Academic quality, expanding international reach, and future development: these were the primary themes of the editorial board meeting of the specialized journal Obrana a strategie (Defence & Strategy), held on Friday, 17 April 2026, in Brno. 

At the opening of the session, the Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development, Col. (GS) Professor Zdeněk Pokorný, Ph.D., FEng., representing the Rector-Commandant of the University of Defence, presented appointment decrees to the members of the newly formed editorial board for the 2026–2027 term. 

The meeting served as more than just a working session; it was a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the journal’s existence (2001–2026). Over a quarter-century of publication, the periodical has evolved into a highly respected platform for security and strategic studies, a status confirmed by current data from prestigious international databases. The journal continues to strengthen its position in Web of Science, where it has advanced to the Q3 quartile (International Relations category), and maintains an equally successful standing in the Scopus database. Since 2024, the journal has been published exclusively in English, a transition that is yielding significant results in the form of rapidly growing interest from international authors worldwide. 

The editorial board further addressed the preparation of this year’s first issue and standard editorial workflows. Discussions also covered new avenues for enhancing publishing efficiency, including the broader integration of AI tools to manage the dynamic increase in article submissions. The central theme of the debate remained the necessity of maintaining and further elevating the journal’s quality, citation impact, and academic reputation. 

More information about the journal is available at www.obranaastrategie.cz and on social media platforms.

Author: PhDr. Libor Frank, Ph.D.