“Hungary & the Czech Republic: From Communism Toward the European Union”
2003 IFDS
Steven Edmond, Huston-Tillotson College

The immediate personal benefits that were gained from attending the International Faculty Development Seminar were the acquisition of knowledge of another country including learning about its cultures and customs as well as its social, political, legal, and economic systems. A broader and more far reaching benefit was my ability to utilize that acquired knowledge to help facilitate my institution’s goal of internationalizing its curriculum.

The seminar entitled “Hungary & the Czech Republic: From Communism Toward the European Union (A Decade of Change)” was of great personal interest to me. Events of the past two decades with perhaps the most significant impact on globalization have occurred in Eastern and Central Europe including the fall of communism, and Western Europe and the implementation of the European Union and the adoption of a Single Currency. The Hungary and Czech Republic seminar provided an opportunity to gain knowledge of those countries’ cultures and customs, to acquire information about their efforts at economic transformation from centrally-planned systems to market ones, and to learn of the similarities and differences between the two countries. This learning experience has helped me to contribute toward the attainment of my institution’s goal of internationalizing its curriculum.

When applying for the ExxonMobil Fellows, I listed an objective as an outcome from attending the seminar to create at least one new course, Global Business Strategies, for the College’s International Business curriculum. That objective has been achieved. Upon returning from the seminar, the Global Business Strategies course was created. This course is designed to provide students with strategies for conducting business in various international environments. One of the components of the course will focus on Eastern Europe including the former communist nations of Hungary and the Czech Republic. With information obtained from my participation in the seminar, the Eastern European component of this course will focus on the efforts made by those countries (and others, i.e., Poland, Russia) to transform their political systems from communism to democracies and their economic systems from centrally-planned to free markets. The Global Business Strategies course will be taught for the first time in Spring 2004.

Material for the Global Business Strategies course was obtained from several great seminar presentations. Although all were good, there were two presentations that particularly peeked my interest – the discussions on the acceptance of new members into the European Union and on the minorities of Hungary and the Czech Republic. It is amazing how Hungary and the Czech Republic in just a short decade were able to transform their economic and political structures to such a degree that they have been accepted as potential members of the European Union. On the other hand, the prosperity that has come from the transformation of these countries from centrally-planned economies to market ones has given rise to discrimination. Both countries have listed the Romas as a minority group who are dealt with differently, economically and politically, than the majority population. This type of discrimination was not heard of during the reign of communism over those countries. Issues abound with respect as to how this discrimination will be resolved.

Overall the seminar was a truly enlightening one. The seminar allowed for the interaction with our faculty counterparts at the host universities as well as our seminar colleagues which made possible the sharing of knowledge and the building relationships. The field trips were outstanding. Visiting the countryside, sampling various local cuisines, and shopping at the gift shops enhanced the quality of the seminar. Also, talking with the local people of those countries and getting their opinions on various issues were seminar highlights. The information gained from attending this seminar will be shared with students and faculty in various forums.