History, Tourism and Friendships: an American Professor in Transcarpathia – Interview with Professor Dr. Kurt Stahura

Through the cooperation with Niagara University and the help of Dr. Peter Forgach, Honorary Consul of Hungary in Western New York, Prof. Kurt A. Stahura, Professor within the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Niagara University, Director of the Research for the Niagara Global Tourism Institute, and formerly Director of UNLV-Singapore at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, spent a full semester at the college. The professor, who came from the United States, has had many experiences during his extended stay in Transcarpathia, taking an active role in education and learning about the diversity of Transcarpathia, which he discusses in the interview below. In order to become a full professor at the institution, at the October meeting of the Scientific Council, the members, under the guidance of Gyula Fodor, approved the naturalisation of the professor’s diplomas obtained abroad.

During the interview, we got an insight into Kurt Stahura’s childhood in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and how he came to be involved with the Rákóczi College, teaching its students online before meeting them in person. During his time at the college, the professor lectured in various departments, including the Departments of Philology, History and Social Sciences, and Earth and Tourism Studies. The interview also covered the interviewee’s views on the situation of education in Transcarpathia, including the intertwining of cultures, languages and geopolitical factors. During the interview, he shared his experiences of meeting people here, exploring the surrounding villages and learning about the local culture.

– What should we know about you? Tell us about your life.

– I spent my childhood in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a magical town that is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer months. My parents ran a store where visitors regularly dropped in. They sold T-shirts, hats, beach chairs and more. I realised early on that the seasonal nature of tourism meant that there were good years and bad years, influenced by a variety of external factors, over which we had no control. Nevertheless, people came to town from all over the world, not just by plane, but often by car, not directly to Cape Cod, but mostly to Boston. So from a young age, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world and learn about the diversity of tourism. I feel that these early experiences led me to study the beauty and challenges of tourism.

– Tell us about your family.

– I have been married for almost 25 years. My mother worked in education for decades, and likewise my grandfather was an educator. My brother and his wife also found their vocations in education. So I think I was born to be an educator. I met my wife in Minnesota after I finished my undergraduate degree. We are lucky to have had the opportunity to live in different parts of the world. I look forward to seeing her again soon.

– What motivated you to choose teaching as a career?

– This is a great question. I think I’ve always enjoyed the school environment. I really enjoyed my undergraduate years at the University of Wisconsin, and I can say the same thing about my graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. I have always felt that these years have shaped me into who I am, and it is here that I have made the most progress as a person. I think that’s probably why I chose this profession. I want to have the same positive impact on others that my professors have had on me.

– What degrees do you have?

– I have a university degree. We do things a little differently in the United States than in other parts of the world. So, I have a Bachelor of Arts in History and History of Culture from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. And then I also have a Master’s degree in Leisure Studies. It’s kind of an all-encompassing term. Then you pick your areas of focus. I’ve done research in a number of subcategories, but I’ve focused most of my attention on tourism.

– How did you come into contact with the Rákóczi College?

– In the town where I live, there is a gentleman of Hungarian origin. He is an eye surgeon and a wonderful man. He was the one who brought me together for a conversation with Natália Váradi. Eventually Natália thought it would be good for some of the students here to meet a native English speaker. So I taught both graduate and undergraduate students online, via video call from the US. It was a bit like a Ted Talk where I was standing and the students were on the other side of the video camera on the other side of the world. The students were incredibly engaging, they spoke excellent English. As a result of the online classes, the Rákóczi College invited me to Transcarpathia to meet the students and teachers in person. I was delighted to take advantage of this opportunity. So, it was a gradual initiation.

– Tell us more about the work you did at the college.

– I really enjoyed my time here. Instead of just being assigned to a department, I actually gave lectures to different students in different departments. I was probably most attached to the Philology Department, where I had my own class and lectured every Wednesday. I also taught several classes in the Department of History and Social Sciences, where I did my undergraduate degree. But also the time I spent in the History Department was very interesting. In my spare time or for work, I often read about the geopolitics of the World War II, and the students were studying this very period. And my job was to share with them the role of the United States in World War II. You could probably make an argument that World War II still affects us geopolitically – where the borders are now, who’s friends with whom, how languages and cultures are passed on- we’ve talked about this with you before. So, I had a great time in this area. I also taught in the Department of Earth Sciences and Tourism, I gave some classes to graduate students. I enjoyed working with all the groups and I’m very happy that I got to interact with more students.

– How did you achieve all this with a degree from another continent? 

– I think one of the things that the United States does well is that we are a country of education – from elementary schools to high schools to colleges and all levels – it’s no coincidence that many people from all over the world want to study in the United States. Many ask the question, are we doing as well as we used to? I think many people question education because the world is changing rapidly. So people question whether our education is keeping pace with the changing world. Are we still educating students who are ready for the new world? For example, artificial intelligence is already here, but many colleges and universities do not offer courses that teach how to use it. I am 56 years old now and my background is rooted in education. I’ve been a professor since I was 30 and taught as an assistant professor from 25-26. I have also taught internationally in Singapore, at international conferences and lectured in countries around the world. So I am comfortable in an international environment. I think that all these things together gave me the opportunity to come here.

– Why did you choose to do your academic work at Rákóczi College?

– Well, my contacts were already in place. Because the online course – which Natália was kind enough to put together with Peter, the gentleman I told you about – started me on this process. It seemed like a good opportunity to meet the teachers and students of the college in person, and to meet those I had only seen online. I really enjoyed working online with the different faculty in the history, philology, English and tourism departments. So I have had the opportunity and had the chance to meet the faculty and administrative staff. It was a wonderful experience.

– Tell us more about your time here, how much time did you spend with us, what experiences did you have?

– I was here for most of the semester and it was a real pleasure. I was welcomed by the students, the other teachers, the administrators, everyone, even the dormitory residents who looked after me. Many students came to me and practiced English with me, even when they didn’t have a class with me. I had lunch with various people who came up to me and asked if they could join me. We live in a world where there are so many misunderstandings, and we read things in the newspaper or see things on our phones that sometimes only hint at the truth. But when you live among people, you talk to people, you get to know people, and you feel comfortable in those conversations, that’s when you really understand the truth and the heart of people. What has been most wonderful about all of this is that I have learned so much here, and I hope others have learned from me. I think I’ll return to the United States with a better understanding of the wonderful people, the wonderful food, the wonderful culture and the wonderful hospitality here. Everyone here was so nice. I now understand the little layers of truth that are so difficult to put into a small article – and that is something we have talked about before. Everything is connected. There is never just yes or no, just black or white, just right or wrong.

– How do you see the situation of education in Transcarpathia? Have you visited other higher education institutions here?

– The answer is yes. I went to a school that specialised in arts, which was a wonderful experience. I was also in Ungvár, where I attended a kind of seminar. Then I also went to a conference on young leaders in Transcarpathia. I can draw from these experiences when I answer the question about how I feel about education here. I think education here is wonderful. I think that students are given a great deal of autonomy. I think the students are very bright. They grow up fast because of the circumstances. Of course, we cannot ignore that something is happening on the other side of the country. It’s difficult, and even though we are all far away, we feel it. I think that young people are growing up faster and less innocently than in other parts of the world because of this. I know that culturally, many students at different levels have families, family members, who speak some combination of Ukrainian, Hungarian, Rusyn and Romanian. So it depends on how old their parents are, how old their grandparents are and how old their teachers are. Perspectives are mixed. I think everybody starts to learn English very quickly, which I have experienced, realising the fact that English is the currency that the whole world uses. So, if someone from Japan and someone from Argentina are talking about something, for example in business, they are speaking English. Or, if someone from France and someone from Chile or Brazil are talking, they speak English. I think Ukraine is wise to use English in the classroom as a result of this, because it is likely to be the currency of the future. And I think that we have a very good education system here, and we have high expectations, and the students are meeting them in difficult circumstances.

– Did you have the opportunity to rest outside of teaching? How did you spend your free time?

– Yes. The college has brilliant facilities. I took advantage of the gym here, which I needed. I needed to get back into a good rhythm. Beregszász is a fabulous city, I had the opportunity to walk everywhere. I also had some really wonderful excursions, day trips to other surrounding villages, where I was exposed to the unique culture of each of the surrounding villages. Different architecture from different times, different people, different styles. I had the opportunity to see wonderful museums, wonderful castles. I got to go to the mountains. I saw beautiful streams. I saw little villages in the mountains. I think I had a very robust experience here because I didn’t just see this city. I saw the surrounding villages, each of which was a little bit unique. And that’s something I’ll look back on very fondly.

– If you could highlight one memory from your time here, what would it be?

– The people. The fact that everyone has been so welcoming, warm and kind, from the students to the staff, to the faculty, to the administrators, to the cleaning staff who look after the dormitory room, who maintain the area. In fact, even people in town, when I go to the market, recognize me as someone who is not originally from here. They know I am new. So they’ve been extremely nice too. I feel like everyone has been keeping an eye on me, which is really good. I mean, everyone was always there to help me. Even though not everyone speaks English, everyone in town knows what kind of coffee or what kind of croissant I like. Have you ever heard the expression that it takes a village to raise a child? Well, it took a village for me to experience it. Everyone was wonderful inside and outside the college.

– Were there any difficulties you had to deal with or did not expect during your time here?

– What a great question. You know what the answer is? No. But there were reminders that there was a war on. Our bus was stopped once because there was a checkpoint. You saw armed men at the barriers, which was a reminder. There are billboards for recruitment purposes. They are trying to get young people, middle-aged men, to sign up for the army, these are reminders. When I went to Ungvár and I was on the first floor of the administration, there were sandbags set up. If, God forbid, the building was attacked. They were prepared for it. So there are reminders, and when you go to other villages you see people in military uniforms walking around. Even if you don’t see elements of war for a few days, usually the third or fourth day, there’s some kind of reminder. There are no difficulties. Just a reminder of the hardship. Transcarpathia is a very cohesive community. People know the men who were killed, others within the communities recognise them. We have not felt this so closely for a long time. When I was in another village, my host gave me a tour and we walked past a picture hung in memory of a deceased soldier, the host indicated that he was a friend of the family. So these things make what is happening on the other side of the country very real.

– After a long period here, how do you feel when you return home?

– Sad. I feel lucky to have been here. I feel I have made friends who will stay with me forever, but I am sad. If someone asked me about Ukraine, I would say it is a wonderful place with wonderful people. There are many layers to things that are difficult to understand in the space of a newspaper article. I think I now have a much broader perspective than most people from the United States because I have lived here among people with whom I have developed good relationships, who talk freely about difficult things.

– My last question is, do you plan to return to us again?

– Well, I hope that they will call me back, and if they do, we’ll discuss how that can work. And I hope to bring my wife next time. The only thing missing is my wife and our two furry, four-legged “kids”. You have four dogs, we have two cats. So when I call her on the phone, sometimes I see them wake up in the morning and eat. It’s wonderful that we now live in a world with zoom and video, so we don’t miss people as much as we used to. As readers, we read about people like Marco Polo, or people who marched in the armies of Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Alexander the Great, who were away for years. Can you imagine your future husband, the man you are about to marry, going away and perhaps coming back in three years time. Maybe. I will miss the people here. They are very proud of their history. They speak different languages, but these languages represent different points in history. If you ask people where you are from, they say I live in Ukraine. I live in Ukraine but I’m of Hungarian origin, or I live in Ukraine but I’m of Romanian origin, or I speak Rusyn, Ukrainian, Hungarian and a little bit of something else, because my origins go back to a certain time. I have a little bit of everything in my family. The history here is very rich and people feel it very passionately. I’m glad that history is being passed on to the next generation of scholars by history teachers who can tell the layers of that history.

– Thank you for the conversation. Hope to see you soon!

– Thank you very much for the discussion and for your work.

Györgyi Szántó and Viktória Bajusz
the staff of the Media Centre

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