Based on applications arrived to Tempus Public Foundation nearly 2,000 foreign students have marked the University of Szeged as their first choice when indicating their priority when applying to Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship. Computer Science MSc is among the most popular study programmes.
More and more students being granted Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship are starting their studies at SZTE by. Owing to the ongoing internationalization and the expanding international network of the University, the number of foreign students arriving to Hungary with Stipendium Hungaricum is likely to grow in the Academic Year of 2018/2019. 3,500 applicants expressed their interest towards the programmes of SZTE for the AY 2017/2018, while the University received more than 5,000 applications in the present application period. Out of this astonishing number 2,000 students marked SZTE as their first choice: 784 students submitted their application package for a doctoral programme, 839 applied for a master and 281 students applied for a bachelor programme of SZTE.
Computer Science, International Relations and Medicine are among the most attractive programmes, however, Biology, Economy and Arts programmes also received application in an outstanding number. As for the first-option choices, the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences drew 139 applications, the Faculty of Medicine got 157, the Faculty of Arts received 291 and the Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies was addressed 19 applications. The Faculty of Dentistry was marked 47 times, the Faculty of Economy received an incredible number of 453 applications, the Faculty of Pharmacy was submitted 53 applications, 99 foreign students marked the Faculty of Agriculture as their first choice, the Faculty of Science and Informatics received the most applications of 618 and 12 students wish to continue their studies at the Faculty of Music.
In order to make the application valid, afforcing the prospective student’s application by the sending partner – determined in a bilateral agreement between the University and the sending country – is the particularity of this scholarship programme. As a consequence, the number of applications might decrease later, still a substantial advance is foreseen compared to previous years. As most of the foreign students apply for a full-time study programme, they remain a student of SZTE for years, thus creating an even more international atmosphere in Szeged.
The University of Szeged has been participating in the Hungarian Government’s ’global opening policy’, with special attention to the Southern and Eastern region; Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme is a major cornerstone in the operations. The aim of this programme – providing assistance to students aimed to fulfill their studies in a Hungarian University– is to foster the internationalization of the Hungarian higher education and its quality improvement, to strengthen the international relations of the Hungarian scientific elite and to promote the competitive Hungarian education throughout the world.
