Central European Studies Program

If you have ever used a refrigerator or soft contact lenses, applied an excel sheet or Prezi you may already claim contact with Hungary. A landlocked country of innovative spirit in Central Europe with rich historical and cultural ties with among others neighbouring Austria, Slovakia and Croatia, in the vicinity of the Czech Republic and Poland gives you a warm welcome to attend the Central European Studies Program at Karoli University.

The program is located in Budapest, the spa capital of the world, which has recently been awarded the most welcoming city by the apartment rentals company Housetrip.com (Daily Mail, 26 Nov 2013). The program is designed to appeal to students who would like to taste the city’s fascinating past, present, and future and much more than that: through a series of specially designed courses, they will develop insight into Hungary’s historic, political, social and cultural progress in  wider comparative context of Central Europe. It is an indispensable approach, as cultures have been clashing in the region for a good many centuries. Through several waves of occupation, tyranny and heroic revolt, Hungary has learned to transform this clash not only into the will to survive but to thrive.

The Central European Studies Program offers the students courses in a wide range of academic disciplines taught in English by local faculty professors who are experts in their fields of study.

Courses – with the single exception of the Hungarian Language Course – meet once a week for 90 minutes and class sizes range from eight to fifteen students per course. The Language Course provides students with the basic skills needed to communicate on a daily basis, including grammar, conversation, listening, and reading comprehension.

Courses offered every semester include:

1. The History of Hungary and the Adjacent Nations in the Middle Ages (Csaba Hidán Ph.D)
2. Introduction to Modern Hungarian History 1848-2010 (Ágnes Beretzky Ph. D)
3. Hungarian History, Literature and Culture (Katalin G. Kállay Ph.D)
4. Hungarian Art and Cultural History (Erzsébet Stróbl Ph.D)
5. Central European Film (Tamás Juhász Ph.D)
6. Hungarian Language for Absolute Beginners (László Joachim)
7. Communication in Folk Culture and Music (Irén Lovász Ph.D)

Students having completed five of the above courses, will receive a Central European Studies Certificate issued by the University.

Further Optional Courses both in Engilsh and Spanish (offered due to demand):

1. Economía y Sociedad en la Hungría de 1918-1989 (Viktória Semsey Ph.D)
2. Hungria dentro del Imperio Habsburgo en el siglo XVIII. (Viktória Semsey Ph.D)
3. Relaciones dinásticas entre la Hungría y las monarquías medievales (Hedvig Bubnó Ph.D)
4. Central European Literature (Katalin G. Kállay Ph.D)
5. Central European Classical Music (Alex Szilasi Ph.D)
6. Kodály Culture in Hungary and Worldwide (Alex Szilasi Ph.D)
7. Advanced Hungarian (László Joachim)

Study abroad students experience differences between the educational systems of Hungary and their countries of origin. This new academic environment as well as the cooperation with Hungarian students is part of the challenge of studying in Budapest and learning about Hungary and Central Europe. Students must be aware that a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline is required and that independent learning and active participation in class are necessary for achieving a satisfactory academic performance.

Grades are generally based on research papers, class presentations, and/or additional assignments depending on the course.

Additional Information:

Please contact Katalin Kállay, Ph.D (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Ágnes Beretzky Ph.D (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), both Associate Professors at the Department of English Languages and Cultures, Károli Gáspár University, Budapest.