The International Welcome Day, the opening ceremony for international students at Ludovika – University of Public Service, was held on the 13th of September, where more than 50 students from 4 different continents met their peers and the representatives of the university. In the morning, they received an overview of the faculties as well as different student organizations within the institution, and then they had further opportunities to participate in some social activities in the afternoon organised by the ESN.
Dr Boglárka Koller, vice-rector for international affairs, opened the official ceremony. After giving a warm welcome, she pointed out that besides deep academic work, there are endless possibilities for making new friends, exploring different cultures, and building professional networks.
Taking over the floor, Dr Péter Zachar, vice-dean for international affairs of the Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies, gave a detailed presentation about the different study programmes available in English at FPGIS, emphasizing that the courses the faculty offers can give answer to the question "what's going on in our world' from many aspects.
Colonel Dr Zoltán Jobbágy, vice-dean for international affairs at the Faculty of Military Sciences and Officer Training, briefly introduced his faculty to the audience. He also talked about the historical features of the Main Building and proudly listed various academic achievements of the faculty. He pointed out that their campus is located 2 km distance from Ludovika and invited everyone who is curious about it.
Dr Bence Mészáros, a police colonel and vice-dean for academic and international affairs, started his speech by pointing out that the faculty he was representing was not just a police faculty. It covers a much wider area: border policing, disaster management, and counter-terrorism, among many others. He also described how different their cadets’ lives are from other civilian students’: they live on campus, besides their studies, they have physical training as well, and - from the second academic year - they can be placed in service. The cadets were deployed during the pandemic, but they also assisted the refugees arriving from Ukraine.
The Faculty of Water Sciences was presented by Dr Tamás Pálvölgyi, vice-dean for strategy and international affairs, who welcomed the new international students and expressed his delight over their constantly growing number at the campus in Baja. The audience received a detailed description of the study programs available at the faculty and also other opportunities to participate in various academic and scientific activities.
At the end of the ceremony, the student organizations of the university also represented themselves. Martin Krózser, president of the Students’ Union, stressed that students should use their time here as an opportunity where they can develop personally, engage in professional activities, and gain a global perspective. "This is the best time of your lives." – He closed his speech.
The president of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), Lilla Csáki, besides assuring the newcomers of the organization’s support, encouraged them to collect good memories of their time here.
As the final speaker, Dorottya Balsai, Stipendium Hungaricum senior mentor, highlighted all the support they can provide and also pointed out how much students can gain from participation in different events organized by them.
After the formal ceremony, international students could discover the campus and take part in exciting afternoon programmes organised by the ESN that gave them the opportunity to make new friends and have an enjoyable day.
Text: International Office
Photos: Dénes Szilágyi