Professor Kateřina Králová from FSV UK to become a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council

Professor Kateřina Králová from the Institute of International Studies FSV UK will become a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC) starting January 1, 2026. This marks the very first representation of Charles University in this prestigious body.

"My appointment to the ERC Scientific Council is a great professional honour and a commitment to the European scientific community. In this role, I will co-shape the ERC's scientific strategy and strive to promote the values ​​that I consider essential for sustainable and responsible science, which enables capacity building, deeper knowledge creation and activities with real impact, preferably in line with the concept of 'slow science' (Stengers 2018). I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to ensuring that European science is an environment in which long-term reflection has its place and excellence grows from careful, thoughtful and ethically anchored work," says Professor Králová on her success.

The European Research Council (ERC) funds top-level research across all disciplines. ERC grants are considered by the scientific community — and beyond — to be the most prestigious in Europe, serving as a measure of research quality in individual countries and as a symbol of the standing of scientific institutions internationally. The Scientific Council consists of six members and is the governing body that sets the research funding strategy for this leading European programme. Among Czech researchers who have previously served on the ERC Scientific Council are nuclear physicist Alice Valkárová and physicists Tomáš Jungwirth and Pavel Exner.

Professor Králová originally studied German studies and political science, but she considers herself a historian by discipline. She earned her professorship in modern history in 2023. In her research, she focuses on 20th-century history, especially regarding events of the Second World War. She has participated in numerous collective projects and international research stays. This year she was also one of the main organisers of the 9th annual conference of the Memory Studies Association, a significant global platform for researchers in the field of memory studies. You can read more about Professor Králová’s research or the organization of the international conference in articles on the website about science at FSV UK.

Congratulations on her achievement!