Széchenyi István University’s international relations and global visibility are also strengthened by RUN-EU, established in 2020 with the participation of Széchenyi István University, the Polytechnic Universities of Leiria and Cavadó-Ave in Portugal, the Technical University of the Shannon in Ireland, the University of Applied Sciences of NHL Stenden in the Netherlands, the University of Applied Sciences of HAMK in Finland and the University of Applied Sciences of Vorarlberg in Austria. As previously reported, Széchenyi University hosted representatives of its partner institutions at the Exploratory Mission event 4-8 April. As part of this event, students from Győr were introduced to the opportunities offered by the mobility-enhancing Short Advanced Programmes, unique in Europe.

Nuno Rodrigues, Vice President of RUN-EU, welcomed the participants. (Photo by Márton Horváth)

Nuno Rodrigues, Vice President of RUN-EU, explained: "Short Advanced Programmes are an important element of the RUN-EU project. We imagine them as building blocks for a future common European diploma. On the one hand, our aim is to develop pedagogical innovations that could be part of the curricula of future European universities. On the other hand, we want to ensure that they are not only accessible to those in general education, but also to adults wishing to further their education. This is the future of higher education and we are happy to be pioneers in this process."

The Portuguese Vice-President also praised the outstanding infrastructure of Széchenyi University. He said that the quality of the institution's laboratories is outstanding on the continent. "The partnership with Audi Hungaria Zrt. is also extremely advantageous, as it allows the largest employer in the region to be directly connected to the University," said Mr Rodrigues.

The auditorium was full of people interested in the programmes. Nuno Rodrigues in the centre, with Kinga Stern to his left. (Photo by Márton Horváth)

During the session, participants were informed that in the first year of the programme, eight Short Advanced Programmes were launched, with more than 200 participants. The organisers, however, plan to run ten times as many SAPs by the end of the programme in 2023.

"There is a huge demand for these courses, as the interest in today's event shows. For the sake of clarity, we also call SAPs mini Erasmus programmes, with all their advantages and flexibility. Scholarship applicants take online courses for four weeks and then have the opportunity to spend a week studying at one of our partner universities abroad. So, they don't need to commit for months. Here, besides the excitement of travelling, the focus is on building international contacts and together solving European problems," summarised Kinga Stern, Hungarian Chair of the RUN-EU student body and a student at Széchenyi István University.

The advantage of SAPs is that they provide participants with a double opportunity by allowing them to complete shorter modules while gaining experience in RUN-EU countries.

"You can never have enough of these courses," said Tímea Sebők, who is studying for a Bachelors degree in Judicial Administration, explaining why she came to the information session and why she and students in her degree programme would like to sign up for more and more SUPs. After all, they took part in the first such short programme launched by RUN-EU in November.

"I had the experience of a lifetime, I learned a lot professionally and I improved my personal skills. All this, without having to be away from my family for a long period. We met wonderful people in Ireland. One of them even sent a Christmas present to my friend," said Ms Sebők.

The first active week of RUN-EU's first short training programme took place in Ireland in November 2021.

Applications:

For more information on the ongoing short training programmes, see https://admissions.sze.hu/study-study-programmes or contact Kinga Stern at stern.kinga@sze.hu.

The programme's Instagram page is available on:  https://www.instagram.com/run_europeanuniversity/