Yvette Orsovics is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Pre-school and Elementary Education, Faculty of Education, Selye János Egyetem. She holds a PhD in Pedagogy and has extensive experience in music education and comparative textbook research. Her roles include conducting the Cantus Iuventus choir and leading various educational initiatives. Education: Completed studies at Pedagógiai Főiskola (1989-1995), Kodály Zoltán Institute (1996-1998), and Eötvös Lóránd University (2008-2013). She has taught at primary schools and music academies since 1994. Research focuses on textbook analysis, music education methods, and artistic activities. Notable projects include internationalizing teacher education programs and developing creative language teaching methods. Recognition includes multiple awards for pedagogical excellence, including the 2020 Ministerial Award and 2016 Hungarian Teacher Award. She has led over 10 funded projects, including EU-supported initiatives. As a conductor, her choirs have achieved significant national and international success. She is actively involved in cultural initiatives and serves as a jury member at music festivals.
Marta Botiková serves as Professor at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University Bratislava since 2009, with continuous faculty service since 1991. Her academic trajectory includes Associate Professor (2001-2009) and Assistant Professor (1991-2000) positions within the same institution. Her educational foundation comprises three Ethnology degrees from Comenius University (1978 BA/MA, 1984 PhD), complemented by professional development in English language (British Council 1992), digital tools (Atlas.ti 2014, Moodle 2009), and specialized software training. She maintains active international collaborations through Fulbright and CEEPUS programs with institutions across Europe and North America. Professor Botiková's research centers on Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology with emphases on gender dynamics, family structures, and historical transformations in Central Europe. Her work critically examines women's experiences across the 20th century, particularly analyzing socialist-era gender policies, reproductive behavior, and medicalization of life-cycle events. She employs biographical narratives and historical-ethnographic methods to explore tradition-modernity tensions in Slovak society. Her recent publications (2019-2023) demonstrate consistent focus on historical-ethnographic analysis of family and gender in Central Europe, with growing emphasis on Slovak-Hungarian comparative frameworks. These works reveal methodological sophistication in combining oral histories with archival materials to investigate reproduction, childcare, and identity formation under socialism. International Prize for Ethnological Studies Guiseppe Pitré (1996) Slovak Ethnographic Society Awards (1982, 1984, 2008) Commemorative Medals from Comenius University (2019) and Faculty of Arts (2022, 2024) Gold Medal for Merits (2024) Slovak Academy of Sciences Award (1995) She has supervised 83 defended theses (25 Bachelor's, 53 Master's, 5 PhD) and currently guides 4 Bachelor's candidates. Her research is funded through multiple VEGA projects including leadership in 'From Family Ecotype to Sociotype' (2017-2020) and participation in 'Moral assessment of national groups' (2023-2025). International mobility includes Fulbright scholarships at The Evergreen State College (1995-1996, 2011) and Cambridge Group research. Professor Botiková maintains significant departmental engagement as Editor-in-Chief of Ethnologia Slovaca et Slavica (since 2017), former Head of Department (2003-2015), and active membership in Slovak Ethnographic Society (since 1975) and Hungarian Ethnographic Society (Honorary Member since 2005).
Doc. Mgr. Ján Jambor, PhD., is an Associate Professor at the University of Prešov's Faculty of Arts, Department of German Studies. He specializes in Swiss German literature, crime fiction theory, and intertextuality. His academic journey includes a Master's from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (Slovak language/literature and German studies), a PhD from Comenius University (Theory of Literature), and habilitation at the University of Prešov. He has held international scholarships at institutions like Goethe-Universität Frankfurt and Universität Zürich. Research focuses on 19th-century to contemporary Swiss German literature, crime fiction's evolution, and themes like family dynamics and intermediality. His work includes translations of Peter Stamm, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and others, alongside editorial projects on Swiss literature and crime narratives. He has organized academic conferences and published extensively on topics ranging from narrative theory to sociopolitical issues in modern crime fiction. His translations bridge German-Slovak cultural exchange, with notable works like Agnes (Peter Stamm) and multiple children's literature adaptations. He actively participates in international academic networks, contributing to scholarly discourse on contemporary German-speaking literatures.
Rita Hegedűs, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Reformed Theological Faculty of J. Selye University. Her academic career spans institutions such as Corvinus University of Budapest and Budapest University of Economics, with expertise in sociology and applied sciences. Education: Hungarian-Russian Primary School Teacher (Eötvös Loránd University, 1982-1986), Sociology (Eötvös Loránd University, 1988-1991), PhD in Sociology (Budapest University of Economics, 1993-2001) Her research focuses on religiosity, subjective well-being, twins in society, and volunteering. Recent publications explore topics like the mental health of volunteers, suicide stigma in religious contexts, and twin development, reflecting interdisciplinary work between sociology, psychology, and religious studies. With 30 total academic outputs and 163 citations, her work includes Erasmus+ collaborations and empirical studies on Hungarian demographics. Rita holds no formal awards listed in the provided data and has no documented PhD advisees.
Simoneta Babiaková is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, Matej Bel University , Slovakia, specializing in Teacher Profession and School Management . Her work bridges early reading literacy , pedagogical diagnostics , and curriculum development . Research Focus: Teacher self-evaluation, school management in changing societies, and literacy assessment for young learners. Publications: Over 118 articles and 20 monographs, including studies on leisure-time pedagogy and international comparisons of Slovak children's reading. Projects: Coordinator for VEGA 1/0455/18 (Reading Development) and contributor to KEGA 013UMB-4/2017 (Curriculum Innovation). Contact: simoneta.babiakova@umb.sk
Juraj Holdoš is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Catholic University in Ružomberok. His research focuses on digital behavior pathologies, particularly internet addiction, social media impacts, and cross-cultural cyberpsychology. He specializes in large-scale international studies validating behavioral measurement tools across diverse populations. Holdoš's research examines: Digital addiction mechanisms : Relationships between loneliness, social satisfaction, and media overuse Youth online risks : Sexting prevalence, cyberbullying, and developmental impacts Cross-cultural validation : Psychometric scale adaptation across 20+ countries His recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on: Pandemic-era behavioral shifts in youth digital consumption Cultural moderators of technology-related distress Validation of phubbing and social media intrusion metrics
Mária Beláková serves as an Associate Professor at the Department of Slovak Language and Literature, Faculty of Education, Trnava University, where she has taught since 2009. Her academic career focuses on bridging linguistic theory with classroom practice in Slovak language education, particularly through her habilitation research on teaching proper nouns and nicknames in primary education. Education: 1999-2003: Mgr. in Slovak Language and Literature – Religious Education, Faculty of Education, Trnava University 2003-2004: PaedDr. (rigorous studies), Faculty of Education, Trnava University 2005-2008: PhD. in Subject-Specific Didactics (Theory of Language and Literary Education), Faculty of Education, Trnava University Research Focus: Beláková's work centers on Language Didactics and Onomastics , with special emphasis on hydronymy (geographical names) and pedagogical applications of personal names . Her research integrates historical linguistics with practical teaching methodologies, examining how proper nouns function as cultural artifacts and learning tools in primary Slovak language instruction. She develops frameworks for transforming linguistic concepts into engaging classroom activities. Publication Trends: Her scholarly output reveals two interconnected trajectories: (1) systematic studies of Slovak hydronyms documenting regional linguistic heritage, and (2) innovative didactic approaches for teaching Slovak language in primary education. The publications demonstrate increasing sophistication in connecting theoretical linguistics with practical pedagogy, particularly through electronic textbooks addressing phonetics, grammar, and literature instruction. Professional Recognition: Appointed by the Ministry as chairperson of habilitation committees for Slovak language teachers, she also serves as a registered reviewer for didactic materials. Her citation record (98 total citations) reflects growing influence in Central European language education circles. Academic Leadership: As an active member of the Slovak Association of Slovak Language Teachers and Slovak Onomastic Commission, she shapes national standards for language education. Her role in developing the "Media Culture in Teaching Slovak as a Foreign Language" curriculum demonstrates international collaboration through the Southwest University in Sofia program.
Dana Masaryková, PhD. serves as Associate Professor at the Department of School Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, University of Trnava since 2010. Concurrently, she works as a researcher at the State Pedagogical Institute in Bratislava (2013–present). Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Sports Education from Comenius University (2008) and a Master's in Teaching from the same institution. Her research centers on physical literacy development across early educational stages, with particular focus on: Movement competence assessment frameworks for pre-primary children Integration of technology in physical education curricula Cross-cultural comparisons of motor skill acquisition Teacher training methodologies for movement education Her habilitation thesis Movement competences in pre-primary and primary education (2021) established her expertise in motor literacy development. Publications reveal strong emphasis on practical application, with recent works addressing: Digital tools for movement tracking in classrooms Inclusive strategies for diverse learners Policy frameworks for physical education reform Early childhood motor skill progression models Professional Recognition: Successful habilitation procedure (2021) granting Associate Professor title 22 domestic publications registered in national databases 11 international publications indexed in Web of Science/Scopus As Acting Vice-Rector for External Relations, she oversees international partnerships while maintaining active teaching responsibilities including Physiology of Physical Exercises and School Physical Education. Her consultation hours are Thursdays 09:00-11:00 in Room 625.
Mgr. Diana Patricia Varela Cano, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Romance and Slavic Languages within the Faculty of Applied Languages at the University of Economics in Bratislava since 2012. She specializes in foreign language teaching, Spanish didactics, psycholinguistics, and cross-cultural communication. Her career spans pedagogical coordination at the National Institute for Certified Educational Measurement and teaching roles at the British International School and French School of Bratislava. Education: Master in Pedagogy-Psychology (Comenius University, 1993), PhD in School Psychology (2004) and Psycholinguistics (1998) Her research focuses on foreign language acquisition, phraseological contrasts between Spanish and Slovak, economic terminology in Colombian Spanish, and integrating digital tools into language education. She has led projects like the KEGA digital textbook initiative and contributed to CEFR-aligned assessment frameworks. Recent work analyzes life perspectives of Slovak and Spanish students through sociolinguistic and technological lenses. Notable projects include: 2018 KEGA project: Digital vocational Spanish training for economists and diplomats 2008-2014 ESC Project: Teacher training for primary foreign language instruction 2006 VEGA Project: Multilingual terminology database for CEFR She has coordinated Spanish language practice in primary schools and participated in Erasmus mobilities at universities in Spain, Italy, and Cuba. Her publications frequently address lexical development, metaphor analysis, and professional language applications.
Prof. PaedDr. Dana Hanesová, PhD is a full professor at the Faculty of Education of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. She has been active in pedagogy, social pedagogy, and didactics since 1993 and currently serves as a guarantor for the Master’s study program Social Pedagogy and the Doctoral program Pedagogy. Education: Doctoral degree in Theory of Teaching Foreign Languages (Comenius University, 2003); Docentship in Teaching Arts and Education (Matej Bel University, 2005) Her research focuses on critical thinking , transversal competencies , comparative education systems , moral/spiritual development of youth , and plurilingual/multicultural competence . Recent work includes the Languages Playfully and Meaningfully textbook (2024) for primary education language teaching. She has led projects like KEGA 011UMB-4/2022 (methodological support for foreign language teaching) and e-SL4EU (digital service learning). She has received international awards such as the European Quality Label (2004) and the Silver Medal of the University of Ljubljana (2014). Her publications are used at universities in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Lilla Szénási serves as Vice-dean and Assistant Professor at the Reformed Theological Faculty of J. Selye University, where she has been employed since 2017. She is affiliated with the Department of Applied Sciences and is responsible for profile subjects in the Missiology, Diakonia and Social Care study program at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Her office is located at J. Selye University in Komárno, Slovakia, where she maintains an active role in theological education and administration. Dr. Szénási's research focuses primarily on religious education, catechetics, and theological pedagogy, with particular attention to contemporary challenges in faith formation. Her work addresses the evolving landscape of religious instruction in the digital age, generational differences in religious learning, and the adaptation of educational materials for modern contexts. She has developed significant resources for religious educators, including textbooks and specialized publications that address the specific needs of children and adolescents in faith communities. Her scholarly contributions span numerous publications, with particular emphasis on practical applications of religious education theory. Dr. Szénási's work demonstrates consistent engagement with both theoretical frameworks and practical implementations of catechetical methods, particularly in Reformed theological contexts. Her research projects from 2018-2023 reflect a commitment to developing resources for religious educators across multiple languages and cultural contexts. Member of the editorial board of the Theological Forum Member of the editorial board of the Theological Journal Forum for Christian Dialogue Member of the editorial board of the Hungarian Reformed Education Journal As an educator and administrator, Dr. Szénási has contributed significantly to the development of religious education curricula and resources. Her textbook On the Palm of God represents an innovative approach to religious education that considers child development and digital age challenges. Her chapter With adolescents in School and in the Congregation has become required reading for Protestant theological training in Hungary and Romania. She also serves as a pastor in the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia, maintaining active engagement with religious communities while advancing theological education.
Zuzana Kováčová Švecová is a Lecturer at the Department of Pre-primary and Primary Teacher Education , Faculty of Education , Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. Her work focuses on Slovak language education for bilingual children, literature for early age groups, and pedagogical innovation. Research Interests : Bilingual education, children's literature, language curriculum reform, multimedia teaching tools. Projects : APVV-22-0450 (Language Proficiency Programs), KEGA 008UMB-4/2024 (Textbook Development), KEGA 019UMB-4/2020 (Interactive Hláskovo Landscape Platform). Key Contributions : Developed language programs for migrant children, analyzed Slovak educational centers in Great Britain, created gamified learning environments for Slovak language.
Andrej Mentel is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Social Anthropology within the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He holds a Master's in Biomedical Physics and a PhD in Ethnology from Comenius University. His research focuses on evolutionary and cognitive anthropology, with specialization in ritual studies, linguistic anthropology, and environmental anthropology in the Western Balkans and Carpathian regions. Mentel combines ethnographic methods with cognitive psychology and advanced statistical analysis to explore topics like dervish orders' social functions in Bosnia, linguistic socialization in children, and cultural representations of landscapes. Educational Background: 1996-2001 Mgr. (Biomedical Physics) and 2001-2009 PhD (Ethnology) from Comenius University in Bratislava. Teaching Responsibilities include courses on field methods, data analysis, and statistical techniques at both bachelor's and master's levels. His recent grants include leading a study on pandemic strategies (2021-2023) and contributing to cross-cultural philosophy research (2015-2021). He has held research positions at Karl-Franzens Universität Graz (Austria) through various scholarships. Mentel is a member of the Slovak Association of Social Anthropology and International Association for Southeast European Anthropology. His research highlights the intersection of ritual practices with social cohesion, cognitive development through language acquisition, and environmental knowledge transmission in marginalized communities. Mentel's work bridges anthropology with quantitative methods, reflecting his unique interdisciplinary approach.
Lenka Janík Blašková holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Cambridge (2022) and is affiliated with Comenius University’s Institute of Applied Psychology. Her research focuses on wellbeing, mental health, relational psychology, and action research, with a particular emphasis on children with developmental language disorders and teacher resilience. She has led projects such as STRAWS (funded by the AHRC) and contributed to global initiatives addressing the pandemic’s impact on education. Her educational background includes an MPhil from Cambridge, an MA in Applied Psychology from University College Cork, and a BSBA in Business from the University of Seattle. She has held academic roles at the University of Exeter (2021–2024) and the University of Cambridge (2017–2021), alongside consulting for organizations like the World Bank and Cambridge Assessment. Key research outputs include studies on friendship dynamics in children with language impairments and mental health support for teachers in Slovakia. Her work spans peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference presentations at venues like EARLI and the International Developmental Language Disorder Conference. Professional affiliations include the British Psychological Society (Chartered Member), Higher Education Academy (Professional Fellow), and EARLI. She advocates for inclusive practices and participatory research methods, emphasizing the intersection of play and educational outcomes.
Martin Jakubek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. His pedagogical focus includes employee selection and psychodiagnostics in work psychology, market and advertising psychology, and experimental psychology. He teaches courses at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Education: PhDr. (Doctor of Philosophy in Arts) PhD. (Doctor of Philosophy) Dr. Jakubek's research centers on psychometrics with applications in work psychology, particularly employee selection and psychodiagnostics. His interests extend to market and advertising psychology, experimental psychology, and traffic psychology. His publications cover leadership dynamics, memory assessment in elderly populations, neuropsychological projects, intentional distortion in personality assessments, language-cognitive development in children, driver behavior, and language learning methodologies. Analysis of his publications (2004-2024) reveals a strong emphasis on applied psychology in organizational and traffic contexts. His work frequently involves questionnaire validation, eye-tracking methodology, and cross-population cognitive studies. Key trends include mediating effects of organizational commitment, traffic norm violations, and structural analysis of language-cognitive abilities in developmental disorders. Scientific Awards: No scientific awards mentioned Dr. Jakubek serves on the departmental Ethics Committee. No specific grant funding or student advising details are provided, though he delivers doctoral-level lectures. His departmental team includes 7 professors, 5 associate professors, 8 assistant professors (including himself), and 11 internal PhD students. He participates in the Department of Psychology's research ecosystem through the Ethics Committee, contributing to oversight of psychological research involving human subjects.
