Tempus Public Foundation (TPF), ACA’s Hungarian member, published the results of a research on international student integration in the Hungarian higher education system, in the International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta – Honor Society for International Scholars. The research examines the trends in incoming student mobility in Hungary in recent years, while also exploring the main institutional obstacles to students’ integration at various study levels. The study also argues that steady increases in student mobility have a decisive impact on international students’ integration during their stay in Hungary.

The paper provides, first, an overview of the influence of internationalisation in Europe on the Hungarian higher education. Second, it analyses the motivation and expectations of international students and their satisfaction with teaching and students services, and, third, it presents the main elements of international and domestic students’ integration at undergraduate, master and PhD levels.

In its concluding remarks, the study summarises some main findings and puts forward a series of recommendations. For example, at PhD level, the findings suggest that an increased support to PhD candidates in joining international research projects is desirable. In addition, due to a significant lack of linguistic skills of both international students and Hungarian university administrative staff, the study advises to foster foreign language courses for Hungarian students. In conclusion, the authors argue that “universities need to apply a more integrated approach in the area of student services in order to create active student communities”.

Link to the study here