Visiting Fulbright Professor - Dr. Margaret Manchester

Gábor Zapreskó

  First, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Hungary, in Budapest. My family left Hungary during the revolution of 1956, so I was raised in the United States. I teach history and American Studies at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. My dissertation was on US foreign policy in the Middle East during the Cold War.

You seem passionate about the Cold War era.

Right. You know, we talk about history being relevant, and in my case, and the case of Hungary we were ultimately affected, personally and nationally, by these forces of history. I feel like I have a common bond, a common experience that binds us together, so I like to explore the ways in which historical forces affect the individual.

Interesting. So is this what drove you to come back to Hungary?

I always wanted to come back to Hungary and learn more about the land of my birth. This has been my dream for a time, and I applied for the Fulbright Scholarship with the hope that I would be able come to Hungary. To work, travel and get to know people on a different level, because the Hungarians I knew up until this time are all immigrants, also living outside of Hungary, so, I wanted to get the perspective of Hungarians living in Hungary.

How do you like it here so far?

I love it. I’ve learned very much. I’ve traveled just a little bit, but just living a daily life, going on the tram and going to the University, going to the market to buy our fruits and vegetables, just going to the kávézó and having a cup of coffee... I really-really like being here and enjoy it very much. I miss my English language newspapers though – they’re hard to get at Debrecen.

What differences are there between teaching in the US and teaching here?

Well, when I’m teaching in the US, I’m teaching people who are native English speakers, so that’s a big difference in working with students for whom English is a second language. Also in the United States we have more contact hours per week, in other words a typical class meets twice a week for 90 minutes, or three times a week for 50 minutes. We have more time with the students every week, and we’re able to delve into the topics in a greater depth. That’s a difference for me, being here and teaching in the States. Also, where I teach the level of technology in the classrooms is different. All classrooms in Province have computers and overhead projection. It’s easy, I just come with my books and my notes. It’s a little – actually not a hardship, but it just takes a little time to connect the laptop, the projector, then take the projector back... It is a little less convenient, but the teaching is the same.

What do you think about the students?

I find the students’ English language skills very good and I like the viewpoints that they express, so I really enjoy working with the Hungarian students. I hope that I can be of service to them while I’m here.

What about us? The students you teach here at Miskolc?

I think the students have been very welcoming. For the most part they tend to be engaged, and sometimes some students don’t participate in the discussion, either because they feel shy or don’t feel confident in their English skills. I tend to do very much discussion-based teaching, and it is a little harder here because of the language difference, I think.

Well, we are glad to have you with us.

And I am glad to be here.