From Ohio to the Faculty of Business: A Guest Lecturer’s Perspective

Get to know his lectures

He taught in several classes across the Mater’s programmes which focused on the creativity and ideation processes involved in venture creation. In the Entrepreneurship class students were introduced to sources of entrepreneurial ideas and then participated in a series of brainstorming exercises aimed at generating several potential business concepts that could be further developed in class. The sessions concluded with an idea screening process aimed at selecting students around whom they could build a team and begin implementing lean, including creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). In the Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation classes he and his students explored all the different ways in which larger organizations engage in entrepreneurial activity and reviewed practical examples of some of these companies (e.g., Google Ventures; Intel Ventures). In the Innovation Class he gave a lecture on the role of networking and innovation. Lastly, he also led two sessions on the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to assist second year and PhD students as they begin their thesis.

From an external perspective, the university and its students

He admitted that he enjoyed working with the Pécs students and that “the sheer diversity of students is a major bonus“. Students from different countries and business backgrounds are particularly useful when developing business ideas. Although for many it was only their second week at university, they were focused, interested and diligent in the topics covered. He also liked working with students who were older than the average university student and therefore had more work experience. This is often valuable when focusing on more practical and academic topics that can be applied in a real business environment. 

Experiencing strange habits

When I asked Dr. Pittaway about experiencing any strange habits he pointed out these things: “What I notice about Hungarians is that they say ”jó” a lot when they speak on the telephone. I also looked it up, and for sure, superstitiously sitting down before you leave the house is going to look very odd to most other cultures (but then the British avoid walking under ladders!)”. He was also quick to pick up on the uniquely Hungarian tradition of not clinking beer glasses, a silent tribute to the 13 Martyrs of Arad that has transformed a 19th-century act of defiance into a modern-day cultural signature. 

Pécs and its People in 10 Words

There is a specific kind of magic in seeing your own culture and your nation through a stranger's eyes. That’s why I asked him if he could sum up the soul of the city and its residents in five-five words. 

Pécs: historic, vibrant, beautiful, hilly, Mediterranean feeling

Hungarian people: hospitable, talkative, proud, warm-hearted, sociable

A taste of Hungary

In Hungary, our relationship with food is a love language, one that often involves a 'just one more bite' persistence. Dr. Pittaway experienced this first-hand from the restaurants to the treats he received from the students. He confessed, “I regularly enjoy Gulyásleves, particularly if I am visiting in February and it's cold. After much persuasion, a couple of years ago, I tried Kocsonya and loved it much more than I had expected”. As for dessert his favourites are Krémes and Balaton chocolate from the latter he even bought some for his children. He also had a special experience in Budapest where he went to a Michelin-starred restaurant that paired each course with Hungarian wines.