Mentoring foreign students: next year of the Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network

After the first, pilot year, the mentor network prepares for its next year. What is the future direction in mentoring and what changes can we expect? We talked with Tamás Kaizinger, the executive of Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network.

DNH: The success of the  program can be easily  measured by the number of students who apply to take part in it. How many students do you expect to come  to Hungary this year?

Kaizinger: It is very hard to tell now: we know how many students have applied to take part in higher education somewhere in Hungary, this number is  around 28 000 people. From this amount, the Hungarian government secures matriculation for 5 600 people. Those are the ones, who can come to a Hungarian higher educational institution. Besides, students are very wise and apply to different scholarships, meaning that the number of students that will surely start their education in Hungary is around  3 300. 

DNH: What can you offer in terms of mentoring for those who come here?

Kaizinger: Getting accepted by the Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) scholarship has lots of advantages: the students don’t have to pay e. g. for their tuition fees, for housing, moreover,  they even receive health insurance. This is completed by the SH scholarship itself.

To each newcomer we appoint a mentor who helps the foreign student’s integration to the Hungarian higher educational system. This can mean administration, guidance, or anything that effects a foreign student’s life and education. With this work we try to give back the feeling of safety to each student.

DNH: What difficulties are there for students coming from abroad?

Kaizinger:

Students coming here are mostly between 18 and 20 years. Some of them even fly here from thousands or ten thousands of kilometres far, to a different social, economic and religious cultural space. There is a lot of psychological stress: stress about grades at university, homesickness or even financial problems. These difficulties also effect the Hungarian students, but for foreign students this phenomenon is present multiple times – just  think about the fact that flying home to China isn’t necessarily simple or cheap.

DNH: How can mentoring help to overcome such problems?

Kaizinger: After the mentor and the foreign student got in touch with each other, we organize trainings in September and October where students can acquire skills on different learning methodologies, financial and time management tips and cultural differences. The attendance of students is completely free-will at these events. Needless to say, the strong relationship between the mentor and his/her student may include daily conversations about what to do or how to deal with the upcoming problems.