Institute of Business Economics Organizes Successful Summer University

2019.07.29.
Institute of Business Economics Organizes Successful Summer University
ELTE’s Institute of Business Economics (IBE) organized its first summer university – ELTE Business Economics Summer University – between 15th and 29th of July; the event was very much liked by the participating students, due to its well-organized and interesting programs. Students could not only obtain credits for their work but could also broaden their perspective.

IBE offered students interesting topics and exciting lecturers. The one-week courses covered many issues from business communication through managerial accounting, the operation of international business networks and economic policy to critical analysis of studies devoted to international comparative analysis of consumer behavior. The atmosphere was highly congenial. Students and instructors were mutually satisfied with each other partly in virtue of the fact that intensive work in small groups has a different feel than large classes meeting once a week.

Hungarian and foreigner students got on well almost immediately, and spent so much time together after the courses, not only because high level knowledge of English was an entry requirement, but also because the students were open-minded and interested in other cultures. Among international students Germany had the strongest representation with three students, the second place was shared by Spain and Turkey. The prize for coming from the most distant place went to a student from Bangladesh. The Hungarian student body was equally colorful, ranging from 1st year BA students to 30+ MBA students, even including an ELTE alumnus from the IT industry.

The schedule was the same both weeks. Classes started at 9 am and lasted till the early afternoon with two coffee breaks, except on Monday, when classes started at 11 am because of the registration of new students and, on the second week, because of the exams closing the first week. Each Monday a welcome party was organized in Könyvtár Klub, where Gábor Forrai, the organizer of the event, greeted the students and the professors with a glass of champagne and a short speech. 

On Wednesday evenings lectures were given prominent representatives of business life, laying out their own views on some topics also discussed in the courses. The first lecture was held by András Bohák, the Executive Director and Head of Risk Management and Liquidity Core Research at MSCI (the provider of the MSCI stock market index), the second by Tamás Simonyi, Director of KPMG’s Financial Institutions Merger and Acquisition Department. Neither lecture finished on time: students stayed in the room to continue the conversation with the lecturer.

To have a chance to get to know Budapest and not only the business economics, both Thursdays students could participate in a city walk, led by a student from the faculty of arts. On the first week they walked from the Parliament to Margaret Island, and even students from Budapest could learn new things. On the second week they walked from the Dohány Street synagogue to the Heroes’ Square and were given crash course on the history of Hungary.

Courses ended on Friday and students received their elegant certificate of attendance. They are also going to get a less ornamental but more useful document, the transcript on basis of which they will be awarded credits by their home institutions. The Hungarian students were in more favorable situation, because it was announced earlier how the Summer University courses will be accepted by IBE.

Saturday was the day of excursion. On the first week the destination was Szentendre, where one of the participants, who lives in Szentendre showed everything from the Santa Claus Museum to Templomdomb. Students didn’t miss out Hungarian langosh and typical Hungarian cakes either. On the second week they visited the Elisabeth Lookout on Jánoshegy, taking the chairlift, and continued their tour to the Tomb of Gül Baba.

The end of the Summer University was like the end of a summer camp. We were sad that it’s ended and that we had to say goodbye to our new friends. Many students said that they would like to come next year as well. It is rumored that some of the guest professors said that they would very much like to return next year. 

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