{"id":8609,"date":"2025-05-16T12:57:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.sze.hu\/en\/?p=8609"},"modified":"2025-05-16T12:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:57:03","slug":"opening-up-to-the-world-sze-representatives-speak-at-conference-on-pannonia-scholarship-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.sze.hu\/en\/opening-up-to-the-world-sze-representatives-speak-at-conference-on-pannonia-scholarship-programme\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening up to the world! \u2013 SZE representatives speak at conference on Pannonia Scholarship Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Created: 2025.05.06. 12:48<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first time, a national conference was held under the title <\/strong>„Opening up to the World!”<\/em><\/strong> on 29 April in Budapest, focusing on the Pannonia Scholarship Programme, which supports the mobility of students, lecturers and researchers. Dr Eszter Luk\u00e1cs, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, delivered the keynote speech, and two young scholars from the University took part in a roundtable discussion.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis conference was created with the intention of establishing a tradition and marks the beginning of a new era in which internationalisation is no longer merely a response to challenges but a strategic tool for competitiveness,\u201d<\/em> said Dr Veronika Varga-Bajusz, State Secretary For Higher, Vocational and Adult Education and Youth Affairs, in her opening remarks. She added that the goal is for one Hungarian university to be among the world\u2019s top 100 institutions by 2030, with several others ranking in Europe\u2019s top 100. According to her, the Pannonia Programme has opened new horizons in mobility. \u201cOur scholarship holders have travelled eleven million kilometres so far \u2014 the equivalent of circling the globe 271 times. Every student gaining experience abroad, every academic involved in international research, and every institution building new partnerships strengthens Hungary\u2019s future,\u201d<\/em> she emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rich\u00e1rd Bodrogi, Director General of the Tempus Public Foundation, highlighted in his speech that supporting the internationalisation of Hungarian higher education through mobility programmes has always been a fundamental priority for the foundation, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of Hungarian universities.\u00a0\u201cWe believe mobility is not a goal in itself but a means of knowledge enrichment and building the future. It allows our university students, lecturers, and researchers to gain broader perspectives, acquire experience, knowledge and networks globally, and then apply all of this to support Hungary\u2019s development upon their return,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Representatives of Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University at the event. (Photo: J\u00f3zsef Bank\u00f3)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe primary goal of the Pannonia Programme is to promote the international mobility of Hungarian students, which broadens young people\u2019s horizons, enhances their experience, and thus increases their employability,\u201d<\/em> said Dr Eszter Luk\u00e1cs, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University and a board member of the Tempus Public Foundation, in her keynote address, during which she presented the current state of international trends in higher education. She explained that 6.9 million students worldwide are currently engaged in international mobility, and this number is expected to rise to 8\u20139 million by 2030. She added that half of the students opting for mobility choose an English-speaking country, and the other half primarily prefer capital cities. \u201cIt is extremely positive that Hungary is among the top twenty destination countries, indicating that Hungarian higher education is attractive to international students,\u201d<\/em> she pointed out. In her presentation, she highlighted the role of international rankings, including Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds, in the decision-making process of prospective students. \u201cRoughly 250 million people are studying at around 25,000 higher education institutions globally. This reflects intense competition, where strengthening international visibility is crucial,\u201d<\/em> she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among international trends, she noted that the world\u2019s most successful universities are primarily funded through corporate revenues, enabling them to employ top lecturers and offer scholarships that attract high-quality students. Regarding Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, she emphasised that its structure has been modelled on these leading universities, and over the past six years, it has increased its number of international students eightfold and its English-taught programmes tenfold. The University now appears on eight international higher education rankings. \u201cAccording to QS, while Hungary ranks 53rd globally in terms of GDP, its higher education system ranks 36th in terms of graduate employment outcomes. The Pannonia Scholarship Programme has significantly contributed to achieving this favourable position,\u201d<\/em> Dr Luk\u00e1cs underlined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dr Eszter Luk\u00e1cs, Vice President for International and Strategic Relations at Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, gave a presentation on international trends in higher education. (Photo: J\u00f3zsef Bank\u00f3)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the conference, under the title \u201cOpen to the World!\u201d<\/em>, Pannonia ambassadors and students who have participated or are about to participate in excellence-based mobility shared their experiences in a roundtable discussion. Two of them represented Sz\u00e9chenyi Istv\u00e1n University, sharing their personal insights and expectations with the audience. Master’s student S\u00e1ra Mudr\u00e1k had the opportunity to study regional and environmental economics at the prestigious, long-established University of Bologna with an excellence scholarship. \u201cIn my case, this meant I received additional support from the University, which ensured my accommodation \u2013 a huge help, as finding housing in Bologna is often challenging,\u201d<\/em> explained the talented student. She shared that it had always been her dream to live in Italy, and she is very grateful for this opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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