Hristo (Slavov) Kyuchukov or Christo Slavov Kütchukov (Bulgarian: Христо Славов Кючуков) is a German Muslim Rom, born in Bulgaria (born 19 July 1962, Provadia).[1] He was born with the Muslim name Hyusein Selimov Kyuchukov, but in 1980-s his name was changed by the communist government of Bulgaria during the "bulgarization" process towards the Muslims in Bulgaria. He is a leading specialist in the field of Romani language and education of Roma children in Europe.[2]
Kyuchukov holds a Ph.D. in general linguistics (psycholinguistics) from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (1995); Ph.D. in education (1998) and DrSc in theory of education and didactics (2002) from Bulgaria. His habilitation is also in the field of education from Bulgaria, and he holds the academic title professor of general linguistics (psycholinguistics) with focus on Romani and Turkish languages from the Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
His research interests are in the field of bilingualism, education of Roma and Turkish children in Europe, language acquisition, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, languages in contact, Roma Holocaust and Antigypsyism in Europe. His linguistic research are on Romani, Balkan Turkish, Gagauz and Tatar languages in Bulgaria, on Bulgarian, Slovak, Russian and German languages. For his research he received fellowships from Swedish Institute - Stockholm, Amsterdam University, Pro Helvetia Foundation - Switzerland, Soros Foundation - New York, the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission, the Slovak government, the University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland, and "Amaro Drom" Foundation in Berlin.
Kyuchukov introduced the Romani language education in Bulgaria to primary and secondary school children at the beginning of the 1990s, and he also introduced new University programs connected to Romani language education at University level: in Bulgaria (University of Veliko Tarnovo, 2003-2010), in Slovakia (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, 2008-2012) and the St. Elizabeth University in Bratislava (2012-2015).
In 2006, he received a Fulbright scholarships and worked at the Laboratory of Psycholinguistics, at Smith College, MA, USA together with the American psycholinguist Prof. Dr. Jill de Villiers, developing the first Theory of Mind Tests in Romani language. Between 2006 and 2015 together with Jill de Villiers he developed also first Psycholinguistic Tests for Romani language assessment and organised the first international research with Roma children in Romani, in many European countries.
Since 2010 he collaborates with Prof. Dr. William New, Beloit College, WI, USA doing research on Roma children educational issues in Europe.
In 2020 he was elected as High Commissioner of the Commission of Romani language, culture and education of the International Romani Union (IRU).
In the field of Turkish linguistics, Kyuchukov has many research projects and publications on Balkanized Turkish, spoken by Turks and Muslim Roma in Bulgaria and other Balkan countries.
In 1992 he was involved in the first national experiment introducing Turkish language as a mother tongue in Bulgarian schools, organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and he is the author of first experimental textbooks in Turkish language in Bulgaria, together with Prof. Dr. Miroslav Yanakiev
He is one of the few experts in the world actively working on the acquisition of Balkanized Turkish by Turkish and Muslim Roma children in Bulgaria.
In 2011, Hristo Kyuchukov introduced a new subjects in the M.A. Program of the Institute of Turkish Studies at the Free University of Berlin, Germany: "Turkish Dialects of Muslim Roma from Balkan countries" and "Balkan Turkish Sociolinguistics".
For last 30 years Prof. Kyuchukov worked at different European and American Universities and Research Institutes: the University of Shumen and the University of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria; Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and St. Elizabeth University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He was a guest-professor at different European and American universities: University of San Francisco, CA, USA; Beloit College, WI, USA; Smith College, MA, USA; Moscow Pedagogical State University in Russia; Russian Academy of Sciences; the Institute of Turkish Studies at Free University of Berlin and the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in Germany; University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland; The Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Bratislava, Slovakia, New Bulgarian University in Sofia and Plovdiv University in Bulgaria.
Since 2017, he is appointed as a full time Professor at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, where he teaches social psychology, applied linguistics, educational methods to students from the Institute of Education.
In 2013, for his extraordinary work in the field of Roma Education and psycholinguistics research with Roma children in Europe, Kyuchukov received the title "Corresponding Member" and in 2014 the title "Academician" of the International Teacher's Training Academy of Science (Международная Академия Наук Педагогического Образования - МАНПО) in Moscow, Russia.
Author of number of scientific publications regarding Romani, Turkish, Gagauz, Bulgarian and Russian in contact; acquisition of Romani and Turkish; education of minority children in Europe, Kyuchukov also published many children's books in Romani and English, but the most famous ones are: "A history of the Romani People" (2005) written in co-authorship with Ian Hancock and "My name was Hussein" (2004) published by Boyds Mills Press, USA.He is author of number of children books in Romani, German, Turkish, Arabic, English and Bulgarian.
In 1995 Prof. Kyuchukov established the "Diversity" Balkan Foundation for Cross-cultural education and understanding in Sofia, Bulgaria and between 1995 - 2007 he was its Executive Director. Under his supervision the Foundation realized more than 100 educational and linguistic projects. Between 1998-1999 he did work at the Institute of Educational Policy at Open Society Institute-Budapest and he was responsible for development of educational strategies for Roma and minority children education in Central and East European countries.
Between 2000 and 2004, Kyuchukov was the secretary general of the International Romani Union (IRU).
In 2011, he established the Roma Center for Intercultural Dialogue in Berlin and he is its director.
In 2018, together with Prof. Dr. Ian Hancock and Orhan Galjus, he established the ERAN (Eurаsian Romani Academic Network) of scholars of Romani origin in Europe and Asia, and since then he acts as the vice-president of the network. In 2021 he established a European Young Roma Scholars Network (EYRSN) in Berlin, Germany, with the goal to unite all Roma Ph.D. students and young Roma scholars form Europe.
Between 2018 anf 2020 and between 2021 and 2023, he was the vice-president of the Gypsy Lore Society.
In 2020 he established the "Roma Research Center" at the University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland and since then he serves as its director.
Kyuchukov established the International Journal of Romani Language and Culture and he was the editor of the journal between 2011 and 2013.
Between 2014 and 2016, he studied children and youth psychotherapy in Berlin, Germany, and he works and does research in the field of psychotherapy with migrant and refugee children and youth.
Currently, he is editor of the series Roma (with Ian Hancock), Interculturalism and intercultural education, Lincom Studies in Language Acquisition and Bilingualism, Turkish and Turkic Languages and Cultures (with Suer Erker), and Lincom Studies in Romani Linguistics (with Milan Samko) published by LINCOM Academic Publisher in Germany.
He was also "proposed for Vice-Minister on Roma Educational Integration at the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science".[3]