Education paper by Pók, Attila
Planning for the Future: the István Deák Visiting Professorship at Columbia University
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
The István Deák Visiting Professorship in East central European Studies at Columbia University pays tribute to the eminent historian István Deák and his distinguished legacy of scholarship, teaching and cultural engagement. The Deák Chair brings distinguished scholars and teachers from East Central Europe to Columbia. Normally the stay is one semester; visiting scholars are selected through the joint collaboration of the Blinken European Institute, the East Central European center, and the Harriman Institute who host the Chair. At Columbia, the visitors teach, share their research and more generally, dedicate themselves to raising awareness about the history and society of Hungary and East central Europe.
For a few of years now I have been making efforts to stabilize the financial foundations of the István Deák Visiting Professorship. Currently we are trying to widen the scope of activities supported by the István Deák Endowment. In addition to the visiting professors we also would like to offer scholarships and prizes to students and would like to have more public events: film shows, conferences, book launches etc. In this work we receive help from the Hungarian Consulate General and our Cultural Center New York. I suggest that we organize a fund raising session for the activities connected to the endowment named after him. My point is to call the attention to the István Deák Endowment.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Attila Pók is deputy director of the Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. His publications and courses cover three major fields: 19th-20th century European political and intellectual history, history of modern European historiography, theory and methodology of history. Currently he is István Deák Visiting Professor of East Central European Studies at Columbia University, NY.