Prof. Ing. Pavel Segeč, PhD. is the Head of the Department of Information Networks and a key scientific researcher at the Faculty of Management and Informatics of the University of Žilina. His professional and research focus centres on computer networks, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. He plays a significant role in building high-quality, practice-oriented IT education that is unique in Slovakia. His name is associated with the development of a strong community of experts and students who, thanks to him, find their way into the world of modern information and communication technologies.
Already during his university studies, Pavel Segeč supplemented his education with pedagogical training, which opened the door for him to teach technical subjects. Since then, pedagogy has been a natural part of his life – he has been working at the University of Žilina for 26 years. Professor Segeč is a “networker,” as practically oriented engineers in this field are called in the IT community. Professionally, he focuses on designing computer networks to be resilient, reliable, and secure. A substantial part of his work involves communication services. “I was developing a tool similar to Teams before 2012, but I didn’t manage to finish it. A real pity,” he recalls with humour. Recently, he has been focusing on hardware virtualization and cybersecurity, which are close to his heart. He considers cloud computing a fascinating computational model built on virtualization, enabling constant connectivity and virtual access to all files and services via the internet.
“The beauty of my work lies in its diversity, creativity, and constant change. Every year, a younger generation arrives with a different way of thinking. It’s interesting to maintain mental flexibility in adapting to students. And I must constantly educate myself, because information technologies advance rapidly. Every two to three years, we innovate to stay aligned with the latest trends and incorporate them into teaching, which we connect with practice through research and science.”
The applied nature of his research is demonstrated by his current work on the cybersecurity project at the University of Žilina, where he and his co-researchers are creating methodologies and guidelines for similar organizations. In parallel, together with colleagues and students, they are developing a Security Operations Centre (SOC) focused on network monitoring and real-time attack detection. “The project outputs aim to serve as a model not only for the university but also for other institutions and organizations in Slovakia, thus bringing practical benefits to the security of the broader society,” he states. His activities also include developing courses to educate the public in cybersecurity.
“The study programs we offer at the University of Žilina are practically oriented. Theoretical knowledge is tested in laboratories or through real-world solutions. We also involve external experts in teaching, and every class is essentially a practical exercise,” explains Professor Segeč about the teaching method. Final theses address real problems and projects, with students required to demonstrate engineering competence by creating a functional solution.
His long-standing involvement in prestigious educational academies such as Cisco, Juniper, and Amazon Web Services, along with numerous awards for excellent teaching, confirm his ability to connect academic standards with practical needs. For his applied research, he has received several awards, including the prestigious Werner von Siemens Excellence Award and the Jozef Murgaš Award.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, hiking, and relaxing actively in the garden. He likes watching popular science documentaries and doing sports, although he admits he carries work in his mind 24/7. At home, he enjoys experimenting with IT solutions – his home computer network serves as a laboratory where he tests new ideas and technologies, which he then brings into teaching and student projects.
He is pleased that his numerous publications are cited and widely used. Currently, he supervises two external PhD students and has already graduated four, three of whom now work as colleagues in the department. They prefer teaching over attractive jobs in the IT sector. “I call it a positive deviation. My small personal goal is to create an open-source project in cybersecurity or computer networks that would benefit the entire community.”
He considers his greatest pedagogical and managerial achievement to be the development of unique IT education in Slovakia. “I would like to turn the University of Žilina and our department into a unique centre of education in information, network, and cloud technologies. And contribute to ensuring that our students don’t leave to study abroad and that those who do return to work in Slovakia,” concludes Professor Pavel Segeč.
