Building on the successful cooperation between the University of Defence and the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, the next edition of the scientific conference Challenges to National Defence in Contemporary Geopolitical Situation (CNDCGS)—held in 2024—will be hosted in Brno on 8–10 September 2026. The conference will be indexed in the Scopus database.

As part of the effort to deepen mutual collaboration, a working visit to Lithuania will take place in 2025. During the visit, the Rector-Commander of the University of Defence, Brigadier General Jan Farlík, will meet with representatives of the Lithuanian academy to discuss the strategic direction of joint activities. The visit will also include a formal signing ceremony of a memorandum of cooperation, which will officially affirm the continuation and further development of the partnership in research, education, and the organization of professional conferences.

As part of expert cooperation activities, the University of Defence has already been represented by the Vice-Rector for Education and Student Affairs, Associate Professor Marek Sedlačík. During his visit, he met with Colonel Ričardas Dumbliauskas, Commander of the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy, and General Valdemaras Rupšys, Chief of the General Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

The CNDCGS 2026 conference programme will also feature a dedicated section for PhD students, aimed at supporting young researchers and providing a platform for the presentation of their work. The best paper in this section will be awarded by a professional jury. In this way, the conference will once again confirm its status in 2026 as a prominent international platform for the exchange of knowledge and the strengthening of defence cooperation in the context of the current geopolitical situation.

Photo: Marek Sedlačík
Author: Lucie Sedláková