My academic career started in post-communist Slovakia when the public discussion was focused on the problematic genocidal past of this Central European country, which during World War II, was a vassal state of Nazi Germany. After I immigrated to Canada, my studies and research at the University of Alberta were heavily focused on the history and memory of the Holocaust. My interest in history and memory of the Holocaust has somewhat logically diversified around the problems that plague our society these days: systematic racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, the all-pervasive fears of refugees and immigrants and the upsurge of the extreme right parties and movements. I am a strong advocate of cultural diversity, plurilingualism and democratic linguistic citizenship in our community.
History of 20th century Central and Eastern Europe
History and politics of collective memory
Identity politics
Extreme right parties and movements
Power politics of authoritarian regimes
Inclusion of heritage languages
Educational credentials
PhD History, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (2012)
MA History and English Language, University of Konstantin Philosopher in Nitra, Slovak Republic (1997)
Professional affiliations
Founder and Director of Slovak Heritage School (2017 - present)
IHLA (International and Heritage Languages Association) board member (2019 - 2021) and IHLA President (2020-2021)
“The Making of Alt-History in Post-Communist Slovakia: Martin Lacko's Construction of a Proud Nation,” In A. James McAdams, Alejandro Castrillon (eds.), Far Right Thinkers and the Future of Liberal Democracy in the Twenty First Century (Routledge Press, 2021)
Nina Paulovicova, Tomasz Stepniewski (eds.) Central and Eastern Europe: Geopolitics and Security Issues (Lublin: Instytut Europy Środkowej, 2020)
Nina Paulovicova, Tomasz Stępniewski, eds. “Central and Eastern Europe: Imaginary Geographies, Geopolitics and Security Issues, Central and Eastern Europe: Geopolitics and Security Issues. Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej 18(2020)
“The far right ĽSNS in Slovakia and its reconstruction of the nation,” Central and Eastern Europe: Geopolitics and Security Issues. Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej, 18(2020), vol. 1, pp. 177-197.
“From Mobilization to Normalization of Radical Right. The Case Study of Slovakia,” In Peter Bolcha, Rowland M. Brucken (eds.), Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Rights. Organized in Prague on March 7-9, 2019. Anglo-American University Czech Republic, Norwich University, Vermont USA. Proceedings of the First International Conference (Praha: Anglo-American University, 2019), pp. 63 -78.
“Mapping the Historiography of the Holocaust in Slovakia in the past decade (2008 – 2018). The Focus on the Analytical Category of Victims,” Judaica et Holocaustica 1, no. 1 (2019): 46-72.
“Justice never accomplished. Failure of Canada to prosecute World War II criminals,” In Stanislav Mičev and Katarína Ristveyová, (eds.) Policy of Anti-semitism and Holocaust In Post-War Retribution Trials in European States (Banská Bystrica: Múzeum Slovenského Národného Povstania, 2019), pp. 27 – 40.
“Holocaust Memory and Antisemitism in Slovakia: The Postwar Era to the Present,” Antisemitism Studies 2, no. 1 (Spring 2018): 4-34.
“’Invisible’ rescuers of Jews. The Case Study of Housekeepers and Maids in World War II Slovakia,” In Eduard Nižňanský, Denisa Nešťáková (eds.), Women and World War II, (Bratislava, Stimul, 2016), pp. 119 – 132.
“The ‘Unmasterable Past’? Slovaks and the Holocaust. The Reception of the Holocaust in Post-communist Slovakia,” Joanna Michlic, John-Paul Himka,(eds.), Bringing the Dark Past to Light. The Reception of the Holocaust in Post-Communist Europe, (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2013), pp. 549-590.
Nina Paulovicova (with introductory chapter by Jozef Urminsky), Židovská komunita v dejinách mesta Hlohovec (1938 – 1945) Príbeh, ktorý prešiel tmou, (Hlohovec: Občianske združenie Ex Libris Ad Personam Hlohovec, 2009)