Milestones and Merriment: Celebrating 35 Years of Anglo-American University

Following guest arrivals and photographs, the formal program began with a welcome from the evening’s master of ceremonies, Joshua Hayden, followed by remarks from President Jiří Schwarz and Chief Executive Officer Anna Hudáková. Representatives from the Student and Alumni Councils also offered brief messages to the community.

Hayden, who also serves as AAU lecturer and institutional research specialist, delivered a tribute to the individuals, past and present, who have shaped AAU across its 35-year history. Tracing the university’s origins back to its founder, Jansen Raichl, Hayden recounted how a vision for an English-language university emerged even before the fall of communism. He spoke of the institution’s early development under leaders like Dr. Vlasta Raichlová, Richard Jones, and Richard Smith, and acknowledged the contributions of enduring faculty such as Tony Ozuna, Ondřej Pilný, and Milada Polisenská, whose influence has spanned decades.

He reflected not only on academic achievements but also the culture of resilience and community that carried the university through tough times, from its formative years through to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hayden also honored contributors to AAU’s academic life and student experience, including Ted Turnau, Tony Marais, George Hays, and Karen Grunow-Harsta, as well as those behind structural milestones like WASC accreditation.

In recognizing the shared mission that binds faculty, students, alumni, and staff, he concluded: 

The AAU Awards Ceremony followed, recognizing outstanding contributions across the university community, with representatives of the Student Council announcing the winners and presenting the awards.

This year’s recipients were:

A period of fine dining and an open bar followed the awards segment. The spring ball began shortly thereafter with a dance performance by Vice President for Academic Affairs Miroslav Svoboda, and a musical performance from a student artist. A full band provided live music throughout the evening, with a playlist that encompassed a variety of styles including Jive, Rumba, Polka, Waltz, Blues, Cha-Cha, and Foxtrot. 

The Gala also featured a charity raffle with all monies collected going towards the Emergency Student Fund, which provides financial assistance to AAU students facing unexpected hardship. Prizes, contributed by more than a dozen university partners and sponsors, included an iPhone 15 Pro, hotel stays, fitness memberships, and gift vouchers. 

The evening concluded with final remarks and words of appreciation from Hayden.

The Gala Night gave cause for reflection on AAU’s evolution as an institution, one that began in the aftermath of communism and has since evolved into a model of private higher education in the Czech Republic. 

Founded in 1990, AAU became the first private institution in the Czech Republic to offer instruction exclusively in English. Classes officially began the following year, in 1991, with 51 students and five international lecturers at the Voděhradská Gymnázium campus. In 1992, the institution received its first formal accreditation from the Czech Ministry of Education as a requalification educational establishment.

By 1994, AAU had moved to a new location, Flajšnerka in Prague-Vysočany, where it held its first graduation ceremony in 1995. These early years were marked by grassroots support, including donations of books and equipment from supporters abroad.

The early 2000s brought a period of steady institutional growth. In 2001, AAU relocated to Lázeňská Street in Prague’s Malá Strana, expanding both its facilities and program offerings. A major landmark came in 2008, when the university received Czech accreditation for its graduate programs and was granted permission to use the title “university” in its English name. That same year, AAU began the process of seeking U.S. institutional accreditation through the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), aligning its standards with American higher education institutions.

In 2014, AAU moved to its current home in the Thurn-Taxis Palace in Prague’s historic center. Two years later, it became the first university in the Czech Republic to receive accreditation from WSCUC. The university’s international standing continued to grow, and in 2018, AAU was recognized as a Research Organization by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports; nominated for the European Association for International Education (EAIE) Award; and admitted to the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU).

In recent years, AAU has secured research funding from both the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) and the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TAČR), reinforcing its active role in academic research.

AAU currently has more than 800 students from over 80 countries on campus, alumni from over 90 countries, and offers 28 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations across three schools: the School of International Relations & Diplomacy, the School of Business, and the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. It stands as the most international university in the country, with U.S. citizens currently making up the largest nationality group at 38%.

In fall 2025, the university will expand its academic offerings with the introduction of three new programs: a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Bachelor’s in International & European Legal Studies, and a Master’s in International Business & Policy. After much lobbying, the university’s efforts also recently led to a legislative amendment simplifying the foreign diploma recognition process, making it much simpler for students coming from abroad to gain access to its Czech-accredited programs.  

AAU students likewise continue to achieve success both during and after their studies. The university has supported student entrepreneurship through initiatives like the JA Start-Up competition, in which AAU students have taken first place for three consecutive years for their original business projects. 

Moreover, the university’s alumni network, now numbering more than 2,790 graduates, includes individuals working in global organizations such as the United Nations, Doctors Without Borders, Radio Free Europe, and companies like Google, IBM, and Clifford Chance. Others have launched successful ventures in the Czech Republic, including Rohlík.cz, The Miners Coffee, and numerous projects in the arts, culture, and nonprofit sectors.

The 2025 Gala Night brought together members of the AAU community across generations, offering a tangible reminder of just how far the university has come since its founding and serving as a bridge between AAU’s early years and its current position as a truly global institution.

Hudáková, addressing the community at the Gala, captured the spirit of the occasion: 

As AAU enters its fourth decade, the event underscored both the significant strides made over the years and the university’s continued growth and transformation as a leading institution of higher learning.

AAU extends its sincere thanks to the following partners and sponsors for their generous support of the 2025 Gala Night raffle. Their contributions helped raise funds for the Emergency Student Fund and made the evening’s charitable component possible: