More than 1000 international students started their studies at the University of Szeged in the 2021/22 Academic Year.
In total, more than 4000 international students will be commencing their studyes in the city of Szeged. The University aims to support the integration with an Orientation Week; the international freshmen are participating in various informative, educational, cultural, team building in order to get them familiar with their new city and university life, mentioned Prof. Dr. Péter Zakar, Vice-Rector for International and Public Relations at a press conference on 08.09.2021.
During the first week of September, the international freshmen will receive briefing on enrolment, learn how to use the Neptun study system, how to register for courses and how to apply for a student ID card. They will also find out how to find the most suitable accommodation as well as suggestions for eating out and spending leisure activities.
During the press conference held prior to the freshmen’s oath-taking ceremony Prof. Dr. Péter Zakar Vice Rector also emphasised that the most popular faculty among international students was the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School. Among the students who chose non-medical fields, the most popular ones were the Faculty of Economics, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. The majority of the freshmen arrived from Iran, Spain, Japan, China and Turkey.
The Orientation Week was opened on the morning of 6 September 2021 by Dr. Tamás Bene, Director for International Affairs and Public Relations, in the Ceremonial Hall of the Central Building of the University of Szeged.
The Director highlighted that this year is a special year in the life of the University of Szeged. In 2021, the institution will celebrate the 440th anniversary of the foundation of its predecessor, the Hungarian University of Sciences in Cluj, and the 100th anniversary of its admission to Szeged. On 25 January 2021, the Senate of the University of Szeged unanimously supported to award the title Doctor Honoris Causa to Dr. Katalin Karikó. The world-famous biochemist received the honorary doctorate degree from Prof. Dr. László Rovó, Rector of the University of Szeged, on 4 September 2021, at the opening ceremony of the 2021/22 Academic Year. The ceremony was also the opening event of the National Opening Ceremony of the Academic Year as well as the Centennial Event Series of the University of Szeged.
201 foreign students arrived to SZTE in the first semester via the international mobility programmes, such as ERASMUS+ and the IISMA Indonesian Government Programme. 176 students from 13 countries will study at the University through the ERASMUS programme, coming from 76 universities in 62 cities.
Thanks to the Hungarian Government's opening towards the East, SZTE has also launched a new scholarship programme. The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship brought more than 200 foreign students from 81 countries to the University. Most of them chose to study Natural Sciences, Economics and Humanities. The majority of the students come from Jordan, Laos and Mongolia.
The international palette of the institution is further enriched by students enrolled through the various institutional framework agreements.
In addition, the University of Szeged welcomes nearly 500 foreign students from 69 countries from all over the world to enrol in the self-financed Bachelor, Master or Doctoral programmes. Most of them are expected to start their studies at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School this year. Students from South Korea, Iran, Israel, Japan, China and Indonesia are the most likely to be enrolled in the self-financed courses.
