With the help of the very popular Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme many students from different parts of the world come to study and live in Hungary. Each year the number of the scholarship holders is growing – which means that more and more young and talented students start their academic studies in Hungarian higher education institutions. They become part of a campus life but we would like to be sure that their educational, social and cultural experiences not only meeting their expectations but they can be improved even better!
Tempus Public Foundation (TPF) – the main coordinator of the programme – finds it very important to never leave any student alone, to help the smooth integration of the international students and to show them that if they have a great new idea, TPF can give a platform to it. According to it, the Campus Buddy community came to life in 2017. TPF released a call for the scholarship holders to join a fresh, friendly, innovative and exciting community, to be a Campus Buddy!
A Campus Buddy is an easy-going person who is happy to show some moments of his/her life in Hungary; from studying to living and having fun, spreading the word in social media and representing his/her home country in online campaigns. Campus Buddies are sociable international students who are enthusiastic about studying in Hungary and keen to represent Hungary through their own experiences.
Buddies – whom often considered as ambassadors – get together for workshops, communication trainings, meetings and also to garden picnics and other fun free-time activities. They like these gatherings a lot; besides the professional aspect of the events it is always good to be together, share ideas and work on exciting projects together. The latest project focused on presenting their daily life in Hungary by creating short videos and writing articles. Buddies often participate in national appearances like Sziget Festival where they promote Study in Hungary to other international students at the TPF stand.
Since 2017 TPF has periodically released a call in which they are looking for international students studying in Hungary who are active in social media and have outstanding achievements in their fields of studies. These students are living in different cities in Hungary but the programmes and projects they are doing together brings them closer to each other. We are happy to see that thanks to the Campus Buddy system international students are making new friendships and becoming the member of an amazing community where ideas gets real.
Being a Campus Buddy is also a good experience before becoming a volunteer and member of the Alumni Hungary Network. After students finished their studies in Hungary they can join the Alumni Hungary Network and register to the official website where people connect and (re)unite with their former fellow students and alma mater, boost their professional network and get practical news regarding career possibilities.