Budapest
text by ReROOT site researchers Márton Bisztrai and Anna Tóth (MEN)
Edited by Cornelia Tippel (ILS) and Mary Hogan (KUL)
Edited by Cornelia Tippel (ILS) and Mary Hogan (KUL)
Stipendium Hungaricum students in Budapest encounter common problems in the integration field such as language barriers, discrimination in the housing market, unemployment, lack of information, loneliness, exclusion in bureaucracy and culture shock. These single elements appear in a broader framework in the context of the weak and limited social connections between the students, especially between locals and internationals. It prevents students from developing collective initiatives to influence their environment and cope with the problems at a community level. The main goal of the platform-building process in this context was to help students connect and enable them to articulate their challenges, find solutions, and actively generate changes. Thus, a project-based community-building platform was designed where students learn how to implement cooperative activities in order to strengthen their arrival infrastructures employing different community engagement methodologies, such as participatory forum theatre, developing a case study among Pakistani students, and starting stakeholder meetings to build better connections and map existing integration activities and opportunities.
The results of field research showed that Stipendium Hungaricum students encounter common problems in the integration field. A few examples highlight the common problems: language barriers, discrimination in the housing market, unemployment, lack of information, loneliness, exclusion in bureaucracy and culture shock. These single elements appear in a broader framework in the context of the weak and limited social connections between the students, especially between locals and internationals. On the one hand, this is a reason for many individual challenges; on the other, it prevents students from developing collective initiatives to influence their environment and cope with the problems at a community level. Students connect only in small circles and often lose motivation to go beyond, despite the community-building efforts of the university and the student council. There is no formal body at the student community level that deals with international students' problems.
Our main platform-building goal was to help students connect and enable them to articulate their challenges, find solutions, and actively generate changes. We designed a project-based community-building platform where students learn how to implement cooperative activities in order to strengthen their arrival infrastructures. We also aimed to create and maintain grassroots, bottom-up governance and democratic functioning.
Our main platform-building goal was to help students connect and enable them to articulate their challenges, find solutions, and actively generate changes. We designed a project-based community-building platform where students learn how to implement cooperative activities in order to strengthen their arrival infrastructures. We also aimed to create and maintain grassroots, bottom-up governance and democratic functioning.
In parallel, we ran two activities.
- We tested different community engagement methodologies, such as participatory forum theatre, developing a case study among Pakistani students, or searching for opportunities to share earlier research findings with the student community.
- We started stakeholder meetings to build better connections and map existing integration activities and opportunities.
Target groups
In our field research, we concentrated on third-country national students with Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) scholarships. In setting the framework, we sought to ensure that participants represented the diversity of the university community. We targeted Bachelor and Master's students from the European Union, Hungary and outside of the EU. The funding format was also variable; the group consisted of fee-paying, Erasmus funded and students on Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. Two-thirds of the participants identified as female and one-third as male. Serbia, Mongolia, Brazil, Ecuador, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Italy, Germany, Finland, Vietnam, Russia, Iraq and Hungary were the countries of origin
In our field research, we concentrated on third-country national students with Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) scholarships. In setting the framework, we sought to ensure that participants represented the diversity of the university community. We targeted Bachelor and Master's students from the European Union, Hungary and outside of the EU. The funding format was also variable; the group consisted of fee-paying, Erasmus funded and students on Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. Two-thirds of the participants identified as female and one-third as male. Serbia, Mongolia, Brazil, Ecuador, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Italy, Germany, Finland, Vietnam, Russia, Iraq and Hungary were the countries of origin
Lessons Learned and Open Questions
Integration of Research and Action:
Ethical Considerations:
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:
Adaptive Strategies:
Long-Term Vision:
- Successful transformative actions are closely tied to rigorous research.
- Researchers should actively engage with practitioners and policymakers to ensure that research findings inform practical solutions.
- Balancing theoretical exploration with practical implementation is crucial.
Ethical Considerations:
- Transformative actions must align with ethical principles.
- Researchers and practitioners should be mindful of potential harm and unintended consequences.
- Ethical guidelines should guide decision-making throughout the process.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:
- Collaboration among diverse stakeholders (academics, community members, policymakers) enhances the effectiveness of transformative actions.
- Engaging stakeholders early in the process fosters buy-in and ensures relevance.
Adaptive Strategies:
- Transformative actions require flexibility and adaptability.
- Regular assessment and adjustment based on feedback and changing circumstances are essential.
Long-Term Vision:
- Balancing short-term goals with a long-term vision is critical.
- Sustainable change often requires persistence and commitment over time.
