If you are a student at AUBG going for a business major or just an enthusiast going through the whole list of courses for the semester you will see a new name next to the Business Ethics course -- Robert White. He is one of the new members of the AUBG faculty this academic year. Traveling from New Zealand meant 24 hours of flight across the Indian and Pacific oceans, but he is happy to be here.
“I am a member of the American Philosophical Association, which is where I learned about the University. I was searching for something related to business ethics, and saw this position advertised. I had no prior knowledge of the country, except that it is in Europe, which is where I was wanting to live, so I decided to apply,” explained Robert White. “My acquaintances were surprised when I told them about my choice. They knew little about the country. Is the culture much different? What is the language? Is there any internal strife? were common questions.” One of his colleagues at the University of Auckland in New Zealand was surprised he would get on the plane for Bulgaria, just knowing that we are not at war, that we speak Bulgarian and that we have good red wine. Robert says, “I did not expect anything. The last time I visited this part of the world was in 1991 when I came to Romania. That was just after the revolution and it was hard to buy things and to live there. My apartment still had bullet holes from the revolution. But that was 18 years ago. I was sure that things had changed a lot since then so I wasn’t worried. I was open to the experience.”
Robert White was born in Hamilton, a city in New Zealand almost the same size as Blagoevgrad. Later in his life, he moved to Auckland – the largest city in his country, where he lived among a great diversity of people and cultures, due to the fact that many of the people that live there are international. “In Auckland people speak many languages. It is not uncommon to go to a shop, especially grocery stores, and find that the shop assistant does not know English at all – the language I speak. So when I came here I felt no culture shock, no language shock. People are not so different, as well. Everyone here wants similar things, have similar interests and similar customs as in my native country. I am 17 500 kilometers away from home, but it doesn’t feel so far.”
Besides the similarities between the two cities, Robert White admits that there are some differences, such as the level of security. “When I went to Technopolis in Blagoevgrad, I was surprised by the obvious presence of security guards. This would be unusual in New Zealand,” he explains. But the story does not end here. “This was the first time I bought anything in Bulgaria. It was a real challenge to actually buy something, because I didn’t know the language. But I did it, and I was pleased with myself. Such minor achievements can be significant when first arriving in a new country.”
The biggest difference for Robert White between the cities of Auckland and Blagoevgrad is the size. “In Blagoevgrad everything is close, you can walk to any place you could possibly need in 10 or 15 minutes. In Auckland everything is spread out. You can’t live without a car. This is what I really like about Blagoevgrad.”
Before coming to AUBG this semester, Robert White taught for six years at the University of Auckland, where he obtained his PhD on virtue ethics. “I liked the University of Auckland, but they are free entry, so there is a range of students – some very competent, others very incompetent. I have yet to encounter any incompetent students here,” shares Robert White. He also comments on his experience with the faculty at AUBG, “Many of my colleagues are very friendly and welcoming. They helped me to settle-in better.” As Robert White recalls in his previous job at the University of Auckland, with an average of 44,000 students and a lot of faculty members, he knew only his colleagues from his department. At AUBG, everything is a lot more intimate. Not only do the students form a close society but the faculty communicate closely as well.
When asked: “How do you spend your free time?” Professor White referred to an interesting autobiography entitled The Man Without a Hobby. Then he explained, “I think that people don’t necessarily need a hobby to fill their spare time. I believe that if someone really enjoys something, then it is worthwhile to dedicate your time to that particular activity. Although not necessarily a hobby, it could be your job. For example, I really like to write articles, general articles, chapters for books, which is part of my job, because I create something new and original. That is how I fill my leisure time. Blagoevgrad is a nice academic city and a good place to write and that is my way of relaxing.”