Created: 2025.07.23. 13:19
Széchenyi István University organised a tourism-focused summer university for international and Hungarian students within the framework of the Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies (CEEPUS). The ten-day programme welcomed not only Hungarian participants but also young people from Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Moldova.
Széchenyi István University places great emphasis on education and research within international academic networks. This year, too, it contributed to the activities of the sustainable tourism and agriculture network of CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies). The network comprises 31 institutions from 16 countries working together to support student development by providing mobility opportunities and organising specialised programmes and competitions. As part of this cooperation, members announce a summer university each year, and this year, the institution in Győr had the honour of hosting it.
The programme entitled “The Future of Tourism – Digital Tools and Technological Solutions” welcomed 26 young participants from outside Hungary, coming from Montenegro, Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Moldova. The event, which concluded on 14 July, featured presentations by Hungarian and international professionals, University lecturers and researchers from various fields of tourism, sharing their practical experiences and research findings. In addition to professional lectures, the students also took part in hands-on workshops, working in teams on a case study provided by AquaWorld Budapest. Their task was to identify a specific problem and offer proposed solutions using digital tools, methods and technologies.
At the end of the ten-day programme organised by Széchenyi István University, participants presented the results of their group work in closing presentations. (Photo: András Adorján)
The ten-day course was complemented in the afternoons by leisure programmes, professional excursions and fieldwork. Participants visited the AquaWorld Budapest water park, the Festetics Palace in Keszthely, the VisitBalaton 365 destination management office, the Pannonhalma Archabbey, and the University’s Mosonmagyaróvár campus.
At the closing event, Dr Éva Happ, the main organiser of the programme, said it was exciting to work with such a culturally diverse group. “We had a motivated group of students; it became clear already during the first consultation that these were open-minded young people eager to develop, who had come to Győr. According to the feedback, both the professional and leisure programmes were rated excellent, and the participants had a great time,” she explained. She added that from an organiser’s point of view, the event was also a significant success, in which the University’s support played an important role. “The students are taking home valuable experiences related to the digitalisation of tourism, which we examined both theoretically and practically,” said the lecturer of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics. She revealed that next year’s summer university will be organised in Croatia by the Central European network.
According to Márkó Szedlák from Serbia, the programme provided an excellent opportunity for international networking and broadening his knowledge. “I had visited Széchenyi University before, and I was sure that I would once more gain great experiences. And so I did — the past ten days were fantastic,” said the PhD student of the University of Belgrade. He added that besides the study trips, he also really enjoyed the workshops, and is leaving Győr with only positive memories.
Nataša Petrović, a student from the University of Montenegro, said she met like-minded, open and curious young people from various academic backgrounds during the course. “I really enjoyed that we could take part in so many study trips — the visits were interesting and interactive. We also had plenty of time for the group task, which was a particularly exciting challenge,” she said. She noted that as a tourism student, the use of technological solutions, artificial intelligence and other modern tools was a new area for her, so she feels she gained useful skills.
