May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

the CEU Weekly

An independent newspaper by CEU students and alumni

The Weekly Special: CEU Alumni Talk About Their Post-Graduation Life

Interviews with: Madina Akhmetshina Andrey Anastassov Cosmin Andrei Artimof Ekaterina Babintseva Tamás György Diana Sabluk Jan Smolenski Magdalena Starkova Andras Sziklai Yusuf Yuksekdag PAGES 2, 3, and 4

Student Tip/Did you know? # 77

May is named after the Greek goddess, Maia, who was

later identified with the Roman goddess Bona Dea,

goddess of fertility.

Hungarian Expression of the Week Phrase: Kalandvágyból itthon maradt. Translation: (S)he stayed in the home country for a thirst for adventures.

Meaning: Living in Hungary is more adventurous than

emigration.

Train your brain! Exercising is good, even if it is for your brain. Solve our puzzle and get an exclusive prize from the “DZSEM” cafeteria at CEU : - a voucher for a free lunch !

More details on PAGE 8

FREE LUNCH

Hungary: Good News for Local Cider Fans and British Expats

PAGE 4

Little Delights of a Historian’s Life The Diary of a Field Research Trip

PAGE 5

Middle Eastern Hospitality PAGE 5

CEU Weekly Interview with Paul Collier - Major Expert in Economics and Public Policy

Paul Collier is a renowned economist and politi-cal scientist specialised in development and natu-ral resources, having focussed much of his work in the poorest countries on Earth, especially those in Africa. He is famous for his book “The bottom billion”. On the 14th of March he came to CEU to present his latest work “The plundered plan-et”. The CEU Weekly met with him to get some

extra insights in his experience and work.

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A Brief History of Hungarian Vampires PAGE 7

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the CEU Weekly

THE CEU WEEKLY SPECIAL May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

Madina Akhmetshina Country of Residence: Kazakhstan Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Gender Studies 2012 What have you been up to since you graduated from CEU? I worked as a student psychologist, then as an HR manager and a co-founded a company ―DAYAMOGU‖ What is your best memory of your time at CEU? Conducting interviews with the victims of the Osh Events of 2010 for my thesis. What was the most memorable experience as an Alumni Scholarship Recipient and why? Holding workshops for my student club ―Say Yes! To Success!‖ It helped to start something I always wanted to do, but was afraid to start. Have your studies at CEU so far proven helpful in your career? Yes, especially the extra-curricualar activities. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming graduates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? Surround yourself with supportive people and those who has achieved a lot. Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Perhaps walking in Buda side more. There are not that many sightseeing points, but it gives a totally different enriched perception of the city that you will miss forever :)

Andrey Anastassov Country of Residence: Belgium Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Political Science, 2012 What have you been up to since you graduated from CEU? Soon after I graduated from CEU I returned back to Sofia and researched opportunities for my career development. I was lucky enough to join the team of Teach For Bulgaria, part of Teach For All in October. This international network of organizations aims at improving the quality of education in unprivileged schools by introducing young visionaries as teachers for 2 years. My goal was to recruit graduating students to our cause, via presentations, interviews, seminars and others. It was very exciting to see that our young and motivating teachers succeed in improving the scores of students, previously neglected by the system. Later, I was called by my current supervisor in the DG Communication in the European Parliament, who announced that I am approved for a 5-month internship until the end of the summer. As soon as my internship in Brussels is

over, I am returning to Sofia and Teach For Bulgaria. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? I met amazing friends at CEU. Without any doubt, my greatest experience is our participation in a play, directed by fellow students Igor Gurkin and Yllka Bina. We performed 'Closer' by Patrick Marber at the subterranean stage of a great bar at the center of Budapest. It was exciting to rehearse throughout the entire second semester of studies at CEU. We had not had a dedicated hall, so usually we rehearsed in the evenings in the underground cafeteria at Nador 9. Have your studies at CEU so far proven helpful in your career? Since both activities in which I am involved in are not academic, there is hardly any research similar to the one in the Political Science program, not to speak about the statistical software we had to study. Nonetheless, CEU gave me the patience to conduct indebt analyses of the topics of my concern. Also, I have had few amazing professors, from whom I learned so much! Any tricks or hints for the upcoming graduates on how to deal with the post-

graduation anxiety? I may give advice solely to those who are planning to go for an outside-university career. The most important thing is to take up an activity or to apply for something that is emotionally close to you. I have tried to force myself and apply for boring positions and it simply does not work out. It is not going to be the end of the world if you remain jobless for a few months after graduation - it is the summer after all! But be picky about your long-term occupation! Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! I am not a party animal or a city cites guru. I would enjoy the nice spring in Budapest with a bottle of beer in hand on the grass in the park with my CEU friends. Some of them you might not see again very soon.

Cosmin Andrei Artimof Country of Residence: Germany Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Political Science, 2012 What have you been up to since you graduat-ed from CEU? I am currently pursuing a PhD at Mannheim University (CDSS) on the topic of European youth political participation. Mostly, I‟ve been trying to adapt to my new adoptive environment and r igorous l ifestyle.

What is your best memory of your time at CEU? It is quite difficult to pinpoint an exact one; there have been the best of times and the worst of times. Still, I can definitely say that my most cherished memories are those of the peo-ple at CEU, the professors who have had a tre-mendous positive influence on me (I say „hi‟ fondly to Levente Littvay, Tamas Rudas and Carsten Schneider) and the numberless friends I‟ve made over the years. The journey towards graduation would have been so much more difficult if I couldn‟t rely on their support and companionship. Have your studies at CEU so far proven help-ful in your career? Without a doubt, the years spend at CEU have been the best possible investment in my person-al development and the broadening of my ca-reer opportunities within the field of Political Science. The whole academic experience has been an eye-opener, not only to the intricacies of scientific research but to the leeway that this f i e l d c a n o f f e r a s w e l l . Any tricks or hints for the upcoming gradu-ates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? Take a break, recharge your batteries and just enjoy life for a while. Please, share some insider knowledge on

what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Try the best cooked, smoked ham with horse-radish in Budapest at Polo Club on Batthyány utca 4. If you go on Tuesdays you‟ll have a pleasant musical surprise.

Ekaterina Babintseva Country of Residence: Russia Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Gender Studies, 2012 What have you been up to since you graduated from CEU? I have been working at an International Education Agency and applied to PhD programs and was accepted by three of them. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? It is difficult to decide on the best moment, there were many of them, but I really enjoyed my studies (so untypical for CEU students, I know). So, all the best moments are somehow related to the wonderful seminar classes that we had with Prof. Allaine Cerwonka. Studying under her guidance was a sheer joy. What was the most memorable experience as an Alumni Scholarship Recipient and why? The most memorable moment was when we organized cartoon screening in the hall of Nador 9 and when I saw that passers-by really liked our idea and enjoyed the cartoons we were showing. That was quite rewarding.

The Weekly Special: CEU Alumni Talk About Their Post-Graduation Life

THE CEU WEEKLY SPECIAL

Have your studies at CEU so far proven helpful in your career? My studies at CEU helped me a lot. I was accepted to PhD programs in History with full

fellowships of the University of Toronto, Northwestern and the University of Pennsylvania. Recently, I have officially enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. Since my research proposal would not be possible without the knowledge I gained during my MA and the thesis that I wrote, I consider my CEU experience to be the key for my academic success. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming graduates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? To reduce you anxiety try to decide what you want and set your priorities. Thus, if your goal is to pursue an academic career and you have not applied to PhD programs once you were doing your MA, then don‘t fret about jobs too much. I am saying that because people around will be talking a lot about (sometimes even getting) jobs. So, decide on what you need. If you want to continue studying then just work on your PhD applications and find a part-time employment to have some cash. If you want a career and you don‘t speak Hungarian, then staying in Hungary won‘t be an excellent idea because the lack of the knowledge of Hungarian will be a hindrance for your professional development. While you will be able to find a job, it will be hard to find a place where you can make a career if you don‘t speak the local language. If you just want to stay in Europe and don‘t care about what you do (and this is ok) then apply for low level positions at International companies that require the knowledge of English (i. e. help-desk, customer support, etc.) So, decide on your priorities that will make it easier for you to make a transition from CEU to ―real‖ life. Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Don‘t miss your graduation ceremony and meeting with people whose friendship you value a lot.

Tamás György Country of Residence: Indonesia Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Political Science, 2012 What have you been up to since you graduated from CEU? I got this scholarship called Darmasiswa. I have been fooling around in Indonesia, learning traditional Javanese dance, to play the Gamelan, and Indonesian and Javanese language. Discovering an exotic culture as a political scientist is at least as much fun as discovering an exotic culture as an

undergraduate:) What is your best memory of your time at

CEU? One is definitely connected to CEU Weekly (for example the smell of a freshly printed issue that has my own piece that I am proud of on the

front page), and the other is the time when after a panic attack my supervisor Stefania Milan helped me to get my act together, putting my activity at CEU in perspective. I emerged from her office as a new person. Have your studies at CEU so far proven helpful in your career? I helped my friend Bagyo from Thailand writing his essay on urban studies(?) one afternoon: he got an ‗A‘ and he did not get expelled from some thai university. I introduced game theory to a Balinese surfer, who liked it very much. Maybe these things did not help my career, but I think I did help others. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming graduates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? I think it depends on ones personality, but I would say do not do something you do not want to just because it is a logical step from the point of view of your career. Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Go to the places that are highlighted in the city guide: they are there for a reason! Also: discover the Buda side of the river. It is so much nicer there. Go to Bálint Galéria Kávézó (Budapest, 1026 Házmán utca 5) for a coffee and/or some beers with friends or a good book, that place has the best of the Buda atmosphere. While you are there, please tell Bálint that Gyöki says ―Hi‖!

Diana Sabluk

Country of Residence: Ukraine Program at CEU & Graduation Year: IRES 2010 What have you been up to since you graduated from CEU? I have been working in the automotive and IT industries ever since. I have also been freelancing in the academic research area. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? My time at CEU was like one bright moment of enlightenment. As a result of it I remember graduating at MUPA, staying on the stage and as a choir member singing ―Gaudeamus‖. Have your studies at CEU so far proven helpful in your career? It has by all means proven helpful in my whole life and not only career. Even if I‘m not directly involved into IRES field, I have learnt such qualities as good structuring, discipline, assertiveness and a quality of never giving up even in the hardest moments. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming graduates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety?

After graduation the whole world is open. That‘s exciting, but it‘s also very challenging. Some find their future way quickly and is moving fast forward. For some the variety of

choices presents a fair challenge of choosing the right one. In either case, don‘t be discouraged. If it takes some time to find your future path – let it, even if it takes longer than you have expected. You never know what is expecting you upfront. If the opportunity changes your life, let it. None said it would be easy. We might just say it would be worth it. Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Try to spend as much time outside as possible – together with friends and faculty members. Make connections. Once you‘ll discover that they are all that matters the most.

Jan Smolenski Country of Residence: USA Program at CEU & Graduation Year: MA1 Po-litical Science, 2012 What have you been up to since you graduat-ed from CEU? I have been pursuing my PhD at the New School for Social Research in New York. It means that besides four short trips, two of which were con-

ference-related, I didn't much besides reading. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? It is hard to say, there are so many of them. I guess that one of the greatest things about the CEU and what I still warmly recall is the sense of community of both scholars and friends. Have your studies at CEU so far proven help-ful in your career? By now they have proven extremely useful and in many more ways than I expected. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming gradu-ates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? Find something to do and find it quick. If you are pursuing your PhD, find something to do over summer. For me the worst thing was that I didn't have anything planned for summer so I was just waiting for the academic year – and new period of my life – to begin.

Please, share some insider knowledge on

what not to miss in Budapest during the last

weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city

guide)!

Don't miss a beer in the evening at the Erzsebet

Ter and a glass of wine with your friends in the

evening at the bank of Danube looking at

amazing Buda Castle or the House of the Par-

liament. Sounds like nothing but when you end

up in a place like New York, where these things

are impossible, you start to miss them.

More on page 4 >>>

May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

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the CEU Weekly

THE CEU WEEKLY SPECIAL May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

In 2012 more than 4 million bottles of cider were sold in Hungary. This data implies 865% growth of cider consumption from 2011 to 2012. Hungary‟s traditionally well-established apple-production notwith-standing, until 2012 one could buy only imported cider in Hungary. Bearing in mind such extraordinary growth in the market, it is unsurprising that three young Hungarian entrepreneurs came up with the idea of introducing local cider into the market. Orsolya Tölyhi and Linda Havrán learned the technology of craft-cider production in Herefordshire. Thereafter, they established a small plant in the little village of Vértesboglár in the Hungarian countryside, where a third young woman joined the team, Katalin Szabó. The young company (Czider Kft.) established local craft-cider production in Hungary, using a blend of 100% pressed Hungarian apples with no artificial additives. They named the new product czider to make it a bit Hungarian-sounding. In 2012 czider won the 4th place in the category of bottle fermented cider on the The Big Apple Cider Trials, a com-petition held in the UK. This achievement is spectacular considering the recent establishment of the product and competition with seventeen British produc-ers. The good news is that finally czider is available in downtown Budapest; for in-stance in Jelen Bistro (Blaha Lujza square), Spíler (Király street), and in Kandalló (Kertész street).

Agnes Kelemen, Hungary, Nationalism Studies

Hungary: Good News for Local Cider-Fans and British Expats Magdalena Starkova

Country of Residence: Czech Republic Program at CEU & Graduation Year: History, 2011 What have you been up to since you gradu-ated from CEU? Writing and publishing poetry and prose and some feeble attempts to get my PhD. Running. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? My best memory is the dorm coffee machine, a place of unifying solidarity, while fighting the demon of procrastination in the thesis time. And seriously? Probably the moments of singing with the CEU choir. Have your studies at CEU so far proven help-ful in your career? Quite helpful, especially because of the con-nections I have made. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming gradu-ates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? Try to get some security even before gradua-tion. And don´t let them talk you into this crisis thing. There is always a way. Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last

weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Try to read your papers or whatever you have to read in the Rudas bath. The light is dim and your eyes will hurt, but do it anyway. And spend time with your friends as often as you can. Soon you will be scattered all around and getting together will be hard. Remember those people are your real treasure.

Andras Sziklai Country of Residence: Israel Program at CEU & Graduation Year: National-ism Studies/Jewish Studies Program, 2010 What have you been up to since you gradu-ated from CEU? I've been studying in a PhD program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem What is your best memory of your time at CEU? I loved to have coffee and Turosh Retes in Branch in Arany Janos str. In between the lectures Have your studies at CEU so far proven help-ful in your career? My studies at both programs make my life def-initely easier in my PhD program. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming gradu-ates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? Worries do not help! Go to Vian Cafe at Liszt Ferenc sqr. have a Caffe Latte and a Somloi Galushka and enjoy life! Carpe diem!

Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Jégbüfé! (a very famous confectionary in Ferenciek tere—Editors‘ note)

Yusuf Yuksekdag Country of Residence: Sweden Program at CEU & Graduation Year: Political Science MA, 2012 What have you been up to since you gradu-ated from CEU? I gave an involuntary break for six months right after the graduation, yet after some time I‟ve realized I needed that. It helped me to realize what I would like to do „most‟. Right now, I am a PhD student in Sweden doing Applied Ethics. What is your best memory of your time at CEU? It is hard to decide among the many… Howev-er, if I have to choose one, I‟d choose the grad-uation day/party. Not because, I did gradu-ate, but it was my last day with my dearest friends, and although it was painful back in the

day, now it leaves a big smile. Have your studies at CEU so far proven help-ful in your career? I appreciate the force of this question, but I am not really inclined to see the merit of a person-al answer on this one. All of us tend to gain something different from CEU; some realized they can‟t do more, some tried to do „better‟ – whatever that means –. All in all, there is al-ways something to obtain, depending on what you value and what you want to achieve in your „career‟; and CEU has a lot to offer for sure. Any tricks or hints for the upcoming gradu-ates on how to deal with the post-graduation anxiety? It is better to celebrate unemployment for the time being, the rest will come for sure. The anx-iety after the graduation, if you have it, is re-lated with nothing but uncertainty, I believe. Even if you will end up in a shitty job/position – rest assured you shall, and don‟t worry it‟s all shitty – in the end you will fall on your feet anyway, just so you know… Please, share some insider knowledge on what not to miss in Budapest during the last weeks (not necessarily mentioned in a city guide)! Just drink in as many places as possible (try Buda side just for once)… Also, I would not miss „Live Band Karaoke-Budapest‟, you should check their Facebook page for the gigs. If you still have time, then visit Szentendre with some friends.

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the CEU Weekly

The Weekly Special: CEU Alumni Talk About Their Post-Graduation Life

ON THE ROAD May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

the CEU Weekly

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Little Delights of a Historian’s Life The Diary of a Field Research Trip

If you are not acquainted with the joy of being a historian (or a history student at CEU) this report should convince you that going on a research trip is the highlight of a historian‘s life. Stepping into the archive (especially if it is for the first time) is an unforgettable moment. The moment when I received folders containing research materials I had ordered still brings smile to my face today (even if at the time, the reaction was somewhat different!). When the archive was closed, besides deciphering my sources, a usual touristic plan was in action. Belgium is great: a week in Leuven, a day-long trip to Antwerp and a weekend in Brussels gave me a rich insight into this

not-so-big, but very memorable country. Day 1. A sleepless night=>Ferihegy=> Charleroi Airport=> Bus to Brussels => Train to Leuven=> Hostel => Not so easy to enter! On the website this hostel was described as a ―very domestic one‖. I began to understand what this might mean when I have arrived and found a note on the front door saying: ―Don‘t ring the bell. There is no reception. Call +43…‖ No phone with me => no way to get in, except – to ring the bell! Luckily it worked. From a prolonged period of staring at the front door, I was saved by a maintenance man, who took pity on me and called the manager. Day 2. Language Surprisingly, considering my fear of speaking French, I didn‘t face many challenges with language. Leuven is famous for its international and Flemish population. The only language you hear around is Dutch (Which

was not much help for me unfortunately.) Luckily, English is not ―terra incognita‖ here. Therefore – I had no problems with communication. Day 3. Chocolates Everybody new to Belgian sweets cannot stay away from the chocolate shops and colorful display windows with waffles, macaroons, chocolate figures, creams and sauces. Of course, I carried out a thorough tasting of all these foods in just a week's time. Even McDonalds here is producing delicious confections. Day 4. Catholic University. The university is situated in a third part of the city, and is the oldest Catholic University in Belgium, founded in 1425. Students eat in the cafeteria ―Alma‖ and relax in subject-divided cafes. (For example, Café ―Politika‖ welcomes political scientists.) Day 5. The fountain "Fonske" Full of students and bicycles, Leuven impressed me with its tiny streets, early closing time for shops (6pm) and a specific style of monumental architecture. I was observing one of these monuments for a long time, trying to understand the intention of the sculptor, Jef Claerhout. I must admit – with little success. The sign “Fons Sapientiae” – Latin for “Source of wisdom” sounds very promising. But it has a hidden humorous meaning – a hint to the university's motto 'Sedes Sapientiae' (the Seat of Wisdom). Besides that “Fons” is a popular Flemish name. p.s. Due to limited space, I will have to skip the rest of my stories and

observations and continue working on my thesis. :)

Olha Pushchak, Ukraine,

History

Middle Eastern Hospitality

As a part of my thesis research, I traveled to the West Bank, Palestine, and interviewed several organizations that are implementing sustainable development projects in the region. Was it a field research trip? Yes. Was it only that? Definitely not. For my thesis, I asked people working for these

organizations how certain conditions (the way power-sharing mechanisms work, obstacles to freedom of movement, etc.) impact their work and got, frankly, rather eye-opening answers to my inquiries. Yet what left an even bigger impression on me were the people I met during my trip, for non-academic purposes.

I was greeted with such hospitality that it makes me smile every time I remember it now. It is a taxi driver who, after having asked me whether I

minded if he stopped for a coffee at his friend‘s place, brought some coffee for me, too. It is a shop keeper who, after having seen me walking around with my huge backpack, invited me to his shop for a tea. It is an old Palestinian woman on a shuttle bus who shared some of her oriental sweets with me. It is a kind resident of East Jerusalem who stopped and picked me up while hitchhiking and brought me to Ramallah. Or an

Israeli with whom I hitchhiked and crossed a great deal of Israel. Some examples escape my mind, but not the feeling, not the positive vibe I would feel during my whole trip. In a place like Palestine, especially for a political science student, to my mind, there are just so many things to see. Yes, the landscapes are breath-taking (and so I‘m even going to attempt to describe them in some futile words), the food is

the best I‘ve had in years, and an unexpected – and highly dangerous – drive through a desert taught me how visually appealing a place that sort of doesn‘t have anything can be. At the same time, I am very glad – in the saddest sense of the word – to have seen some peculiar things for myself. Checkpoints, road blocks, partial road

blocks, road gates, and, of course, the Barrier itself. Let me tell you this – the graffitis are way more powerful when you look at them live, only then realizing how huge the West Bank Wall

actually is. Looking back, I was very fortunate to have met a bunch of such interesting people: locals (both Palestinians and Israelis), NGO workers, journalists, fellow travelers, documentary filmmakers, and so forth. In a place like Palestine, you do want to talk to people, people from both sides of the Wall. One group a bit more privileged than the other, yet both equally warm

and welcoming. That is why I am truly thankful for having gotten this incredible opportunity to enrich my academic and non-academic experience. I can‘t stress how important I think it is to see for ourselves the things we analyze, measure, investigate, evaluate, and thus think we know. Now, I am even more strongly convinced that it is extremely important to visit places that are often described as producing polarizing political views

and see what things should be indeed kept as opinions and what are too important and too universal to be given a title of an opinion.

Justina Poskeviciute , Lithuania, Political Science

the the CEU Weekly INTERVIEW

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As an introduction, could you please tell us a little about your background? I am professor of economics at Oxford University, and I work on Africa with a whole range of themes about challenges on development. I am quite heavily involved in the world of public poli-

cy and I have given advise to the World Bank, the IMF and the British Government, as well as to various African Governments. So, I can say I am half in the world of public policy and half in that of economics.

How did you get involved in African issues? In 1968 I was a student. It was a time of activism and social concern. I come from that background, and that is how I got involved in Africa: I thought that the Economics I was studying, if they were going to be useful anywhere, they should be use-ful for some of the poorest countries on Earth,

because very few people there had the training that I was getting. The economic failure of Africa has denied millions of ordinary people the opportunities for realizing their potential, and this is why I got excited about the place.

Maybe you can introduce our readers to your last books, “The bottom billion” and “The plundered planet”? In “The bottom billion”, I was arguing that the idea of developing countries is not any more a meaningful concept. Instead of having a world in which the key divide is a line between developing countries and developed countries, the current divide is a three way divide: the developed coun-tries (the lucky billion), the emerging market econ-omies (about 5 billion people), and another billion

people stuck in the bottom of the World economy in about 60 poor little countries. The emerging market economies got into the boat of develop-ment in the late 80s and 90s, but the bottom bil-lion didn‟t. This book defends that the key focus of development policy should be on these bottom billion countries that are still struggling. We need to think beyond aid, we need to look at a whole range of policies, from trade to governance and

security and see what we can do about it, and we need to understand why they haven‟t developed while most other countries have. “The plundered planet”, which is my most recent

book, is about the environment, about how to reconcile environment and prosperity. It is about management of natural assets. In the absence of good regulation, natural assets tend to get plun-dered. For the poorest countries on Earth, this is a very big issue, because natural wealth is for them

the main form of wealth. So “The plundered plan-et” is not only about poor countries but about the challenges of managing natural assets and liabil-ity in developing countries as well. The heart of the book is about how poor countries can use their natural assets.

You have mentioned something that affects us more directly. How do you think is the influence European policies such as the Com-mon Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy? If we take fish, it seems to me that our policies towards the global fish stocks are disastrously dysfunctional. First of all, this is a common pool

resource that is being plundered because there are no common rules. Second, it‟s a natural asset that has value, and some of this value should ben-efit everybody, what in Economy is called “rents”. The value of fish is a rent, but at the moment the rent accrues to the fishermen who catch it, but the fishermen who catch the fish are not entitled to the rent on fish, they are entitled to a return on their capital, the labour, the risk… but not to the rent

on fish. To my mind, fish ought to be quantitatively regulated, and secondly there should be a tax, which either consumers or fishermen should pay. Instead of taxing the catching and consumption of fish, we actually subsidize it. The result is that there is far too much catching of fish, so we subsidize the plundering of fish stocks. Somalia is a great example of this plundering.

One explanation for piracy is that, if you destroy the livelihoods of Somali fishermen (as foreign fisheries have done) leaving them without fish, they follow Jesus‟ advise and they become fishers of men. Guys with boats and no fish to catch, what are they going to do? About food, the world food crisis picked first in 2008 and then in 2011. It is a very serious mat-

ter, because if global food prices are very high, who suffers? What prices do is to cut down de-mand to equal the available supply. Some people are going to eat less. Not you or me, surely. It is the poor people who buy food. Not farmers, those eat their own food. The people who really get squeezed are poor people living in cities in developing countries, because they don‟t grow food, they buy it. They end up eating less, partic-

ularly the children. If children are malnourished for more than about two years, they get what is called “stunting”. This is a physical condition in which people are permanently shorter. But it is also a mental condition: they are not only perma-nently shorter but also less intelligent. The key thing is the irreversibility. It goes for a lifetime, and there is evidence that it may even pass from one generation to the next. So, stunting is a com-plete disaster, and that‟s what happens if you get

price pikes that last more than a couple of years. It is absolutely imperative to avoid this price pikes.

The problem is about supply. There hasn‟t been enough food supply. The main food suppliers are North America and Europe, and both of them have made foolish mistakes that have reduced food supply.

And regarding this tax on fishing… people around the world depend on fishing for their livelihoods. Don’t you think the burden would be unequal around the world? In coastal countries, the revenue from the tax on fish tan accrues to the governance whose waters are being fished. But this requires enforcement. So there are two layers of problems: enforcing terri-torial waters (that nowadays can be done with satellite technology) and the regulation of the catches and taxes As you limit the size of the catch, the value of this increases, and the rents on

fish go up. Who should catch the value? Should it be the fishermen? I think it should be the whole society. Nowadays, they only country who does this is New Zealand. They first have a quota on the fish, and then they auction the fishing opportunities to fishermen, who buy the rights to the rents on fish. So who gets the rents on fish? All the New Zea-land citizens, in the form of money incoming the

Government.

We guess from you comments that you think that biofuels in the future will have no place in the global energy mix, for their competition with food production? I don‟t want to be dogmatic, but the subsidy on biofuels has no future, that‟s the big mistake. We shouldn‟t be using tax payers‟ money to convert food into energy. If you think about it, since we already tax other forms of energy, the price that people can get from biofuels already includes a

subsidy effect that is the tax on other fuels. Even if we don‟t give subsidies, we give too strong incentives to produce biofuels. There are some cases where it locally can make sense. Ethiopia, far away from the coast, has to import expensive fuel… if they could grow their own, that may make economic sense. The same would happen in any area where transport costs are high and you have spare land. But this is not a blanket solution

to energy problems.

What do you think will be the future role of Africa in the world development? Africa nowadays has the biggest opportunity on its hands: all these natural resource discovered recently. And it‟s not an easy opportunity because

we know that the history of natural resource ex-traction in Africa is a history of plunder and waste. The challenge for Africa is whether they can harness this opportunity by learning from history, or whether it just repeats history. The de-fault option is to repeat history, there are good reasons why history happens. Whether Africans will win the struggle to learn from history is still to see. Brave people are trying to achieve change

all around the continent. In some places they win, in some places they loose. It is the big drama of our times: whether a billion people catch up with the rest of the world or crashes in prolonged pov-

erty.

Sergio Rejado Albaina, Spain, MESPOM

May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

Interview with Paul Collier - by Sergio Rejado Albaina

the the CEU Weekly CURIOSITY May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

Page 7

Have you realized of how close Hungary is from the Romanian region of Transylvania, the kingdom of the legendary Vlad Dracula, Prince of Wallachia? Also, that both regions were part of the same Empire for centuries? And that there is a Hungarian minority living in Romania? And that maybe all this involves that Hungary has its own history of evil bloodsuckers? From the CEU Weekly we would like to introduce you to the Countess

Elizabeth Bathory. The Blood Countess.

Elizabeth Bathory (or Báthory Erzsébet, in Hun-garian) was born in 1560, a time when the Kingdom of Hungary ranged from the Adriatic to the Black Sea, occupying most of current Hun-gary, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Slovakia. She was born in current Slovakia, but his par-ents belonged to the Transylvanian nobility. As such, she enjoyed of a privileged education and was able to speak several languages. However, it is said that she had a certain mental insanity from her early childhood, when she had attacks of epilepsy. Moreover, despite the lineage of heroes in her family, generations of endogamy had led to the appearance of certain weird behaviours among her relatives (witches, mad-ness, devil-worshippers…). The kind of back-ground necessary to raise a good landlord,

indeed.

When she was 15 (and after having a first se-cret child with a peasant lover) she was married to count Ferenc Nádasdy and had 6 children with him, two of who died at an early age. She lived with his husband until he died in the Nádasdy castle (in Sárvár, Hungary), but after that she moved to the castle his husband gifted her in Cachtice (Slovakia), from where she ruled over her 17 neighbouring villages, which was to be the frame of her grotesque crimes. Her hus-band was continuously on war campaigns, and she was said to find consolation in many young peasant lovers to entertain her during his ab-sences, even though she behaved like the per-

fect wife when he was home. Rumours about her involvement in witchcraft date from this time, engaging in satanic rites and other occultist activities. It is supposed that Elizabeth begun to torture young peasant girls for pleasures during her husband‟s absences, even though it is ru-mored that it was indeed him who introduced her to these practices. From this period date the incriminations for activities such as beating her maidservants with a barbed lash and a heavy cudgel, and having them dragged naked into the snow and doused with cold water until they

froze to death.

But destiny is unmerciful, and in January 1604, Ferenc Nádasdy died as consecuence of an infected wound, and Elizabeth moved with her kids to Cachtice. Here, she took up Anna Darvula as advisor. This woman was described as the most active sadist in the region, and allegedly was also also Elizabeth‘s lover. Under her guidance, Elizabeth undertook her most

cruel atrocities.

Legend has it that Countess Elizabeth Báthory Nádasdy discovered her "secret of eternal youth" when some spots of blood from a beaten servant seemed to 'tighten' her skin. The poor girl accidentally pulled her hair whilst combing it, dropping some blood on Elizabeth‘s skin. Those few drops of blood appeared to reduce the signs of ageing on her skin. She became obsessed with this idea, which gave her a perfect excuse to vent her sadistic streak on local teenage peasant women. Countess Elizabeth Báthory Nádasdy was known to torture her victims before drinking and bathing in their blood. Her instruments of torture included knives, pincers, needles, razors, red-hot irons and pokers. She is also reputed to have ordered the construction of an iron cage called "Iron Virgin". The "Iron Virgin" was shaped like a woman and fitted with blades, similar to the

"Iron Maiden".

Elizabeth's hobbies seem to have gone largely undetected - or at least ignored - until around 1609. It is supposed that his cousin the Lord Palatine of Hungary, Count György Thurzo, probably knew of her activities much earlier but took no action in an attempt to protect the reputation of the family. However, in 1609 Darvula died, and Elizabeth found a new accomplice/lover, the widow of one of her tenant farmers, named Erszi Majorova. It seems it was her who instigated Elizabeth to turn against a number of girls from families of the lesser nobility (against Darvulia‘s advise) to whom she attracted with the excuse of educating them. It seems that the primary resource for her activities had stated to be

scarce in the surrounding areas.

The deaths of peasant girls might be overlooked, but the murder of nobles (even those of limited) could not go unnoticed. The King of Hungary ordered her arrest, and Count Thurzo moved quickly to save the family by capturing her by his own means. On 30

December he led soldiers in a night raid over Elizabeth‘s castle. They supposedly found a dead girl in the hallway, and many other victims dead, dying or awaiting torture in cells. Elizabeth‘s accomplices Dorothea, Helena and Ficzko were arrested, along with Katarina Beneczky, a washerwoman newly entered into the Countess' service. Erszi Majorova escaped capture in the raid but was also arrested eventually. Elizabeth herself was held but not

taken away with her associates.

In January 1611 Elizabeth's accomplices were subjected to two hurried show trials, in which they gave evidence, almost certainly extracted under torture, and were convicted of their heinous crimes in a matter of days. In the second trial, another servant named as Zsuzsanna gave evidence of the existence of a register, in her mistress' handwriting, which recorded over 650 victims who had died at the Countess' hands over the years. This evidence was shaky as such a register was never found (and maybe was never even produced), but it was enough to convict the servants, who were sentenced to death. Elizabeth's involvement was 'hushed-up' due her royal connections. However, after she tried to run away, she was quietly left to die in her own castle. The windows and doors of her room were sealed, leaving just a small hath to pass food to her. Countess Elizabeth Báthory Nádasdy (Lady Dracula) died three and a half

years later in her domestic confinement.

Even though the fascination the legend may exert, it is good to remember that most of this story is based in witnesses‘ stories and the testimonials during the trials to Elizabeth‘s accomplices. However, her life, story and legend has generated a big deal of interest and fascination throughout history, and have inspired many books and movies. The most recent one, for those who are interested, is a 2008 Hungarian production titled ―Bathory: Countess of Blood‖, directed by Juraj Jakubisko

and protagonized by Anna Friel.

Sergio Rejado Albaina, Spain,

MESPOM

A Brief History of Hungarian Vampires

he Weethe CEU Weekly

CEU COMMUNITY May 22, 2013, Year 3, Issue 33

About the CEU Weekly This is a student-alumni initiative that seeks to provide CEU with a regularly issued newspaper. The CEU Weekly is a vehicle of ex-pression for the diversity of perspectives and viewpoints that integrate CEU‟s open society: free and respectful public debate is our aim. We offer a place in which current events and student reflections can be voiced. Plurality, respect and freedom of speech are our guiding principles.

Editor in Chief: Florin Zubaşcu Managing Editor: Justina Poškevičiūtė

Editorial Council: Agnes Kelemen, Olha Pushchak, Maryna Shevtsova, Julia Mivhalsky, Sergio Rejado Albaina, Ro-

drigo Avila B., Erik Kotlarik, Razi Zaheer, Imogen Bayley ceuweekly.blogspot.com

YOUR CORNER

Want to get published?

Send your article at ceuweekly@ceu.hu

CEU Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 23-26

23rd-24th May: Two-day Alumni Leadership Forum and CEU Career Days and Jobs Fair. Venue: CEU main campus. 25th May: Reunion Gala Dinner. Venue: Kempinski Hotel Corvinus 26th May: CEU Island Picnic and Sports Day. Venue: Margaret Island Athletic Stadium Gourmet Festival, 31st May - 2nd June Venue: Millenáris Park Entrance fee: daily ticket: 2 900 HUF/day, the ticket price includes a tasting glass and a glass of champagne as welcome drink.

Craft-Beer Festival (Főzdefeszt), 6th - 9th June

Venue: Mikszáth Kálmán square and Szabó Ervin square

Festive Book Week (Ünnepi Könyvhét) 6th - 10th June

Venue: Vörösmarty square

The Festive Book Week of Budapest is a traditional festival of l i terature , books and reading . Bes ides book discussions, dedications, and meetings with authors there will be concerts, a street festival, and a great athmosphere.

Welcome to “Train your brain!” Did you enjoy the previous cryptogram few weeks ago? Today you have another chance to practice yourself in this field.

What you have to do: At the top there is a KEY that lists all the letters with a box below. Each of the letters has a corresponding number. The bottom part contains a

secret phrase. Each of the blanks has a number underneath it. Your task is to fill in the letters that correspond to the numbers below the blanks. Please send your answer to ceuweekly@ceu.hu

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