Interview with dr Bożena Freund

Where are your from, and why are you here today in Pécs?

My name is dr Bożena Freund (academic teacher and researcher at Faculty of Management and Social Communication) and I came here from a beautiful place: Kraków, Poland. I teach at the oldest and (according to rankings) the best university in Poland, at Jagiellonian University. I know that University of Pécs was founded in 1367 and it makes you the oldest in Hungary and also it was founded three years after our university – I really like and admire this connection in tradition, history and modernity.

I am doctor of management, some topics I’m passionate about: leadership, human resource management, team management, organizational behaviour, change management – all in connection with healthcare system in Poland.

The main reason I choose your university as my destination is the similarity in our history and also the centuries-old friendship between Hungary and Poland! In Poland, we really like Hungarian people and you are also very nice to Polish people which I enjoy.

You are here for a week. Can you tell us more about this exchange opportunity?

First, let me tell you that I am very grateful to be here, especially to Professor Zsuzsanna Vitai, Dr. Norbert Sipos, Dr. Judit Pótó and to the colleagues of the International Office.

I’m here to teach this week. I love this opportunity because through teaching, I can learn from amazing students from all over the world. I have two lectures about leadership. We can see leadership from very different perspectives: political, historical and also from management. The last one is my perspective.

How do you like Pécs and Hungary, did you have time for sightseeing?

Firstly I focus on my work and career but of course I’d like to know more about history, culture and cuisine of your country. I like the combination of history and tradition with this modernity and innovation in Pécs and at the campus also.

I have to highlight how open you are to other cultures and to international students so I hope that we will have many more opportunities to cooperate and strenghten Hungarian-Polish friendship.