On Thursday, November 16, 2023, ten of this year's Security Academy participants met for the second time. On the agenda was a meeting with David Konecký, Director General for Security and Multilateral Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and the participants' first meeting with the program's mentors.
David Konecký discussed with participants the Czech foreign policy with regard to the current security situation in the world, which is quite turbulent. During a very interesting and open discussion, we touched upon a number of topics linking diplomacy and security - among others, the Czech diplomatic and military engagement in African states, the relationship with China and the EU's efforts to achieve strategic autonomy.
The discussion was followed by a tour of the premises of the Czernin Palace, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located. We also visited the premises where Jan Masaryk lived and learned more about the history of the building itself, as well as about the life of Jan Masaryk and the functioning of the Ministry.
In the afternoon, we had a detailed introduction of the mentoring program, which is one of the key components of the Security Academy, as well as introductions of individual mentors to the participants and setting the basic parameters of cooperation. Participants will meet regularly with mentors and work together to prepare a policy paper to be submitted during the second semester of the Security Academy. Their cooperation will also be focused on professional development and preparation for future careers, where mentors working e.g. at the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, the NCOZ (Police of the Czech Republic), the National Cyber and Information Security Agency, the Army of the Czech Republic or in academia will share their professional experience with the participants of the Academy.
Michael Murad
