Europe's students are ambitious, educated, cosmopolitan and no longer tied to local areas. It is no longer an exception that they will study and work in more than five countries in their future. Many of them therefore want to study primarily in an international and interdisciplinary manner in order to be better prepared for their future professional lives. Romy Ruppert also reflects this zeitgeist. The Berliner is studying international relations for a master's degree at Andrássy University Budapest (AUB). The Hungarian capital is one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in Europe and attracts thousands of students every year. At AUB you can study German-language courses in the areas of politics and diplomacy, economics and management, history and culture as well as law and administration. In the interview she talks about her life in Budapest, her studies and her dreams for the future.
Romy, why did you decide to study at Andrássy University Budapest?
I fell in love with Budapest on a Danube cruise in the summer of 2014. My mom saw a report about studying in Budapest and a student from Andrássy University Budapest was interviewed. I then looked around on the homepage and found the range of courses on offer very exciting. You can study international relations at many universities at home and abroad, but the connection to diplomacy is unique here. The AUB is also supported by many renowned lecturers, and the support from the lecturers is also excellent.
And why did you want to do your master’s degree abroad instead of in Germany?
I would like to study abroad again. After I had already studied in Athens, Los Angeles and Cambridge, I definitely wanted to complete at least one semester abroad during my master's degree. In the end, I was so impressed by the course at AUB that I wanted to spend my entire degree here in Budapest, despite acceptances from German universities as well. I would like to work in an international organization or at the Foreign Office later on - that obviously suggests that you can also get along well outside of Germany and gain experience abroad.
What is the atmosphere like at the university?
The university had 250 students enrolled in the winter semester 16/17, around 50 of whom were Erasmus students. Due to the small groups (our course consists of 36 students), you come into contact with your fellow students very quickly and there is a lively exchange, especially between the different nationalities, for which I am very grateful. The majority of students in my class are Germans and Hungarians, but there are also students from Albania, Argentina, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and Uzbekistan, which leads to a very stimulating exchange of knowledge. I probably wouldn't have had this intensive experience at a German university. In addition, there is good support from the professors, which I have never experienced before. Even if there are fixed office hours, they are always open to us and are very easy to reach. Although there are also some guest lecturers at Andrássy University Budapest, who usually only come to us for a course or a semester, the support here is of high quality. I have already studied at universities where it is not the name that is of interest, but only the student number. You will never experience this here!
How do you feel about the quality of the studies? Is knowledge also conveyed practically?
Personally, I was very positively surprised by the course. Although there are a lot of courses offered that only have 3 ECTS credits, this means that many more thematically very differentiated courses are also offered. This allowed me to deal with topics that I hadn't previously focused on. In addition, the university's premises are of a very high standard, the technology is state-of-the-art, and the rooms are bright and modern. The area of diplomacy, which is particularly relevant to me and my future work area, is very well staffed with former or current diplomats. Excursions to international organizations at home and abroad and thematically corresponding trips (including to the Foreign Office in Berlin, to the European Parliament in Brussels, to Serbia, Austria and Switzerland) show how theoretical knowledge can be applied in practice.
Is Budapest a great city for students?
The city is great for students! The low cost of living makes it possible to eat out with fellow students more often or to end the day in bars and pubs. I think it's particularly great that there are so many young people here, which is also reflected in the leisure activities on offer. Sporting activities are particularly widespread, but cinemas that show films in the original language also show that Budapest sees itself as an international city. There are of course countless museums, galleries and coffee houses where you can soak up the flair of a European city with history. It definitely helps to learn a few sentences of Hungarian as it makes it easier to communicate easily. I found Hungarians to be very sociable, helpful and interested people.
Studying abroad - Berliner Romy Ruppert talks about her experiences in Budapest.
