Created: 2025.05.05. 10:00
This academic year, the Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network of the Hungarian National Union of Students (HÖOK) is supporting the integration of more than three thousand international students in Hungary—this was among the key points presented at the recent conference summarising the network’s achievements, held at Széchenyi István University, which in recent years has significantly expanded its international relations.
On 26 April, the Győr campus of Széchenyi István University welcomed this year’s conference of the HÖOK Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network. The event was attended by approximately 400 international scholarship holders, along with representatives from the embassies of several countries based in Budapest.
The Stipendium Hungaricum Higher Education Scholarship Programme has been supporting students from over 90 countries across five continents since 2013, enabling them to pursue studies in Hungary. The mentor network operated by HÖOK was established seven years ago with the aim of assisting these students in their integration. In the current academic year, over 3,000 scholarship holders have benefitted from the dedicated support of 400 mentors.
The University’s main lecture hall was filled to capacity as a large number of attendees gathered for the conference. (Photo: Máté Dudás)
At the opening of the event, Professor Dr Ferenc Friedler, Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Rector of Széchenyi István University, emphasised that the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme acts as a bridge between cultures and opens the door to future collaborations. “Thanks to this programme, in recent years many talented young people have joined our institution. They have enriched us not only with their knowledge, but also with their cultural diversity and fresh perspectives,” he noted.
József Kepli, Head of the Recruitment and International Communications Unit at the University’s Centre for International Programmes and Alumni provided a detailed account of the progress achieved. “The Stipendium Hungaricum Programme was launched at our institution in 2014 with three master’s programmes and four students. Since then, we have seen considerable growth: today, forty-four programmes are available under the scheme, and in the current academic year, we are hosting nearly four hundred Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holders,” he stated.
He added that approximately 80 per cent of the University’s self-funded international students come from countries participating in the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme, which clearly demonstrates its long-term impact. He also stressed the University’s commitment to fostering integration between Hungarian and international students. “In addition to the seventeen Széchenyi-affiliated mentors of the HÖOK Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network, ten further mentors support international students who are not on the scholarship programme. These mentors do excellent work in providing information and facilitating integration, and they collaborate with University staff to organise a wide range of activities,” he said. He also noted that, in July this year, a further 99 international graduates are expected to join the University’s alumni community.
In his address, Dr Zoltán Szabó, Deputy Director of the Tempus Public Foundation, which manages the scholarship programme, commended the nationwide activities of the mentor network. “This academic year, under the coordination of HÖOK and its mentors, around 170 artistic, cultural, and team-building events have been organised. These events have enabled hundreds of students to share their experiences with newcomers. We are grateful for this community-building effort,” he stated. He also spoke about the Diaspora Higher Education Scholarship Programme, which has achieved notable success in a short time. This year, it involves twelve Hungarian higher education institutions, with 120 mentees and 20 mentors participating.
Éva Vincze, Programme Director of the HÖOK Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network, concluded the conference with the following remarks: “I trust that the positive impact of the mentor network will be felt not only in the lives of the students but also within the societies of both Hungary and the sending countries.”
