Emese Kovacs

Dr. Emese Kovacs is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oriental Languages and Cultures (Japanese) at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Hungary. She specializes in media sociology with a particular focus on Japanese cultural practices and cross-cultural communication patterns.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Japanese language-sociology from Musashi University, Tokyo (2016), an MA in sociology from the same institution (2010), along with additional qualifications in Japanese studies, film arts, dance education, and public education administration. She possesses superior Japanese language proficiency with intermediate English and German skills.

Dr. Kovacs' research examines cultural differences in media apologies across Japanese (collectivist), American, and Hungarian (individualist) contexts. Her work bridges sociological theory with practical media analysis, exploring how cultural frameworks shape public apology mechanisms. She teaches Contemporary Japanese Media, Thesis Writing Methodology, Etiquette in Everyday Japanese, and Media and Society courses.

Her publications demonstrate a consistent research trajectory examining the social function of media apologies, with particular attention to Japanese societal norms and their manifestation in media contexts across different cultural frameworks.

• Moritani Scholarship (2013-2016) from Moritani Ikueikai
• MEXT Scholarship (2007-2013) from Japanese Ministry of Education

Dr. Kovacs maintains active membership in the Nordic Association for the Study of Contemporary Japanese Society, European Association of Japanese Studies, and International Association for Media and Communication Research. She has conducted research visits at Central European University and the London School of Economics, presenting her work at numerous international conferences across Europe.