International Coordinators Meet in Kecskemét

2025-12-04 10:00

This year, the John von Neumann University hosted one of the largest gatherings in higher education, the National Meeting of International Coordinators, organized by the Tempus Public Foundation.

More than 220 participants from 46 institutions were present at the Kecskemét event to discuss the current issues, trends, and challenges of internationalization. Participants could choose from more than 20 program elements—roundtable discussions, sections, networking events, and workshops—and nearly 40 presenters shared their thoughts over the three days.

The central theme of the meeting this year was change. As Prof. Dr. sc. Sanja Sever Mališ, a guest speaker from the University of Zagreb, highlighted: “Higher education is becoming borderless through international mobility and digital learning, and universities must adapt to new paradigms and ‘global standards.’”

The activity of the Tempus Public Foundation is about internationalization, emphasized CEO Richárd Bodrogi. Participation numbers are rising in all three flagship programs: the Pannónia Scholarship Program already has 8,160 outgoing students in one year; the Stipendium Hungaricum is a true success story, with nearly 12,000 foreign students expected to receive a scholarship this year; and preparations for the new program phase have begun in the Erasmus+ program. Furthermore, the Hungarian presidency phase of CEEPUS was also considered a success.

Richárd Bodrogi, CEO of the Tempus Public Foundation, speaking at the event's opening

At the international higher education coordinators’ meeting, participants were introduced to the new supplementary scholarship program, Campus Universe, which offers an excellent opportunity for both higher education staff and students and awaits applicants with significant funding. In the field of internationalization, monitoring international trends and participating in major international educational fairs are naturally unavoidable, so Hungarian participation in the NAFSA, EAIE, and CEEDUCON fairs was also discussed in several program elements.

In the section dedicated to international alumni, presenters summarized the challenges, potential solutions, and good practices that had been covered at joint events and workshops over the past eighteen months. Besides international and professional updates, participants also learned about novelties: for instance, the Higher Education Coordinator Workshop will launch from 2026, and applications will open soon. Additionally, the rich program also included communication and change management workshops. The focus of the presentations by trainer Nóra Bíró and psychologist Bence Péter Bíró was how real change starts in our mindset—on both individual and professional levels. Openness, adaptability, and cross-border cooperation are especially important for international coordinators. The invited speakers used practical examples to show how conscious communication can be used not only to follow but also to shape change.

The second day of the meeting concluded with a gala dinner, where the Coordinator Awards were presented in the following two categories:

Emerging Excellence Category

Erasmus+ program: Panna Ványi (National University of Public Service);
Stipendium Hungaricum Program and Diaspora Higher Education Scholarship Program: Nikolett Áder (Hungarian Dance University); Helga Borsos-Váli (Budapest Business School)
CEEPUS: Petra Berényi (Corvinus University of Budapest)

Master Coordinator Category

Erasmus+ program: Dr. Zsuzsanna Tarr (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences); Dr. Bíbor Klekner (Budapest University of Technology and Economics);
Stipendium Hungaricum Program and Diaspora Higher Education Scholarship Program: Lilla Almási-Fónai (University of Debrecen); Judit Talláromné Czingili (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences);
CEEPUS: Dr. Andor Pajrok (Eötvös József College)