Mr Šedivý brought with him extensive experience in the defence domain, having served as Defence Minister of the Czech Republic (2006-2007), Deputy Defence Minister (2010-2012), NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning (2007-2010) and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO (2012-2019). He also was Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic (2007) and special representative for resilience and new threats at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2019-2020).
Mr Šedivý has a distinguished academic background. He is a graduate of Charles University (Prague) where he earned a PhD in Political Science, and of King’s College (London) where he earned an MA in War Studies. From 2004 to 2006 he was Professor of Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, lecturing on topics such as defence sector transformation, civil-military relations and national strategy making.
Between 1999 and 2004, he was Director of the Institute of International Relations in Prague, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Charles University, Prague, and Professor of European Security at New York University, Prague Centre. As an expert, he played an important role in the Czech Republic’s accession to NATO. It was during this period that he also served as external adviser to President Václav Havel.
Personal information
- Nationality: Czech
- Date of birth: 20 August 1963
Professional career
- Sept 2019 - March 2020
Special Representative of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Resilience and New Threats
- Sep 2012 - Jul 2019
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO
- Nov 2010 - Aug 2012
First Deputy Minister of Defence, Czech Republic
- Oct 2007 - Oct 2010
NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy & Planning
- Jan 2007 - Aug 2007
Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Czech Republic
- Sep 2006 - Jan 2007
Minister of Defence, Czech Republic
- Oct 2004 - Aug 2006
Professor of Central European Security Studies at G. C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Germany
- 1998- 2004
Director of Institute of International Relations (Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs think-tank)
Education
- 1995 – 1999
Ph.D., Political Science, Charles University Prague
- 1993 – 1994
M.A., War Studies, King’s College London
- 1990 – 1993
Public Exam (B.A. level), Political Science, Charles University Prague