Teaching Hungarian language and culture at the University of Szeged (at the time called József Attila University) started in 1971 when, initiated by Professor Lou Elteto, some students from Portland State University (Oregon, USA) came here to spend their ‘study abroad' year. We have come a long way since then. The program has grown and in the mid-nineteen-eighties evolved into an exchange program involving all the member institutions of the Oregon State System of Higher Education. Since that time we have developed various cultural exposure programs with several partner institutions (Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon; University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point; Florida State University, Tallahassee; Elon University, North Carolina; the Universities of Hull and Sussex in England, etc.) while the number of individual participants in our programs has also been growing. We receive applications from a great many countries including China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Holland, Japan, Kuwait, Norway, South-Korea, Sudan, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, etc. By now HSC has become the international studies gateway of our university and we offer study programs to a great number of ‘Erasmus exchange students' who arrive from the member states of the European Union.
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At present HSC offers five program options in several combinations: 1/ Hungarian & East-Central European Studies and/or Hungarian Language (1 or 2 semesters); 2/ Graduate Studies Extension in Hungarian (1 or 2 semesters); 3/ A variable combination of courses called Hungary and East-Central Europe Programs (ranging from one week to a full semester, offered for groups, upon request). As a special case in category (3), in recent years we have been training diplomats of the British and US embassies in Hungarian language and political/cultural background. 4/ International students who are enrolled in SZTE's degree programs can also take our courses as part of their general studies module. (5) HSC has developed a special training, Teaching Hungarian Studies for Foreigners. This is offered to Hungarian students who work together with our international students as language partners. A new program combination in this category, including an European Studies component is under development. As of Fall, 1991, our offices, library, and seminar room have been located in the beautifully renovated and centrally established Irinyi Building of the University, creating a hospitable environment for the international students who, though having a program specially designed for them, are also fully integrated with the Hungarian students of the university.
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We maintain good working relations with other Hungarian institutions which offer international programs in Hungarian and European Studies, such as the Debrecen Summer University and the International Studies Centre of the University of Pécs. Field trips are regularily organized to Pécs where, beyond the memorable sightseeing and cultural programs in one of Hungary's most beautiful cities, high quality academic classes are also occasionally offered.
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We are delighted to have the chance to introduce our programs to you, and we would be pleased if you shared information about the Hungarian & Central-European International Studies Center with your colleagues, friends, or students who might be interested in studying Hungarian in Szeged. You can inform them that the programs in Szeged are designed to help visiting students fulfill their study abroad objectives and become enriched with a variety of new experiences.
Hungary has rich cultural traditions which closely connect it to the civilization of Western Europe, and Hungarian universities represent a model of higher education which is both traditional and typical of university programs in most parts of the Continent. The University of Szeged is one of the leading institutions of Hungarian higher education; our univerity has a full range of nationally accredited graduate and PhD programs; SZTE was the first ‘ex-East-Bloc' university to gain the Euro-accreditation of the European Rectors' Conference in 1996. Studying here creates an affordable way to gain insight into the scope of distinctive European traditions. At the same time, the political realities of present-day Hungary allow students to get acquainted with the recent dramatic changes and life in an ex-East Bloc country.
During the past two centuries, East-Central Europe has been a particularly interesting part of the Continent, where a number of social and historical movements can be studied as in a laboratory environment. Learning about the culture, history, and political-economic structures of Eastern Europe and Hungary can be challenging for any student of the social sciences and the humanities. For those who have not developed a special interest in Eastern Europe, the academic program in Szeged can also be of interest. In particular, the convertible credits of the English Institute offer a valuable advantage for students majoring in English, or for those who want to add English classes to their studies taught from an European perspective. For those who are of Hungarian descent such a study opportunity can be especially rewarding.
Furthermore, living here, the students can multiply their experiences in human relations. The cultural differences are softened by the traditional hospitality of the Hungarian people. Szeged has the atmosphere of a comfortable college town in which life is friendly and pleasant; on the other hand, Budapest, the largest city in Central Europe and a cosmopolitan metropolis with two million inhabitants, is only a two-hour train ride on the comfortable InterCity express from here. We, the program organizers, desire to have a multicultural and highly motivated international student body here. In order to live up to our students' expectations we intend to enhance our programs in ways that create an even more hospitable environment for the international students.