Ethan Danesh moved to Vienna from the U.K. to pursue his studies in the Culture, Politics and Society (CPS) program, eventually specializing in sociology. Danesh finds CEU’s long history in Budapest interesting and, for him, being able to study in English, while being geographically close to some family members in Hungary were also pluses.
When asked about how CEU has shaped him, Danesh said: “Life direction. I grew up wanting to be a pilot during my teen years.” While acknowledging that flying is still his passion, he added: “The three years at CEU affirmed to me that academia is probably the most viable option in terms of things I could find enjoyment in and in terms of me being capable of such a pursuit, so that was useful.”
Danesh did an internship (along with fellow student Anna Flaismanova) researching aspects related to treaty and reconciliation processes for a prominent lawyer working on indigenous affairs in Victoria, Canada, going through findings in the report for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which is a government commission that conducts interviews with people who have important knowledge regarding the process of reconciliation. “That research experience was really good because it was a topic I was interested in and it was a project that has concrete real-world impact that continues far beyond the time that we were working together,” said Danesh.
At CEU, Danesh also met professor Zoltan Illes in a class on the creation of environmental policy at the government and international level, with whom he continues to work. On a more personal note, he shared: “I met my best friend at CEU, so socially as well, I managed to blossom a bit.”
After graduation, Danesh is looking forward to continuing his studies within CEU’s two-year Nationalism Studies master’s program.
