The international students of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary who graduated in the 2022/2023 spring semester at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences received their degrees at the graduation ceremony held on June 30.

The international students of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary who graduated in the 2021/2022 spring semester at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences received their diplomas during a graduation ceremony held on June 27.

From July 22 to 26, the 10th international conference of the Societé d'Études Samaritaines will be held under the title Samaritans through the Ages History, Culture and Linguistics, jointly organized by Budapest University of Jewish Studies and Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. 25 scientists from 15 countries give lectures in English.

Upon the invitation of Dr. habil. Ágnes Czine, Acting Rector, the Ambassadors of Spain, Lebanon, India and Japan visited the Károlyi-Csekonics Palace on 2nd July 2021.

As a result of the restructuring of the Hungarian higher education system, the Teacher Training Faculty as well as the Petőfi Sándor Practice School and Kindergarten of John von Neumann University (Kecskemét, Hungary) will be incorporated into Károli Gáspár University as of 31 July 2020.

The National Beach Volleyball Championship of Hungarian Universities and Colleges (MEFOB) took place at EFOTT Festival, Velence July 10-15, 2019.

Following the proposal of the Ministry of Human Capacities and in agreement with the decision of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) János Áder, the President of Hungary, commissioned Prof. Dr. József Zsengellér, currently Deputy Rector of Strategic Affairs, as the new Rector of our university.

Graduation ceremony on the 7th of July 2018 was a big milestone not only for our Stipendium Hungaricum graduates but for our university as well.

On July 4, 2017, the Rector of our University, Prof. Dr. Péter Balla, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chancellor of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies Dr. Yoshikazu Morita, who was accompanied on his visit to Hungary by Prof. Toshiki Kumagai, Vice President of the university and Prof. Masayoshi Hashimoto, Director of Educational Affairs.

The Rector of Károli Gáspár University, Prof. Dr. Péter Balla travelled to the Republic of Korea between 26 May and 4 June 2016. He visited our protestant partner institution, Hanshin University in Seoul, where he gave an English-language theological lecture for the international and Korean students of Hanshin on 27 May. Following his lecture he met Professor Sung Young Kang, the President of our partner university. The two university leaders signed a new Cooperation and Exchange Agreement, deepening the scope of already existing cooperation between the institutions. On 29 May, Prof. Dr. Péter Balla held an English-language sermon in a church located in Seoul, upon the invitation of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK).

Attracting increasing interest, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary actively participated in the annual Educatio Fair held in Budapest on 21-23 January 2016.

With almost 150 exhibitors and over 30,000 visitors Educatio is the biggest higher education fair in Hungary. During the three-day long event a record number of visitors could be informed about the study offer of the university by our students, professors and co-workers at the centrally placed stand, where all four faculties were presented. 

In the framework of the new International Credit Mobility Programme (ICM) Ms Ye Rim Kim from the Handong Global University (a Christian university in Pohang, South Korea)

had the opportunity to spend an exchange semester at Károli Gáspár University, as the first participant of this programme at our institution.  

ICM, which is an expansion of the well-known Erasmus programme, with the participation of overseas and non-EU partner universities, was introduced in the autumn semester of the academic year of 2015/2016.

Ye Rim studied at the Faculty of Humanities, taking up classes of Literature, English and Psychology. During an interview taken with her, she shared with us that she had a really positive experience at Károli Gáspár University. She felt that she could fulfil her academic and personal goals during her exchange semester, could further develop her English skills and gain a more in-depth understanding of her major subjects.

The interview with Ye Rim and her summary on the new exchange programme and her time spent at our university can be found here:

http://www.kre.hu/english/index.php/academic-cooperation-with-south-korea/197-the-international-credit-mobility-programme

Dean Prof. Liu Ningyuan and Vice-Dean Prof. Li Yong from the International Law School of East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) visited Károli Gáspár University on 24 February 2016.

In the framework of the International Credit Mobility programme Professor Yi Kiho from our partner institution Hanshin University (Seoul, South Korea) spent a week at Károli Gáspár University from 13th until 20th of March.

Rector of the university Prof. Dr. Péter Balla and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities Dr. Enikő Sepsi took part in the conference of IAPCHE (International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education) held in the Netherlands

Dr. Gerhard K. Schäfer, the Rector of the German Christian university of applied sciences, Evangelische Fachhochschule Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe, visited the Rector’s Office at Károli Gáspár University

International Masters programme was initiated by the German Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2009, in cooperation with Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. The Hungarian coordinator of the EMLex programme is Dr. Zita Dötschné Hollós (Department of German Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities). There is one South-African and seven European participating universities involved in the above mentioned programme:

– Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (initiator) (Germany)
– Université de Lorraine (Nancy) (France)
– Károli Gáspár University in the Reformed Church in Hungary (Budapest, Hungary)
– Universidade Santiagio de Compostela (Spain)
– Universidade do Minho (Braga,Portugal)
– Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach (Katowice, Poland)
– Università degli Studi Roma Tre (Italy)
– University of Stellenbosch (South Africa)

The participating students complete the local modules at their home universities, while the core modules of the 2nd semester are always studied at another participant university. This year the Faculty of Humanities of the Károli Gáspár University hosted the joint spring semester. During this semester 22 students and professors from nine different countries stayed at our university in the framework of the international EMLex programme.

The mobility of the students was regulated by bilateral Erasmus contracts between 2009 and 2016. In 2009 the EMLex consortium won a competition providing financial support of more than 2 million euro in the framework of the Erasmus+ Mundus Joint Master Degree programme, so the class of 2016 could conduct their studies in the form of a joint degree.

The spiritual pastor of the Faculty of Theology of the university organised a two-week-long field trip for theologians and religious education teachers

in July 2015.

During their journey the 44 participants visited the following twelve famous cathedrals of France: Strasbourg, Metz, Verdun, Reims, Soissons, Noyon, Amiens, Párizs, Mont-Saint-Michel, Évry, Chartres and Ronchamp. They followed the course of church architecture from the roots of early Christianity, Romanesque and Gothic art through the Renaissance and Baroque to the contemporary and modern buildings. Each of the twelve cathedrals had really special characteristics, which made them rightfully famous.

For the group of Reformed Protestant pastors, theologians and laymen, it was a special highlight of the journey when they visited the church in Noyon, where Calvin had served as an altar-boy. They also saw the place where Calvin grew up and the museum of the town which is dedicated to the memory of Jean Calvin.

The academic nature of the field trip was fulfilled through the presentations held by students and others, literary extracts and music. The spiritual nature was enhanced through the devotions and reading sessions held by pastors and theologians, that occasionally could take place in famous cathedrals, combined with collective singing.

This trip was a great opportunity for building community: on the one hand to experience the hospitality of the French host congregations, on the other hand in the special atmosphere of the camping where a professor of theology, a student, a family member, a pastor and a relative could easily sit together. It was an uplifting experience of the miracle of God’s love.