Dagmar Kusá, PhD.
Dagmar Kusá, PhD.
Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Studies Coordinator
Dagmar Kusá received her MA in political science from Comenius University her PhD. in political science from Boston University. Prior to BISLA, Dagmar worked in the Slovak Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and served on its Board of Directors. In 2008/2009, she served as a projects coordinator at EUROCLIO, the European Association of History Educators in the Hague. Since 2004, Dagmar was the Program Director at the Bostonian International Center for Conciliation, where she remains affiliated as a Senior Fellow and trainer in identity conflicts transformation. Her primary academic interests include the political use of collective memory, ethnic identity, citizenship and minorities, at present focusing on the manifestations of cultural trauma in public discourse. She serves as the country expert on citizenship at the European Democratic Observatory (at EUI) and co-organizes a global annual Muslim-Jewish Conference. She is the Vice President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Slovakia.
View Dr. Kusá’s profile on Academia.edu
Contact details
Email: kusa@bisla.sk
Tel: +421 2 59234 303
Office: Room 303, Blue building
Research interests
My current research focuses on the quality of democracy in countries transitioning from totalitarian or authoritarian regimes and its relation to the institutional choices of addressing the past, particularly in the context of South African and Central European transitions.
Previous research projects concerned the area of citizenship - as a status and as political practice, as well as a narrative interpretation. I also utilize narrative approach to study cultural trauma in political discourse, especially in the Slovak-Hungarian relations. Other areas of research interest involve human rights, minorities, ethnic conflict and conflict transformation. Of special interest is the use of narrative approaches (and historical narratives) in conflict transformation.
Courses
Current: Comparative Politics
Narratives of Peace, Conflict, and Justice: Transition in Post-apartheid South Africa
International Conflict and Cooperation
Theories of Political Parties and Systems
Bachelor Thesis Seminar
Past: Human and Civil Rights
Introduction to Political Science
Cultural Trauma – Slovak-Hungarian Relations
Globalization and Conflicts of Identity
Theories of Conflict Transformation
Awards and Fellowships
Global Crossroads Award towards the project project “Student-faculty Field Research on ‘Gen-narrations’ of Reconciliation, Violence, and forms of Political Participation in Post-Apartheid South Africa”. 2018
Julie Kidd Research Travel Fellowship in support of research Heritage of the Past and the Quality of Democracy in Slovakia. 2017-2018.
Global Liberal Arts Alliance and Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation. Global Connected Course support grant towards International Conflict and Cooperation between Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Hope College, and American University in Beirut. Spring 2016.
Global Liberal Arts Alliance. Connected Course support grant towards “Narratives of Peace, Conflict, and Justice: Transition in the Post-apartheid South Africa” between Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts and Denison University. Spring 2014.
Great Lakes Colleges Association. “Digital Humanities: student-faculty research project.” Travel grant to conduct research in the Library of Congress. July/August 2013.
International Center for Conciliation Graduate Research Grant, 2006-2007 Academic Year- Boston University.
Institution fur die Wissenschaften vom Menschen. Junior Visiting Fellowship. 2005.
Open Society Foundation. Global Supplementary Support Grant. 2003-2004.
Outstanding Teaching Fellow Award, 2001-2002 Academic Year – Boston University
Travel Grant, University of Swansea and Boston University. April 2003.
Teaching Fellowship, Boston University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science. 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Research projects
FIANS. Philosophical Anthropology and the Contemporary Civilizational Situation. APVV-15-0682. June 1 2016 – May 31 2020.
ANTICORRP: Antricorruption Policies Revisited: Global Trends and European Responses to the Challenge of Corruption. Co-funded by the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development of the European Union.2015
ACIT. Access To citizenship and its impact on immigrant integration (ACIT). EUDO Observatory on Citizenship (European University Institute), the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country Nationals (administered by DG Home Affairs). Country Expert and Researcher. http://eudo-citizenship.eu/
IMPIC. "Immigration Policies in Comparison" (IMPIC). Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB). Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation. 2012-2015. Researcher. http://www.impic-project.eu/
EUCITAC. Access to Citizenship in Europe (EUCITAC). Európska komisia DG JLS. 2008-2010. 499.752 EUR. Country Expert and Researcher.
Central European Dictionary of Political Concepts (Res Publica Nowa). 2010-2012. Visegrad Fund, researcher and author.
Global Leadership Project. Boston University Political Science Department The Clinton Global Initiative at Boston University. The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University. 2010 - 2012. researcher. http://glp.bu.edu/
THE WORLD BANK GRANT IDF 027319 SK THE PROJECT OF CAPACITY BUILDING of the Secretariat of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities. Study stay of Roma Youth Initiative in the U.S.A. Date: 28. September 28 - October 11. 2002. Coordinator and Interpreter.
Publications
KUSÁ, D. The Born Frees as Assertive Citizens: Student Protests and Democratic Prospects in South Africa. In: Polish Political Science Yearbook, vol. 47(4) (2018), pp. 722–741 DOI: dx.doi.org/10.15804/ppsy2018410 PL ISSN 0208-7375 www.czasopisma.marszalek.com.pl/10-15804/ppsy
KUSÁ, D. Memory Holes and the Democratic Project: Impacts of the Abuse of Memory on the Quality of Democracy in Central Europe. In: D. KUSÁ, Ed. Identities in Flux: Globalisation, Trauma, and Reconciliation. (2018). Bratislava: Kritika & Kontext. ISBN: 978-80-972340-1-0, 2018
KUSÁ, D. Režim pamäti a spravodlivá spoločnosť [The Regime of Memory and a Just Society]. In: Filosofický časopis. 2/2018
KUSÁ, D. Narratives of Trauma and Suffering in Slovak-Hungarian Relations. In: Marcin Moskalewicz & Wojciech Przybylski "Understanding Central Europe". Routledge (series on Russian and East European Studies). 2017.
Politika a menšiny/ Dagmar Kusá, Jozef Bátora (Eds.), Miroslav Kusý. Bratislava : Kalligram, 2016. ISBN 978-80-8101-952-4
Politika a menšiny/ Dagmar Kusá, Jozef Bátora (Eds.), Miroslav Kusý. Bratislava : Kalligram, 2016. ISBN 978-80-8101-952-4.
Narratives of Trauma and Suffering in Slovak-Hungarian Relations. In: Marcin Moskalewicz & Wojciech Przybylski "Understanding Central Europe". Routledge (series on Russian and East European Studies). 2017.
With AHERN, Dana. 2015 Autonómie v Európe. / Dagmar Kusá, Dana Ahern (translators). Zoltán Kántor (Editor). ISBN: 978-80-8101-928-9 Bratislava: Kalligram.
“Remembering the City: A Guide Through the Past of Košice”. Review. In Mesto a Dejiny: Journal of Urban History. ISSN:1339-0163. 2015.
with NURSE, Anne. Juvenile Justice in Slovakia. In: WINTERDYK, John, ed. Juvenile Justice: International Perspectives, Models, and Trends. 2nd ed. Taylor and Francis/CRC Press. 2014.
Politika a inštitúcie / Dagmar Kusá, Jozef Bátora (Eds.), Miroslav Kusý. - Bratislava : Kalligram, 2013
With PETOCZ, K., HORNÁ, D., and GURÁŇ, P., Background expert material for the National Strategy of the Government of the Slovak Republic on Human Rights. 2013
With PETOCZ, K., DAVALA, M., GURÁŇ, P., HORNÁ, D., and FIGUŠ, V. Dictionnary of Human Rights.
“We are The Stories We Tell: Historical conciliation of ethnic tensions in Central Europe”. Visegrad Insight.1/2013.
with MICHELA, Miroslav. 2013. „Dejiny a kultúrna trauma. Trianon a politiky pamäti na Slovensku a v Maďarsku“ [History and Cultural Trauma. Trianon and the Politics of Memory in Slovakia and Hungary]. In MICHELA, Miroslav & VOROS, László. Rozpad Uhorska a Trianonská mierová zmluva. K politikám pamäti na Slovensku a Maďarsku. Historical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in TYPOSET Print, Bratislava.
with MICHELA. Miroslav. 2011. A kulturális trauma diskurzusa. Trianon és a szlovák-magyar kapcsolatok reprezentációi [Cultural Trauma Discourse in the Slovak-Hungarian Relations]. In LIMES : tudományos szemle. Issue: 1. Sz. Pages: 53-70. ISSN:0238-9266
“The Slovak Question and the Slovak Answer: Citizenship during the quest for national self-determination and after”. In Rainer Baubock, Bernard Perching, & Wiebke Sievers (Eds.). Citizenship Policies in the New Europe: Expanded and Updated Edition. IMISCOE series. Amsterdam University Press. 2009.
„Úloha kolektívnej pamäte v procese etnickej mobilizácie“ [The Role of Collective Memory in the Process of Ethnic Mobilization] . In DRAL. Peter a FINDOR. Andrej (Eds.). Ako skúmať národ: deväť štúdií o etnicite a nacionalizme.[How to Study a Nation: Nine studies on ethnicity and nationalism]. Tribún EU. Brno. 2009 v rámci projektu KEGA č. 3/4072_06. pp. 57-79
with GAMAGHELYAN, Philip; SALTSMAN, Adam. 2010. “Mediating History, Making Peace: Dealing with the 'messy' stuff in the conciliation process". In: Sandor Schuman, ed. Working with Difficult Groups: How they are difficult, why they are difficult, and what you can do. Jossey-Bass. An Imprint of John Wiley & Sons. Incorporated. ISBN13:9780470594117
with LEVINE, Hillel; BAHARVAR, David; ERGENC, Ceren; GAMAGHELYAN, Philip; KELLER, Brigitte; SALTSMAN, Adam; STEELE. David, and ERDENGIZ, Diler. 2010. Mediating History. Making Peace: Manual for Trainers in Historical Conciliation. International Center for Conciliation. Boston. MA..
"Methodologies of using history as a tool for conciliation (across time, across groups) by stressing multiperspectivity, inclusion, critical thinking and comparison". 29th May 2009. Conference in Berlin.. Published by Cultura Historica.
“The Slovak Question and the Slovak Answer: Citizenship during the quest for national self-determination and after”. In Rainer Baubock, Bernard Perching, & Wiebke Sievers (Eds.). Citizenship Policies in the New Europe: IMISCOE series. Amsterdam University Press. 2007.
„Riešenie konfliktov I a II” [Conflict Resolution I and II]. August 2006. Life Without Stereotypes (project EQUAL) for the Foundation for Tolerance and Against Discrimination. European Social Fund EQUAL.
„Historical Trauma and Ethnic Identity. The Years of Homelessness of the Hungarian Minority in Post-war Slovakia", In: E. Breuning, Jill Lewis, and Garreth Pritchard (eds.) Power and the People: A Social History of Central European Politics. 1945-56. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press. 2005. Počet citácií: 5
“When Humanity Fails: Question of Responsibility in Darfur's Genocide”. Listy SFPA. October 2004.
with van BEEK, Joost. “In Broken Glass, Many Reflections. East European minority media (Introduction)”. Prix Iris Europa. March 2004
Review of the Redrawing Nations. Ethnic Cleansing in East-Central Europe. 1944-1948 (Philipp Ther and Ana Siljak. eds.). for the Journal of Cold War Studies. Summer 2003. 5(3), pp. 102-114.
„Human Rights and Minority Issues. The Ruthenian Commmunities in Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine”. In: Drent et al.. eds.. Towards Shared Security. 7-nation Perspectives. Harmonie Papers. Centre for European Security Studies. (Groeningen 2001)
Recent Conferences Panel Participation
The Liberal Herald’s fourth annual conference (Dis-)continuous Identities: Globalization, Trauma, and Reconciliation. Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2017 Bratislava.
XIII. Annual conference Bratislava Philosophy Days – international workshop of the Philosophy Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and: Relevance of Philosophical Anthropology June 15 – 16 2017, Modra – Harmónia
The Conflict Research Society Annual Conference 2017; Ending Violence in Turbulent Times: Exploring the Conflict, Peace, and Violence Nexus; Changing Character of War Programme, University of Oxford, Pembroke College, Oxford, September 18-19, 2017.
The International Polish Political Science Yearbook Seminar Transitional Justice: Between Redemption and Retribution, June 6, 2017, Łódź (Poland)
Conferences, Trainings, Workshops (Trainer, organizer)
“Colorblind Winter School”, Day long role play simulation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia, November 29, 2017
“Value-Based Conflicts and Violence”, Partners for Democratic Change, Leader of the in-depth simulation session on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. April 7, 2017, Bratislava.
Muslim Jewish Conference”. Trainer of trainers, Committees&Content department, Chair of the Conflict Transformation Committee Berlin, August 7-14, 2016.
“The Challenge of the Refugee Crisis – Panacea or Pandemonium for Europe?” Undergraduate conference, Central European University, Budapest, August 15-17, 2016.
“Muslim Jewish Conference”. Trainer of trainers, Committees&Content department, Chair of the Conflict Transformation Committee Berlin, August 13-24, 2015.
“Muslim Jewish Conference”. Trainer of trainers, Head of Committee Chairs, Committees&Content department, Vienna, August 7-14, 2014
„The Image of the Other“, Roundtable facilitator. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. Vienna, December 2013.
„Image of the Other: Regional Conference on Educatoin“ Roundtable facilitator. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. Vienna, May 2013.
“Muslim Jewish Conference,”. Committee Chair for the Conflict Transformation Committee, Sarajevo, June 2013.
"Muslim-Jewish Conference" Annual Conference of the Muslim Jewish Conference. Co-organizer, Trainer of trainers. Committee Chair and Head of Team Slovakia: Bratislava in 2012.
"Muslim-Jewish Conference" Annual Conference of the Muslim Jewish Conference . Co-organizer, trainer of trainers. Committee Chair for the Sustained Community Dialogue Committee. Kiev in July 2011.
"Muslim-Jewish Conference" - co-organizer, trainer of trainers. Committee Chair: annual conference in Vienna in August 2-8, 2010.
"Historical Conciliation: Training of Trainers", organizer and facilitator. Nazareth. Israel. May 2010.
"Civics Seminar". Bringing Theory to Practice. Association of American Colleges and Universities
"Mediating History, Making Peace". Workshops for advanced mediators and for history educators. Berlin. December 2008. Organizer and trainer.
"Imagine 2008: Armenian and Azerbaijani Student Retreat and Dialogue" organizer and facilitator. Saluda Mountain Lake resort. North Carolina. May 24-June 1 2008.
"Mediating History. Making Peace: Advanced workshop for professionals working with issues of justice, peace, and conciliation", organizer and facilitator. Boston. October 9-21 2007.
"European Experts Meeting on Social Cohesion", co-organizer and facilitator. Amsterdam June 2007.
"Mediating History. Making Peace: Advanced workshop in conflict resolution" for the Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Teachers4 College. February 11 2007.
"Historical memory in sustained dialogue" workshop for the Cambodia-Vietnam Dialogue project, (organizer and facilitator). Phnom Penh. Cambodia. February 3-8 2007.
"Historical conciliation" workshop for students and non-governmental organizations' staff in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. February 2008
"Biannual workshop in Conflict Resolution and Peace-building", (facilitator). Henry Martyn Institute. January 14-28 2007