“It is extremely important for Széchenyi István University to provide its students with as many opportunities as possible that contribute to the growth of their knowledge and experience. This includes foreign scholarships. Of these, the Erasmus+ Programme has long been the most popular, allowing many people to spend several months each year at one of our institution's 210 partner universities, for example in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia or the Benelux countries. In order for even more people to take advantage of this opportunity, we have introduced significant changes that will make it even more straightforward easier for students to apply and win a scholarship,” explained Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.

Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at Széchenyi University (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

One of the changes is that the oral language interview has been abolished and candidates will instead be ranked on the basis of their language examination documents. Students can indicate, on a self-declaration basis, the level at which they speak the language in question, and can receive additional points if they attach a scanned version of their language exam certificate. The A1-A2 level language exam is worth 1 point, the B1-B2 level 1.5 points, and the C1-C2 level 2 points. The other significant change supports the recognition in Hungary of the courses students study abroad by delegating the decisions on this to the competence of the responsible faculty staff.

 “We expect both measures to further increase the desire to go abroad. It is worth applying, as the time spent abroad is important not only in terms of the courses studied, but also for personal development and gaining experience. Those who have already participated in the programme have come home with experiences of a lifetime, connections, a broader worldview, better language skills, and are more mature, more confident. These qualities and skills will be an advantage later in the labour market as well,” Dr Lukács emphasized.

The deadline for the supplementary application just announced is Friday, 8 October. The Centre for International Programmes at Széchenyi István University provides all assistance to students in compiling their application. All relevant information can be found on the University’s international portal, including brief previews for each country.

The scholarship application is open not only to Hungarian, but also to international self-funded students.

Spain is also extremely popular with Erasmus+ scholarship holders