On May 4, 2026, a Cooperation Agreement was officially signed between the Faculty of Public Administration at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice and the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic. The aim of this partnership is to actively link the academic community with real-world practice in the field of national defense and security.
On behalf of the Faculty of Public Administration at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the agreement was signed by the dean, Assoc. Prof. JUDr. Mgr. Michal Jesenko, PhD.; on behalf of the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic, the agreement was signed by JUDr. Martin Rímeš, Director General of the Personnel and Social Affairs Section, acting on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic.
The agreement, which is concluded for an indefinite period, provides students of the Faculty of Public Administration with two main forms of educational support: the opportunity to complete professional internships directly at the Ministry and the delivery of specialized lectures by experts from the field on the faculty’s premises.
A key benefit of the agreement is the creation of a formal framework for students to undertake professional internships at the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic. This is not merely about passively observing processes. The agreement explicitly states that the internship may also include student participation in research within the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic for academic purposes. This research will directly align with the agenda of the specific department within the Ministry where the internship takes place.
To ensure high quality and the value of the internship, the agreement establishes a guarantee system for students:
- An individual mentor – the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic will assign each intern their own mentor, who will supervise their work and provide support;
- An internship plan – prior to the start of the internship, a binding professional internship plan tailored to the relevant study program will be drawn up and jointly signed by the student, the academic advisor (or the course supervisor from the Faculty of Public Administration), and the internship supervisor from the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic;
- Comprehensive Evaluation – upon completion of the internship, the internship supervisor will prepare a detailed evaluation reflecting the duration of the internship, specific activities performed, the quality of work completed, the student’s level of responsibility, and the extent of improvement in their knowledge and skills. This evaluation will subsequently serve as the official basis for the faculty’s recognition of the internship’s completion.
In addition to student trips to Bratislava, the agreement also provides for the transfer of know-how in the opposite direction. The Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic has committed to allocating resources, within the limits of its personnel and time availability, to deliver lectures directly to students of our faculty.
The Faculty of Public Administration will keep its students informed on an ongoing basis about specific opportunities, available slots, and the conditions for applying for internships and specialized lectures.
