Four Months in Prešov: An Academic Journey Beyond Borders

My four-month stay at the University of Prešov, Faculty of Management and Business, started on the 29th March 2026. I arrived after a long journey from India with a mixture of excitement, curiosity, and a little uncertainty about what the next four months would bring. My journey, stay, and research were carried out under the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic. The demanding process of obtaining a grant was preceded by cooperation with Associate Professor Kristína Šambronská, with whom I established contact, and we also carried out joint publications and research in accordance with my doctoral thesis and the project that the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management was working on at the time. Associate Professor Kristína Šambronská was my host supervisor.

My first experience of Prešov began with Prof. Kristína Šambronská, who kindly came to receive me after my long journey. She took me to my dormitory and later accompanied me to the nearest shopping mall, helping me become familiar with my new surroundings. The following day, I visited the Faculty of Management and Business, where everyone warmly welcomed me. Associate Professor Kristína introduced me to Associate Professor Anna Šenková, Associate Professor Daniela Matušíková, and later to other members of the department, as well as Mgr. Monika Pastírová. After completing the necessary documentation, we discussed my research plans and the activities scheduled for my stay.

My research in Prešov focused on ecotourism and responsible tourist behaviour. The study aimed to develop a comparative understanding of Slovak and Indian tourists, particularly their perceptions, environmental awareness, and responsible behaviour. The High Tatras region was selected as the main study area. We developed a questionnaire in both English and Slovak, collected responses from tourists, and analysed the data using SmartPLS.

What made this research particularly meaningful was the opportunity to experience the destination myself. During my stay, I visited the High Tatras, including the beautiful Štrbské Pleso. Seeing the landscapes, tourism facilities, and visitors firsthand allowed me to connect the concepts I had studied with the realities of the destination. With the support of Associate Professor Kristína Šambronská, we also met with the Regional Tourism Department of the Prešov region, and discussed tourism development in the region and Slovakia more broadly. These experiences added an important practical dimension to my research.

During my stay, my host supervisor and I presented the paper “Behavioral and Economic Aspects of Tourist Participation in Ecotourism” at the 9th BILSEL International Efes Scientific Research and Innovation Congress in İzmir, Türkiye. In addition, a research article titled “What Drives Community Support for Ecotourism? The Role of Involvement and Perceived Benefits,” co-authored with my host supervisor, was published in Young Science. These achievements made the mobility especially rewarding, as the experience translated into both research learning and academic output.

Yet, some of the most memorable parts of my stay happened outside research meetings and academic discussions. Associate Professor Kristína Šambronská made a special effort to introduce me to the cultural and tourism heritage of Slovakia. Along with other Erasmus students, I visited the Solivar Salt Mine and the Prešov Wine Museum. I also had the opportunity to explore Prešov through a city tour with Mr. Branislav Švorc. Walking through the streets of the city and learning about its history, architecture, and heritage helped me gradually move from being a visitor to feeling more familiar with my surroundings.

Another memorable experience was a faculty excursion to the Nestville production site. As a tourism researcher, I found it particularly interesting to see how a production facility could also function as a tourism attraction, combining local production, heritage, interpretation, and visitor experience. I also attended a workshop titled “Development of an Effective Restaurant Menu. Menu Engineering. Trends in Restaurant Business and Food Design,” delivered by Dr. Kateryna Fedosova, Associate Professor at Odesa National University of Technology, Ukraine. It offered an interesting perspective on contemporary developments in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Thanks to Associate Professor Anna Šenková.

My experience of Slovakia extended well beyond Prešov. I visited Košice and Bardejov and attended the Prešov Festival, which gave me an opportunity to experience Slovak culture in a more direct and informal setting. I also travelled to Italy, Czechia, Austria, Romania, and Hungary. Each journey offered a different experience of European history, architecture, food, traditions, and everyday life. Coming from India, a country known for its immense cultural diversity, I found it fascinating to observe how countries that are geographically close to one another can have such distinct cultural identities.

Perhaps one of the most unexpected and enriching aspects of my stay was the international community in my dormitory. Apart from Slovakia, I also met people from Iran, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Thailand and Kenya. Living among people from different parts of the world made the dormitory feel like a small international community and gave me friendships and memories that extended far beyond the academic purpose of my visit.

As my four months in Prešov came to an end, I found myself reflecting on how much had changed since that first day. The experience also taught me that international academic mobility is as much about people as it is about research. The knowledge gained from books and research papers is important, but meeting people from different backgrounds, listening to their perspectives, experiencing their culture, and working together towards common academic goals provides a different kind of learning.

I am deeply grateful to Prof. Kristína Šambronská and everyone at the University of Prešov for their warmth, guidance, and support throughout my stay. Their kindness made my transition into a new academic and cultural environment remarkably smooth and allowed me to make the most of the opportunity.

I arrived in Prešov as a visitor. I left with a sense of belonging, a suitcase full of memories, and a chapter in my academic journey that I will always look back on with gratitude.

Autorky: Mrigakshi Borthakur, doc. Ing. Kristína Šambronská, PhD.
Foto: archív autoriek