 |
Myron and the mayor of old town Bratislava |
Some of my fondest memories of my Fulbright Scholar grant are of experiences outside the classroom: picnicking with my young Comenius University colleagues in the hills above Bratislava; traveling by train to visit other Fulbrighters in Nitra; spending a very cold and snowy weekend at the mid-year Czech-Slovak Fulbright Conference in the beautiful spa town of Trencienske Teplice (and viewing tablets in this film-festival town commemorating visits by Sophia Loren and Jean Paul Belmondo); hiking to the ruins of Devin castle overlooking the Danube River just outside Bratislava; viewing films from around the world at the Bratislava International Film Festival (just over the bridge from the ‘old town’); and taking the bus to visit the Egon Schiele exhibition in Vienna (only an hour and 15 minutes from Bratislava by bus). What could match all of this? Simply ... eating and drinking, and discussing a variety of events with my Fulbright students — not just in the classroom but also in my apartment, in nearby pubs, and, when invited, to a group session at a student’s apartment.
My Fulbright Scholar year was devoted to teaching, and my students were wonderful. They were eager to find out more about the West, especially about the United States, American foreign policy, and the workings of the American electoral system. One of my Slovak students was even able to use his classrom experience with me to win a year-long scholarship, given to students from the emerging democracies, to study democratic traditions at Bard College in New York.
 |
Pavol, Petr, Jana, Zuzana, Milica, Myron - Cafe Umelka, Bratislava. |
Most of the Slovak students’ exposure to the West is framed by their country’s integration into the European Union. Their course offerings on the United States and on the political systems of major western Europe nations are quite limited. As a result, the students look forward to what a Fulbright visitor can bring to their classroom. Both the students and my Slovak faculty colleague were more than intrigued by American-style college teaching, which stands in marked contrast to the more formal European-style lectures that dominate most of their classroom experience. I also worked with my Slovak colleagues, helping to review their work as they submitted grant proposals and articles for publication.
 |
Pilsen and Myron Shaking Hands with U.S. Ambassador and Czech Foreign Minister. |
The host J.W. Fulbright Commission in Slovak Republic was absolutely wonderful in giving me constant encouragement and support to be active outside of the classroom. Given my writings in the field of elections, I was asked to give a briefing to a dozen Slovak journalists to assist their coverage of the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. On election eve, the U.S. embassy invited me to be part of an event where local media watched the election results as they came in throughout the night on satellite TV. I gave numerous interviews to both Slovak television and the local newspapers. I was also asked to give the opening morning lecture at the Hotel Carleton to put the meaning of the vote in perspective. Later during the year, I gave still more media interviews as a result of the Bush-Putin summit meeting that took place in Bratislava castle.
The Slovak Fulbright Commission was quite helpful in arranging opportunities for me to participate in academic and Fulbright meetings in neighborhoring countries. In Warsaw, Poland, I presented a paper at the conference on “The American Economic Way.” At the mid-year Fulbright conference held in Berlin, I gave a PowerPoint presentation on contemporary crisis events and the evolving EU. As a result of the continued cooperation between the Slovak and Czech Republics, I was also invited to visit Pilsen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the city and to give a presentation as part of a panel — with both the Czech foreign minister and the U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic as panelists — on “The Future of the Transatlantic Alliance.”
 |
Carol, Fred, Deborah, Jonathan, Myron - Trenc Teplice Cafe. |
My Fulbright Scholar experience convinced me of the growing importance of the European Union. The subject of the EU, its evolution, and impact are omitted in the curriculum of most U.S. colleges and universities. However, in the Slovak Republic, they were dealt with in a most perfunctory manner. I am convinced that the United States as a whole is missing the big story as to just how much the EU, an institution that has no American parallel, is changing Europe. When I returned to the United States, I developed a new interdisciplinary course on “The New Europe.”
Since my return home, I have moved to Wright State University in Ohio. My Fulbright Scholar experience, however, continues to shape my teaching, even in my new position. As part of the university’s efforts to internationalize its curriculum, I have developed a summer “Ambassador’s Program” course that will take a dozen or so students to East-Central Europe to learn about the history and continuing transition of the region.
What did I miss during my Fulbright Scholar year in the Slovak Republic? I only regret that I never made the trip to the Tatra Mountains to take in the full beauty of the country.
Please contact
us if you would like to submit your own story
and/or photographs.
|
