Fulbright Reality Czech

By Maureen Heydt   This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Mark A. Novotny Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Mississippi State University Mark A. Novotny, PhD, is serving this year as a Fulbright Scholar and Distinguished Chair in the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University in Prague. Professor Novotny has cultivated a prominent career in physics that has seen him earn his PhD from Stanford University, teach and conduct research in four different U.S. universities, and work for two years at the IBM Scientific Center in Bergen, Norway as well. His contributions to the field of physics are great, including his discovery of a new nano-device that he has named quantum dragons. Here, Professor Novotny discusses his current research, the differences between his home and host institutions, and the importance of international education exchanges in today’s world. -----------------------------------...

Od listopadu 2016 do června 2017 pobývám díky Fulbright-Masarykově stipendiu na kalifornské univerzitě v Berkeley . Co tu tedy dělám? Bádám. Proto tu jsem. Kromě vytyčeného výzkumného cíle (kterým je rozšíření teoretických rámců pro zkoumání českých, slovenských a polských queer umělců, sběratelů, mecenášů a architektů hlavně v první polovině 20. století) jsem se jako člověk trénovaný v historických vědách přirozeně snažil najít nějaký historický vzor pro svou aktuální výjimečnou zkušenost. Zajímalo mě, jestli a jak lidé z českých zemí v minulosti reagovali na návštěvu Kalifornie a jak je to poznamenalo po návratu do Evropy a do Čech. Konkrétně mi šlo o lidi kolem architektury – samotné architekty nebo stavebníky. Nesmírně mě to chytlo a snad z toho bude nějaký další výstup, ale to zatím z pověrčivosti nebudu prozrazovat. UC Berkeley Zapojuji se. Důležitým cílem Fulbrightova programu je pro mě nejen jednosměrné vstřebávání Ameriky, ale „výměna:“ nejen si odsud odvést plno po...

By Maureen Heydt     This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Lianna Havel When it’s sunny outside, Lianna Havel can see Poland from her bedroom window in Broumov, Czech Republic. An alumna of the prestigious Teach for America program, through which she spent two years teaching in a low-income school in New Orleans, Louisiana, Lianna now serves as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Broumov, a town of 7,000 people. She also interestingly shares her surname with perhaps the most famous Czech person of the last century, the late President Václav Havel. Here in her Fulbright interview, Lianna describes what it’s like to have the most recognizable Czech surname as a foreigner in the Czech Republic, what the myriad difficulties and rewards of living and teaching abroad are, and her advice for anyone considering teaching abroad.  -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown : Colum...

By Maureen Heydt   This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Sonam James Zlín is a picturesque, bustling Czech city, nestled in a valley deep in southeastern Moravia. The hometown of many famous Czech people, including Tomáš Baťa and of course, Ivana Trump, ex-wife of President-elect Donald Trump, Zlín is also home this year to Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Sonam James. As a political science major, Sonam was interested and bemused to learn about this political connection to her placement town. A native Texan, she is also passionate about different cultures and international relations, so much so that she even started a Model United Nations club at her school. Here, she talks about her Fulbright experience, and what it’s like to live in a town that’s having a political moment in the sun. -------------------------------------- Fast Facts ------------ --------- ------------------- Hometown: Montgomery, Texas University/Major, Minor: Tr...