The world-renowned Fulbright Scholarship, which this semester brought 32 US professors to Hungary, was recently hosted by Széchenyi István University in Győr, Hungary, together with the Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission. Thanks to the international academic mobility programme, two American professors are currently teaching and researching at the institution. 

The Fulbright Scholarship was established in 1946 by US Senator J. William Fulbright to promote international dialogue and mutual understanding and to support scientific and cultural exchange. The initiative has grown into a mobility network involving more than 160 countries around the world and since its launch, the number of doctoral students, academics and researchers who have benefited from the scholarship has exceeded 380,000. This autumn semester, 32 professors from the United States came to visit Hungary, two of whom chose Széchenyi István University as their exchange location.

The Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission recently hosted a visit to Széchenyi István University. Executive Director, Dr Károly Jókay, said: their aim is to encourage more American researchers to choose Hungarian universities and to encourage more Hungarian academics to take advantage of the opportunity to gain academic experience in the United States. "We have had a good relationship with Széchenyi University for many years, and typically at least one American professor comes to Győr every semester. In addition to the research opportunities in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, artificial intelligence and future-oriented technologies, the extensive industrial contacts make the institution really attractive," he said. Dr Jókay, a great-great-nephew of the writer Mór Jókai, also noted that the two-way exchange programme is always open to applications from academics at SZE, adding that a six-month stay in the US can greatly contribute to scientific advancement.

Célia Szénássy, International Secretary at Széchenyi István University, gave a presentation to the participants about the institution, highlighting the high-quality education offered across nine faculties, eleven academic fields, and approximately two hundred programmes, as well as the University’s research and development, and third mission activities. "We launched our first English-language course in 2016, and the first self-funded international student started their higher education two years later. So it's only a few years since we started our internationalisation journey, but we are constantly developing our contacts and doing our best to be at the forefront of this," she underlined.

The University has made significant progress in several areas in recent times. Célia Szénássy introduced the audience to the Győr Innovation Park, which operates at the intersection of technology, industry, and science, the plans for the MedTech Health Technology Campus aimed at serving healthcare, the Smart Farm teaching facility in Mosonmagyaróvár that supports sustainable development and precision agriculture, as well as ZalaZone, one of Europe’s most advanced automotive proving ground. The latter attracted Dr Rahul Razdan, who is researching at Széchenyi István University in Győr on a Fulbright scholarship and applied for the opportunity from the Florida Polytechnic University.

Dr. Rahul Razdan, Dr. Károly Jókay and Dr. Zhiwei Zhu at the Innovation Park of Széchenyi István University in Győr (Photo: András Adorján)

“A group of professionals working at ZalaZone visited us in Florida some time ago, where my colleagues and I are working on a similar automotive test track called SunTrax. Since then, we have maintained a good relationship and launched a joint project to explore the next steps in developing proving grounds that can support multiple fields of science. It’s thanks to this collaboration that I’m here now,” the professor explained. He added: "Győr is an excellent, centrally located city, with quick access to both Budapest and Vienna. The cycling path network is well developed, so I cycle a lot in the area, and there is plenty to discover in the city as well."

The other Fulbright scholar from the United States at Széchenyi University is Dr Zhiwei Zhu, who is supporting the work of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics this semester. The professor, who comes from Purdue University in Indiana, focuses his research on the development of business analytics and data science education. "I’ve always found Hungary fascinating and wanted to visit. I’m originally from China, and due to the good relations between the two countries, I feel this is a great place to build connections," he said. He emphasised that when he reached out to Hungarian universities, Dr Sándor Remsei, Dean of the Kautz Faculty, extended such a warm invitation that he felt he had found the most suitable host institution. 

Reflecting on his first month here, Dr Zhiwei Zhu said: "The colleagues are friendly and open, and I’ve already discussed joint research and teaching opportunities with many of them. I am also involved in teaching, delivering a statistics course with a few faculty members. I see very exciting possibilities for collaboration between my home university and Széchenyi, and I feel truly honoured to be here.”

Hungarian Fulbright Scholars from the autumn semester of the 2024/25 academic year, some colleagues of the Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission and staff of Széchenyi University in Győr (Photo: András Adorján)