Bertha International Institute of Arts and Sciences

Faculty

Professor Dr. Imelda Sørensen

Nationality: Danish

Department: Interdisciplinary Studies

Academic Title: Professor of Critical Theory and Cultural Semiotics

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Semiotics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  • M.A. in Cultural Studies, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • B.A. (Hons) in Literature and Philosophy, University of Southern Denmark

Research Interests:

  • Post-structuralist thought and its applications in contemporary culture
  • The semiotics of digital media and online identity
  • Critical analysis of globalized cultural flows
  • The intersection of literature, philosophy, and visual arts

Selected Publications:

  • [ISBN: 978-87-7124-652-9] (2018) Decoding the Digital Self: Semiotics of Online Personas. Copenhagen University Press.
  • [ISBN: 978-3-8376-5112-7] (2015) Fluid Boundaries: Essays on Culture, Identity, and the Postmodern Condition (Co-edited with Dr. Jean-Luc Dubois). Transcript Verlag.
  • [ISSN: 1604-5781] (2012) “The Spectrality of the Image: Haunting and Representation in Contemporary Art.” Journal of Visual Culture, 11(2), 145-162.
  • [DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2009.430763] (2009) “Navigating the Labyrinth: Mapping Meaning in Global Advertising.” Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies, 23(1), 78-95.

Dr. Riho Kask

Nationality: Estonian

Department: Environmental Sciences

Academic Title: Senior Lecturer in Environmental Policy and Sustainability

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Environmental Science, University of Tartu, Estonia
  • M.Sc. in Sustainable Development, Uppsala University, Sweden
  • B.Sc. in Ecology and Nature Management, University of Tartu, Estonia

Research Interests:

  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in Northern Europe
  • Sustainable resource management and circular economy models
  • Environmental policy analysis and implementation challenges
  • Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services

Selected Publications:

  • [ISBN: 978-9949-7203-4-7] (2021) Towards a Circular Estonia: Policy Frameworks and Future Directions. Tartu University Press.
  • [ISBN: 978-1-003-15487-2] (2019) “Implementing Sustainable Development Goals in the Baltic Region: Progress and Obstacles.” In The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainable Development, pp. 457-474. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • [ISSN: 1736-6060] (2016) “The Role of Local Communities in Forest Conservation: A Case Study from Estonia.” Estonian Journal of Ecology, 65(2), 87-102.
  • [DOI: 10.3390/su11051322] (2019) “Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Practices on Water Quality in the Lake Peipus Basin.” Sustainability, 11(5), 1322.

Professor Dr. Lívia Horváth

Nationality: Hungarian

Department: History

Academic Title: Professor of Early Modern European History

Education:

  • Ph.D. in History, Central European University, Hungary
  • M.A. in History, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
  • B.A. in History and Latin, University of Szeged, Hungary

Research Interests:

  • Social and cultural history of the Habsburg Empire
  • Religious conflicts and the Reformation in Central Europe
  • Urban development and civic life in the early modern period
  • The history of education and intellectual networks

Selected Publications:

  • [ISBN: 978-963-386-412-5] (2023) Civic Cultures in Flux: Urban Life in Habsburg Hungary, 1550-1700. Central European University Press.
  • [ISBN: 978-0-367-61892-1] (2020) “Beyond the Battlefield: Everyday Life During the Ottoman Wars in Hungary.” In War and Society in Early Modern Europe, pp. 215-232. Routledge.
  • [ISSN: 1218-8951] (2017) “The Transmission of Ideas: Intellectual Correspondence in the Age of Religious Division.” Hungarian Historical Review, 6(1), 55-74.
  • [DOI: 10.1556/0032.2014.55.1.3] (2014) “The Role of Guilds in Shaping Urban Identity in Royal Free Cities of Hungary.” Acta Historica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 55(1), 45-65.

Dr. Seán Ó Briain

Nationality: Irish

Department: Linguistics and Literature

Academic Title: Lecturer in Celtic Languages and Literature

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Celtic Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  • M.Phil. in Irish Literature, University College Dublin, Ireland
  • B.A. (Hons) in Irish and English, National University of Ireland, Galway

Research Interests:

  • Modern Irish language and dialectology
  • Early Irish literature and mythology
  • The sociolinguistics of minority languages
  • Translation studies and Irish literature in translation

Selected Publications:

  • [ISBN: 978-1-84840-815-7] (2022) New Perspectives on Irish Dialects: A Sociolinguistic Atlas. Four Courts Press.
  • [ISBN: 978-0-7089-0654-2] (2019) “Echoes of the Past: Myth and Memory in Contemporary Irish Poetry.” In Theorizing Memory in Irish Culture, pp. 187-204. Liverpool University Press.
  • [ISSN: 0021-1333] (2015) “Language Shift and Revitalization Efforts in Gaeltacht Regions.” Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 36(4), 385-401.
  • [DOI: 10.1163/15698772-12341302] (2011) “Translating the Untranslatable? Exploring Cultural Nuances in Irish Literature.” Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 23(1), 25-42.

Professor Dr. Sofia Novak

Nationality: Slovenian

Department: Political Science

Academic Title: Professor of Comparative Politics and International Relations

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • M.A. in International Relations, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • B.A. in Political Science, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Research Interests:

  • Democratization processes in the Western Balkans
  • European Union enlargement and integration challenges
  • Regional security and conflict resolution
  • Populism and nationalism in Central and Eastern Europe

Selected Publications:

  • [ISBN: 978-961-230-987-6] (2024) The Contested Borders of Europe: Identity, Nationalism, and Integration in the Balkans. University of Ljubljana Press.
  • [ISBN: 978-3-030-57123-8] (2021) “Navigating the Complexities of EU Enlargement: The Case of the Western Balkans.” In The Routledge Handbook of European Integration, pp. 315-330. Routledge.
  • [ISSN: 1408-518X] (2018) “The Rise of Populism in Slovenia: Causes and Consequences.” East European Quarterly, 52(3), 287-305.
  • [DOI: 10.1080/09668136.2015.1075642] (2015) “Regional Cooperation and Security Challenges in Southeast Europe.” Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 15(4), 511-528.