SSEES Academic Spotlight: Ramona Gonczol

What brought to you work at SSEES?

I initially came with a Chevening Scholarship for one year. My research topic was Romania’s education systems in minority languages. I then started teaching Romanian language classes as part of the then Evening classes programme and soon after, I gained a 3 year position as a junior lecturer covering for a research sabbatical. After this, I applied for the ongoing Romanian language teaching position and continued in this post ever since. I always felt at home in SSEES and love my students and my subject.

If you weren’t working in Higher Education, what would be your dream job?

Working with disadvantage young people around the world in some form of educational endeavour.

Can you tell us a bit about your current role and what you were doing before you arrived here?

I came to SSEES shortly after completing my BA in English and Romanian Languages and my MA in British and American Studies at the University of Timisoara, Romania. I subsequently completed two other MA courses out of sheer pleasure, whilst working for SSEES, one in Adult Learning at UCL and one in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. I am currently an Associate Professor (Teaching) in Romanian language, I also co-teach on the Languages in Contact along the Danube course and will collaborate on a new course next year, about Moldova, run by the Sociology and  Politics Programme. I am also the convener of PROLang, an initiative set up 3 years ago that proves very successful and popular. Its main aim is to advertise all language studies at SSEES to the world, hence all events are hybrid and recorded.

I also work  with schools and teenage heritage speakers there, through a few Outreach projects I have been doing in the past four years. This is very rewarding, helping them to raise their aspirations in a variety of ways.

Outside of work, how do you unwind?

Besides spending time with my boy, going to art galleries around London with a friend or two, is my favourite past time. I also like to make small jewellery and to take artistic photos.

If you could recommend only one book, what would it be?

Hard to choose so I will go with any of Nichita Stanescu’s poetry books.

What is your biggest professional achievement to date?

In no particular order, but interconnected, my two Romanian language books, PROLang and perhaps the Order of Merit I received in 2018 and the Chartered Institute of Linguists Special Commendation I received for the Short Courses programme in 2021.

Visit Ramona Gonczol’s UCL profile here.