Discovering leadership abroad in Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic
What does it mean to become a leader? How do you best practice citizenship in the world? Students in Leadership Across Cultures found out when they traveled to Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic to grow their identities in rich cultural settings (with plenty of scenic vistas). The study abroad trip was offered by the Office of Student Engagement as part of the Excellence in Leadership program.
If you’ve ever traveled abroad — or even on a road trip — you might know that it’s one of the best stress tests ever. Therefore, the logic goes, it’s also one of the best learning experiences ever.
How do you remain a leader when you’re part of a larger group? How is leadership overseas different from in America? How can you perform cross-cultural leadership? These are questions that students on the first-ever Leadership Across Cultures study abroad trip found answers to — and in no better locations than the countries of Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
The students at the Hungarian Parliament.
In May, nine students in the Emerging Leaders Institute, offered by the Office of Student Engagement, went abroad to not only learn about their own leadership capabilities, but also about leadership styles in Central and Eastern Europe and at international nonprofits. Amanda Gelber, director of student engagement, and Courtney Cunningham, assistant director of student engagement, brought their expertise in leadership along for the journey.
“There are many different kinds of leadership, but we use the active citizenship model the most, where we take students from a self-view to a world-view,” says Gelber. “With Leadership Across Cultures, we give students a global experience in multiple countries.”
The first stop was Budapest, Hungary, where the students checked into their hostel and set out for the McDaniel Europe in Budapest campus, where they met with students who provided a tour of the city and shared how their long-term study abroad was making an impact.
They visited the Szechenyi Thermal Baths to shake off their travel fatigue before touring the Hungarian Parliament, a palatial building of spires and arches perched beside the Danube.
To make sure new concepts in leadership and citizenship in the world were taken to heart, the students had reflection discussions about the history, culture, and first-hand lessons they learned along the way.
“I want to work in international affairs,” says Luci Vallor, a junior Political Science and Psychology major with a minor in Sociology. “So, being given this chance to learn about and explore different countries is an invaluable experience.”
On day six, the students boarded a train to Vienna, capital city of Austria. On a once-in-a-lifetime day trip to Salzburg, Austria, they toured locations from the film "The Sound of Music." Another trip to the red-roofed, white-walled 18th-century city of Bratislava, Slovakia, brought them to a picturesque setting packed with history.
Back in Vienna, the group got down to business at the United Nations of Vienna, where they watched representatives in action — for many students, like Julia Hurlock, it was a true highlight from the trip.
“One of the most interesting things I saw was the United Nations in Vienna. It was really cool to be able to see how a session worked,” says Hurlock, a junior Business Administration and Marketing major.
“As a leader, this trip was very important to me,” says Jeremy Volker, a junior Criminal Justice major with minors in Forensic Science and Psychology. “Going to places like the United Nations and nonprofit organizations to talk with them gave me more insight as to how leadership overseas can be so different from that in America.”
An eye-opening visit to Grenzenlos Nonprofit in Vienna.
The students were able to learn about international nonprofit work at the Grenzenlos Nonprofit, an Austrian NGO that aims “to promote the personal development of individuals and intercultural understanding”; and at Social Impact Award, an Austrian nonprofit with the goal of empowering students to make a difference on an international scale.
Another train ride to Prague, Czech Republic, brought interesting experiences in the form of a lecture at the Anglo-American University and a Czech Republic cooking class.
Their final activity was a day trip to Kutná Hora, a medieval mining town-turned-royal city, now preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Gothic architecture, gone unchanged for centuries.
Even though it was home to Baltimore after Prague, the journey had a lasting impact on every student, all of whom shared that they would recommend it to a friend looking for leadership experience.
“Leadership Across Cultures was very thrilling. I learned more about myself and what specific things would make me a better leader,” says Autumn Cunningham, a junior Social Work major with a minor in Psychology. “Budapest was lively, Vienna was beautiful, and Prague was exhilarating! Overall, it was a worthwhile experience that I am delighted to have been a part of.”
"We give them the tools, but then we ask them to utilize the tools and their lived experiences to develop their own leadership style."
