Prof. Vladimír Mařík at the VET Forum: Digital Skills Will Determine Success in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

09.10.2026

How can we prepare students and employees for a world increasingly shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence? This was the question addressed by Prof. Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director of CIIRC at the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT) and Chair of the Board of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCUI) project, during his presentation at this year’s VET Forum, which took place on September 30, 2026, in Prague.

The conference’s theme was Digital Skills Without Borders, and it focused on modern technologies, the development of digital competencies in vocational education, connections to the world of work, and international cooperation within the Erasmus+ program. Discussions highlighted the need to respond flexibly to changes in the labor market and the growing demands for technological literacy across all fields.

In his speech, Prof. Mařík pointed out that the advent of artificial intelligence does not merely mean the introduction of new tools, but above all a change in the way we work, learn, and acquire new competencies. According to him, organizations will increasingly need experts who can combine domain knowledge with an understanding of data, automation, and AI technologies. He also focused on changes in education, which must respond to rapid technological developments and prepare graduates for a work environment in which collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence will be a common part of everyday practice.

These topics are also closely related to the activities of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCUI), which is coordinated by CIIRC CTU. The center connects six Czech universities, dozens of industry partners, and public institutions with the goal of accelerating the transfer of research results into practice. In addition to developing specific solutions for industry, transportation, energy, healthcare, and public administration, it also contributes to building a strong national AI ecosystem and developing professional capacities for the future.

In an environment of rapidly evolving technologies, collaboration between schools, research organizations, companies, and the public sector is becoming increasingly important. Sharing experiences and finding common approaches to preparing people for the changing demands of the labor market were among the main topics of this year’s VET Forum and Prof. Mařík’s presentation.

VET FORUM | Czech National Agency for International Education and Research