At present, there are close to seventy-eight hundred international students enrolled at the University of Debrecen, more than five hundred and twenty of whom taking the English-language courses of the Faculty of Economics and Business. Held once every six months, the Orientation Day helps the process of their adjustment and integration.
- It was the travels for academic purposes (dubbed peregrinatio in Latin) by students from the Reformed College that established the tradition of international mobility in higher education in Debrecen. The current presence of international students is a wonderful sequence of this long-standing custom. It not only helps us view the world in a more complex and differentiated way instead of contemplating it solely from our own, insular perspective, but it also offers us the chance to learn a lot from them- said László Erdey, Vice-Dean for International Affairs at the Faculty of Economics and Business, at the opening the event.
Among other things, students participating in the latest O-Day received detailed information packages on topics including the process of registering for courses, the requirements and regulations for writing a thesis, the guidelines for using artificial intelligence and the opportunities available through professional internships and talent development programs.
- Our general experience is that international students are much more straightforward and active in class than their Hungarian counterparts. Socialized in an educational system based on the so-called ‘Prussian’' model, which is, fortunately, changing rapidly nowadays, young Hungarians oftentimes fear giving the wrong answers to questions. However, it is exactly from these answers and ideas that we can edify ourselves- said the Vice-Dean. He then went on to highlight that the integration of the international student community at the Faculty of Economics and Business is also facilitated by the fact that, from year to year, there is an increasing number of Hungarian students pursuing their studies in English at the faculty.
In his advice to the students, László Erdey underlined the importance of class attendance, proper and effective communication, and familiarity with course requirements. He also suggested that students should use the official administrative channels rather than social media platforms for dealing with university-related matters. In addition, it was also announced that, upon the initiative of the Coordination Centre for International Education, special “suggestion boxes” would be soon made available for international students, thus allowing them to submit their ideas and feedback anonymously.
Press Centre - ÉE