Discussions

Your Name and Title: Attila Nagy, LLM International Business Law

School or Organization Name: International Business College Mitrovica

Co-Presenter Name(s):

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: South East Europe, Western Balkan, Serbia, Kosovo

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Teachers, Students, School Management, Curriculum Developers

Short Session Description (one line): Explaining and outlining the importance of the objectivity and respect in interactions with students in an ex-conflict area/city

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): I would like to share and discuss my experience gained as a teacher in a divided city of Kosovska Mitrovica/Mitrovica, which can be found on the North of the newest European state, Kosovo*. This city is an ethnic, religious and a cultural border between two nations and one of the most hostile cities in Europe.
Our institution, International Business College Mitrovica has two campuses, one on the North and one on the Southern part of the city and we are trying to bring closer the divided ones by educating youth and trying to make them aware of the other side. As a lecturer teaching on both campuses I experience every day the division but still it is a new challenge to teach and changes campuses and students on a daily basis and teach them laws which are different, give specific examples and understand and help them to learn and understand the same things differently which leads them to the same learning outcomes.
It is known that every teacher has its routine in teaching and after some years it maintains it with some necessary efforts towards including some lesson updates, technical improvements and student preferences. All this is still a big challenge for a teacher to comprise and successfully implement on class, even though generations differ the direction of their preferences can still be easily pointed out.
The challenge we are facing is how to teach to students which are culturally very different and in the same time very sensitive to anything coming from the other side, every word has to fit the purpose and be targeted and fit the situation as a “bullet which fits the gun”. Mistakes are still made but luckily the collateral is not similar to the one connected with guns but still makes many uncomfortable situations which shouldn’t happen on a regular school class. I believe that from this experience we can predict and prevent not just regular conflicts which could happen in any every day school but even larger conflicts and misunderstandings.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: http://ibcmitrovica.eu/