Kim Strozewski, MA in Slavic and East European Studies, Class of 2001

Where do you work and what is your current position?

I am the Director of the North Carolina State European Center in Prague, Czech Republic. North Carolina State University has been bringing students to Prague since 1997. I started my position as Director in 2019.

The NC State European Center in Prague supports the educational and outreach objectives of NC State University. It is the university's only permanent year-round international facility that welcomes both students and faculty and aims to serve as a gateway to Europe for developing international networks and experiences. We work primarily with NC State students who want to study in Europe to provide a low-cost option, but are considering opening up our programs to students of other state institutions.  

In addition to serving the student population, we also facilitate connections between NC State faculty and our European partners. For example, we host symposia and conferences for NC State and European collaborations.

Tell us how you got there.

After leaving OSU, I started a PhD program in Central European and Holocaust history at “the school that shall not be named” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After my second year, I decided to take a break from my studies and took a position as the Resident Director for a Jewish studies program in Prague, Czech Republic for CET Academic Programs. I worked with CET for 14 years and expanded the program to include Central European studies, business and economics, internships in cooperation with Charles University, as well as developed programs in film production, photography and new media in partnership with FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague). Although I worked closely with students and student programming, I also facilitated new partnerships with Czech universities. 

How has your CSEES MA helped you throughout your post-graduate life?

I studied Czech at OSU and through CSEES, I was able to get two FLAS grants, one to study in the Czech Republic and the other in Poland. This helped jumpstart my career in the region and in international education.  

What was your focus or research interest when you studied at OSU?

I focused on Central/East European and Russian history. My MA thesis and research interest was on the Roma Holocaust during World War II. I also studied Czech and Polish. Although I had been a pretty poor language learner in the classroom, I excelled in using languages in context.

If you are a traveler, what is one of your favorite trips you have taken?

I went to Israel in 2008 for a seminar on Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem. Despite the fact it was July and incredibly hot, I loved being there and would like to travel more in the Middle East. Also, the food is phenomenal!  

What are your future plans?

I intend to remain in the Czech Republic as I now have a family here. I met my Czech partner in 2005 and we have a 5-year-old son. My husband is a tenured professor at Charles University in the Department of Czech Literature. We met through a mutual friend and bonded over discussions of Czech intellectual history and Czech culture.