Schedule of the Conference

TUESDAY, September 8, 2026    
Defence University Club, Šumavská 4, 662 10 Brno, Czech Republic

08:30-09:30    Registration 
09:30-10:00     OPENING CEREMONY (Main Conference Hall)
Speakers:
Petr PAVEL, PRESIDENT of the CZECH REPUBLIC
Dr. Karolis ALEKSA, Vice Minister of National Defence of LITHUANIA
Lt Gen Remigijus BALTRĖNAS, Director General of the NATO International Military Staff, LITHUANIA
Brig Gen Jan FARLÍK, Rector-Commandant of the University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC
Brig Gen Aurel SABÓ, Rector of the Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, SLOVAKIA
Col Ričardas DUMBLIAUSKAS, Commandant of the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of LITHUANIA

Moderator: COL Jan DROZD, PhD, Dean of Faculty of Military Leadership, University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC 
———————————————————————————————————    
10:00-11:00     PLENARY SESSION
“LEADING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY: MILITARY LEADERSHIP IN AN ERA OF STRATEGIC COMPETITION AND EVOLVING ALLIANCE OBLIGATIONS“

Plenary Speakers:
Lt Gen Michal KOUDELKA, Director of the Security Information Service of the CZECH REPUBLIC
Maj Gen Jaroslav MÍKA, Commander, Joint Operations Command, Czech Armed Forces, CZECH REPUBLIC
Brig Gen Almantas LEIKA, Chief of the Inspectorate General, Ministry of National Defence of LITHUANIA
Brig Gen Aurel SABÓ, Rector of the Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik, SLOVAKIA
PhDr. Jan JIREŠ, former Head of the Defence Section, Permanent Delegation of the CZECH REPUBLIC to NATO

Moderator: Lt General Ivo STŘECHA, Military Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO and the European Union, Czech Armed Forces, CZECH REPUBLIC
 ————————————————————————-
11:00-11:20      Discussions  
11:20-12:00      Coffee Break
—————————————————————————
12:00-13:00      PLENARY SESSION
“NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN DEFENSE: HARNESSING THE POWER OF AI AND DRONES FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL MILITARY INNOVATION”

Plenary Speakers:
Maj Gen (Ret.) Bohuslav DVOŘÁK, Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Defence and Security Adviser, CZECH REPUBLIC
Brig Gen Jan FARLÍK, Rector-Commandant of the University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC
COL Laurynas IVANAUSKAS, Deputy Commander for Innovation, Training and Doctrine Command of the LAF, LITHUANIA
LT COL Serhii ZHURAVSKYI, Korolov Military Institute of Zhytomyr, UKRAINE
LT Andrii DZIKOVSKYI, Korolov Military Institute of Zhytomyr, UKRAINE
Mr Oscar BENCOMO GARCIA, Head of Unmanned Systems, EMEA, HP Additive Manufacturing Solutions, SPAIN

Moderator: Dr. habil. Eng. Marian Janusz ŁOPATKA, Director, Institute of Robotics and Machine Design, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, POLAND
  —————————————————————————–   
13:00-13:20      Discussions
13:20-13:45      GROUP PHOTO (Panelists and Scientific Committee Members) 
13:45-15:00      Lunch 
——————————————————————————-
15:00-16:00      PLENARY SESSION
“PREPARING FOR THE UNPREDICTABLE: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN ADDRESSING MODERN SECURITY CHALLENGES”

Plenary Speakers:
Giedrius VILIŪNAS, PhD, Vice-Rector for Studies and Research, General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of LITHUANIA
Assoc Prof Marek SEDLAČÍK, PhD, Vice-Rector for Education and Student Affairs, University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC
Prof Roberto MUGAVERO, President of the European Centre for Disaster Medicine, CEMEC, Republic of San Marino
COL Radek PILAŘ, representing the Czech Air Force General Staff, CZECH REPUBLIC
COL Vlastimil NEUMANN, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Military Technology, University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC
LT COL Linas IDZELIS, Commander of Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, LITHUANIA

Moderator: COL GS Vladan HOLCNER, Director of the Language Education Centre, University of Defence, CZECH REPUBLIC
—————————————————————————–   
16:00-16:20      Discussions
——————————————————————————–
17:00-18:30      Evening Social Programme: Exclusive Tour of the Historic Brno Water Reservoirs – One of Brno’s Most Remarkable Hidden Landmarks Water Tanks Brno, among the city’s most striking hidden landmarks