Teaching Modules on the Outstanding Personalities of the American Hungarian Diaspora in Hungarian Secondary and Tertiary Education

Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Through the presentation the audience will be acquainted with the contents and methodological frameworks within teaching modules, (mostly seminars) implemented in Hungarian secondary and tertiary education concerning the history, impact, and activities of outstanding American Hungarian personalities from the 18th century to the present day. However this rather important topic is not part of the Hungarian curriculum the lecturer has the unique opportunity to merge cross-curricular interdisciplinary contents during his teaching modules, as a scholar and researcher of American studies as well as a teacher of IT English and civilizational studies. Students learn about the significant impact of outstanding American-Hungarian military leaders in the American War of Independence and Civil war as well as on the importance of the Hungarian artists and scientists in the development of the American film industry, nuclear and computer science or space exploration. The teaching modules presented in the session cover the application of multimedia gamified approaches in IT English and British-American civilizational classes focusing on the lives, activities and indisputable impact of such personalities as Mihály Kováts, Sándor Asbóth, György Pomutz, József Pulitzer, Adolph Zukor, Vilmos Zsigmond, József Galamb, Zoltán Bay, Edward Teller, John Neumann, Theodore Kármán, Andy Grove, Ferenc Pavlits, Charles Simonyi and many others. These modules prove to be highly popular and appreciated by students involved in this kind of classroom activities, though unfortunately tend to be rather unique and uncommon in the Hungarian education system.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Zsolt Csutak is a teacher of English and civilizational studies, as well as a Ph.D. candidate, and researcher of US foreign and security policies. He has a special focus interest on the nexus between religions and politics, and the various challenges imposed by the rise of new technologies on culture, and education. He had traveled around dozens of countries, so far and spent some highly rewarding months with academic scholarships in universities in France, Finland and Ohio, United States.