Since 2011, UMA and the Technical University of Liberec in the Czech Republic have shared a partnership that brings a global perspective right to our Maine classrooms. This long-standing connection allows faculty to share research and ideas that benefit our communities while ensuring our students are ready for a world that is more connected than ever.
Research with a Local Impact
Sharon McMahon Sawyer, associate professor of Justice Studies at UMA, recently traveled to the Czech Republic to work under the European Union’s Comenius UčiTUL project, an education research collaboration she co-leads with Andrei Strukov. Together, they developed practical strategies to help professors in large lecture settings increase student engagement and retention, focusing on methods that fit seamlessly within existing courses rather than require a full rebuild.
While there, Sharon also co-taught live interdisciplinary classes on conflict resolution and developmental psychology with Dr. Magda Nisponska, and visited courses in American Studies and English language led by Dr. Michaela Markova and Dr. Petra Romportlova as part of the UčiTUL project.
A standout project from this latest visit is the Mentalizing Mediation podcast series. Across eight episodes, Sharon and Magda discuss the theory of mentalization and its relationship to conflict resolution. Sharon and Magda applied research on mentalizing to the practical steps that mediators use to resolve conflicts and support difficult conversations. Developed by psychologist Peter Fonagy, Mentalization describes how humans develop empathy over their lifespan. By understanding the mental states and feelings of others, mediators can better help people resolve deep-seated conflicts.
This research is already making a difference across the country. Last year, Sharon and Magda shared their work with a nationwide audience of agricultural mediators through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, showing how these global ideas provide practical solutions for industries here in Maine and beyond.
Expanding the Classroom Without Borders
A central part of UMA’s mission is making a high-quality education accessible, no matter where a student is starting from. This partnership creates two ways for students to connect with new perspectives:
- International Travel: Through the Erasmus+ program, there is potential for UMA students to study in person at TUL, experiencing the culture and history of the Czech Republic firsthand.
- Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL): For students who can’t travel due to work or family, we are building online courses that bring the world to them. These allow students in Maine and the Czech Republic to collaborate on projects and build international friendships from their own homes.
Opening Doors to Global Learning
UMA’s partnership with TUL ensures that a global perspective is within reach for every student, regardless of their circumstances. By offering both in person and digital paths, we have turned this 15 year collaboration into a consistent gateway for our community. Today, this relationship continues to find fresh ways to solve problems, from enhancing mediation practices in Maine to launching new courses in the Czech Republic. It is a practical example of how shared expertise leads to meaningful results for everyone.
Listen to the Series
The eight-part podcast series will be available on the TUL.cz website by the end of this month. Contact Sharon McMahon Sawyer at sharon.mcmahon@maine.edu for more information.