Truly life-changing experience! May 12, 2021

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In terms of what I learned, my experience was deep and rich. We had the chance of being taught by two professors: Don Sparling (from Masaryk University) and Robert Austin (from the University of Toronto). It was a great combination, as Dr. Austin is a historian and focused on the history, truly the human stories, of the region, and Don Sparlin gave more context in terms of architecture and culture. Martin Glogar, the program director was super friendly and also helped us with local context! What a truly amazing educational experience!

On-site administration of your program

Ok I got to say the country's program administration staff were warm and welcoming from the very beginning. From the time I got the acceptance letter and all information prior to the course, up to today (we became very good friends afterwards). Not only were day clear, informative and helpful but they went beyond any job expectation. My first week in Brno, I got the news that my grandmother had passed away. I tried to keep it together but I was indeed very sad not to be with her. Ricky (one of the staff at the time) took care of me, was super nice and made sure I was okay. Martin was also really nice about it and they gave me company in a very difficult time. I felt really lucky to be surrounded them and their kindness! Even though I participated in this summer school in 2014, I can say all the staff from the university are now friends of mine and I am so happy and grateful we crossed paths in this amazing experience. Martin, Ricky, and Jan if you are reading this I just want to tell you again how grateful I am for making this experience a life-changing experience for me, for being so welcoming with us, and always being there to help us have an amazing stay in beautiful Brno.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was really great! We shared rooms with another person. The facilities were clean and the location was perfect. All we had to do is take a tram for 12 minutes if I remember correctly, and we were at the university :) We were also right across from the supermarket, which made it really easy to get our groceries :)

The food was another whole experience because it was another way to immerse ourselves in the Central European culture. Our first day, Dr. Austin and Martin welcomed us with a honey cake (an amazing Czech cake - if you go to Czech Republic I strongly recommend you try this one!), and as I said, we lived right across the supermarket so it was really easy to get groceries or whatever we may need. Oh! And if you go to Hungary, you will really enjoy the food there! You have to try the goulash it is really amazing there. But I am sure Martin will let you know the best things to try there ;).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The staff from the university, as I said, were really friendly and welcoming with us :). They helped us get around, find the best restaurants, and places to learn more about the cities we were visiting. They not only prepared an email and document for every city we visited beforehand (so we could have all information we need for our social time there, and all places worth visiting outside of the excursions for our course), but always offered to join us. It felt really casual and a great opportunity to immerse in the local experience :)

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fortunately I did not have any health issues. However, one student did not feel well at some point and Jan (one of the staff from the university) accompanied her to the hospital just to make sure everything was okay. I heard from her that he was really nice, helped her with the language and made her feel safe at the hospital.

Always make sure to read the safety precautions in your information documents. I know that one safety issue in Central Europe is pickpocket. Just make sure to always have your things in sight and do not carry important things with you, just to make sure you and your things are safe.

This program changed not only my academic life but my personal life. In terms of my career, it opened lots of possibilities and helped me discover my love for history and human stories. It also gave me the opportunity to learn about a truly interesting region, which then led me to my Masters in European Studies and Studies of the Holocaust. I also know myself lucky for having the chance to crossed paths with all staff involved in this summer school, especially Martin Glogar, Dr. Austin, Ricky, and Jan. Personally, I made friends that I am sure will be my life friends. The students around me were truly interesting and it was really amazing to also learn from them and their experiences. I also met my husband in this trip and I will always be grateful for going to Czech Republic for all of these reasons. It is a beautiful country, the staff at the university are super welcoming, friendly and one of the kindest groups of people I've met, and the academic experience was truly enriching for me.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

In 2014 Brno was not super expensive. It was the same in Poland and Hungary. A bit more expensive in Vienna (but we only went there for a weekend). I can say this region is very affordable (especially if you compare it to other cities in western Europe, for example).

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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• International Students

• Cultural exposure - the opportunity to travel and learn about various cities in Central Europe (the history is very much intertwined so this was very helpful)
• Making friendships of a lifetime
• The course itself - really interesting history!

• Although Don Sparling was very helpful in the course, I thought more time to history would have been a plus.
• Longer program, perhaps?