This week's Meet Us Weekly guest is Robert Sata, Associate Research Fellow at Political Science Department.
Q: Thank you for meeting me— especially on a Friday, it’s a beautiful afternoon in Vienna right now. So, to begin, I would like to ask you quite broadly about your research interests. I understand that you specialise in identity politics, minority rights, and ethnic relations, and a lot of your research pertains to populism in particular.
A: These days yes, my work mostly focuses on populism, but I'm also interested in issues of equality such as gender equality and ethnic relations. Much of my research concerns political discourse; I mainly look at the discourse of right-wing, nationalist authoritarians and evaluate it to understand how they create different divisions within society. Not that far from identity politics. I'm interested in how populists imagine a Manichean world, full of enemies, fighting this righteous fight against others—and the consequences of this discourse. I really do believe that discourse ultimately affects policies.
I am part of the project now which is looking closely at how populist governments respond to COVID-19, and how this affects public opinion and their electoral support.
These are all hot topics in political science at the moment- especially populism. How do you feel working in Vienna is influencing your work? Does it make a difference, relative to working in Budapest?
Not directly, once you have a computer you can do your job. But it gives you a different perspective. Learning about the Austrian situation, their ongoing scandals gives you different ideas. Of course, I still follow what’s going on in Budapest. Vienna is a welcoming place. CEU has not changed just because it has relocated- the core of the institution and the people are still here, and that’s much more important than buildings or spaces.
You started your PhD at CEU in 2006 .
Yes, but I’ve been here much longer than that. I did my master's here in 1998, and then my PhD in 2006. In between, I studied a second master’s in Japan. Then I worked in administration and spent a few years teaching, and now I work here as an Associate Research Fellow. So, there’s an ongoing change, but that’s part of everyday life.
What were you like as a student?
I was not the best type of student, to be honest. My Master’s was very enjoyable, and very much about socializing- inside and outside of class.
That's important too!
Yes, at the same time it was a great experience in the sense that you meet so many different people with so many diverse backgrounds, not just in terms of nationality but also age and experience. Maybe I spent too much time outside of the library, but I was really committed to my classes- I attended all classes and took them seriously.
Clearly, you’ve forged a career in academia since; did you find it hard to break into? It’s notoriously difficult.
It was a lot of chance, honestly. I began as an academic researcher on the international research project at CEU. I’ve been working with the Political Science Department in terms of administration and running a couple of large international EU-funded projects and their respective admin duties, as well as programme design, and accreditation. I also teach, but a limited amount.
When we ---students, in particular--- think of a career in academia, we tend to forget about the administrative side and just think of it as a matter of being an armchair intellectual for the rest of our life, which really isn’t the case at all.
Not at all! I can tell you that most of the faculty will spend at least one-third of their time on admin work- for many, it’s more.
Were you always sure you wanted to work in the academic sphere? Was that your plan as a student?
Not really, I didn’t have this clear path envisioned. However, I really enjoyed being a student and I liked the university environment— someone told me before that I spent more time in university than I spent in school. Now, I like research projects that I care about, and I enjoy teaching and interacting with students. It was not part of a strategic plan, but I was truly fortunate throughout my education to be able to study around inspiring people which I think helped me along the way.
So, would you recommend it as a career?
I would recommend everyone to think hard about whether they want a career like this. Through the years I have worked here, many start a PhD and never finish. It’s a serious commitment. Rather, I would really recommend beginning with a second Master’s, even a third. Graduate programmes are great to help you understand yourself and what you want.
Why should people still study political science today?
I think political science is the most relevant subject to study today. It is not just about understanding politics but also socio-economic issues, how questions of identity can be mobilised- at CEU, it’s a programme in a huge field that’s quite comprehensive. We have a tradition of teaching people to think thoroughly, transferrable skills for many careers, and enable students to stand out from their peers.
What kind of students do you think political science as a field needs?
Open-minded ones. I think it’s great that our department is open to people from diverse backgrounds, not just social sciences but a range of backgrounds. It’s important that you are open to having your views challenged and making sophisticated arguments.
I think you’re right, that’s actually my favourite thing about studying the MA so far. I’m from a philosophy background, and I find that no two people have the same background here. It’s really compelling to study in such a dynamic environment with so many different perspectives. The faculty are brilliant here, but it’s great to be able to learn from your peers.
And finally, a few more lighthearted questions for you. What's your coffee order?
A macchiato, or here a "kleine brauner". I recently learned that this is the closest to a macchiato.
Do you have a favourite time of year?
My favourite time of year is winter. I'm used to the cold; I grew up in Romania's coldest town, Miercurea Ciuc, surrounded by mountains.
You will not find winter in Vienna as hard going as the rest of us then.
Maybe. but it's windy here. Minus ten here feels harsher to me than minus 35 degrees at home.
If you could have coffee, or dinner with someone you have studied before, who would it be?
I would really like to meet my very first political science instructor at the American University in Bulgaria. I would like to have coffee with him and hear what he's been up to and compare our paths since. When I started university in 1994, I had the idea of becoming an economist, clearly, that's not what happened but his guidance was immensely helpful to me.
What is your favourite spot in Vienna?
That’s hard. You know, I really like walking along the river here- in fact, I love taking entirely senseless walks with no particular destination. I recommend taking the tram or U-Bahn to a district you've never been to before, and just rambling around without any route in mind. If you see a church steeple that looks interesting, follow the steeple. Take random turns, and you may discover somewhere very interesting.
Author: Ellen C. Byrne, one-year MA student