On July 1, 2025, Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný officially appointed Jiban Kumar as the new director of the Czech Agrifood Research Center (CARC), replacing outgoing director Mikuláš Madaras.
“I expect the Research Center to strengthen its role as a key institution in agricultural and food research under Mr. Kumar’s leadership,” said Minister Výborný. “His experience, vision, and strong focus on innovation and international cooperation will, I believe, contribute significantly to the advancement of Czech agricultural science.”
Ing. Jiban Kumar, Ph.D., is a respected expert in plant virology and agricultural research. He earned his engineering degree in tropical and subtropical agriculture and later a doctorate in plant protection from the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. Over the course of a scientific career spanning more than 30 years, he has held positions at the Crop Research Institute (VÚRV), the renowned INRA-Bordeaux in France, and the Institute of Experimental Botany at the Czech Academy of Sciences. Between 2017 and 2020, he served as director of VÚRV.
Kumar is the author of over 100 scientific publications, 14 certified methodologies and has received several professional awards. He is actively involved in international scientific cooperation and is a member of numerous professional associations.
In his new role, Kumar aims to transform CARC into a modern, interdisciplinary research center with a strong national and international reputation. He also plans to focus on organizational consolidation and strengthening collaboration between research teams.
Jiban Kumar je novým ředitelem CARC.