University of Pécs – Visibility, attention, integration

Interview the head of the Centre for Internationalization and Connections (CIC) at the University of Pécs, Dr. István Tarrósy.

CIC well may be one of the largest newly established organizations within the cabinet of the new rectoral management. What is its purpose?

Indeed, this new unit serves as an umbrella for the former Foreign Affairs Directorate, the Marketing Department,  UnivTV, UnivPécs and the Career Office. In accordance with the rationalizing and dynamizing expectations of the rectoral programme, we are striving to bring those units closer which have operated separately but all worked on making the university more visible. I expect dynamic and sped up work from the new centre, improving the visibility of the university both at the national and the international scene. When we are speaking of international and national enrolment, it is worth to think about how these surfaces meet in the fields of visibility, campaigns and communication. The same expectations are true in case of the university media: the aim is a dynamic, integrated editorial board serving the purpose of visibility. We are also planning to renew the image of the university, however, we must not hurry, and we will need to elaborate on it thoroughly.

We are only at the beginning of the process, and there are plans to call for tenders internally, expecting the participation of innovative cross-disciplinary student teams.

You have mentioned enrolment: the number of active international students has increased to 4,100, and there are even more in the rectoral programme. What are the tendencies and further trends?

A quarter of our international students taking part in full programmes are on grants. The Hungarian government opened up a new dimension in internationalizing higher education in our country by launching the  Stipendium Hungaricum programme. Besides programmes that already had been international – such as medical and healthcare education – all the other fields could start to catch up, especially by developing bachelor and master programmes in foreign languages. It is a great opportunity for the University of Pécs: the Medical School had 60% of the total number of foreign students until 2015, while now this rate has decreased by 10%, while the total number of international students has nearly doubled. That is, it is not the numbers of the Medical School dropping but the other faculties catching up or improving their already existing programmes. The Medical school still remains the flagship of internationalization, the one with the most experience in international education. The other faculties can develop internationally attractive and luring programmes based on the increasing amount of experience. And while the number of students on grants has increased more significantly, the total increase is not owing only to them.

We can see that there is a demand for the international programmes offered by UP in the market as well.

By the way, similar grant programmes were implemented for developing areas, including Africa, in the ‘70s and ‘80s: a minority of those students chose to settle and start a family here, they were integrated, but most of them returned home because they wanted to contribute to the development of their own countries. By obtaining a competitive degree in Hungary, they had an advantage in the employment market, which also have brought on connections and relationships that are still active. It is an advantage for us as well when an international student studies in Hungary: it can bring commercial agreements and investments later. An alumni network has serious potentials as well.

The main concern around Stipendium is what will happen if the resources are cut back.

We can certainly see that the government has doubled the national budget of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme! We are also familiar with the development plans, which have been outlined to receiving institutions by Tempus Foundation, the organization co-ordinating the programme at a national level. On the basis of all these, we can say that the programme is stably functioning and offers an opportunity to improve our international portfolio in a way that attracts and/or keeps foreign students in our fee-paying trainings.

Parallel to this direction, we have reinforced our efforts aimed at international enrolment, since we are present at several educations fairs worldwide, and we are building up networks with the help of secondary school advisors.

We also need to invite the representatives of headhunting and recruiting companies so that they can see where the students recruited by them will study. We also have launched our Student Ambassador Programme, based on our international students already studying here. They represent UP in their respective countries during their studies and after completing them: they are the ones who can convey their experience in their own cultures and in their own languages in the best way, and convince their peers that it is worth to come to study at UP.

The development of new devices is important, too. That is why we have introduced the use of DreamApply, which is used by each faculty of the UP, moreover, Tempus Public Foundation channels the applications of every Stipendium student in this system. It is a user-friendly, transparent system dynamizing not only application but everyday contact and communication with students, making the work of the colleagues handling their administration much easier. I think it has been a big step forward.