Brigadier General Petr Šnajdárek, a graduate of the predecessor of today’s University of Defence (then the Military Academy in Brno), and Mgr. Robin Šmíd, a staff member of the Institute of Intelligence Studies at the University of Defence, were honored during the ceremonial presentation of the Security Council Award (SCA) for 2025. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, July 1, at the Liechtenstein Palace in Prague, attended by Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský. Also present was the rector-commander of the University of Defence, Brigadier General Jan Farlík.

Brigadier General Petr Šnajdárek, Director of the Communications and Information Systems Section of the Ministry of Defence, received the SCA for significant progress in the field of information and communication technologies in public administration, especially focusing on secure data sharing, state defense, and early warning systems.

Traditionally, an award was also presented in the student category. Honorary recognition was given to Robin Šmíd, a graduate of Security and Strategic Studies at Masaryk University and currently an assistant at the Institute of Intelligence Studies at the University of Defence, for his thesis “Cognitive Warfare – Analysis of the Conceptual Framework.”

In his speech, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Security Council Petr Fiala emphasized that the country’s security is the result of long-term effort and the responsible approach of society as a whole:“For many years, I have been saying that we must actively take care of security. It is not enough to take it for granted – we must be prepared for both external and internal threats. I am proud that the Czech Republic has made significant progress in this area during my government.”

The Security Council Award is presented annually to individuals and groups for outstanding merits in the field of the Czech Republic’s security and defense policy, for active participation in the security community, or for lifelong contributions in this area. The award was established in 2001 in memory of Reserve Colonel Jaroslav Janda and is given in two categories – main and student – for significant works, active engagement, or lifelong merits. The decision on the award is made by a commission appointed by the Security Council and approved by the government. The purpose of the award is to promote interest in security issues, motivate experts and students to deeper professional activity, and recognize exceptional contributions to strengthening the security of the Czech Republic.

Author: Lucie Sedláková

Photo: R-C