The Great Works Academy helps everyone become the best version of themselves

The Great Works Academy is a free-time program where participants enter into discussion with the greatest thinkers who have shaped our civilization. We follow the principles of classical and character education used at the best universities in the world.

By discussing great works, we get to know ourselves and the world. We watch good movies, read the best books, listen to quality music and think about famous paintings. We look for answers to big questions in big stories.

How does it work?

Vision and mission

Our team

"I stopped having so many prejudices, I learned
listen better and argue and see things through. I realized that not everything is as it seems at first glance.

graduate of the Great Works Academy

develop

character

In stories and works, participants discover values, reflect on them and build their attitudes.

think

critically

Participants respond to the ideas of the authors and other participants
and formulate their own arguments.

improve

concentration

Although the works are short, independent preparation for seminars requires concentrated work.

enhance reading comprehension

Participants are guided to understand the text, film or picture without interpretation.

This program helps

"It was a very unique experience for me. What you said was very rewarding, I have never participated in anything like that. Hats off to you for conducting such an analysis of the work. What I had the opportunity to hear here was very deep, beautiful, wise, based on your experiences, so it was a very unique experience for me. Thank you.'

Zuzana Čaputová,
former president of Slovakia after participating in one of our seminars

How does it work?

1. A teacher (lecturer) who is interested in opening and running the Academy of Great Works club signs up for one of the offered trainings . During the training, he gets to know the Academy of Great Works and learns how to work with methodology.

2. After the training, the teacher (lecturer) decides whether to organize the Academy club. If so, he will enter into cooperation with the Academy and with its support he will get 7-15 participants for his club.

3. After successful recruitment, the teacher (lecturer) with the support of the Academy organizes his own Academy club at his primary or secondary school.

The program has two parts:

interactive online library with works and preparation
discussion seminars in a small group

Participants prepare for the seminars using materials in the online library. At one seminar, there are 7-15 participants who discuss specific works and the important topics they open. The teacher (lecturer) moves the discussion of the participants using the methodology of the Academy. At the end of the program, participants are rewarded with a certificate.

1. Read, watch, or listen to a work in the online library

2. Independent reflection on the work and the questions it opens

3. Discussion with other students at the seminar

Why was the Academy established?

At a time of informational, political and environmental challenges, learned information is not enough for a young person to navigate life - he needs to build skills that will help him in life decisions, in relationships, in his approach to work and his future.

Great works such as Chekhov's short stories, Rembrandt's paintings or Hitchcock's films contain stories that reflect the human experience and open up essential life themes, universal for every person.

We use them to reflect our own experiences and inner attitudes. Discussion with others then helps us formulate and refine them. In this way we form our mind and character.

VISION

Characterful young people longing for wisdom and beauty.

MISSION

By searching for answers to life's important questions and studying the great works of Western civilization, enable high school students to better understand themselves and the world and thus become the heroes of their own story.

Who are we

The Great Works Academy continues the educational format of the programs of the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth, which was established in 2009 in Ivanka near the Danube as a residential training program for university students. The collegium currently provides various educational programs for children, youth and adults, available throughout Slovakia.

Since 2005, the Collegium has also been organizing a Summer University for high school students , and during its existence it has grown to include a range of different educational activities for different groups of young people.

The Great Works Academy is by far the largest program of the Collegium and extends beyond its auspices. Its goal is to expand the positive experience of students from the Collegium programs for the largest possible number of young people throughout Slovakia and to enrich the educational system with elements of classical and character education.

Our team

Our combined experience from various professions and studies at Slovak and foreign universities they inspire us with respect pass it on to young people the best what we got. In accordance with the mission and vision We constantly educate ourselves in academies and strive for inner integrity not only in our work, but also in our personal lives.

Martin
Luterán

co-founder

Martin studied law at Comenius University and then legal philosophy at Oxford University in England, where he received the degrees of M.Jur., M.Phil. and D.Phil.. In 2009, he founded the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth, where he is rector and academician. For several years, he has been lecturing and leading seminars on ethics and natural law for high school students, university students, as well as the professional public.

Miroslava Duranková

director and co-founder

Miroslava graduated from the Master's program in character education at the University of Birmingham. He continues to work on this topic and collaborate with experts in the field around the world. She is also a graduate of the college program of the Collegium Anton Neuwirth, where later, in the years 2014 - 2018, she also worked as a director. As the first university, she graduated in economics at the University of Economics in Bratislava and, alongside her studies, worked in the organizations AIESEC and Nexteria.

Andrea
Boháčová

deputy director

Andrea originally graduated from the Secondary Medical School and worked in this profession for a while. Later, however, she succumbed to the charm of marketing and business. She studied Marketing Communication and Advertising at UKF in Nitra. He has been in business for almost 18 years. She tried various positions from direct sales, through brand building, the position of sales manager, Area manager. She worked in the field of e-commerce and retail. In 2012, she was among the 150 best sellers of the Esteé Lauder brand in the world. He continues to be actively interested in news in marketing and business. During her maternity leave, she volunteered at a day family center for parents with children, where she ran a Montessori playroom.

Alexandra
Mikulová

education coordinator

Alex completed her university studies at the Faculty of Arts of the Comenius University in Bratislava (majoring in philology of the German and French languages), completed distance studies in theology at the Institute for Theological Education in Vienna, worked in an international environment in Bratislava (Deutsche Schule, American Academy, Mercedes-Benz), where she devoted herself to project teaching, individual and group language education, innovative trends and methods in teaching foreign languages as well as editorial work.

Kristína
Barteková

education coordinator

In addition to studying pharmacy, she completed a two-year program at the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth. She devoted her professional work mainly to hospital pharmacy with a specialization in pediatric oncology and the pharmaceutical industry (she interned at the global pharmaceutical company GSK - management and supervision of patient health protection). At the same time, she was an active intern for both the Collegium and the Academy for two years.

Dušan
Jurčo

methodology consultant

He works as a teacher of Slovak language and literature at the bilingual CS Lewis High School in Bratislava and as a member of the methodological team at the Great Works Academy. He is a big fan of quality filmography, good books and music of all genres.

Róbert
Toth

IT specialist, methodology consultant

After obtaining an engineering degree in computer science in Brno, Robo went on to study philosophy at TFTU in Bratislava and then at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. He is a graduate and former academic intern of the Anton Neuwirth College. He successfully completed his doctoral studies at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, where he studied Plato's philosophy.

Samuel
Prílepok

methodologist and lecturer

He studied history and journalism in Brno, and after his bachelor's degree he spent a year at the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth. After that, he returned to history and exchanged journalism for aesthetics, because he is very fond of art and philosophy. In addition, he likes to read, go to the mountains, run and play football.

Magdaléna
Borková

intern

Magdaléna is a graduate of the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth one-year program. From Ivanka pri Dunaj, her steps led her to the Masaryk University in Brno, where she continues to study international relations. He spends his free time studying foreign languages, reading quality literature or riding a horse.

Miroslav
Kafka

intern

Last year, Miro completed a two-year program at the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth. He is currently a mathematics student at Comenius University. In addition, he works in the theater as an usher. He adores philosophy and sports and likes to relax by listening to music or writing.

Jakub
Ušák

marketing and communication specialist

Jakub studied microbiology and anthropology. He likes to write, he likes fashion, good books and movies, but he prefers to play football and then sit with his friends for a beer.

Tamara
Rusnáková

marketing and communication manager

Tamara has completed her studies in the marketing communication program at the Comenius University in Bratislava. She has been working with the Great Works Academy since 2021. In her spare time, she is engaged in analog photography and creative writing. She is a pop culture and art enthusiast.

Petra
Vanková

finance manager
fundraising team

Petra graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava, majoring in accounting and financial management. She has been working at the Collegium of Anton Neuwirth since 2022. In her free time, she spends her time with her family, garden, crocheting, and baking.

Katarína Adamčáková

philanthropy manager

After completing her studies in psychology, Katarína graduated from the Collegium program.
She has been working with the Great Works Academy since 2020. She is fascinated by human stories and their uniqueness, which is why she likes to give interviews, write and create.

The Great Works Academy helps everyone become the best version of themselves