On 26 April, the Gy\u0151r campus of Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University welcomed this year\u2019s conference of the H\u00d6OK 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 H\u00d6OK 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The University’s main lecture hall was filled to capacity as a large number of attendees gathered for the conference. (Photo: M\u00e1t\u00e9 Dud\u00e1s)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the opening of the event, Professor Dr Ferenc Friedler, Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Rector of Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, emphasised that the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme acts as a bridge between cultures and opens the door to future collaborations. \u201cThanks 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,\u201d<\/em> he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n J\u00f3zsef Kepli, Head of the Recruitment and International Communications Unit at the University\u2019s Centre for International Programmes and Alumni provided a detailed account of the progress achieved. \u201cThe Stipendium Hungaricum Programme was launched at our institution in 2014 with three master\u2019s 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,\u201d<\/em> he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added that approximately 80 per cent of the University\u2019s 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. \u201cIn addition to the seventeen Sz\u00e9chenyi-affiliated mentors of the H\u00d6OK 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,\u201d<\/em> he said. He also noted that, in July this year, a further 99 international graduates are expected to join the University\u2019s alumni community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In his address, Dr Zolt\u00e1n Szab\u00f3, Deputy Director of the Tempus Public Foundation, which manages the scholarship programme, commended the nationwide activities of the mentor network. \u201cThis academic year, under the coordination of H\u00d6OK 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,\u201d<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00c9va Vincze, Programme Director of the H\u00d6OK Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network, concluded the conference with the following remarks: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Created: 2025.05.05. 10:00 This academic year, the Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network of the Hungarian National Union of Students (H\u00d6OK) is supporting the integration of more than three thousand international students …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":8601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/admissions.sze.hu\/images\/News\/2025_05\/Bridging%20Nations%20and%20Cultures\/K%C3%A9p1.webp\" "\\"The")
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