Top US and UK universities compete for a Hungarian student
Mór Szepesi is a senior student at the American International School of Budapest (AISB). He prepared for his admissions abroad with the support of his teachers and parents. In the end, he received offers of admission from five Ivy League universities and several other American and English universities. This is rare not only in Hungary but also internationally.
“I’m involved in a lot of things, but I didn’t even dare to think that I could be accepted to more than one university, so I said I wouldn’t have a ranking. Anywhere they admit me, I’ll be very happy to go,” says Mór Szepesi, a senior student at the Budapest American International School. It’s no exaggeration to say that America’s top Ivy League schools are competing for him, eduline.hu reports.
“The Ivy League universities always announce their admissions results on the same day because it’s an agreement between them. That was at 1 AM last Thursday. My whole family was sitting there, we opened the letters together,” recalls the senior high school student.
Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Wharton, Brown and Duke Universities all await him as a student.
All of these institutions regularly appear at the top of the rankings of the world’s best universities, eduline.hu writes. It is extremely rare for a student to be admitted to more than one Ivy League university at the same time, not only in Hungary but also worldwide.
“Four years is not a short time, so I’m trying to gather as much information as I can, but I think I’m in the lucky position that I won’t be able to make a bad decision,” Mór Szepesi confirms.
Mór applied to universities not only in the US, but also in the UK. He has been accepted to King’s College London, among others, but he has also been accepted to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, which is also one of the world’s top universities. However, by now, he is sure that he will go to the United States.
Read also:
Budapest 2023’s best destination for backpacking Brits
Considering the cost of accommodation and flights, local attractions, cost of groceries and other factors, Cotswold Outdoor reveal 2023’s best destinations for backpacking.
Something of a rite of passage, backpacking is a travelling experience unlike any other. The cost-effective method of exploring the world not only offers physical benefits, but allows travellers to develop more self-reliance, healthier mindsets and detox from their hectic lifestyles and devices, Cotswold Outdoor said.
With approximately 44 million backpacking trips being taken each year, research estimates the average spend per trip is £3,350 (2017). Analysing over 80 capital cities, our latest study reveals the ‘best capitals for backpackers’ based on overall costs (one-way flights, public transport, basic groceries, hostel stay), mobile internet speeds and the number of couch surf hosts and free attractions available. Furthermore, our new ‘destination picker’, allows you to find the perfect destination for you, based on your needs, budget and preferences.
Budapest is the top city for backpackers!
Flights to the Hungarian capital can be found for as low as £10 (yes, really!) and paired with its wealth of couch surf hosts (64) and affordable hostels (397 at average £20.50 p/ night), it’s no wonder Budapest places top. In addition, the city is home to 275 free tourist attractions and the average public transport trip in the city comes reasonably priced at £0.71. Budapest’s mobile internet speeds place mid-range, while average mobile internet speeds hover around the 60mbps mark. Where Budapest ranks poorest is for its basic grocery shop, costing an average of £18 for essentials like fruit and vegetables, rice, eggs, bread and milk.
As for the remaining top five destinations, European destinations monopolise the list. Following behind Budapest are the cities of Warsaw (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Lisbon (Portugal) and Bucharest (Romanic), respectively.
Something For Backpackers And ‘Glampackers’
If you’re looking to get the most “bang for your buck”, based on an “example package” (inc. one-way flight 3-night hostel stay + 10 public transport trips), the lower costs destination are Montenegro’s Podgorica, Rabat, Morocco and Tirana, Albania. Whereas, if you’re more of a ‘glampacker’ with a more generous budget to spend, then the most expensive locations include Wellington, Canberra and Buenos Aires.
Catch Flights, Create Freedom
Nothing quite beats the feeling of getting on a flight to go explore somewhere new and exciting. Analysing prices for the year for London outbound one-way flights (inc. non-direct), European cities Riga, Sofia, Tallin, Zagreb, Vilnius, Bucharest and Bratislava all offer flights as cheap as £10, as well as top contender Budapest. On the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest flight to Wellington, New Zealand will cost you north of £800, followed by Canberra Australia (£678) and Buenos Aires, Argentina (£551).
Are You A Hostels Person Or A Couch Surfer?
When travelling, where you choose to stay is arguably where you can save yourself the most money, as we all know hotels can be a real spend! If you’re looking to stay somewhere with the bonus of meeting other travellers, then hostels are the favourite alternative to hotels. Head to Bangkok, Thailand for the most choice of hostels (992), Seoul offers 578 and Budapest has 397. Whilst the most affordable hostels are found in Kathmandu, Nepal and Islamabad, Pakistan, where the average one-night stay costs just under £6. If you’re looking to stay in a more premium rate hostel, then Reykjavik, Bern and Dublin have the top priced.
If you prefer couch surfing, where you’re likely to get the perk of locals as your tour guides and a more homely stay, then Berlin is the best city to head to as it is home to 335 couch surf hosts. Paris and Brussels follow as second and third best for the couch surfers out there, with 292 and 121 couch surf hosts available respectively.
Getting Around And Seeing The Sights
When it comes to visiting a new city, one of the best and most inexpensive methods of exploring is by making use of public transport, especially considering some of Europe’s compelling transport incentives. As for the countries that offer the cheapest average public transport trips, Colombo, Sri Lanka (10p) and Tashkent, Uzbekistan (11p) will get you going for less. And what is there to go see, you ask? Well, our research into free attractions, reveal that is in fact Rome, Paris and Tokyo whom offer the most tourist attractions for no fee, with each of the destinations housing over 500 free attractions.
If You Prefer To Stay Connected…
Seoul, Oslo and Doha have the fastest mobile internet speeds available. With mobile networks in all three cities providing an average Mbps above 170, this enables visitors to check-in with loved ones or document and share their amazing travel finds via their social feeds, minus the buffering. As for the cities where you might struggle most to keep your Instagram and TikTok accounts up to date; Accra, Dhaka and Kathmandu rank as having the slowest mobile internet speeds (below 15mbps on average).
Gotta Eat, Right?!
Although eating at a new restaurant every day sounds like a dream to most, if you want to make your money stretch further whilst backpacking, generally the cheaper alternative is to buy your basic groceries from local markets and supermarkets. Based on an essentials list of groceries, our research reveals that Islamabad offers the most affordable prices, with the average basic grocery shop setting you back £4.72. Following the Pakistani capital, Cairo is second cheapest (£5.46) and New Delhi follows in third (£7).
Whether you’re a rookie backpacker or a well-seasoned one, in some cases not all destinations will fit and other cases, all destinations is just the right recipe for fulfilment. If choosing your destination for your first or your next backpacking trip is proving trickier than you hoped, then we hope our research and “destination picker” will help make the best decision you’ve made yet.
Methodology
Concluding in a point-score based ranking, our study analyses a list of factors for 83 of the world’s capital cities. These include 2023 London outbound one-way flights inc. non-direct (Google Flights), hostel and attractions listings (Hostelz.com and TripAdvisor), couch surf hosts (Be Welcome), average mobile internet speeds (World Population Review) and public transport and groceries data (Numbeo).
Read also:
British QS listed Hungarian university among the world’s best
BME was the best among the Hungarian universities in the QS Ranking of five areas of science. Uniquely in Hungary, BME was listed among the world’s best universities in engineering, sciences and economics alike.
The British QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) is one among the most authoritative university rankings, rating the best 4-5% of the world’s universities. QS assessors have analysed the performance of the world’s 1594 higher education institutions this year.
QS ranks the world’s best training programmes in five fields of expertise as well as in more defined research fields based on academic recognition, employers’ assessment, researchers and publications and international research cooperations.
In the world ranking of science areas published on 22 March 2023, BME was listed in engineering as the only Hungarian higher education institution, thus listed as the 224th by QS. The Hungarian institutions were ranked in five areas of science (see Table 1). BME was the best among the Hungarian universities in the QS Ranking of five areas of science.
| QS World University Ranking by Subject 2023 |
ELTE |
BME |
SZTE |
DE |
SE |
Corvinus |
| Arts & Humanities |
262 |
|||||
| Engineering & Technology |
224 |
|||||
| Life Sciences & Medicine |
401-450 |
401-450 |
264 |
|||
| Natural Sciences |
298 |
401-450 |
451-500 |
451-500 |
||
| Social Sciences & Management |
401-450 |
401-450 |
- Table 1 – Hungarian institutions appear in five rankings by area of science, where BME has come 224th in the technical fields and has thus been the best among them.
BME technical programmes were listed at prestigious places in the QS ranking by subjects as well. BME has moved up a category in mathematics programmes: In 2023, the mathematics programme at BME was ranked between 251-300th, making BME the first educational institution next to ELTE. BME was ranked as the best and only Hungarian university in all five fields of engineering available at BME.
BME is ranked among the best 200 this year in the areas of mechanical engineering as well as flight engineering and production technology. BME remains the only Hungarian university among the architectural programmes, listed among the best 200. Theuniversity was listed among the world’s best 230 for its computer science and IT programmes, and among the world’s best 350 for its chemical and the electrical engineering programmes.
BME was ranked as the only Hungarian institution among the best 350 for its material sciences programme and among the best 400 for its chemistry and physics and astronomy programmes. The university was also included in the Business & Management Studies ranking, listed among the best 501-550 ones for its social sciences and management programme.
|
2023 |
|
| Engineering & Technology |
224= |
| Computer Science & Information Systems |
301–350 |
| Engineering – Chemical |
301–350 |
| Engineering – Civil & Structural |
201–230 |
| Engineering – Electrical & Electronic |
251–300 |
| Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing |
151–200 |
| Natural Sciences |
401–450 |
| Chemistry |
351–400 |
| Materials Sciences |
301–350 |
| Mathematics |
251–300 |
| Physics & Astronomy |
351–400 |
|
|
|
| Architecture / Built Environment |
151–200 |
| Business & Management Studies |
501–550 |
Featured image: illustration
Opposition: Hungary should be able to arrest Putin for committing war crimes
The opposition Democratic Coalition’s (DK) shadow government paid a two-day visit to London and studied the operations of Britain’s Labour Party, Ágnes Vadai said on Thursday.
Vadai told an online press briefing that she met Chris Evans, the UK’s shadow minister for defence procurement, and they discussed NATO expansion and joint procurements by the alliance.
She then met Holly Lynch, the shadow security minister, and they discussed the security challenge Russia poses to Europe and NATO as well as the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Vadai said the Hungarian government “made clear on Thursday that if the Russian president enters Hungarian territory they cannot launch a procedure against him of any kind.” DK will submit a resolution proposal to parliament on implementing all ICC decisions and the body’s statute in Hungary. If Putin “steps onto Hungarian soil, the Hungarian authorities should be able to arrest him immediately for committing war crimes,” she said.
Read alsoHungary wouldn’t arrest Putin if the Russian President visited Budapest
UK investments in Hungary key for economic growth
Investments in Hungary from Britain play an important role in maintaining Hungary’s economic growth, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Tuesday.
British companies employ more than 50,000 Hungarians, Szijjártó said on Facebook, adding that trade turnover between Hungary and the United Kingdom reached a record high level last year.
“We therefore welcome the Windsor Framework, which is an important step towards the full implementation of the trade and cooperation agreement,” the minister said.
Szijjártó called Brexit “one of the saddest stories” in the European Union’s history, saying Britain’s departure had left the bloc significantly weaker.
“We have always argued in favour of the closest possible cooperation between the EU and Britain, which is of great importance amid the current security and economic conditions,” Szijjártó said.
Read alsoThe Hungarian government would further extend the state of emergency
Hungarian Wizz Air owes the most money to UK passengers
Hungarian market leader low-cost airline Wizz Air owes more than GBP 4 million to customers from the UK. Wizz Air blames slow court proceedings for unpaid refunds and expenses.
Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air owes more than GBP 4.5 million to UK passengers in country court judgments (CCJ) according to British consumer group Which?, the Guardian reports.
According to the group’s analysis, Wizz Air accounts for almost half of the owed total amount in the UK. Which? does not directly criticise the airline, but “weak regulations” and a “dysfunctional dispute resolution system” that does not help costumers to enforce their rights.
A Wizz Air spokesperson told Guardian that the company already settled more than 400 court cases since December, saying that certain regulations are slowing down their work.
“Online registers do not provide us with the information required to settle a case. We must, therefore, write to individual courts to apply for information about each case when we are made aware of it, and then wait to receive that information. This all makes for a complicated and time-consuming process,” the spokesperson said.
Wizz Air also highlighted that the pandemic created “unprecedented” circumstances and levels of disruption that made their work harder.
- Read also: New airline comes to Budapest
Wizz Air vows to improve customer service
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which already raised concerns about Wizz Air, said once again that in some cases, the airline does not provide acceptable service.
“We’re already reviewing Wizz Air’s performance and have expressed significant concern with them over high volumes of complaints and delays in paying passengers what they are owed, and made clear that it is not providing an acceptable level of service,” Anna Bowles, head of consumer protection, told Guardian.
Recently, Wizz Air reached an agreement with the Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority after a month-long investigation found malpractices. During the 30-day-long investigation, the authorities checked whether the staff of the airline denied boardings, had long delays and whether they responded to compensation claims within 30 days. Wizz Air made a promise to improve its customer service channels.
British man sends bailiffs to airport for Wizz Air refund
The Hungarian low-cost airline does not have the best reputation at the moment. Despite its best intentions, Wizz Air is one of the worst airlines regarding communication, delays and flight cancellations. Last month, it was even chosen as the worst airline for short flights in the United Kingdom. Now, a British man got tired of Wizz Air’s practices: he sent bailiffs to Luton Airport because of a last-minute flight cancellation.
A British man, Russell Quirk sent bailiffs to the airport because the Hungarian airline owed him money over a last-minute flight cancellation, the BBC reports. He said that because of the short notice, he was forced to look for another alternative, which cost him no less than GBP 4500.
Mr Quirk tried to settle the matter in a peaceful way. However, after months of waiting, he saw no other option but to bring it to court. The man “had booked flights from Luton Airport to Faro in January last year for a family holiday with his wife and three daughters in the May half-term,” the BBC reports. On the morning of the day of the flight, he received a message from Wizz Air, saying that the flight had been cancelled.
The message from the airline contained no explanation, no alternatives were offered. The man and his family already had accommodation booked. On top of that, even further travel arrangements had been made. Because of this, Mr Quirk had no option but to look for another flight that would take them to their desired destination, Portugal, in time. This cost him an additional GBP 4500.
He took this case to court shortly after. However, according to him, Wizz Air ignored the judgement that was made against them by the court. So, as a last resort, he sent bailiffs to the airline’s desk at Luton Airport to settle the case. “Their option was to hand over the money or the bailiffs would take it in goods – it might have been chairs, tables, computers or an aircraft,” Mr Quirk told the BBC.
Even though he said he would have liked an airplane at home, eventually, the Hungarian airline did pay him and his family. “Increasingly, businesses are thinking they can treat customers like dirt and I’m determined to eradicate that. My message is, where big companies stonewall you, if you persevere, you can get what is owed to you,” the man said about his experience.
Read alsoWill Wizz Air fly to this Asian country from Budapest?
VIDEO: Easier access to London with Hungarian Wizz Air
After years of delay, a short railway line was completed in London-Luton. Thanks to that, the travel to London with the Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, is much easier and more comfortable.
New shuttle train to London
According to okosutas.hu, that does not mean that passengers will not have to transfer to get to London from Luton. In contrast to Gatwick and Stansted, Luton will not have a direct track connection to the British capital. The new railway connection means you will not have to take a purple transfer bus (buy and check ticket) between Parkway station and Luton Airport. Thus, your journey will be more comfortable from Budapest.
Here is a video about how the new Dart shuttle was built:
Editors of the Hungarian travel news outlet promised they would test the new ‘system’ soon. Currently, there is a test period, and even though the operator said it would be free of charge during that time, you have to pay GBP 4.9 for a ride which equals the price of the transfer bus. The train’s name is Luton DART, and when the test period finishes, the transfer bus service will terminate.
And another video:
Bus to London, train to Luton
The price means that currently, that is the most expensive railway line in the United Kingdom. Even British newspapers were outraged because of that. However, the railway line is just an ‘island operation’, a 2-km-long segment, so it cannot be compared to other railway lines, okosutas.hu argued.
The alternative is the bus connection, for which the ticket price is mostly around GBP 11. However, its main disadvantage is that it is often stuck in the London traffic. Okosutas’ tip is to choose the bus to London, but the EMR train from St Pancras to the airport. It reaches Luton Parkway station in 25 minutes, and there, we can change to the new Dart train. Therefore, we can get to the airport in 30 minutes from London’s downtown.
Read alsoVIDEO: Two Wizz Air planes collided, resulting in huge delay
Wizz Air suspends two Budapest routes for four weeks
Wizz Air flights between Budapest – Edinburgh and Budapest – Warsaw will be suspended for nearly a month starting from late March.
A reader of airportal.hu has discovered that tickets for the Hungarian airline’s Budapest – Edinburgh route cannot be booked between 28 March and 21 April. But there is another related change: Wizz Air is also suspending its Budapest – Warsaw route. There will be no flights on this route between 26 March and 26 April.
Flights between Budapest and Edinburgh will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays until 25 March, airportal.hu reports. Following the airline’s change to a summer schedule, the route will be suspended for almost a month. Tickets can be booked from 26 April, but the days will change. From that date, flights will operate on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The reader, who informed the portal of the change, pointed out that unfortunately this timing might be inconvenient for many travelers. The routes will be suspended at the same time when Easter is celebrated. According to the reader, many people working abroad will be visiting their families back home during the holiday, so the airline’s decision to change its schedule comes at the worst time possible.
Wizz Air’s response
Airportal.hu contacted Wizz Air to find out the reason for the flight cancellations. As explained in their response, Wizz Air aims to offer its passengers the lowest possible fares to the most popular destinations. For this reason, the airline constantly monitors the performance of its routes. The reply states that as a consequence, tickets cannot be booked due to the optimisation of the routes.
Passengers who have already booked tickets on these routes will be informed of the changes by e-mail. For these passengers, an alternative timetable will be offered by e-mail. In addition, the airline will offer a compensation of 120 percent of the original ticket price in WIZZ credits or a full refund of the original fare. However, this only applies to passengers “who have booked directly on the airline’s website or via its application.”
Read alsoNew routes to start from Budapest Airport this spring
Hungarian foreign minister called his British counterpart – here is why
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó had talks with James Cleverly, his British counterpart, from Stockholm by phone on Friday.
The talks focused on the Ukraine war and Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO integration, Szijjártó said on Facebook after the talks. Szijjártó said the war “impacts Hungary immediately and seriously”, adding that the number of Hungarian soldiers dying in the front lines was increasing. The two ministers agreed that an early solution must be found to answer global inflation, energy and food supply difficulties.
Szijjártó welcomed the recent Windsor Agreement between the European Union and the UK, and assured his British counterpart of Hungary’s support in building “the deepest and broadest possible cooperation” between the bloc and Britain. Szijjártó said the Hungarian government supported the ratification of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO integration, but added that it was a “rightful expectation” that those countries “should not spread lies and false information and give due respect to Hungary”.
Here is his post:
v
British Labour Party: Hungary can overtake Britain
The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party claims that without a new economic policy, Britain could be overtaken by Poland and Hungary.
Britain’s economic plan
Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the British Labour Party, gave a speech on his party’s economic plans at the City of London’s financial centre on Monday. Starmer will also hold a round table discussion with economic experts on the UK’s economic policy for the next period. The event was attended by John Allan, chairman of Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, and Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, the UK’s central bank.
The Labour Party leader previewed extracts from the speech. According to the speech, the Conservative Party, which has been in power for thirteen years, has put the British economy on a “path of decline”, napi.hu reports.
Is Hungary ahead of Britain?
If recent growth trends remain unchanged, by 2030 Poland’s population will be better off than the UK’s in terms of per capita gross domestic product (GDP). According to a Labour Party analysis based on World Bank data, British GDP grew by an average of 0.5 percent a year between 2010 and 2021.
In Poland, GDP per capita grew by an average of 3.6 percent a year, in Hungary by 3 percent and in Romania by 3.8 percent.
On this basis, if the trend continues, by the beginning of the next decade, Britons will be on average £500 poorer than Poles (based on annual GDP per capita).
Under the same growth trends, Starmer says, by 2040 both Hungary and Romania will have higher growth rates than the UK. According to a recent analysis, the UK is the only major industrialised country whose economy will contract this year and has not yet taken the economic hit from the Crown Tax.
Read alsoExpert shared when prices will start to increase again in Hungary’s property market
Angry passengers: Wizz Air continues messing with bag size?
An angry passenger wrote to a Hungarian travel news website claiming that the Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, continues messing with bag sizes despite a new passenger-friendly rule they introduced last December.
Wizz Air introduced new rule in December
As we wrote back then, Wizz Air limits the size of the luggage you can take on board. However, they added some new information last December, saying that “the size limit does not include the luggage handle/wheels. However, the wheels may increase the size of the luggage by up to 5 cm.”
Júlia, a reader of utazomajom.hu, a Hungarian travel news website, wrote that they bought 20kg of luggage, which they checked in as usual. There was no problem during the security check of the bag. Afterwards, they went to buy some things in the duty-free shops until the gates opened. That is when their ordeal started.
Júlia and her four friends arrived with identical-sized bags at the gates. The so-called carry-ons also had wheels. However, they knew about the above-written rule change.
Not that passenger-friendly?
Interestingly, one of the bags was taken out, saying that the bag is Priority size (55 × 40 × 23 cm). Of course, the owner did not have a ticket for that. She wanted to measure her bag in the official Wizz Air bag checking device, but the crew refused to allow that even though it perfectly fit it, as you can see HERE, on the image utazomajom.hu received from Júlia.
They fined the bag’s owner, so she had to pay an additional 38.5 GBP to carry the luggage on the plane. The airport official who issued the fine disappeared almost immediately after she was handed the bill. She added that, in Budapest, she did not have a problem with her bag. In London Luton, the officials inspecting her luggage were not dressed in the official Wizz Air uniform.
Wizz Air chosen as worst airline for short flights
Brits say Wizz Air is the worst airline for short trips. The Hungary-based airline serves passengers from eight UK airports. These include Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Luton.
Wizz Air received low ratings
Less than half of those surveyed, just under 48 percent, were satisfied with the Hungarian low-cost airline’s service. Meanwhile, Ryanair received 52 percent, Eurowings 53 percent and British Airways 56 percent, Telex reports.
Which? asked around 8,000 Britons about airlines providing short-haul travel back in October 2022. Participants were asked to rate the boarding experience, the quality of the cabin and the comfort of the seats. Jet2.com achieved the highest score of 80 percent, followed by Turkish Airlines with 78 percent.
The passengers surveyed gave Wizz Air only one star out of five for the boarding experience, the cabin and how comfortable the seats are. They gave no more than two stars in other categories, including value for money and cleanliness.
Airlines like Jet2.com have excellent customer service
According to Which? travel editor Rory Boland, passengers have had a tough time in recent years. One of the main reasons is that last-minute delays and cancellations have been unacceptably common. “While airlines such as Jet2.com have excelled at providing excellent customer service and a reliable service to passengers, many of their competitors cannot match this.”
Their assessment is that Wizz Air should be avoided because of their poor customer service record. A spokesperson for the airline told The Guardian that Wizz Air does its best to ensure that its passengers arrive on time and with minimal delays.
“Wizz Air operates a fleet of brand new, state-of-the-art Airbus aircraft, with an average age of 4.6 years, which offer passengers comfort, space and modern interiors. The A321neo features the widest single-aisle cabin configuration with 239 18-inch-wide seats. Every aircraft is cleaned after each flight and deep cleaned every night,”
the spokesperson added.
Read alsoOfficial: Budapest airport bus ticket price increases drastically
PHOTOS: Secondary education abroad – what is worth knowing?
Many parents are considering enrolling their teenage child in a foreign secondary school for a longer or shorter period. Spending months, or even years, in an international, mother-tongue environment undoubtedly benefits students in terms of their studies, personal development, language skills and friendships.
However, choosing the right institution and a secure environment, and exploring the possibilities, can be a headache, as every country’s education system is different. In some countries, students study 15 subjects, in others six or only three. For some reason, it is easier to get into Oxford University if you are studying 3 subjects at secondary school rather than 15, which is seen as a disadvantage rather than an advantage. In some countries, schools are all about learning; students take part clubs or trainings outside of school, in other organisations. However, in England, for example, all student clubs, including music and sports, are available within the school.
Despite the huge variety of countries, schools and curricula, there are many programmes that are recognised and identical all over the world. These include the British A-level programme, the International Baccalaureate (IB), the German Abitur and the American High School Diploma.
How should we choose between the many options? What should you look out for when choosing a school? What is the difference between the school system abroad and the system here? Which school and which programme is ideal for your child? There are many questions to ask – this article aims to provide useful information to help you get started.
United Kingdom – the leader of English-speaking secondary educatio
The United Kingdom is a country famous worldwide for its boarding schools, most of which have been in existence for centuries. Today, these schools are progressive, up-to-date educational institutions with excellent infrastructure, material and technical base, state-of-the-art laboratories, strong teachers, excellent conditions for sports and extra-curricular activities. The most important task of the school is to motivate the student, to create the conditions to develop his curiosity, his desires and his capacity to learn. “We teach not for school, but for life” – the motto of English boarding schools. Lessons are only one part of the teaching and learning process. A great deal of attention is paid to extra-curricular activities, which reveal talents and abilities that are difficult to show while sitting at the school desk. These schools have dance and theatre studios, music and art studios, and unlimited sporting opportunities.
Most graduates of private boarding schools go on to study at top universities not only in the UK but also in the Netherlands, the USA and Canada. The English school curriculum is now used in many countries, including Canada, Spain and the United States.
Type of school
There are schools that are more selective (entrance tests in several subjects) and less selective; co-educational or boys’ and girls’ schools. In addition to traditional boarding schools, there are also so-called “Sixth Form Colleges” for secondary school pupils, where there is no compulsory standard curriculum and learning takes place in small classes (6-8 students), with maximum use of an individual approach. Such schools are suitable for motivated students who want to manage their own time and prefer a university-like atmosphere.
Education programme
The British system means that all students study the same subjects up to the age of 14, maximising their general knowledge of most subjects. At the age of 14, a two-year GCSE programme begins, at the end of which, at the age of 16, all students sit exams in 3-4 subjects directly related to their academic goals. For example, a student with a strong humanities background is not required to study mathematics, but can study history, literature and foreign languages in depth.
In Europe and the United States, many schools also offer the IB (International Baccalaureate) international programme, where students choose 6 subjects from a suggested block. They study 3 subjects at intermediate level and 3 subjects at advanced level. The IB includes a compulsory 4,000-word essay, voluntary work and a subject such as Theory of Knowledge. Universities around the world value the IB programme and recognise this qualification.
Choosing to study abroad is not easy; it is a very responsible step. However, the experience abroad can benefit your child in every way, so it is worth finding out more about the options. Here at home, the Baltic Council for International Education’s experienced advisers will be happy to help you choose the right institution and secondary school programme, and you will also have the opportunity to meet representatives from a number of schools abroad at the free Education Abroad Fair on 25 March (Crowne Plaza Hotel Budapest).
The reality of Hungarian expats abroad: pasta in Italy costs half the price
Inflation has of course risen worldwide, but the increase in prices is quite different across countries.
The Hungarian TV channel RTL reported on how much prices have risen in other countries compared to Hungarian inflation. The staff contacted Hungarians living in Germany, Italy, Scotland, the United States and Mexico.
Germany
László Mándity, who has been living in Germany for 7 years, earns around EUR 2,000 a month. He also pays rent, but says that even now, during the economic crisis, he is managing to make ends meet without having to cut back on costs. He says that when he visited Hungary recently, he was shocked by the price of food. In Germany, he has not seen such drastic price differences since the crisis started. In Hungary, the price of the Hungarian Pick salami surprised him the most. While the same product is HUF 2,254 (EUR 5.81) in Germany, it is around HUF 5,000 (EUR 12.88) in Hungary. In addition, the report says that other foods’ prices are also not that high in Germany compared to Hungary. This is not that surprising, given that German food inflation was 20.7 percent last December, half the rate in Hungary.
Italy
Kati Bene, who lives in Italy, says she feels the price rises and is therefore more careful about how much she spends. But she says the situation is not as bad in Italy as it is in Hungary.
RTL highlights the price of Italian pasta as an illustration of prices. While one of the cheapest pasta in Italy costs the equivalent of HUF 277 (EUR 0.71), in Hungarian shops, customers have to pay twice as much. While food inflation was 3.6 percent in January last year, it had risen to 13.3 percent by December.
Scotland
Living in Scotland, Zsuzsi works as an assistant, while her husband delivers pizzas, and they have 3 children. Although she says they still do not have to save much, they are aware of the price changes. However, she stresses that the social safety net there is much stronger than in Hungary and that there are even more job opportunities than before. In the UK, food inflation rose from 4.8 percent in January last year to 17 percent in December.
United States
Food inflation in the US was 6.7 percent last January. This compares to a very small increase of 10.4 percent in December. Nevertheless, Mariann, who lives in Las Vegas, is feeling the price increase. According to her, while she used to spend USD 80-120 a week on groceries in previous years, she now spends around USD 180 a week.
Mexico
In Mexico, food inflation rose from 12 percent last January to just 12.7 percent in December. The price of basic food items costs about the same as in Hungary. But restaurant prices are surprisingly low.
According to Balázs Sümegi, an economic expert interviewed by RTL, it is unlikely that we will pay less for food this year. Unfortunately, he says, people will have to get used to the fact that the prices of a year or two ago will not return.
Read alsoHungary’s solar feed-in halt threatens EU funds access
Buda Castle among the most popular castles in Europe
There are countless historic sites across Europe that offer the feeling of travelling back in time by visiting them. And among these sites, the best way to confront history while still enjoying stunning scenery is to visit a castle.
However, it can be a difficult decision for anyone who wants to choose which castle is the most worth visiting on a trip to Europe. According to the travel agency The Thinking Traveller, one of the best ways to choose such a destination is to look at which locations are most often featured on Social Media. After going through millions of Instagram hashtags, the travel agency has compiled a list of the top 15 most Instagrammed castles.
Buda Castle
The Buda Castle (Budapest, Hungary) was ranked 8th on the list, even beating the Palace of Versailles in France.
The Buda Castle is perhaps one of the most famous places in Budapest, so it’s not such a surprise that pictures taken there are trending on Instagram. The complex is currently home to the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. The castle and its neighbourhood have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987. The castle served as the seat of the Hungarian kings from the 13th century. Although its history has been full of turbulent turns, tourists can still admire the castle and its neighbourhood in beautifully preserved condition. Visitors will find many medieval monuments, 17th-18th century houses and charming cobbled streets in the castle district. In addition, the basement system beneath the castle and the caves with thermal water beneath the hill are also exceptional.
With the hashtag #budacastle, Buda Castle is featured in 205,807 posts on Instagram.
Top 3 castles in Europe
1. Tower of London – London, England
The first place was taken by the Tower of London. A total of 647,112 people used the hashtag #toweroflondon on Instagram. The tower built after the Norman Conquest served as a prison for centuries. However, today, as the number of Instagram posts shows, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions.
2. Edinburgh Castle — Edinburgh, Scotland
The hashtag #edinburgcastle was used in a total of 646,244 posts. One of the most interesting features of the castle is that it was built on top of an extinct volcano. The iconic building is one of Scotland’s most important national heritage sites and also a favourite among tourists.
3. Mont Saint-Michel — Normandy, France
The castle is a real hidden treasure, as it is located on a small island with a population of only about 30 people. Historically, the castle has played an important defensive role, as its isolation has made it easy to keep invaders from invading the castle. The hashtag #montsaintmichel has been used 596,062 times on Instagram.
Hungarian Wizz Air in trouble: several popular flights could be cancelled
The Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizz Air, is struggling in West Europe but is performing well in the East. However, the company’s troubles with several Western routes may result in a flight cancellation wave affecting even Hungary and Budapest.
Wizz Air struggling in West Europe
According to simpleflying.com, Wizz Air’s Western flights to popular winter destinations like Chania (Greece), Funchal (Madeira, Portugal), Tenerife South (Spain), Keflavik (Greece), Malaga (Spain), and Ohrid (North Macedonia), Olsztyn-Mazury (Poland), and Palanga (Lithuania) will be ceased. The author, James Pearson, explained the reason that all the flights on those routes appear as ‘sold out’ in the company’s booking system.
He wrote that Wizz Air cut more routes than other airlines due to the speed of its expansion “and the experimentation of specific routes, although projected demand and performance are fully forecasted.” The author says the Hungarian low-cost airline’s performance was worse in West Europe. For instance, they cannot operate extremely popular flights like the one between London-Gatwick and Tenerife (Spain) profitably. The seat load factor a week before the departure of a plane in January was only 38 pc, Mr Person wrote. The market is supposed to be thriving in that month. Almost 100 thousand passengers flew between London and Tenerife in January 2020, he added.
Wizz Air leaves England, Italy?
When examining the reasons why Wizz Air has been performing poorly in West Europe, the author mentions the lack of brand awareness. On top of that, there are many delays, cancellations and schedule changes. That generates distrust and paints the airline in an unfavourable light regarding reliability. Although it is cheap in West Europe, customers do not tolerate poor service.
Okosutas.hu says that Wizz Air would not necessarily cancel the London flights. It might lower their frequency if they cannot bring the requested seat reservation rates. However, they argue that despite Wizz Air offering seats for EUR 10 between London and Tenerife, Madeira, they could not fill their planes with travellers. Thus, there must be some underlying issues.
The Hungarian media outlet specialising in travel news says that Wizz Air’s Eastern European flights were very popular among tourists and employees working abroad. However, the company struggles with the West routes. For example, EasyJet can fill their planes with passengers for GPB 50-60, while Wizz Air cannot do so despite they offer tickets for only GBP 10.
In England, Wizz Air entered an intense competition, which they do not seem to win. Okosutas.hu believes one factor may have been the extremely high baggage prices.
Okosutas.hu reckons that the low-cost airline would not pump money forever into its expansion in Italy and the United Kingdom. The question is where they will shift their focus next provided they leave those two above-mentioned markets.
Read alsoWizz Air chaos: Hungarians stuck in Abu Dhabi without food, water
Experiment: Life in Hungary is more expensive than in Western Europe
It is no new information for anyone living in Hungary that prices have never been higher. Food prices, raw material and commodity prices, the price of services, prices in the hospitality industry. In other words, we have to pay much more for much less than one, two and three years ago. But how do Hungary’s prices compare to those of Germany and England or even the Netherlands, i.e. Western Europe? Rtl.hu investigated this with the help of Hungarian families who have moved abroad.
Where is food cheaper: in Hungary or in Western Europe?
Where do chicken breasts, pasta, milk and some other staple foods cost less, Hungary or Western Europe? Rtl.hu asked Hungarian families who had moved abroad to buy the same products in the same quantities and then compared the prices with those here. According to an expert speaking to rtl.hu’s show Házon kívül, wage differentials and skyrocketing inflation mean that Hungarian families can now spend twice as much of their earnings on food as those in Western Europe.
Rtl.hu asked Hungarian families living in Western Europe to buy the following things:
- half a kilo of chicken breast
- 200 grams of butter
- a packet of spaghetti
- a litre of milk with 2.8 percent fat
- ten eggs
They have chosen products that are easy to compare. That is why bread, for example, was left out. The selected products were then also purchased by rtl.hu’s crew in Hungary. Afterwards, an expert was interviewed about the reasons for the price increase and what to expect in the coming months.
- Read also: Hungarians are flocking abroad to buy fuel
The Netherlands: butter is way cheaper
Eszter and her family live in Groningen, the Netherlands. “The cheapest butter is 1 euro 79 cents,” she said, pointing to a 250-gram package of butter. This is a little over HUF 700: the same butter could be twice as much in Hungary. According to Eszter Valkó, the rise in prices is also noticeable in the Netherlands, but people are not particularly concerned.
The UK: people are not concerned with price increases
Dénes Horváth lives in Guildford, UK, with his family. They also see some price increases, but they say it is not significant. As most people are earning well, Dénes says prices are not really a concern. “It is not really a topic of conversation, neither with the Hungarians here nor with the British.” “If the cost of a big purchase goes up from GBP 60 to, say, GBP 70, it is still a tiny fraction of the average salary, so they do not panic. Most people are still left with more than they need to live on at the end of the month,” Dénes explains.
Germany: Csabai sausage is cheaper than in Hungary
Eszter Kazinczi from Vilshofen, Bavaria said that as opposed to some time ago, now it is not worth doing the big shopping in Hungary when she comes home. What is shocking is that she can buy most of the typical Hungarian products can be purchased in Bavaria for a cheaper price. “A sausage from Békéscsaba [csabai kolbász] costs 1 euro 50 cents. At home, it would have cost over a thousand forints to buy it last time,” she told rtl.hu.
Since VAT is also much lower in Germany, there is not much else worth buying at home. “We stopped buying clothes, shoes, things like that in Hungary a long time ago,” says Eszter. Although the increase was moderate, Eszter says that many employers have increased wages. “They are trying to help workers in this difficult situation, my workplace, for example, took the initiative by itself.” She says price rises are not really a topic of discussion in Germany either.
Summary: Hungary vs Western Europe
Here are the results. Shopping was the most expensive in the Netherlands. There, Eszter Valkó shopped partly in a market and partly in a shop. She paid HUF 4643 (EUR 11.77). Shopping in England was the second most expensive. Since Dénes Horváth only received a one-kilo package of chicken breast and pasta, we only compared half of their prices, at under GBP 10. He paid HUF 4410 (EUR 11.18).
Shopping in Hungary cost HUF 4176 (EUR 10.59). With price-capped milk (which rtl.hu did not get anywhere), it would have been slightly cheaper, but even so, they could not beat Eszter Kazinczi. The supermarket in Germany was the cheapest: Eszter paid less than EUR 10, or HUF 3,811 (EUR 9.65), for the five products she bought.
Is there any difference?
In Western Europe, in many cases, you can buy better quality organic food at roughly the same price as at home. However, there is a big difference: the salary, which you have to use to pay for your shopping. “In Western Europe, wages are two to three times higher than in Hungary. That is why people are better off in Germany or the Netherlands. That is why they were not so shocked by the food price increase, which was not as high there as in Hungary,” explains Portfolio analyst József Hornyák.
Hungarians spend twice as much of their income on food consumption alone as people in developed Western European countries, he adds. What is more, there is still no room to breathe a sigh of relief. The analyst says that the peak of inflation is still ahead of us and will only come down in the second half of the year, if all goes well.
