Oksana Chaika: Tomorrow is being created by the knowledge that is laid into the foundation for the political, legal and economic future of the state by our students!
Associate professor of the department of romance-germanic languages and translation Oksana Chaika, in addition to teaching, works as a director of the department for international relations, and is a member of the board of JSC "Crowe Ukraine" (which is a member of the eighth largest international auditing and consulting Crowe Global network in the world). She is also an advisor to BNP Paribas senior executives in Ukraine and a strategic consultant on personal development of political figures, translator in international negotiations (policy, law, finance and taxation, medicine) and business and health & wellness coach.
Having such a wide range of interests and opportunities, you still find time for teaching…
– In fact, when you are consulting and coaching for policy makers, business owners and top-level executives in the corporate structure, paying particular attention to resource management, including temporal ones, you automatically incorporate this knowledge and skills into your personal schedule. And over time, it all forms a lifestyle. It is already part of your nature. Let the toolkit be partially acquired, but it helps to live every moment (and teaching too) with incredible enjoyment.
You should always remember the so-called secondary benefit: WHAT exactly drives you to act. In my case, why teaching has become an integral part of my life. First, I do not realize myself without practicing my linguistic knowledge and business competencies. Why to know 15 languages and not to use them in practice? Not all of them, but at least 5-6 should be on the surface.
Secondly, all the acquired baggage of business and management skills also needs to be realized. Of course, everything can be directed into commercial stream. However, at some point there is an awareness of a mission, and the answers are: "Who are you?", "What are you doing in this world?" And you know: it is necessary to share knowledge, to live not only today, but to create. To create a better future – for ourselves, posterity, globally. To bring value to existence.
The greatest enjoyment can be gained only in the class room. At least it is my case. This is a place where history is being made, where the economies of states are growing or declining, where you become psychic in the literal sense, because you see that tomorrow. Tomorrow is happening today – with the knowledge that is laying the foundation for the political, legal and economic future of the state in the individuals of our students!
Why did you choose NULES, having other proposals?
– Small or private university is good, but NULES, with its base, is a big scale. It is a space where the present and the future are combined. At the moment, our university now has over 26,000 students and 600+ graduate students, PhD students and search engineers. It is a collaboration, exchange of knowledge and achievements with almost three thousand scientific and pedagogical staff.
In today's realities, instructors will have to meet inflated standards. To be not only an expert in your subject (all information is online), but a unique personality, a leader, a mentor who does not indicate what to do, but helps to unlock the inner potential, find the deepest resources of a student or colleague and facilitate their release and realization.
My self-realization at NULES as an instructor is an economical language investment in the student, and therefore – in the future of our country. And believe me, with a decent dividend tomorrow.
What are the most memorable personalities?
– With my bright and rich communication paths, it's hard to come up with specific names right now. Literally, each case deserves special mention.
Working with diplomats, representatives of IOTA (Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations) – Miguel Silva Pinto (Potrugalia), Marek Velenzik (Poland), Jacques Carre (France) helped to see governments in the domestic and international markets in a somewhat different way, pushed me to review our training courses and educational programs. I am proud that my proposed changes in teaching some disciplines have been so welcomed by foreign colleagues that certain ideas have already been implemented at the universities of Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the Arab Emirates. I am currently working with colleagues at NULES on innovation and implementing practical and methodological initiatives at our university.
The problems of interlingual communication can be dealt with differently thanks to the insights of international experts in law, finance, auditing, consulting. Particularly noteworthy is the professionalism and mentorship of David Chitty (United Kingdom), Raúl Preza (Argentina), and Paulo Loroz (Portugal).
Due to the confidentiality and observance of the standards of professional ethics, unfortunately, I cannot disclose the names of some political and diplomatic figures of Ukraine and the world, but the partnership and cooperation with all have brought their color and value to life and professional growth.
How to become successful: what would your students, and especially female students, advise?
– First of all, to decide what is important to you. Second, to analyze what prevents you from implementing something, to remove all stereotypes and social constraints. Remember: THE BORDERS DO NOT exist! They are created only for total and authoritarian control by the state, the church, certain organizations as institutions of power, as well as our traditional habits in everyday life. This is not about anarchy. It is about omnipotence and at the same time personal responsibility. Responsibility for thoughts and actions, for your "tomorrow" and "tomorrow" of your environment and the world.
It is necessary to set goals and every day, to work every minute to achieve them.
And for the girls: we break the stereotypes that this is the men's world. It is necessary and possible to declare about oneself, when your "Why" at goal setting is stronger than "What" I want to achieve, you are the winners! I congratulate you! The mechanism of achievement will come automatically, with experience.
What are your inspirational hobbies?
– There are many hobbies - from sports, especially winter skiing in the Swiss or French Alps with family and friends, to philosophy, cognitive science, parapsychology, alternative medicine and quantum physics.
I am inspired by real-life examples of the success of relatives, acquaintances and students who are incredibly faithful to the information I share with them and implement the most entertaining projects: from business promotion to the challenge of medicine and traditional sciences, the cosmic speed of securing the knowledge they have just acquired and the instant realization.
How do you manage? Your recipe for success.
– Focus on the "here and now" and the management of one’s own resources - physiological, emotional and temporal. As for work, I propose to be led by Pareto's law: you do not have to spend all your time and all resources to get the desired result, instead you need to identify the "key tasks" and invest 20% of the effort to get 80% of the result. But the fundamental principle, as for me, is to love passionately what you do.
Iryna Bilous was interviewing
