When he came to Masaryk University as an exchange student in 2013, he had no idea what direction his career would take and that he would one day become a professor and an expert in labour law. Today, he has been teaching at the University of Gdańsk for more than eight years, training managers and working in a law firm, so that he can pass on his practical experience to students.
Although he spends most of the academic year in Gdańsk, he tries to travel to partner universities at least twice a year to teach foreign students. He has taught in Slovenia, Italy, Spain and Kyrgyzstan, and has taught a course on labour law at MU three times in the past. Last year and the year before, MU students were able to enrol in Introduction to Polish Labour Law, a newly opened one-week intensive course worth three credits.
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to teach my own course at Masaryk University. I enjoy teaching a class full of international students. I look forward to coming to Brno every year to see my students, former teachers, current colleagues and the city itself. I love coming back to Brno and thinking back to when I was a student sitting in these lecture halls. A lot has changed and it is amazing to see how the university and the faculty have developed over the years. For example, the Faculty of Law has a beautiful new library. And a large number of international students have arrived. There certainly weren’t that many of them when I studied here,” says Szypniewski.
Brno has a unique atmosphere
For Michał Szypniewski, it is not just Masaryk University that has changed – Brno itself has changed too. As he walks around the city, he marvels at how many new restaurants, pubs and cafés have sprung up and how revitalised Jakubské náměstí has become, with hundreds of people gathering on restaurant terraces every evening. He also likes the renovated park at Moravské náměstí, which has been transformed and greened to serve dozens of people who visit the park every day.
“Brno has an even more amazing atmosphere now than it had during my studies. That’s why I love coming back here so much. It has become a tradition for me to come here every year. My colleagues even tease me and ask me whether I’m going to Brno on holiday. I often take my friends with me to show them around and demonstrate what an amazing place it is. I just love it so much. It’s like a second home to me,” he laughs.
The Polish lecturer returns to Brno not only for work, but also to see his friends. When Masaryk University celebrated its 100th anniversary five years ago, he and his international classmates organised an Erasmus reunion. The University’s centenary celebrations at the Brno Exhibition Centre were a great success, says Michał, and he is already looking forward to another reunion and seeing everyone again after a long time.
“Brno and Czechia are simply dear to my heart. I love the character of the Czech people, their sense of humour and life in the Czech Republic in general. I always look forward to the beer and wine festivals and the burčák (half-fermented young wine) trips through the South Moravian countryside. I couldn’t have chosen a better place for my Erasmus and I recommend Brno to all my students as the best Erasmus destination. Not only because of the rich social and cultural life, but because the local Faculty of Law is one of the best places to go for an exchange,” adds Szypniewski.