PROLang: Spotlight on Slovak

PROLang proudly presents postgraduate research on topics involving language and society in the broadest sense, through seminars, talks, workshops and projects.

This year’s postgraduate research seminar, Spotlight on Slovak, presents current PhD research by six PhD students focusing on or based in Slovakia researching topics around cultural diplomacy, ethics in teacher training, linguistics, translation and history related to Slovakia or the Central and Eastern European region.

This event will be livestreamed online.

Moderators and discussants: Petronela Turcerová and Ramona Gönczöl (UCL SSEES)

Image credit: James Tye.

SPEAKERS:

Dr SIMONA VRABCOVÁ, University of Warwick

Presentation: The role of National Cultural Institutes (NCIs) in shaping cultural diplomacy and nation branding in the Visegrad Four countries, with a particular focus on Slovakia

Dr Simona Vrabcová is a cultural policy researcher, arts manager, and lecturer. She completed her PhD in Cultural Policy at the University of Warwick, focusing on cultural diplomacy, nation branding, and the organisational strategies of National Cultural Institutes in Central and Eastern Europe. Alongside her academic work, she leads international cultural projects, including Slovak Theatre London, and works as a freelance cultural consultant and manager. She teaches arts and cultural management at UK universities and has published and presented internationally on cultural diplomacy, nation branding, cultural value, and institutional strategy.

Mgr. PETR HÁJEK, UKF Nitra, SK – The Department of English and American studies

Presentation: How Speakers Align: Syntax, Reference, and Stance in English Conversation

Petr Hájek is a university lecturer in English linguistics at the Silesian University in Opava. His academic focus lies primarily in English grammar and syntax, with broader interests in linguistic theory. He is particularly interested in the interface between syntactic patterns and discourse-pragmatic functions, a direction he plans to pursue in his prospective doctoral studies. His intended research examines syntactic and pragmatic alignment in English interaction, with emphasis on reference strategies, pronominal use, and repair structures. Through a combination of corpus-based and interactional approaches, he aims to contribute to the understanding of how grammar operates in real-time communication. He plans to build on this expertise further in a future dissertation project exploring the interface between syntax and pragmatics.

PaedDr. SIMONA RUSZNYÁKOVÁ, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia, Department of Ethics and Aesthetics, Faculty of Arts

Presentation: Particularities of the Disciplinary Didactics of Ethical Education in the Context of Comprehensive Teacher Training for Pedagogical Practice

Simona Rusznyáková is a doctoral student at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia. Her PhD research explores innovative approaches, challenges, and opportunities in teacher education, with a particular focus on the didactic model of ethical education. Her work addresses both local and global educational contexts, including innovative teaching methods, teachers’ personality and character development, the use of modern technologies, and polarization in the school environment and its impact on educational practice. Her research is enriched by direct work with pre-service teachers through her pedagogical practice, where she emphasizes the development of practical skills and teachers’ personal and professional growth.

Mgr. KAMILA KAMALA GALJUŠ, Prešov University, Institute of British and American Studies

Presentation: Translation for children and young people – routine or challenge for translators? (with a particular focus on Romani authors from the Czechoslovak literary space)

Kamila Kamala Galjuš is a first-year PhD candidate at the Institute of British and American Studies at the University of Prešov in Slovakia. She studied translation and interpreting at the University of Prešov, and her working languages are English and Slovak. She completed her studies in 2024, when she defended her diploma thesis focusing on the comparison of human and machine literary translation. She then pursued a career in journalism by joining the team of Radio Slovakia International, the English service of the national public-service broadcaster RTVS. She brought minority-related topics to the broadcast, which became a catalyst for writing her research proposal at the University of Prešov. In addition, she enjoys fantasy literature, rock music, creative writing, and video games.

Mgr. JOZEF HULJAK, University of Constantine The Philosopher, Nitra, SK :  Institute of Management in Culture and Tourism, Culturology and Ethnology

Presentation: Taiwan’s Cultural Diplomacy in Central Europe: Identity Construction and Institutional Frameworks in Prague and Bratislava

Jozef Huljak is a PhD candidate at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. His research focuses on diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific, with particular emphasis on Taiwan’s international engagement, diplomatic practice, and strategic communication. He is currently researching Taiwan’s cultural diplomacy, with a primary focus on its engagement with EU member states. He has professional experience at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and has been actively involved in academic self-governance and EU outreach initiatives.
 

Mgr. MAREK ŠIMČEK, University of Constantine The Philosopher, Nitra, SK : Department of History
 

Presentation: Criminality in Interwar Czechoslovakia – case study Nitra

Marek Šimček comes from Ružomberok, Slovakia. For the last six years he has been studying at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. In his first year, he studied history and philosophy, then transferred to history only. He is currently a PhD student at Department of History, Faculty of Arts, CPU, studying Slovak history. He was a member of student society called Constantine’s Historical Society. Hobbies include reading, writing, history as a whole, learning new skills.