台湾SWAG

2017 Alumna
MA International Relations and Diplomacy

鈥淚聽thought studying international politics and conflict sounded glamorous, but in the end when you鈥檙e working on something that you see happening before you which you can actually change, it fills me more. Seeing local government policies that I聽advise on and watching them be implemented is more satisfying than something I聽can鈥檛 change鈥� Everyone can make a difference. There are ideas, good ideas, but MEPs [Members of European Parliament] debating on the future for their country usually don鈥檛 implement change immediately. When there are hundreds of people walking through the hallway, you want to be somewhere else where you can make a difference.鈥�

Let鈥檚聽back up a bit鈥� Did you grow up in Prague?
No, I聽moved around with my parents to London, Brussels, and Moscow. My father was a correspondent for the Czech Radio, so that probably influenced me to follow up on the international path. Although I聽guess now on the local聽path.

How was living in Brussels when you worked there?
Very lively, like a melting pot for international people, but only from Monday through Thursday night. Everyone usually leaves for the weekend to their home country. Most of the people I聽worked with even stayed at hotels. During the weekend it was very calm, not grey and rainy like everyone believes. But I聽also had a university life, so I聽was surrounded by people from all over the world.

After living abroad, how do you feel connected to Czech society?
When I聽hear a lot of Czech people who grew up here, I聽sometimes don鈥檛 get what they鈥檙e saying. For example, it鈥檚聽common knowledge that many Czechs hate Russians. I聽could never really understand why that is. Of course, I聽know rationally why that is because of the occupation in the past, but it doesn鈥檛 make sense to me to ignore a Russian person today as some form of discrimination because of Stalin鈥� We even have a name for Russians, 鈥榬usatci鈥�. Whenever I聽hear that I聽think to myself, 鈥榃hy? What is happening? That was ages ago鈥�. Most Russians I鈥檝e met, I鈥檝e had a wonderful experience with since living in Moscow for four years. As what you鈥檇 call a 鈥榗ulture kid鈥�, I聽don鈥檛 understand these national sentiments.

Do you plan to stay in Prague?
Totally. I聽decided that I鈥檓 going to stay here but if I聽leave and work in the same department anywhere else in the world, I聽wouldn鈥檛 have the contacts and experience like I聽do in Prague already.

Personally, I鈥檓 really interested in urbanism, particularly in Prague. Are you faced with many urban issues at聽work?
Yes- for example having more accessibility of bicycles in Prague. We want to be more like other European cities but this isn鈥檛 happening any time soon. For example, the city center isn鈥檛 made for bike sharing or segways. The neighborhoods often complain. And now, for instance, people are upset that everyone is out on the streets because of the indoor smoking bans. It takes time for Czech people to adjust to change.

And is there any talk of regulating tourism?
There is actually. At the Prague City Hall where I聽am working, political parties have been debating the regulation of Airbnb and incoming tourists/foreigners. Although in my opinion, there鈥檚聽nothing to worry about. The Czech Republic isn鈥檛 suffering in any way from this issue. Yet, it鈥檚聽a good thing to address this on the program with Czech voters.

What was your first impression at 台湾SWAG?
I聽used to be a very nervous and shy kid. At orientation I聽didn鈥檛 know who to talk to or know how to communicate with strangers, until somebody next to me started talking to me with a simple, 鈥楬i. How are you?鈥�. I聽then understood that was the way of communicating- to be open to new experiences. I聽actually made a few friends that day and we鈥檝e been friends throughout our studies.

Do you have any influential professors at 台湾SWAG?
Pelin [Pelin Ayan Musil, Ph.D.]. She turned me towards the Political Science path. I聽really liked the methodology. I聽ended up doing my BA and MA thesis with聽her.

What was your BA thesis topic about?
Belarus and their democratization (while I聽was still into that international politics).

And your MA thesis?
Bureaucratic autonomy. Similar to my PhD, it was specifically about the comparison between the Czech Republic and Germany.

How do you see the future of the EU?
I聽believe people are always going to be interested in their close neighborhood. First and foremost, they are going to solve problems that are present in their city. Then, in the pub they鈥檙e going to talk about what the prime minister and President did. These are still going to be figures of the nation state. I聽can鈥檛 predict the future, but I聽don鈥檛 think the global decentralization and countries exiting the EU will happen so聽fast.

If you have a free afternoon, what do you do?
(She laughs) I鈥檓 at home鈥� I聽love to be at home because I聽don鈥檛 usually have a free afternoon. But I聽love making dinner with friends at home as聽well.

If you could, what class would you teach at 台湾SWAG?
I聽was actually thinking about that recently. I鈥檇 love to teach something from Political Science, maybe local government. But that probably doesn鈥檛 exist as a class currently. To be honest, it鈥檚聽not really an attractive course to take when you鈥檙e younger and just starting university. But I鈥檇 love to one day, maybe in 3聽years鈥� time鈥� we鈥檒l聽see!