How a Kazakh Scholar Won the Fully Funded Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship to Pursue Her Bachelor’s in International Relations at Corvinus University of Budapest

Hi! My name is Aya. I am originally from Kazakhstan, a southern city named Kyzylorda. If you have ever heard about the Baikonur spaceport or the Aral Sea before, then you are very close geographically. Growing up, I had a then-seemingly-wild dream of studying abroad, which I had the privilege of seeing come true. If you are reading this interview, I assume we have a few things in common.

So far, I have lived in 4 countries across three continents, with Hungary being my third one. As a Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship holder, I had the chance to obtain my Bachelor’s in International Relations from Corvinus University of Budapest this July. At the time of writing this article, I am interning at the United Nations Development Programme in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Initially, I was not particularly passionate about my major. One of the reasons why I chose to study International Relations was languages. I enjoyed learning new languages but did not want to study linguistics, which ultimately led me to this field. But I have grown to love my major over the course of three years here. The faculty played a significant role in this – there are so many passionate professors, and I enjoyed almost every class I took here. The major itself provides you with a wide understanding of different regions, complex challenges, and possible solutions.

Speaking of my stats and my application, I would not say that my application was particularly outstanding, but I had a large number of extracurricular activities. I graduated from a public school in Kyzylorda with a 4.7/5.0 CGPA. I also did an exchange in the United States during my junior year through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, which was a big part of my application and motivation letter. Apart from that, as I mentioned before, I had quite a few passion projects, which were focused on international education, environmental consciousness, and mental health awareness. I pooled funding of over $2000 through various grants and awards, which I mentioned in my letter, too.

An integral part of your application is the interviews, which I found to be quite easy. The interview depends on the university, meaning that different universities ask completely different questions. For Corvinus, I was asked only three questions, which were about my motivation and ongoing conflicts. For ELTE, which was my second choice, I was asked a lot of questions about my previous experience (based on the info I provided in my motivation letter), motivations, and international events (COP26).

About the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship

The scholarship covers a wide array of different majors at leading Hungarian universities. However, the list of approved majors may vary country by country and year by year, so I suggest you check whether your major is available for this cycle’s intake before applying. The applications usually open mid-fall, with the deadline being early- or mid-January.

The required documents are a completed application form, a motivation letter, language test results (IELTS/TOEFL, some universities may accept Duolingo), and a passport. Some universities also require letters of recommendation.

You must choose two universities and/or programs during the application process. It can be 1) one major, two different universities, 2) two majors, one university, and 3) two majors, two universities. In the latter case, if the majors differ significantly, it might be hard for you to focus on a specific “why this university” or “why this major” part of your motivation letter. When choosing universities, remember that the first-ranked university is your priority. In most cases, should you be awarded the scholarship, it will be distributed to your first-choice university.

The scholarship is quite generous as it fully covers your tuition, provides a monthly stipend, which amounts to 43,700 Hungarian Forints a month (for Bachelor’s and Master’s; for PhD students, it is higher). In most occasions, the dorm fees are also covered fully (“in most cases” because some universities—like Corvinus—have built renowned dorms, which cost higher, so you have to pay some sum yourself as well. But this practice is relatively rare.); if you prefer to rent an apartment or a room, then you will additionally receive 40,000 HUF a month. However, this sum is far from enough, as renting a room alone will cost you, on average, 120,000-160,000 HUF a month. You may choose to share a room with someone else – in this case, the approximate rent will be 70,000-110,000 HUF a month. Please note that these prices apply specifically to Budapest, as I have no rental experience in other Hungarian cities.

Apart from the tuition waiver and a stipend, the scholarship will cover your health insurance and any necessary medical observations requested by the Scholarship. It will be free of charge if you require a visa. It only does not covers your trip to and from Hungary. If you are far from Hungary, you must plan accordingly, as it can be pretty expensive, especially if you are traveling in August/September.

About Corvinus University of Budapest: Resources, Advice, and Maximizing Your Time Here

Resources

The university hosts a large number of international students annually, making its community vibrant and diverse. It also organizes a large number of parties for students and faculty where you have a chance to meet others and make connections.

The university provides quite a few opportunities for you to grow:

• Stipendium Hungaricum Student Excellence Award. This initiative is not from the university but the scholarship itself. It is awarded to a student with outstanding academic (top 10%) achievements and leadership potential, and I had the privilege of being awarded during my sophomore year. It is worth noting that you cannot nominate yourself for the award; the university is responsible for this. And the award is very competitive, as only two students are selected as winners annually (one for Bachelor’s and one for Master’s).
• Teaching & Research Assistantships. As an undergraduate student, after your first year, you are eligible to apply for a Teaching Assistant, or “Demonstrator,” position. Usually, there is no explicit “research assistant” position, but some departments select a few RAs from the TA pool. The positions are paid, albeit the workload is very, very low. Nevertheless, it is a great opportunity to connect with faculty, other students, and gain work and/or research experience.

Personally, I served in this position for three semesters in a row. I spent two semesters at the Corvinus Science Shop, an institution that connects faculty and students with external partners, namely non-profit organizations, communities, and civil society organizations. Since CSC is not an educational department, I did not actually teach. In the first semester, I assisted with data collection and analysis of a newly established project on UN SDGs. During the consecutive semester, I was promoted to the role of Senior Teaching Assistant, in which I led a team of 5 TAs working on the above-mentioned project.

During my senior year, I served as a Research Assistant for the Department of Public Policy within the University, in which I assisted with the research of one of the professors on Russian-speaking communities in Hungary.

• As an international student, you do not have much to choose from, unfortunately. Many clubs at the university are fully in Hungarian. Nevertheless, there are quite a few still, including many on diplomacy and international affairs. They usually recruit members every semester. Moreover, if you feel like something is missing, then you can create your own club! The university is very welcoming on this matter.
• Scientific competitions like TDK. It’s a university-wide competition, in which students present their research and have a chance to win. If you win the first place, then you will be directed to the OTDK, a country-wide competition. You are eligible to enter during your junior and/or senior years.
• The Department of International Relations organized various all-paid trips every year. One of the notable ones is the trip to United Nations Headquarters in Vienna – a fascinating trip to a marvelous city, in which you will learn about the organization directly from staff members.
• Career consulting. If you need any help with finding an internship, CV/Resume, preparing for your interview, or need just general advice regarding your career aspirations, look no further because the university’s career services can help you with this free of charge.
• If you are experiencing problems and feel like you could consult with a professional, then the university also offers counseling sessions, in which you are paired with a therapist/psychologist. Each semester, you are entitled to six free sessions.

My Advice and How to Maximize Your Time Here

• Use Budapest as a learning space. The city provides many opportunities for young people. There are tons of multinational corporations and international organizations based in the city, oftentimes with offices being regional hubs. There are plenty of internship and volunteering opportunities for you to explore. However, keep in mind that they are also very competitive. So start building your profile as early as you can: volunteer, connect with other students, become a TA/RA.
• Be strategic about your studies. If you are planning to enter graduate school eventually, take elective courses that are close to the field you are interested in. They will help you further expand your knowledge, as well as connect with professors who are in your intended field of study. If you are not sure what field to further pursue, then it is a great opportunity to discover new things.

Moreover, your GPA matters. Yes, building depth in the subject is important, but so is your GPA. If you need further financial assistance for graduate school, then the higher your GPA is, the more scholarships you will qualify for (and the easier it will be for you to get selected).

• If possible, spend your first year in a dorm. This is the easiest way to make friends, and this is exactly how I found my best friends, with whom I spent all three years here.