"I'm glad I took part in Erasmus+, I came home with a lot of great experiences" answered Roland Buza, a tourism and hospitality student at Széchenyi István University, who spent last semester at the University of León in Spain. The young man from Győr will never forget that he had time to travel alongside his studies, including to Madrid, Gijón and Seville. "In addition to Spanish students, I met French, Italian, German and Belgian students, and I made a very good friends with a Moroccan boy," he said, adding other positive things.

Roland Buza in front of León Cathedral.

Fanni Németh, a teacher training student, also gained a lot of experience last semester - she went to the University of Leiria in Portugal. She was accompanied by two Hungarian students, all from Széchenyi István University, and was surrounded by German, French, Spanish and Polish students, as well as students from the host nation.

"Part of the reason for the adventure was language practice, but also I now feel more confident in a foreign environment, far from Hungary. I liked the fact that the university organised many activities for us and took us on bus excursions. As there is a good bus network and tickets are not expensive for students, we went on many individual trips. I visited the two biggest cities, Lisbon and Porto, but a small fishing village, Nazaré, was also unforgettable," recounted Fanni Németh.

(Incidentally, the University of Leiria is a consortium partner of Széchenyi István University in the European Universities project, so our relationship with them is of particular importance from an educational, research and third mission perspective.)

Fanni Németh (centre) travelled extensively, including to the Atlantic coast.

Since 2012, more than 500 students from Széchenyi István University have experienced what it is like to be an Erasmus+ scholarship holder. There is an excellent choice of places where you can study, as Széchenyi University has contractual links with more than 200 higher education institutions in 26 European countries.

The number of students going abroad could increase even more in the future, not least because the conditions for students have changed in a very favourable way.

"The biggest innovation compared to the past is that you can now apply for Erasmus+ not only for longer trips of several months, but also for much shorter trips of five to thirty days or two months. In fact, a combination of virtual and physical mobility is also supported if the actual stay abroad is between five and thirty days. Short mobility is also open to PhD students, which does not have to include a virtual component. The new opportunities are likely to be very popular with students, as short training programmes have become more valuable in the wake of the coronavirus," said Márta Mészáros, Head of the Mobility and Scholarships Unit in the Centre for International Programmes at Széchenyi István University.

The Head of Unit pointed out that scholarships are available for the entire period spent abroad. In the case of a partner institution outside the European Union, a travel grant may also be available, which can be increased for green travel. Additional grants are also available for socially deprived students or students with special needs (i.e. physical, mental or medical disabilities).

Whichever country you choose, it is true that you can make progress not only in the subjects you study, but also in terms of personal development and experience. Those who have already participated in the programme came home with life-changing experiences, relationships, a broader view of the world, better language skills, and more mature and self-confident. These qualities and skills can be put to good use in the labour market.

The Centre for International Programmes at Széchenyi István University provides students with all the help they need to prepare their applications. All relevant information can be found on the University's international portal, including „tasters” for each country.

Any Hungarian student studying on any degree course at Széchenyi István University can participate in the Erasmus+ programme, and the opportunity is also open to self-financed international students.

For more information, please contact the Mobility and Scholarships Unit, Centre for International Programmes (https://admissions.sze.hu/contacts). A presentation with all the information on the programme will also be held on Wednesday 16 February at 14:00 in Room 002 of the Management Campus.