Timothy Smetana ’11 spent his spring 2010 semester studying in Prague, and he simply fell for the city—hard. That experience turned his career path away from business administration, his major, toward international education. After graduating from Moravian, he went to work for Suffolk University in Boston, where he also earned a master’s in education. “As my roles and responsibilities expanded in my job at the university, I started working with partner universities,” Smetana shares. “One of them was the University of New York in Prague (UNYP). When I heard they were expanding their international initiatives, I jumped at the opportunity.”
Today, Smetana manages the UNYP Center for Global Engagement. His responsibilities include developing and managing partnerships, facilitating inbound and outbound study-abroad programs, and growing the institution’s global footprint. “My experience during the semester I spent abroad really changed how I look at the world and myself,” says Smetana. “Through my work in international education, I am able to provide students with the opportunity to experience this for themselves.”
And Smetana is still in love with Prague, citing that it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and very livable. “Once you get out of the touristy areas of Old Town and the Castle District, you find countless parks, cafés, museums, galleries, pubs, and restaurants of all kinds,” he says. “In many ways, though, the Prague of today is very different from the Prague I knew in 2010. The city is very international—filled with people and cultures from all over the world who all have their different ways of engaging with the world. Being aware of these differences is crucial; this is one of the biggest lessons I’m learning.”
Smetana and his wife, Jennifer, enjoy a Pilsner Urquell at the brewery in Plzen where pilsner originated.
Český Krumlov, a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic and a World Heritage site
Smetana’s Prague neighborhood