quorum if at least four members are present at the meeting.

Voting on the selection of reviewers may take place per rollam.
Voting on the commission’s opinion may be conducted either in person or via the CHRES application.

Appointment and Responsibilities of Reviewers

The habilitation commission appoints three reviewers for the habilitation dissertation, two of whom must not be employees of the university or any legal entity employing the candidate. The Research Department verifies whether a reviewer is employed at Charles University.

Valid rules for appointing reviewers
Reviewer nomination form

By accepting this role, a reviewer commits to submitting a habilitation dissertation report, preferably within two months of being contacted. The length of the report is not strictly defined but typically does not exceed three pages of typed text, addressing the content, academic quality, and formal aspects of the submitted habilitation dissertation.

Required Elements of the Report

Candidate’s name and title of the habilitation dissertation.
Clear statement on whether the dissertation meets the standard requirements for a habilitation dissertation.
Explicit recommendation or non-recommendation for further progress in the habilitation process.
Date of report submission and reviewer’s name. Please note that in the printed version, this information must be accompanied by the reviewer’s handwritten signature.

Reports must be submitted both electronically and in print to the Research Department, which then forwards them to the candidate and the commission.

Reviewer’s Role in the Faculty Research Board Meeting

Reviewers are invited to the Faculty Research Board meeting, where the candidate defends their dissertation. At the meeting, the reviewer presents a summary of their reports. If a reviewer is unable to attend, the chair of the habilitation commission presents the report on their behalf. During the defence, the candidate responds to the reviews and addresses any questions from the reviewers.

Financial Compensation

Reviewers external to the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, are entitled to a financial honorarium for submitting a report. The honorarium is paid upon submission of the report via an Agreement to Perform a Job (DPP).

Introduction:
- The Dean/Vice-Dean introduces the agenda item, the candidate, the chair of the commission, present commission members, and reviewers.
Habilitation Lecture (up to 20 minutes):
- The candidate delivers a habilitation lecture.
- A presentation is mandatory.
Summary of the Commission’s Opinion:
- The chair of the commission presents a summary of the commission’s opinion.
Reviewers’ Reports:
- Reviewers briefly read the final section of their report. In disputed cases, the full report may be read. Otherwise, only a summary is presented, as Research Board members already had access to the full reports.
- If a reviewer is absent, the chair of the commission presents their report.
Candidate’s Response:
- The candidate responds to the reports of the habilitation thesis and the commission’s opinion.
- The candidate reflects on their pedagogical and research experience and presents their future academic plans (5–10 minutes).
Public Discussion:
- Discussion topics may include the habilitation lecture, habilitation dissertation, or candidate’s portfolio.
- The candidate answers each question immediately after it is posed.
Closed Session:
- Guests and the candidate leave; the commission usually remains.
- Evaluation of the Lecture:
  - A three-member subcommittee of the Research Board evaluates the habilitation lecture.
  - A representative of the evaluators reads the proposed text of the evaluation.
  - Optional discussion on the lecture’s evaluation.
  - Voting on the final text of the evaluation.
- Final Discussion and Voting (Secret ballot):
  - Optional discussion on the habilitation process as a whole.
  - After the discussion, a secret ballot vote is conducted.
  - A simple majority of the 43 Research Board members is required for approval (at least 22 affirmative votes).
  - The quorum is 29 members.
Announcement of the Results:
- The result is announced in the presence of the candidate and the public.
- The candidate is given an opportunity to respond to the outcome.