Welcome Zuzana Říhová, The New Dean of AAU’s SAHSS

Zuzana rihova

AAU welcomes Zuzana Říhová as the new Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences as well as an Associate Lecturer of Czech and Comparative Literature. She is an experienced international lecturer, acclaimed scholar of avant-garde and modernism in a wider European context,  and a published writer. 

“Literature is love; it constantly teaches me about the world, brings me peace, and deepens my experience of everyday life. To function healthily, I need to read and write as much as possible,” said Říhová.

Before starting her postgraduate studies, Říhová joined the Institute for Czech Literature at the Academy of Sciences. She soon found a passion in teaching and was able to combine it with her love for the UK and the US—where she worked as a lecturer—at AAU.   

“Being a literary historian is great, but I always knew that I wanted to teach – to be in dialogue with young people. AAU is an international university, an environment I love, in the comfort of Prague. I still feel like I can have one foot in England and America while living in the heart of Europe,” said Říhová.

The dean sees AAU’s Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences department as a center for new ideas, academic exchange, and creativity. Říhová wishes to bring a fresh set of eyes, and breath new life into the program.

“All the SAHSS disciplines are important, but it is necessary to change the way they are described and discussed. I want to create a vibrant center for the exchange of ideas, colloquiums, lectures by foreign academics, workshops, exhibitions, and the constant sharing of creative and academic activities,” said Říhová.

AAU announced the launch of three new concentrations, which Říhová initiated as a way of refreshing the program and enticing new students. You can discover more about these programs by contacting admissions@aauni.edu or applying with AAU’s rolling admissions. 

“Creativity and academic activity go hand in hand, and I felt they were missing from the current curriculum. Art Therapy, Graphic Design, and Creative Writing are practical and creatively challenging disciplines that can not only attract the new students, but also academics and creative people from the Czech Republic and abroad,” concluded Říhová.

AAU’s lecturers and deans, like Říhová, are not only contributing to AAU’s advancement, but also actively pursuing their own academic research and interests. Recently, Říhová was a guest at Queen’s College Translation Exchange’s Poetry in Translation Week where she discussed her work translating ‘The Talking Zone’ (1939) by Milada Součková as well as her own novel, Playing Wolf. 

Visit the SAHSS page for more information about the diverse programs and concentrations AAU offers. Start your journey today!