On Wednesday, 24 September 2025, the Czech Liaison Office for Education and Research (CZELO) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a festive event in Brussels, bringing together Czech and international partners from across the research and education landscape. 

The principal aim of CZELO has been to support Czech institutions in their active participation in EU programmes for research and education. The office provides information, consultations, and guidance, and helps institutions organise meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences, and other forms of international cooperation in Brussels. Building on the legacy of the Czech Liaison Office for Research, Development and Innovation, established in 2005, CZELO has evolved over the years. Since 2021, its management has been entrusted to ACA member the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS), which expanded the office’s agenda to also encompass education alongside research and innovation. 

The programme opened with speeches by Vladimír Bärtl, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU, Jiří Nantl, Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, and Pavel Doleček, Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation. Introductory remarks were also delivered by Naďa Koníčková, head of the National Information Center for European Research at the Technology Centre Prague, and Lenka Procházková, current head of the CZELO office. 

The evening concluded with the symbolic cutting of the anniversary cake by all former and current head of the CZELO office, followed by a light-hearted raffle offering prizes linked to Czech science, research, and education. 

The entire ACA team warmly congratulates CZELO on its 20th anniversary and commends its two decades of dedicated service in advancing Czech engagement in European research and education. We wish the office continued success and many more decades of impactful work.