Ota Pavlíček

Ota Pavlíček is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, where he has been affiliated since 2008. He currently serves as coordinator of the TRIPTIC-EU research group, Principal Investigator for the ERC ACADEMIA project, and deputy head of department. Previously, he held positions as Postdoctoral Researcher (2015–2019) and Researcher (2019–2020), and served as Scientific Secretary of the Collegium Europaeum until 2021.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in History of Philosophy, Université Paris-Sorbonne (2014), final mark: très honorable avec félicitations du jury
• ThD in Hussite Theology, Hussite Faculty of Theology, Charles University, Prague (2014), final mark: summa cum laude
• MA (Mgr.) in Teaching of Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion, Hussite Faculty of Theology, Charles University, Prague (2007), final mark: summa cum laude

Pavlíček specializes in the history of knowledge production at Late Medieval and Early Modern European universities, with particular focus on Central European Faculties of Liberal Arts and their connections to Western Europe. His research spans philosophical discussions (metaphysics, logic, astrology), theological debates (especially philosophical theology of the Reformation), and intellectual practices including Arts quodlibets. He actively integrates Digital Humanities methodologies for analyzing medieval textual corpora, bridging historical scholarship with computational approaches. His work demonstrates exceptional expertise in Bohemian intellectual history, particularly the University of Prague's academic culture around 1409.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory exploring quodlibetal debate structures, the philosophical theology of Jerome of Prague and Jan Hus, and the transmission of Wycliffite ideas in Central Europe. His scholarship uniquely combines critical edition work with theoretical analysis of medieval academic practices, while his Digital Humanities projects create innovative pathways for studying historical knowledge production.

His scientific recognition includes:

• 2023 ERC Proof of Concept, Seal of Excellence (project WHEEL)
• 2020 ERC Starting Grant (project ACADEMIA)
• 2019 Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers
• 2016 Otto Wichterle Award of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• Multiple early-career prizes including Josef Hlávka and Bernard Bolzano Awards

Pavlíček directs major research initiatives including the ERC ACADEMIA project reconstructing Arts quodlibetal traditions (1370–1700) and Czech Science Foundation projects on Prague's Faculty of Arts. He has organized over forty international conferences including the annual Studying the Arts in Late Medieval Bohemia series and Prague Talks on Digital Humanities. His public engagement includes co-authoring major exhibitions (Sedm věží, Heretical University), media appearances, and educational materials for schools. He serves on editorial boards for Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum and Questions from History Journal, and maintains active membership in international scholarly societies including SIEPM and Societas Artistarum.

He leads the TRIPTIC-EU research group at the Institute of Philosophy, which focuses on medieval knowledge production through interdisciplinary collaboration between historians, digital humanities specialists, and philologists, with particular emphasis on reconstructing academic practices through digital tools.