The Center for North American Studies (CNAS) at the University of Economics in Bratislava is currently the only program of its kind in Slovakia that provides an interdisciplinary understanding of political, economic, and cultural aspects of the United States and Canada. Courses are taught in English by both domestic and foreign experts using innovative teaching methods. The CNAS connects academia with business and applies knowledge through case studies and videoconferences.

1. Center for North American Studies
CNAS
UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS IN BRATISLAVA

2. University of Economics in Bratislava
International Programmes Institute
Amb. Martin Bútora, Academic Guarantor of the Center for North American Studies
The Center for North American Studies Center for North American Studies:
(CNAS) at the University of Economics
in Bratislava is currently the only study Innovative Education
program of its kind in Slovakia. At the
Center, candidates can get a more
comprehensive understanding of the political, Area Studies
economic and cultural aspects of life in the United States and Canada.
Accredited courses offer an interdisciplinary approach to the North American
region and help students think critically about the role of the U.S. and Canada in the Case Studies
world, as well as about the successes and problems of American and Canadian
society and economy. The United States and Canada play an important role on
the global stage. They are allies of Slovakia and our partners in the Euro-Atlantic Academic-Business Cooperation
project of democracy, security and common shared values. The academic
offering allows students to discover what U.S. and Canadian experiences might
International Teaching Staff
be relevant for us, to see what we have in common and where we are different.
Courses are taught in English. Instructors are domestic
and foreign experts and academicians. The program Applicable Knowledge and Skills
connects top managers and businessmen with analysts
from the academic environment. The Center applies
non-hierarchical, dialogue-based teaching methods that Videoconferences in Education
encourage students to think and communicate independently.
Michal Kovács, Executive Director
Institutional Partners:
Main Partners:
MINISTERSTVO ŠKOLSTVA,
VEDY, VÝSKUMU A ŠPORTU
SLOVENSKEJ REPUBLIKY
Partners: Media Partners:

3. Center for North American Studies
www.euba.sk/cnas
Eugen Jurzyca, Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the SR
“I believe we will advance the Slovak educational system so as to help our students become citizens who like their country,
who are able to pursue their interests and who think critically and in context.”
Rudolf Sivák, Rector of the University of Economics in Bratislava
“The investment in the students is an investment in the future of the country. The University is here to train outstanding
economists and the Center for North American Studies contributes significantly to our mission.”
H.E. Theodore Sedgwick, Ambassador of the USA to the SR
“There could be no more important program than the Center for North American Studies in promoting a greater
understanding of the United States. I have thoroughly enjoyed my numerous conversations with CNAS students and look
forward to many more.”
Georges Lemieux, Chargé d’Affaires a. i. of Canada to the SR
“In a global, interconnected world, all aspects of social life, including education, are linked. The innovative organisations,
like CNAS, have seen and understood the trend. By its activities, CNAS invites students to develop a better understanding
of one key region in this equation: North America.”
Jake Slegers, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in the SR
The American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia (AmCham) greatly appreciates CNAS’s innovative approach,
which directly reflects AmCham’s efforts to positively contribute to developing the Slovak educational system. We truly
believe in the importance of fostering intense cooperation between business and academia, and therefore enhancing
the competitiveness of Slovakia.
Lukáš Chocholáček, President of the Euro-Atlantic Center
“The Center for North American Studies is a concrete example that effective cooperation between the public sector and the
third sector is possible and we are proud to be a part of this project.”
Natália Pindrochová, Student of the University of Economics in Bratislava
“The Center for North American Studies offers an outstanding alternative to the standard educational process at the
UoE in Bratislava. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality, friendly approach to students and system of learning.
I think that innovative trends in education contribute to a student’s motivation and awake his or her interest in the course
content even after finishing the study.”

4. University of Economics in Bratislava
International Programmes Institute
What we do
North American Studies
Through the wide range of accredited courses, workshops and other educational and
cultural activities, we offer an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the region.
By internalizing teaching staff; focusing on interactive learning, applicable knowledge and
case studies; using videoconference technology, as well as engaging students in study
preparation and evaluation, the Center strives to offer an innovative educational model,
which is not common in Slovak higher education.
Extracurricular Activities
Besides the foreign guest lecturers program for high schools and the accredited university courses offered
for the Bachelor and Masters levels, the Centre offers programs also for PhD. students. In addition,
the Center is actively involved in cultivating and fostering a productive dialogue between partners
from the academic, business and public sectors. It seeks to promote the educational process by hosting
not only expert dialogues, workshops, lectures, but also with cultural activities enriching the academic life.
Institutional Partnerships
At the institutional level, the Center’s priority is the development of cooperation with other universities and
with the corporate sector in the U.S. and Canada. The aim is to enhance the possibilities for academic and
student mobility and to promote joint research. At home, the Center enjoys the cooperation and support
of the Embassies of the United States of America and of Canada, the Fulbright Commission and the American
Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia, as well as of the Euro-Atlantic Center (NGO).

5. Center for North American Studies
www.euba.sk/cnas
Cooperation between Academia and Business
The Center again constitutes an example of an innovative approach to education by the implementation
of an effective and mutually beneficial academic-business cooperation. The program is designed to allow
students to extend not only their theoretical knowledge, but also their practical skills. By cooperation with people
from business, the students receive information about the practical functioning of the business environment
and get to personally know representatives of the selected companies. Corporate partners gain access to
talented students and are encouraged to take an active part in the improvement of the educational system within
the context of knowledge-based economy development.
Current Offer – Selection of Courses:
Interdisciplinary Introduction to North American Studies
The course aims to stimulate interest in North America through lectures devoted to various political, economic,
security, cultural, legal, geographical and sociological attributes of the region. The course is run through personal
participation and video conferencing with lecturing academics and experts from the USA, Canada and Slovakia.
It is organized in cooperation with the U.S. State Department connecting the speakers through videoconferences
with students in several towns in Slovakia and abroad.
American Business Culture and Ethics
The course presents the details of American business culture and the impact of ethics on economic relations.
It discusses the basic characteristics of the U.S. economic system and focuses on the dimensions of business
values and on the social and environmental aspects of trade. Instructors are mainly business executives
associated with the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia. The study of the North American economic
and business environment is combined with case studies presented by business optics.
Managing Multiculturalism in Practice: Canadian Model
The course examines the Canadian model of multiculturalism, its history and prospects, offering detailed
analysis of its various aspects by using case studies. It discusses the advantages, the disputes and the possible
applications of the Canadian approach to multiculturalism. The course encourages critical thinking and cultivates
students’ ability to assess various public policies based on the application of the model in practice.
Campaigning and Communication with Public in US Context
The course introduces students to the management of campaigns and public communication within the American
context. It helps them understand the relations between politics, media and the corporate sector, while providing
them with practical experiences from political marketing, media and election campaigns, and online marketing.

6. University of Economics in Bratislava
International Programmes Institute
North American Media
The semester-long course provides the introduction to mass media in Canada and in the United States
while focusing on the historical background and the main trends of the media market in North America.
The course also includes several case-study exercises and encourages the pursuit of alternative roles
and activities for the region’s media in the future.
Foreign Policy Dilemmas of US presidents
The course examines foreign policy challenges faced by the most relevant American presidents since
the formation of the United States up to the present. When examining examples of the conflicts
and dilemmas these presidents have faced, the course explains the traditions, the principles and the
contradictory tendencies within U.S. foreign policy. The course follows the rise of the U.S. to the position
of a global power, as well as related dilemmas between U.S. national interests and moral principles.
E-Society: Microsoft Case Studies of Introducing IT technologies in Life and Business
The course aims to acquaint students with the experiences and the specifics of introducing IT technologies
into the everyday life of business and society. It offers a unique opportunity to study the subject based
on a combination of practically-designed case studies and of a scientific study of U.S. company Microsoft’s
impact on the Slovak economy.
100 Years of the US Economy Through the Eyes of IBM
The course provides a synopsis of the history, current status and future prospects of the U.S. economy
through the eyes of one of the largest corporations in modern U.S. history: IBM. By analysis of the economic
system, students learn to decipher the basic indicators of development allowing them to anticipate future
trends. With access to IBM corporate archives, students explore the reasons for the successes and failures
of corporations on a case-by-case basis and thus learn to formulate retrospectively policy recommendations
useful in analogous cases.
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in the US Context
The course enables students to get familiar with the particulars of negotiation within the North American
context, particularities in the area of trade and international relations. It focuses on the essential features
of bilateral and multilateral negotiations and on the settlement of conflicts. It also explains the principles
and recommended actions in a long negotiation process. Using case studies and practical exercises,
the course leads students to acquire negotiating procedures and practical skills.

7. Center for North American Studies
www.euba.sk/cnas
Summer School in Berkeley
The Center for North American Studies as a specialized
department of the University of Economics in Bratislava administer
an institutional partnership with the University of California
Berkeley (UCB) as a UCB Summer Sessions registration center.
During the summer months, it offers students and graduates in
the V4 region the opportunity to study more than 500 courses
in 70 disciplines at one of the most prestigious universities
in the world. The selection of offered courses include for example
foreign languages, humanities, social sciences, architecture,
trade, business, economics, education, engineering, public
health, modern art and many more.
AmeriCan Letters Magazine and Portal
ters
n Let
The magazine and online portal, which will become available in Autumn 2011,
a
meriC TRA
will consist of a combination of information services for young people on careers
EX
A V.I.A
.
as well as study and scholarship opportunities in North America with feeds on
news, columns and interviews focused on American culture, business, politics,
economics, literature and lifestyle. It will allow the readers to contribute with their
F.A.
N. own views, experiences and observations from the U.S. and Canada as well as with
their blogs on topics dedicated to higher education. Part of the portal will become
an online platform for an ongoing evaluation of the Center’s courses and for the
active participation of students in the preparation of the educational program.
(Starting Autumn 2011, find out more at: www.euba.sk/americanletters)

8. University of Economics in Bratislava International Programmes Institute
Contact
Center for North American Studies
International Programmes Institute
Campus of the University of Economics in Bratislava
Dolnozemská cesta 1
852 35 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
tel: +421 2 6729 5164
fax: +421 2 5441 8134
www.euba.sk/cnas
cnas@euba.sk
Designed by Tomáš Gajdoš and Ľubomír Billý