Corvinus Offline - Corvinus World Edition (2014 autumn)

ISP Edition Volume 7 Issue no. 4, 2014

Contents History of Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The national holidays of Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hungarian culture in a nutshell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Did you know… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Those hungry Hungarians... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Gulyásleves, halászlé, palacsinta, dobostorta or the Hungarian cuisine in a nutshell. . . . . . . . 12 Liquid Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Great Hungarian Plain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Dunántúl Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Western Hungary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Region of the Lake Balaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The Little Plain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The North Hungarian Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Highlights of Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 One night in Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ruinpubs: the hidden corners of downtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Baths: The Turkish Empire in Budapest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Traveling and living in Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 The CUB Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Campuses on both sides of the Danube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Bachelor programmes at the Közgáz Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Bachelor programmes at the Buda Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Neptun and Moodle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Academic life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Academic calendar 2014 fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Libraries at Corvinus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 How to shape your student life at Corvinus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Events at Corvinus University of Budapest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Restaurants and Bars near the University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Sports at Corvinus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The International Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Contact Persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 HÖK – The Students’ Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Dear exchange students

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lthough the Corvinus University of Budapest was so named only since 2004, its predecessor institutions, the University of Ecomomic Sciences of Budapest (“Közgáz”) and the University of Horticulture and Food Sciences have longstanding traditions and history. These were the leading institutions of the economic, social sciences and agricultural education in Hungary. In 2003, the integration of these institutions created a unique opportunity for the new university both in research and education.

Corvinus University of Budapest considers knowledge as the primary value. It was also expressed in the choice of name – referring to the humanism and the Renaissance, the prominent role of science and the arts – as well as the university’s

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s the president of the Students’ Union of Corvinus University of Budapest I would like to warmly welcome you in our country. I can proudly say that you have chosen the best place for your abroad studies. I hope you will spend an unforgettable semester here with us; here in Hungary, here, in the heart of eastern-central Europe. Otherwise here comes the question: do you know where you are exactly? I guess the answer is a big “NO”. That is the reason, why we made this magazine. Among these pages you can find all of the information you will need during your stay. Are you interested in some university “secrets”, student life, parties, special events, the most important things about Hungary, or some culinary specialities? Now,

motto: Scientia Mea – adiutor meus: my knowledge is my helper.

Corvinus University strives to be “students-friendly” in all aspects, therefore next to high academic standards it provides high quality services in other areas to Hungarian and foreign students, including dormitory residence or IT services.

Wide range of student organisations, colleges for advanced studies also offer very high standard professional support and other programmes for students.

One of the most important tools in this is our university’s website, which provides accurate and updated information for those interested in our university.

I encourage you, as our valued visitor to browse through our website.

We are happy to be available on phone or in person, and we hope to welcome you as our student.

Prof. Zsolt Rostoványi, Rector of Corvinus University of Budapest

you hold a short summary of them in your hand. Having finished reading this magazine you will have a lot of questions to answer. I would like to encourage you to turn to us when you need some help. We, the Students’ Union, will help you with everything that comes up to you. You are our university’s students for a while, so we represent not only the Hungarian students, but you too. I promise, you won’t be disappointed with us. I honestly hope that you will have a great time here with us at the Corvinus University of Budapest.

Collect lots of memorable moments and experience everything you are interested in!

That’s all I can wish for you.

Best regards, Norbert Kocsa, President of the Students’ Union Corvinus University of Budapest

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Dear Exchange Students,

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would like to welcome you on behalf of the Corvinus Students’ Media Centre at our university. Corvinus has a great tradition in university press, we have the oldest higher educational journal in our country (the monthly newspaper Közgazdász, you’ll see it). We made this magazine for you to help in the first weeks of your exchange semester: find the places inside and

outside the university, know where to go to eat and party, how to start sightseeing etc. I give you only one advice: use your time as effectively as you can and never put off anything. One semester seems to be long but it won’t be… Make plans for these months, explore Budapest and Hungary. I promise: it worths.

Have a wonderful time in our Budapest, welcome to Hungary!

Miklós Pekoli editor in chief Corvinus Students’ Media Centre

Dear Corvinus Students,

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elcome to one of the best and most international universities of Hungary in the centre of our capital city, Budapest! I can tell you these as facts because last semester 1653 non-Hungarian students chose our university as the place of their exchange program or as the institute of their higher education which is more than 10% of the total number of “Corvinus citizens”. We are one of the best universities according to the official Hungarian charts so there’s no doubt you chose well.

This magazine, Corvinus Offline

(Erasmus, ISP edition), shows you that our aim is to reflect the mentioned facts and to make your staying here more comfortable. You’ll find in this magazine all the most important events, schedules, informations about Hungary, the university and the fabulous students’ life in and around Corvinus. The aim of the International Relations Team is to involve you as well in “Közgáz” atmosphere. Közgáz is more than just the brandname of Campus of Pest but you’ll find out it’s much more. You made the first steps to get involved if you hold this magazine. I wish you an unforgettable semester here!

István Kárász Students’ Union Officer for International Relations

Impressum The official student’s magazine at Corvinus University of Budapest. Exchange edition.

Miklós Pekoli editor in chief István Kárász officer for international relations Katalin Balogh designer Authors: Zsófia Ács, Judit Bakonyi, Ádám Bágyi, Dániel Bözöri, Roland Hajdu, Lili Horváth, Réka Horváth, Ádám Juhász, Adrienn Kassai, Bence Kuti, András Matolcsy, István Kárász, Gábor Németh, Patrícia Orbán, János Pap, Gergő Pálfi, Lilla Stefanovszky, András Szabó, Rúben Szántó, Árpine Szárkiszján, Eszter Széplaky, Andrea Szilvási, Júlia Valentinyi

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Contributor: Students’ Union Publisher: the rector and the president of the Students’ Union of Corvinus University of Budapest Printing house: Dürer Nyomda Contact us: Corvinus Students’ Media Centre Address: 1093 Budapest, Fővám tér 8. E (main building) 233.

Phone: 06-1-482-5602 Email: media@bcehok.hu, kulugy@bcehok.hu Web: corvinusonline.blog.hu

History of Hungary When Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi was asked if he believed in extraterrestrials, he replied: “They are among us, but they call themselves Hungarians.”

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his small country is one of the oldest European countries, situated in the middle of the continent, in Central Europe. Hungarians speak a unique language and form a culture unlike any other in the region – and this distinctiveness has been both a source of pride and an obstacle for more than a millennium.

The Hungarians settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895, led by Árpád and the seven chieftains. In the next century, they carried out several raids in Europe, thereby generating the following prayer among others: “Save us, my Lord, from the arrows of the Hungarians.” Finally, the ruling prince Géza of the Árpád dynasty officially started to integrate Hungary into Christian Western Europe. His son, who became Saint Stephen, was the person who finished this procedure, and he became the first King of Hungary in 1000. The next three centuries were the Age of the Árpádian kings, which was the beginning of an adventurous historical epoch. Andrew III the Venetian was the last member of the Árpád dynasty on the paternal line. His reign ended in 1301, which brought in a new era. Hungary had many elected kings, one of the most famous of whom was Matthias Corvinus.

Have you heard of the Black Army, the origin of the CUB’s name or the occupation of Vienna? This is all with reference to him! In the sixteenth century, the Ottoman Empire attacked the Hungarian Kingdom. At that time, Hungary was a shield for Christianity and the defender of Western civilization, which cost the Hungarian nation a lot – for the country was divided into three parts for 150 years, causing a loss of population as well as ethnographic and economical upheavals. Then Hungary became part of the Habsburg Empire, who liberated the country with the help of the Holy League. In the nineteenth century, the Spring of Nations reached as far as Hungary too, and this led to the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the War of Independence of 1848-1849. The Habsburg Empire was able to defeat the Hungarians only with the help of the Russians. Following this defeat, the entire country was in a state of “passive resistance”.

In 1867, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise was reached, which created Austria-Hungary’s dual Monarchy. The era witnessed impressive economic development, thus the formerly backward Hungarian economy became relatively modern and industrialized. In the twentieth century, Hungary

had to fight in alliance with Germany, in World War I, which turned out to be a failure. Hungary lost 71% of its territory, and about one-third of the ethnic Hungarian population became minorities in neighboring countries. In World War II, Hungary was forced to fight against the Allies, since Germany put political pressure on the government. Soviet troops subsequently “liberated” Hungary, which gradually became a communist state within the sphere of rule of the Soviet Union.

The communist system led to the famous Hungarian Revolution of 1956, whose aftermath was a more “friendly” system of political rule. In 1989, Soviet troops proceeded to leave Hungary, and change of the system occurred. Finally, Hungary had become an independent, democratic state. Today’s Hungary is a Parliamentary republic, and the name of the current Prime Minister is Viktor Orbán. The population is around 10 million, though this figure keeps on decreasing. The capital city is Budapest, the “Pearl of the Danube”, and it is one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Hungary is one of the thirty most popular tourist destinations in the world; it is also home to the largest thermal water cave system and the second largest thermal lake. The biggest fresh-water lake in Central Europe is Lake Balaton, which is a natural paradise for visitors.

And there is something else that keeps bringing visitors back to us – the legendary Hungarian hospitality.

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The national holidays of Hungary Like every country, Hungary has its important public holidays, besides the continental ones such as Christmas and New Years Day. Many of these occasions became public holidays due to the date’s importance in the nation’s history. In pre-schools and high-schools there are usually memorial celebrations before these dates, but the day itself, is always given as a public holiday, even in universities. The whole nation is at rest.

October 23.

Let us start with the autumn semester. October 23rd celebrates the national day of the 1956 Revolution.

During this time Hungary was under the control of the Soviet Union, who had come and replaced the Germans. The revolt of 1956 first began simply as a student demonstration, a march through central Budapest to the Parliament, but as more and more people joined them, so their numbers swelled to thousands. The revolt spread across the country like quick fire and the government collapsed. The fighting people demanded political changes, free elections,

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and freedom. After announcing a willingness to negotiate, the Soviets changed their minds and moved in to crush the revolution. By January, all public opposition was suppressed. For over 30 years Hungarians weren’t even allowed to discuss the revolution in public. Only in 1989 was October 23rd declared a national holiday, at the initiation of the Third Hungarian Republic. Since then there is a national celebration at the Parliament every year, broadcasted on live television, besides the smaller ceremonies which every school has, where children dress in their best and wear rosettes in the Hungarian colours.

All Saints Day November 1 is All Saints Day, the day of remembering the dead. Graves of loved ones past are decorated with flowers and candles across the country, the Christian cemeteries visited by families and friends alike. Almost every family visits their hometown on this day, cleans up the graves of their ancestors and remembers them, revives their memory. Some only with the many flowers or candles they light in the dark, others by visiting the local church and saying prayers in their names.

Christmas December 25 as everyone knows, is Christmas Day. Public transports stops operating from around 4 pm the day before, as in Hungary the custom is to celebrate around the Christmas tree on the night of 24th, Christmas Eve. Here traditions are different in every family. There is always a special Christmas meal and then the presents arrive for the children. In some families Baby Jesus brings the presents, while in others an Angel. For us this isn’t the time of Santa Claus, him, we celebrate on December 6th, when he brings us chocolates and maybe books and oranges in our readied stockings, hung at the end of our beds.

This later date however is not a national holiday.

Of course December 25 and 26 are both national holidays, when all shops are closed and public transport goes rarely as well.

Easter Easter Sunday and Monday are celebrated on different days every year in April. Besides the Christian traditions of going to church for mass, Hungarians also have a custom of ‘sprinkling’. Men visit their women relatives and friends, recite versus of Easter poetry, asking their permission to sprinkle them with perfume. In return they receive painted or chocolate eggs. Children hunt for chocolate eggs in the garden, hidden by the Easter bunny and the day’s meal usually consists of ham, eggs and sweetbreads.

Labour Day and Pentecost May 1st is Labour Day, when we celebrate our accession to the EU. There are special programs, and as this coincides with May Day, there are outdoors celebrations of this spring holiday.

Pentecost Sunday and Monday, 50 days after Easter are also public holidays.

New Years Eve New Years Eve is also a continental celebration, which everyone celebrates with friends or family, the countdown and fireworks at midnight are not amiss in Hungary either. January 1st, New Years Day is the start of a new year for all. Hungarians have a tradition of eating lentil soup, which is supposed to bring wealth and prosperity. But eating poultry on the 1st, will make your luck go away for the rest of the year!

March 15.

Next is March 15th, a national holiday celebrating the Revolution of 1848. The 19th century was the time of European revolutions and the Hungarian Revolution was one of many across Habsburg occupied areas.

This revolt grew into a war for the independence of the Kingdom of Hungary, independence from the Austrian Empire and from its Habsburg monarchy.

The leaders, whose names are now forever graved in Hungarian history, were Lajos Kossuth, István Széchenyi, Sándor Petőfi and József Bem. The Liberals collected the famous “Ten Points”, their demands to the government. The revolution was brutally suppressed by Haynau, who ordered the execution of Prime Minister Batthyány and the 13 martyrs of Arad, who we mourn every year, on October 6th.

Saint Stephen’s Day August 20th is Saint Stephens Day, the celebration of Hungary’s first king Stephen and also the day of the foundation of state and the church. Our annual celebration is an amazing show of fireworks above the Danube River, which the people crowd the banks to watch. The entire day, there are all sorts of celebrations across Hungary.

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Hungarian culture in a nutshell Foreigners, who visit Hungary are likely to discover only on or a few segments of the country’s culture. They normally leave without knowing that they have missed worthy things to see, hear and feel, which are essential parts of becoming a real Hungarian – even if only for a few months. Let us give you a glimpse of the different arts Hungarian culture is rich in.

Theatre Theatricals have existed in Hungary since 1790; before that date, there were no performances named theatre pieces, though the habit of acting had been known and praticed by people. The first official pieces were translated from German and were staged by fugitive troupes. Then the second half of the early 1800’s brought a dramatic change: the very first Hungarian play was performed, and by opening a theatre in Budapest, the capital took the lead from the countryside.

The next new era of Hungarian theatricals started in the 1930’s and lasted until 1989. In this period of Hungarian history not only dramatics, but everything was strictly controlled by the government. Conversely – even though there were some times, when factual censure did not exist – the creativity of actors, directors, and other staff members was tied to the authority-inpower’s political intentions. By 1989, the year of the regime change, the restrictions and prohibitions were released, and a rapid development began, which has been in progress ever since.

Today, there are more than 200 theatres of all kind in Hungary: prosaic, alternative, puppet-shows, ballet, motional... Almost the half of them are situated in Budapest, which means there are a lot to select from for Corvinus’ exchange students. As a foreigner, it is worth looking for pieces in English (there are both permanent and temporary ones) or performances which do not require language knowledge (for instance dance). Going to the theatre counts as high-cultural activity among Hungarians, therefore dressing up for the occasion is strongly recommended.

Fine arts Hungary – as territory - already had a rich culture in the stone age, what technically means that a lot of ancient sculptures and drawings have been discovered in this area. Hungarian’s ancentors occupied the territory in 998, after having threatened the region with legendary grit for decades. Our virtue has been being distinguished, but it never fully 8 corvinusoffline

disappeared – the history of Hungarians depicts that well.

It may be all the adventures, tragedies, and victories in our story that make people forget about our art.

However our artists have been kept being there and not once being among the best since the nation had settled down. Antiquity, middle ages, renaissance, and modern history were also enriched with Hungarian talents and fine pieces of work. Some of the names you definitely want to look up (regardless to the type of their activity or the era they have been working in) are: Mihály Munkácsi, Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka, Victor Vasarely, Bertalan Székely, and Viktor Madarász.

Music It is weird to think about the fact that civilisations, which have not yet discovered the ability of singing of the elements of music, still exist. It is interesting to wonder about what defines societies’ affinity on producing music with their body or instruments. One thing is certain: Hungarians and their culture is full of music! It is enough to just think about the language, which is so often called melodic.

The history of Hungarian music starts with the aforementioned settling down. Two types of music began folding out then: liturgic Gregorian chants and outspoken folk songs were the first pieces written down. For a long time religion was Hungarian music’s refuge: during our thundery history, priests were the ones who had the time and chance to document and practice it. Of course, the „music of the people“ did not go extinct either: but it wasn’t recognized or appreciated, or even written down or recorded up until the late-1800s. Béla Bartók (1881-1945) and Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) were two Hungarian composers, experts in musicology, who realized: the nation had neglected a very precious treasure hidden right in the heart of the people. This was folk music, which – thanks to the two gentlemen’s persistent wandering and work – now is a more and more popular part of Hungarian culture. In the early years of modern history, the main musical activity

in Hungary was to set poems to music. From the 18th century on, many composers started to work as well, some of them were also able to live out of their talent. The Hungarian musician and piece which are definitely the most well-known by foreigners are Ferenc Liszt and his Hungarian Rapsody. It is probably more worth listening to, than some of today’s Hungarian songs, although – of course – nowadays’ bands have their cream as well.

Literature The oldest written record of Hungarians is the following: „feheruuaru rea meneh hodu utu rea”, which just as strange to us as to you. This sentence (or a part of it) was the only Hungarian in a Latin text, which suggests, at the time, our language was poorly developed. Even though Hungarian is known to be separated even from its near relatives, the first fully Hungarian text was only written sometime between 1192 and 1195. It consists of 26 lines and is basically a funereal speech. This piece, as significant part of Hungarian literature has been adapted countless times by artists of the later years. Ever since 1200, pieces of literature (poems, novels, letters...) have been being produced by more or less talented writers in various dialects of Hungarian language, sometimes ones containing foreign words or phrases.

It was not rare – especially among scientific works –, that a writing would encompass more foreign, than Hungarian words. The middle ages, renaissance, and baroque also had a couple of determining artists, who were significant and remained so in the nation’s and the region’s culture as well.

The period from 1770 till 1872 was very meaningful

to Hungarian literature. A group of intellectuals, who were familiar with European arts, linguistics, and history, started an innovation revolution in order to simplify Hungarian, to remove foreign words from it, and to replace them with Hungarian ones. As their work was done and most of their intentions were implemented, the language was ready to be used in one specific version nationwide (different, slight dialects remained existent of course). The biggest success of Hungarian literature so far is most likely Imre Kertész’s Nobel prize for his novel Fateless .

Naturally, the book is available not only in English, but numerous other foreign languages as well. It is definitely worth a read.

Motion picture Cinematography is the science of motion picture, and it is actually older than that. Before real moving pictures were made, a machine called fenakistoscope was used to create the illusion of motion picture. The first moving pictures in Hungary in 1896 on a millennium celebration by the Lumiére brothers’ legendary camera. The very first staged and directed movie was not been pending for long: 1901 was the year when The Dance was created.

In the next 10 years, all together 270 cinemas have been established and running, and the first producing company, Projectograph has been started as well.

In the early years of Hungarian motion picture, a hybrid genre became extremely popular. It was called cinemasketch and basically meant a fusion of theatre and cinema. In the middle of a movie, the moving pictures would stop, the actors would appear live on the stage and continue playing just like in theatres.

The main characteristics of the Hungarian motion picture culture in the 20th century changed rapidly.

Directors and scriptwriters were first interested in Hungarian topics, then wanted to switch to foreign stories, which were normally banned by the government. In 1950s the previous black and white features were replaced with shades in characters and stories. The prominent work of this time period is Zoltán Fábri’s Signal of Life. The century’s second half was significantly distinctive because of social sensitivity and rioting. The regime change, along with theatricals, set the artists of motion picture and their creativity free.

The 2000s encompassed very various pieces.

Suprisingly (or not), the ones appreciated by critics and the experts are not even nearly as well-known as popular, but professionally speaking not so precious movies. Our directors, actors, and actresses persistently keep up the high quality work and that has turned into numerous international prizes. It is worth browsing the lists of winners of the most valued awards, because there are certainly some Hungarians to be found on them.

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Did you know… …that some of the great inventions, like Rubik’s cube, the ballpoint pen and holography were invented by Hungarians? …that one third one third of Hungarian speakers don’t live in Hungary, but mostly in adjacent countries? …that Lajos Kossuth is the only non-American statesman who has a statue in the United States Capitol? …that Hungary had three seas in its history, but it is now a landlocked territory, one bordered by seven countries (Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania and Serbia)? …that the Dohány Street Synagogue, also known as The Great Synagogue, is the largest synagogue in Europe, and it is located in Budapest? …that the Hungarian language is widely regarded to be one of the most difficult languages in the world? …that Budapest has exactly nine bridges over the Danube, so the capital city is also referred to as “the city of bridges”? …that only five countries (the USA, USSR, UK, France and Italy) have won more Summer Olympic gold medals than Hungary?

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…that Hungary was amongst the first communistera countries that opposed the Soviet regime during the Cold War? …that Budapest’s Millennium Underground is the oldest underground train system in continental Europe?

Those hungry Hungarians...

The pun that every foreigner knows – without having a specific knowledge about Hungary or its people – is that Hungarians are hungry. This phrase is often repeated and loved a lot

by Hungarians – at least for a while.

Stereotype 2: Hungarians are egoistic and find themselves better than others Foreigners often say that Hungarians talk too much about themselves or other Hungarians, and that they often try to explain that everything great in the world can be traced down to Hungarian beginnings.

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ut everything shallow gets boring sooner or later, therefore people need more complex preconceptions, which require a deeper awareness of the nation. Let’s see what some of the stereotypes of Hungarians are, which are based on foreigners’ actual experiences and not only on the similarity of two words.

Stereotype 1: Hungarians cook exclusively with fat and eat a lot Foreign people tend to think, that Hungarians’ eating habits are also very unhealthy regarding methods and quantity. They assume, that Hungarians only eat dishes – such as gulash – which are known worldwide.

Reality: It is true that we love cooking and eating. It is also correct that diabetics would not consider some of our traditional meals healthy. But in order to see the full picture, one must know that modern Hungarian families also believe in and strive for generally healthy cuisine. The dishes that everyone knows are normally part of celebrations and not our everyday repast.

Reality: We are proud of what our nation has become.

We are also amazed with the success our fellowcountrymen have achieved and we like to spread the word. We will admit that if there is a tiny bit of Hungarian in someone productive and recognized, we will immediately claim him or her as Hungarian.

But of course we would never make up stories just to charm someone or to compete with other nations.

It is – in our opinion – only natural to appreciate our nation’s achievements and to share them with foreigners as well.

Stereotype 3: Hungarians swear a lot Foreigners tend to think, that our language is rude and rough by the way some words sound.

People usually decide that not only this is true, but Hungarians’ personalities are quite similar to their language and then when someone shows off in front of them by swearing for 5 minutes without repeating a word...

Reality: The Hungarian language allows people to swear with variety, that is completely true. This fact though, originates from the distinctiveness of the whole language: it is very colorful. And most of the people, just as they use a low percentage of the expressive and melodic Hungarian words, so they do with swearing: compared to English or German citizens, we tend to use 1 or 2 all the time. Although we know, that you must be interested in learning some of our swear words, it may be worth too to learn a few unique and musical expressions of Hungarian.

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Gulyásleves, halászlé, palacsinta, dobostorta or the Hungarian cuisine in a nutshell Hungarian cuisine has the most delicious dishes in the world. After you’ve read this article, you can decide if I’m a bit biased or not – of course I’m not, it’s the truth – so don’t hesitate, and try out everything on this list, while you are in Hungary.

First of all, we love meat. Meat stews, casseroles, roasted pork, beef, poultry, lamb, steak – as a matter of fact, we love everything which contains meat. Just to mention some fantastic meat dishes: goulash, stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers; all can combine pork, beef, and sometimes mutton. I know your eyes caught on goulash for a second, because everybody talks about it, knows about it, and loves it – so if you don’t know what it is, which is just not an option – I will resolve the myth which surrounds goulash.

It’s a soup using paprika, caraway, meat (of course), vegetables (usually carrots and parsely root), and potatoes. Some may think that goulash, or gulyás leves in Hungarian is what we call paprikás which is a stew with meat simmered in thick creamy paprika gravy and paprika, or pörkölt which is a stew with boneless meat and a very greasy gravy served with nokedli (small dumplings), but it is not. Goulash is a soup, and every Hungarian is a bit sensitive about calling it a stew. So don’t do it. For your safety.

Seriously. Apart from goulash, we are very proud of our kolbász – Hungarian sausages – and winter salami, which is a Hungarian speciality like kolbász, but it has a different taste. Don’t ask more, just try it.

We also have dishes which aren’t all about meat, meat, and more meat, for example soups and desserts. We have a special hot fish soup – yeah, I know it’s meat, but I have to mention it for your sake – called, Fisherman’s Soup or halászlé which is cooked differently near the river Danube than near the river Tisza. Okay, okay, that’s it about meat I swear. So, we also have a sour cherry soup called hideg meggyleves and many other fruit soups which are served cold. In regard to the good part, let’s talk about desserts. We have palacsinta, crepes stuffed with cocoa, jam, nutella or túró – a type of quark – and basically everything you can stick into it. Another typical Hungarian dessert is rétes, stroudel filled with apple, sour cherry, poppy seeds, or nuts. We are very proud of our Dobos Cake or dobostorta, which 12 corvinusoffline

is a layered sponge cake, with chocolate buttercream filling and topped with a slice of caramel. And I could mention a million more, but I will leave it to your imagination.

If I listed all of our delicious dishes, this whole magazine wouldn’t be enough, so I will end here.

I hope, I have whet your appetite for some truly magnificent Hungarian specialities, and if you have already tried all the foods from this list, ask your Hungarian friends, and they will tell you hundreds and hundreds more. After you have tried those out too, and you are really-really fat because of our fantastic cuisine at the end of your time here, you can decide whether I am right or not. Of course I am.

Liquid Hungary You simply can’t stay dry in Hungary and I don’t say that because Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water springs than any other capital city in the world. Lake Balaton would be a good guess, since we are quite proud of it (actually we call it the Hungarian sea), but I’m not talking about any water. It doesn’t contain alcohol, you know.

Fortunately, Hungary has an ancient winemaking history and its major wine regions are lovely, historic, relatively unspoiled, and mostly remote from the populous cities, which is part of their charm.

God has given everything to us that we need to make worldfamous wines, which give you an unforgettable experience. Whether visiting the winegrowing regions of Hungary, especially Eger or Tokaj, or just taking a crack at tasting an Egri Bikavér or a Tokaji aszú in a wine bar, you won’t regret any drop of it. I can’t count on two hands how many wine bars we have, but I will mention some of them, so you will get the idea… for example, DiVino is a pretty good wine bar in the Gozsdu Passage, or Kadarka is waiting for you just few hundred meters away. To be honest, that area is the center of the nightlife in Budapest, so just walk around in the old Jewish quarter. If you are diligent enough, during your halfyear you can discover the most popular pubs here, but a lifetime wouldn’t be enough for all of them.

My favorite wine is the Cserszegi fűszeres, a white Hungarian grape variety. That’s always a good choice, especially after one shot of Pálinka. In Hungary, every good night starts with one round of our national drink, which is really similar to the well-known spirit. It’s our ancient medicine, the balm to our sorrows; so don’t be surprised, if Hungarians offer you Pálinka almost everywhere. In Transylvania, which was formerly part of Hungary, you can find the best homemade spirits and the most hospitable families. Of course, you don’t have to go that far away to drink a good shot of Pálinka: you can find several branded spirits in the shops or in the pubs; however, homemade Pálinka is the best. If you ask me, my favorite Pálinka is the sour cherry bedded type. In the Magyar Ízek Háza, it’s possible to find this one or a lot more, so visit it at least once.

It wouldn’t be surprising, if you have already seen a frosty bottle of Unicum somewhere in your homeland.

The reason is quite simple: Unicum – the national

drink of Hungary – is a world-famous, legendary liqueur. Unicum was created by Dr. József Zwack, the Royal Physician to the Habsburg Court, for Joseph II., the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary who then tasted the very first sip of Unicum, which became such a great success, the royal’s comment was the following: ‘Dr. Zwack, das ist ein Unikum!’ – giving this herb liqueur its name.

Whether the legend of the comment is true or not, Unicum started its carrier in 1790, more than 200 years ago. This unique herb liqueur is still based on a secret family recipe and distilled from over forty different herbs and spices. In the Zwack family distillery in Budapest, Unicum is aged in large oak casks before being bottled in the distinctive round bottle that has been a hallmark of this historic brand for nearly two hundred years. Still in family hands after six generations, in Hungary Unicum is not just a drink, but a national treasure. You have to discover it with your roommates.

Take home some bottles to your parents and friends, and if you want to remember the taste of Hungary in the future, just buy some Zwack Unicum. And pálinka. And wine. Oh, yes… and keep in your mind our ancient saying: “Only an ox drinks alone” – so share the experience with your friends and look out for each other.

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The Great Hungarian Plain Great Hungarian Plain, a flat, fertile lowland, southeastern Hungary, also extending into eastern Croatia, northern Serbia, and western Romania. Its area is 20,000 square miles (500,000 square km), about half of Hungary.

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t is divided into major topographic regions, one of them is Hortobágy. This region became one of the symbols of the country with it’s shepherds, folklore and autochthonous environment. The most famous sight of Hortobágy is the so called Kilenclyukú-bridge, which is the longest vehicular bridge in Hungary. The Shepherds’ Museum is not far from the bridge, which allows us to have and insight of the everyday life of a Hungarian shepherd. If you are looking for a great Hungarian meal, you should visit the Hortobágyi Csárda, which is more than 300 years old and they serve traditional Hungarian dishes. Moreover lot of Hungarian artist, poets and musicians were inspired by this region. Hungarians are well known from their great horsemanship and equestrian culture has also great traditions in the Hortobágy.

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Numerous horse riding shows take place in the area. You can also explore the beauty of the Hungarian steppe by going on a ride in a horsedriven cart.

The third largest city and the regional center of the Great Plain is Szeged. This city is the higher education center of southern Hungary and has built quite a reputation for itself. Thousands of students study there, many of whom are foreign students, so in this aspect it’s quiet similar to Budapest.

Just like other parts of Hungary the Great Plain also abounds in thermal springs that feed the numerous medicinal baths and spas in the settlements of this area. Many of the spas and the treatments offered gained reputation all over the world. The curative waters are beneficial for rheumatic problems, arthritis, and they’re also a source of relaxation.

Dunántúl Hills This Spectacular landscape with smaller hills all around is one of the most diverse region of Hungary. The city of Pécs representing a unique cultural experience, as it won the European Cultural Capital award. The biggest single-nave church in Central Europe is also located here, in Szekszárd which city is famous for its wine.

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he regions wonderful forests are the best place for hikers. It offers great opportunities to have a nice trip without getting you totally exhausted by the end of the day, as the hills there, are not too high. It is worthwhile to visit some of its lovely villages in this region. If you like horse riding, book an apartment and discover the intimate atmosphere of the region on horseback. There are numerous seasonal folk markets where you can find the most authentic handcrafts, and the so called Hungaricums (typical Hungarian goods).

Treasure hunting is a great adventure that you can enjoy in the Mecsek hill. Get your GPS and try to find the “geo-boxes” hidden by others. There are lots of boxes hidden, you just need to know how to use the GPS well and get the exact coordinates. You can

get the coordinates of the boxes from http://www. geocaching.hu. Then you just need to seek out the exact spot where the box is placed, which may be covered by leafs, roots or it may be in a hole split in a rock.

The region is very famous for its different wine regions such as Villány, Szekszárd. It produces its most typical red wine that is sold all around the world. In Hungary here’s two place where people make the famous wine called bikavér (bull’s blood): in Szekszárd and Eger. The name created by János Garay, a Hungarian poet in 1846. If you are looking for some authentic experience where you can also relax, then you should take a trip which includes wine tasting nights, wellness and many more. Tourist agencies offer different set of programs for all age groups.

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Western Hungary The western part of Hungary is a relatively more developed and interesting part of the country. It is a region that is close to both Austria and Slovenia, and it is a place providing easy access to many beautiful sites not only on the territory of Hungary but those of neighbours as well.

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wo of its largest and most interesting towns are Sopron and Szombathely, places well connected by railway to the capital, Budapest. They are both interesting and historically significant Hungarian towns.

Sopron is a town with around 55000 inhabitants. It is a beautiful place, with its attractive baroque square and many old churches; there is also a 13th century Synagogue. It is a famous place for the production of the Soproni beer, one of the best Hungarian beers – and the factory producing it is well worth a visit!

History remembers the town via an event that took place on August 19, 1989, when the “Pan-European Picnic” took place near Sopron, that is, when the “Iron Curtain” between Austria and Hungary was

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lifted for a few hours, allowing some hundred DDR citizens to cross the border into Hungary.

Szombathely is the 10th largest - and the oldest - city in Hungary. Principal things to see in Szombathely are the Ruin Garden (Romkert), with remnants of the Amber Road, the ruins of the shrine of the goddess Isis (Iseum), a beautiful Cathedral, etc. A very interesting annual Savaria Historical Carnival occurs in mid-to-late August, too, with colourful Roman-era programmes, including gladiator fights.

The region offers many natural locations for hiking and relaxation. The most beautiful area is Örség National Park, which is covered with diverse forests and fresh green meadows, all having much endemic flora and rich fauna.

Region of the Lake Balaton Lake Balaton is the biggest lake in Central Europe, and it is located in the western part of Hungary. The southern coast is the perfect place for bathing for families with young children, as the water there is shallow. In the summer, the water temperature may reach around 28-30°C, so it’s best for swimming and bathing from mid-July until the beginning of September. The southern coast is very flat, while the northern side is bounded by volcanic mountains.

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he biggest city in the region, Siófok, is in the southern part of the lake. It’s a modern tourist resort with high-quality hotels, discos and clubs. Owing to its great nightlife, it is a favored location for young people during the summer.

The Tihany peninsula - on the north side - juts deeply into the lake; and this is a cultural centre. The famous Benedictine Abbey sits on the top of its hill.

An important educational centre is Keszthely, where the renowned agricultural university is located. Also, you can find here one of the most beautiful Baroque castles, Festetics, where theatrical performances of artistic works are held. A world-famous thermal site,

Hévíz, is to be found next to Keszthely, too – whose thermal waters, which are great for the treatment of rheumatism amongst other complaints, are visited from all over the world throughout the year. Around Balaton, there are many tourist sites. Bicycle routes and tourist trails also make their way around the lake. It is possible in almost every village to rent windsurfing equipment or a boat (though one should note here that jet skis and motor-boats are not allowed on the lake).

Lake Balaton is not only popular in the summer, but during the winter, too – for if the water freezes, one can ice-skate or go ice-sailing on its surface.

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The Little Plain This part of the countryside is in the northwestern part of Hungary, and it is practically flat.

The River Danube and its tributaries – such as the Rába, the Répce, the Rábca as well as the Lajta, which come from the south – have had a great influence when they flood the plains.

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he lower-lying areas are covered with swamps and reed-beds, which are called “hany”, and they have given the area the name “Hanság”. In the 1950’s, the swamps were drained so as to provide more farmland for the economic plans of the communist dictatorship. Via this, one of the richest wetland areas of Europe was destroyed. However, today most of the Hanság region is protected as a National Park, and people are trying to restore the unique moor-land. The most important tourist sights of the Kisalföld are the settlements of Győr, Sopron and Mosonmagyaróvár.

Győr was called Arrabona, as it was founded by the

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Celts in the 5th century. Győr can be found halfway between Budapest and Vienna. Architectural, cultural and natural values reveal themselves here.

In Hungary, Győr is the second richest city as regards monuments; and the city won the European prize for monument protection owing to its baroque reconstruction work. This city is a place of festivals, too, where lovers of arts can find programs to their liking all year long.

Mosonmagyaróvár has very beautiful historical buildings and there is also a medieval street grid. It is a historic town; it is famous for its thermal baths too – here, the curative water is among the five best curative waters in Europe!

The North Hungarian Mountains After seeing the most amazing places in Budapest, it’s likely you will be interested in visiting other places too. If you are looking for something special, the North Hungarian Mountains could be a good choice. It’s in the northern, mountainous part of Hungary, and is a beautiful spectacle in our country.

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he North Hungarian Mountains include several mountains (Börzsöny, Cserhát, Mátra, Bükk, Zempléni), while Hungary’s highest mountain peak is here, too: Kékes. Here, one can additionally find several natural parks – Bükki, Aggteleki, Duna-Ipoly National Parks.

Besides national parks there are other marvellous sights, too. The most famous in this area is a part of UNESCO World Heritage: Hollókő is a village that is known world-wide for its typical, traditional architecture. Then there is Aggtelek Karst, with its abundance of caves; and Tokaj with its dreamy valleys and historical wine region. You must see all of them! For people who would like to see bigger cities, Miskolc is a good choice. It’s in the centre of the

Northern part of the country, and is Hungary’s fourth biggest city. Miskolc has many cultural sights – and has a special atmosphere! One quarter of Miskolc is Diósgyőr, which is a wonderful place too – it possesses a more than 600-year-old castle, which is well worth visitors’ seeing. Another good option if one is interested in Hungarian culture is Eger.

The Basilica, the minaret, its great museums and its castle give a really special feeling! Eger is well known for its delicious and world famous wine, too: bikavér (’bull’s blood’). You need to taste it!

After sightseeing, one should then wind down and go bathing in a special place. Egerszalók, Bükkszék or the greatest location for this – Miskolctapolca, with its cave bath – can also give a person memorable and refreshing moments.

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Budapest Budapest is a vibrant city: it throbs with life morning, noon and night; visitors arriving from other countries get the feeling that something interesting is happening round every corner.

Some fall in love with Budapest at first sight, others will only become devotees after a longer stay, but no one denies that it is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world.

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here are plenty of other capital cities built on the banks of a river, and in many cases the river runs through the historic centre. But such a wide and majestic river, as the Danube at Budapest is, is more of a rarity. Even more exceptional is the perfect contrast between the right and left banks. Buda is built upon hills; the feet of two of them – Castle Hill and Gellért Hill – almost stand in the water. Facing it is Pest, as flat as a pancake (or, as a Hungarian might say, as flat as a “lángos,” pitatype bread popular for many centuries). It’s no exaggeration to say that Budapest is one of the finest capital cities in Europe. Among the several places in Hungary that have been afforded the classification of UNESCO World Heritage Site, the first were the Danube panorama (on the Buda side from the Gellért Hotel all along Castle Hill to Margaret Bridge, and on the Pest side from the Parliament back down to Petőfi Bridge), and Andrássy út (along its entire length from the centre of Pest to Heroes’ Square, where the Millenary Monument stands on the edge of the City Park).

Budapest, now home to 1,7 million inhabitants, could appear countless times on any list of superlatives.

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The Continent’s first underground railway was built here. More pioneering Hollywood film makers originated from here than from any other European cities. Budapest was the home of such world class inventors as Kálmán Kandó, the father of electric railways, and János Irinyi, one of the early developers of safety matches. Hungary’s two most celebrated composers – Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály – lived in Budapest, and Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian author Imre Kertész was born here.

Hungary’s oldest academic library, the University Library, is located here. It is the location of Europe’s largest synagogue.

It is the only capital city in the world where there are more than one hundred hot thermal springs. There are no other cities of comparable size anywhere where visitors can explore dripstone (stalactite) caves in the middle of the residential districts. It would be difficult to find another city where visitors are faced with such a choice of transport: bus, tram, trolleybus, train, underground railway, cogwheel railway, funicular, forest railway, horse-andtrap, chairlift, boat, bicycle, rickshaw, and on Margaret Island “bringóhintó” family cycle cars – Budapest has them all!

Highlights of Budapest There are plenty of sights to see and hundreds of places to visit. So it’s not a big surprise, if you feel a little bit confused and you just can’t decide where to start. You have a lot to do in the next few months; I am quite sure of it and I want to ensure that you won’t miss any of the main attractions. So here is my subjective guideline to visiting Budapest, made especially for you.

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irst of all, Budapest has two parts: the eastern part is called Pest, which is flat as a pancake; and on the other side you can see the bumpy Buda. Now it’s really easy to decide which side you are on, just look around. Do you see hills? If the answer is “yes”, then you’re in Buda. In Buda you can find the highest point of Budapest, Gellért Hill. At the top, the Liberty Statue has guarded Budapest day and night since the end of World War II. There are plenty of parklands, so you can relax a little bit with your friends with a bottle of Hungarian wine. You shouldn’t miss the Gellért Hill Cave, where you can find the chapel and the monastery of the Pauline Order. Next to the bottom of the hill you can see the Gellért Baths, which is one of the most beautiful thermal spas in our wonderful city.

Let’s stay in Buda, and visit Castle Hill, the oldest part of the Hungarian capital. I wouldn’t recommend you to take the Cable Car, since it’s very expensive. Spare that money to visit the Matthias Church which is next to the Fisherman Bastion and the National Gallery just inside the Royal Palace. You can use the nearby stairs to get there with no problem. You can’t miss one of our best museums, the Hospital in the Rock, which was made from a secret nuclear bunker and

field hospital used during World War II. Finally, you can try to find the Statue of András Hadik, “the most hussar of hussars”. If you look very close, you’ll see that the horse’s testicles are shiny yellow; generations of engineering students have touched them on the morning of difficult exams. It allegedly brings luck.

The other side, Pest has also plenty of sightseeing places. Several can be found, if you just walk along Andrássy Avenue, the most beautiful boulevard of Budapest. You’ll see the Opera House, the House of Terror, and under the avenue, you can find the first subway system of continental Europe, the Millenium Underground. Heroes’ Square stands at the end of the road, which is also the main entrance of the City Park. It’s one of the largest public parks of Budapest, where you can find Vajdahunyad Castle, the Széchenyi Bath, and the City Lake - where you can go iceskating or paddle boating, depending on the season.

Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and really a unique one. I highly recommend that you don’t miss the Jewish Museum just inside. Behind the building, you can walk around in the former Jewish quarter, which is now the heart of Budapest’s nightlife, containing several ruin pubs.

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One night in Budapest According to various wellknown travel magazines, Budapest is one of the coolest cities in the world. Which is not surprising! This city is filled with creative, cool, and unique places for any kind of purposes. Let’s check out where to drink and where to dance near to the Corvinus University!

VakEgér Pub It is a famous place with natives and tourists alike.

If we visit this trendy underground (literally) place we will understand why it is famous. Pleasing lights, good music, and fair prices. Actually the full name is VakEgér Tőzsdekocsma, which means „Blind Mouse Stock Exchange Pub” which refers to the fact that it’s underground and that the beverage prices are on the screen that shows the changes of „share” prices. Go there and drink a „Kamikaze”! Enjoy! Don’t forget to reserve a table because it is full every weekend.

From the university: It’s near Deák Ferenc tér so you can reach by the tram 47, 48, 49.

Address: Budapest, Paulay Ede utca 2.

Table reservation: +36 1 266 0270

Kolor This is a place that used to be an empty spot in the capital city but now it is one of the top night sites that you must visit. This is the Gozsdu udvar which is filled with restaurants, bars, and clubs. There you can find a club & bar, Kolor, which is always full as well. There you can drink any kind of alcoholic beverage, or if you get hungry you can also eat some of the snacks. Moreover Kolor organises many different kinds of parties. This place is also famous 22 corvinusoffline

for its liberal and metropolitan atmosphere. So don’t hesitate just go and drink some of the „house specialities” at the border of the Jewish Quarter.

From the university: 47, 48, 49 tram, get off at Deák Ferenc tér Address: Budapest, Király utca (Gozsdu udvar) 13.

Table reservation: +36 20 611 3779

BoB If you want to visit the hottest place with a wonderful location but you desire a high society atmosphere, you have found your dream spot. BoB faces the Danube, and is the original Bacardi Bar in Budapest with a very wide range of cocktail selections. It is located next to the Gresham Palace and the Chain Bridge. With quite a good atmosphere, great cocktails and good snacks on a normal price, BoB is

a perfect place to hang out at night with friends. The place itself is furnished as a street in an American city which makes it unique. A fashionable place in a historical site.

From the university: 2 tram, get off at Szécheny tér Address: Budapest, Szécheny tér 7-8.

Table reservation: +36 70 333 2161

Moulin Rouge In Budapest the „poshest” quarter is obviously by Andrássy út. That area is full of luxorious shops, sights, historical palaces, the Opera House... There’s a street called, Nagymező utca, which is the „theatre district”. There used to be a theatre there which is now run as one of the best discos in the city centre.

If you like the fusion of old and new, of elegance and fashion than you must visit this disco & restaurant.

It used to be the copy of Moulin Rouge in Paris with a revue performance, but now that kind of show is only held for special events. However, the building remained a beautiful theatre where different kinds of parties are held from Wednesday until Saturday. We can dance under guilded ceiling to House, R&B, and more kinds of disco music played by the best Djs of Hungary. There’s a dress code that ensures that only people who respect this amazing site of Budapest are allowed to get in.

From the university: 47, 48, 49 tram until Deák Ferenc tér, change to metro line M1 (yellow) until Oktogon, get off and walk backwards.

Address: Budapest, Nagymező utca 17.

Table reservation: +36 70 411 8130

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Ruinpubs: the hidden corners of downtown Budapest is well-known for its historical landscapes, but what about the hidden treasures of the city? Infinite creativity of Hungarians and city heritage gave birth to these unusual places of nightlife, to the so-called ruinpubs.

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hese locations offer very special atmospheres. The pubs reflect the combination of ruined things, such as furniture with the modern solutions. It is just up to your attention to decide what is a century old or just pretend to be antique. These pubs are indeed very eye-catching. Just to mention some of them.

Szimpla Kert (Simple Garden) is really serves as a cult place. Very charming pub, every piece of it has its own story, such as nothing can be compared with the table made from an old Trabant car. Apart from nightlife, this is the place where you can see bicycle fairs, enjoy open-air cinema, or just drop your houseplants for safe keeping and care. They have a to-do list of 100 things you should do in Budapest.

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Everybody should go through this, then you can say, you really know the city. http://www.szimpla.hu/ budapest/home/100-programs/463-101-things Another interesting place to visit is Instant. You can find it in the Nagymező street, which is two tenement houses opened into one big venue. There are plenty of half-lit rooms to chill and drink, also on weekends you can find DJs and bands playing on one of the stages. There are some places located closer to the university, for example the high-end Púder, which is a transition beetween ruinpub and restaurant.

Another place nearby is the so called Csendes, which is always crowded, and has a very interesting interior design. Be adventurous to explore these masterpieces. You can even take the Budapest Underground tour to see these spots!

Baths: The Turkish Empire in Budapest Are you stressful? Would you like to relax a bit? Then it’s time to discover some baths in Budapest. Have fun and take care!

Gellért Thermal Bath This bath is world-wide known and highly favoured by tourists, built in secession style, opened its gates in 1918. During spring and summer one of the most popular attractions is the wave-bath. Its thermal baths department is a unique place for relaxing.

Lukács Thermal Bath This modernized baths complex includes open-air pools, hydrotherapy department, fancy pool equipped with a whirling corridor, underwater effervescence, neck shower, water beam back massage hidden in the seat banks, whirlpool, geysers and effervescent bed and two swimming pools.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath It is one of the largest spa complexes in Europe and also the first thermal bath of Pest. The complex includes a thermal section, beach sites, a hospital and the so-called fancy baths with whirling corridor, underwater effervescence production, neck shower, water beam back massage, and many other services.

It’s a good place to forget about everyday life stress!

Király Thermal Bath The construction of this bath was begun by Arslan, the Pasha of Buda in 1565. It’s a combination of the old with the new, that is found even in the bath’s name, preserving its monumental character – stemming from the family’s name, it translates from Hungarian as the following: Király=King=König.

Rudas Thermal Bath Beyond the miraculous Turkish bath and swimming pool, operating as a therapeutic swimming facility, in its hall you can try the popular drinking cure from water of the springs Hungária, Attila and Juventus.

Hajós Alfréd National Swimming Pool The pool is located on the Margaret Island. With its 25, 33 and 50 metres pools this complex offers you the best facilities to do some workout. The ticket prices are favorable.

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Traveling and living in Budapest You can’t discover Budapest on foot. While our public transport is quite good (in terms of frequency), and everything you might need has a reasonable price, it’s always better to plan ahead. Here we give advices to make traveling and living in Budapest as easy as possible.

Public Transport in Budapest (BKV) Budapest is a lucky town regarding the public transportation. Due to its developed public transport network, all parts of the city are easily accessible.

More than 220 buses, 15 trolleys, 32 trams and 4 metro lines are at your command. Beware of freeriding (fare dodging) on the services, because there are ticket controllers on the vehicles.

Ticket prices: – Single ticket HUF 350 – Discount coupon book of 10 tickets HUF 3000 – Budapest monthly student pass HUF 3450 More information about schedules and prices: www.bkv.hu/en/ There are several night buses running throughout the city. If you would like to use a cab at night here are the phone numbers of some cab service companies: 6×6 taxi: 06-1-6-666-666 Tele5taxi: 06-1-8-555-555 Citytaxi: 06-1-2-111-111 Főtaxi: 06-1-2-222-222 Taxi Plus: 06-1-8-888-000

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Health Insurance All international students are recommended to insure themselves in their home country. Valid health insurance for the duration of your stay in Hungary is obligatory (if your health insurance card does not specifically state that it is valid for EU member states or that is valid specifically for Hungary, please ask your insurance company to supply you with an official letter to this effect as the Hungarian Immigration Authorities may need this statement when you arrive to Budapest).

NB: The health insurance must provide full coverage; emergency health insurance will not be accepted.

Cost of Living Students need about EUR 300-600 per month to cover living expenses. Accommodation: about EUR 100-200 per month per person, depending on the size and location of the flat as well as on the number of students sharing it. Living costs: about EUR 150-300 per month (food, transport, miscellaneous).

Academic related expenses: about EUR 50-100 per semester (student ID, books, photocopying, etc.)

Money Matters Cash, travellers’ cheques and Eurocheques can be changed at banks and travel offices. Post offices almost always change cash, but rarely cheques.

Using private exchange offices can be convenient but expensive. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are widely accepted at stores, and there are numerous ATM machines where they can be used to withdrawcash.

Telephone Emergency Numbers All of the following numbers are free of charge and can be dialled from all public phones or mobile phone.

– General emergency 112 – Ambulance 104 – Fire Department 105 – Police 107 International Phone Calls To make an international phone call, dial: 00 – country code – area code – local phone number.

National Holidays Easter (Sunday and Monday) Labour Day (May 1) Whit Monday St. Stephen’s Day (August 20) Memorial Day of the 1956 Revolution (October 23) All Saints’ Day (November 1) Christmas (December 25, 26) Banks It may vary, but banks are usually open on weekdays between 8.30 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., except on Fridays, when they close at 12.00 a.m.

Post Offices are open from 8.00 a.m. till 6.00 p.m.

Pharmacies are open from 8.00 a.m. till 6.00 p.m.

Mobile/Cell phones There are 3 major companies which provide mobile phone services: Telekom – www.telekom.hu Telenor – www.telenor.hu Vodafone – www.vodafone.hu

Shops, Stores On weekdays most stores are open from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Grocery stores usually open earlier, from 7.00 a.m. or 8.00 a.m., and close later. At the weekend most of the stores which are not located in shopping centers are open only during the morning hours of Saturday.

Shopping malls offering multiple services are exceptions to these rules. There are several food stores that are open around the clock.

Opening Hours National and Public Holidays – The University Is Closed New Year’s Day (January 1) Memorial Day of the 1848 Revolution (March 15),

National Tobacco Shop In Hungary you can only buy cigarette in National Tobacco Shops (Nemzeti Dohánybolt). There are several of them in Budapest, around the university too. You can find them if you are looking for a big board above the doors with a big “T” on it.

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The CUB Story The Corvinus University of Budapest is the most prestigious university of economics and business in Hungary.

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n 1920, there already existed a Faculty of Economics at the Royal Hungarian University, which was considered to be the forerunner of the establishment. In 1948, the University of Economics became an independent organisation and moved to its current location. In the last almost hundred years, the university has gone through a lot of changes. In 1953, it was renamed the Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences.

Following the regime change in 1990 the Marx’s name was rejected, and it became the Budapest University of Economic Sciences. 10 years later, the College of Public Administration was integrated into the university, which resulted in its new name: the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration (BUESPA).

In 2003, the university was extended again by the integration of three faculties of the University of Horticulture (Szent István University). At this time, seven independent faculties with different professional profiles existed at the university –which fact called for a new change. Considering the diversity of the faculties it would have been a hard task to come up with a name which describes all of them equally – and for this reason there came

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the idea of giving an absolutely distinct name to the university, i.e. one that did not refer to any of the faculties.

All of this brings us to the current name of the establishment: the Corvinus University of Budapest.

The name refers to the Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus, who ruled the country from 1458 to 1490.

Matthias the Just probably did not think that, 500 years later, a university would exist that was named after him – and whose motto is also one used by the king: Scientia mea – adiutor meus (My knowledge is my helper).

On 1st January 2012, structural changes occurred once again, meaning that the Faculty of Public Administration was detached to become – with other faculties from elsewhere – National University of Public Service. The six faculties – the Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences, of Business Administration, of Horticultural Science, Food Science, and of Landscape Architecture – together make the CUB into one of the best universities in Hungary. This history makes us proud to be a part of this University, and just getting into it is an achievement in itself, for it gives the best education in its field.

Campuses on both sides of the Danube On both sides of the Danube lies Buda and Pest. Together, they make one of the most exciting and beautiful cities in Europe. That is equally true to our university: it has campuses on both sides, and together it makes Corvinus University, which is as exciting and beautiful as Budapest itself.

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he Közgáz Campus is situated in the historical centre of Budapest, on the Pest side of the river Danube, next to the Liberty Bridge. There are three buildings: the Fővámpalota (Main Toll Palace), is the main building, and is also the official centre of the University. This was built by Miklós Ybl. Originally, the building was not destined for educational purposes, as its names indicates.

The IT centre of the university can be found in a smaller building called – the Sóház (Salthouse) – right next to the main building. The Information Technology Centre (ITC) is in charge of the maintenance of all computers operating at Corvinus University. Support, Software installation and a general help for users is also provided here. In other words, the ITC maintains the university’s computer network.

The university took over a new building in the Közraktár Street in 2007. As a result of a major development project, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Central Library and the financial and administrative departments of the university can now be found here. This new building fits in with the local architectural style perfectly with its 40.000 m2 floor space - from which 23.000 m2 serves educational purposes. In the Campus, which consists of three faculties, there are more than 8000 students, which fact makes it the most exciting and stimulating environment on weekdays.

There are many student organisations, and each of them has a different profile, so everybody can find

a suitable organisation for themselves. When you enter the main building, you always find a big crowd in the hall. In term-time, there are programmes or parties continually, so our life is always full of exciting events. This university has the highest quality of economic education in the country.

The Centre for Foreign Language Education and Research of Corvinus University (IOK) provides students an opportunity to study various foreign languages from beginner to advanced level. The language laboratory is available to all registered students who present a valid Corvinus University ID card. This laboratory is equipped with a wide range of audio and video materials for all languages taught at the university (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese and Arabic) as well as a multi-media laboratory, computer software and listening comprehension facilities.

The buildings of the Faculty of Food Science, the Faculty of Horticulture and the Faculty of Landscape Architecture are located on the Buda Campus, which is on the other side of river Danube. That is also the home of the Entz Ferenc Library and Archives and serves as an essential scientific centre of agricultural knowledge. The Buda Botanical Garden is the gem of this campus, boasting over 1700 species of trees and shrubs and hundreds of bulbs, perennials, annuals and container-grown plants.

This garden is not only a place of learning and teaching – it is also a place of leisure for both students and teachers.

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Bachelor Programmes at the Közgáz Campus Faculty of Business Administration The Faculty of Business Administration offers high quality education based on international norms. It is the centre for education and research in business economics related issues, financial management, management and organization, business, management sciences and management practices.

In addition to ensuring a chance to study foreign languages, the Faculty of Business Administration also offers degree programmes as well as numerous individual courses taught in both English and German.

Business Administration and Management This faculty hosts the biggest number of students, and gives them opportunity to learn about decision theory, process control, e-business and strategy and business planning. The BA programme lasts seven academic semesters and includes an obligatory, 14-week-long internship in the seventh semester.

Sales and Marketing This Arts degree deals with marketing studies. It is also a seven-semester BA programme, and it is relatively easy for the students to get internships at a company too.

Finance and Accounting This seven academic-semester programme is seen as being one of the most difficult Arts degrees in the faculty. The subjects of finance and accounting need a lot of practice – yet they are worth it, as graduated students can easily get jobs thereafter.

International Business The BA in International Business programme combines studies in the major functions of business with an international perspective on commercial strategies and operations. The programme also considers the social, cultural and political dimensions of global business. For a long time this degree had the highest entrance point limit.

Tourism and Hospitality According to statistics, the Tourism and Hospitality degree is the most popular programme in the university. After economics subjects, students learn about tourism marketing or hotel and catering management. For an internship, students may then practise at a famous hotel or in the catering industry.

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Business information Systems The curriculum of this degree specialises in the field of mathematics and informatics. Notoriously, it has the most boy students in the faculty.

Faculty of Economics The basic aim of the Faculty is to provide education and research into the field of Hungarian economic policies, embedded in a global and European context. This knowledge is further enhanced by comparative studies. Strong methological skills are usually needed for the degrees.

After graduation, students are equipped with the necessary knowledge to take an active role in the forming of economic policy at global as well as at European and national levels. The faculty offers a wide range of relevant topics in the areas of world economy, the European Community and the CEE region, thereby providing the necessary knowledge for those individuals who wish to embark on a career in international or domestic institutions of economic management or governmental agencies.

The Faculty of Economics is the flagship institution for economics education and research in Hungary.

Combining excellence in research, teaching and learning, our faculty is one of the most popular and populous faculties at the Corvinus University of Budapest, with more than 1500 enrolled students and around 140 academics. The faculty has an excellent reputation as a leader in Hungary and abroad for offering high quality programmes and courses that are diverse, flexible and widely renowned. It provides a relatively wide range of undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in Hungarian and English.

Applied Economics This BA programme has microeconomics as its basis.

The curriculum includes, for example, international management, operations research, games theory and macro-modelling. After graduation, students might work as economic analysts or continue their studies to an MA level.

Economics The most difficult option in the university, where the number of students has fallen by the end of the first academic year. The demanding degree has a high reputation for supplying well trained workforce in mathematics and strong methodological studies. After graduation, one can work as an economics analyst.

Public Governance This also leads to an economics degree although students, after the fourth semester, can specialise in sectorial policies or local government. With this diploma you might then work in the civil service.

Human Resource Administration The aim of this Arts degree is to train experts who are able to economise on human resource usage, analyse the structure and functions of the labour market or coordinate the process of reconciliation.

The curriculum is mostly based on HR subjects.

Faculty of Social Sciences The Faculty of Social Sciences has been rated as the country’s leading one for the study of social sciences. Theoretical developments are explored and there is the applying of social science research to practical concerns in teaching. The four institutes are the centres of undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programmes.

International Studies With the highest entrance point limit in Hungary and the highest number of students in this faculty, the BA International Studies programme is among the

most popular degrees at the national level. Students can learn about international and political relations and diplomacy. During the studies, students have the possibility to learn about subjects taught in foreign language. This degree also has a European integration specialisation.

Political Science In this BA course, political analysis, the functions of different countries’ party system and decision-making processes are taught. The degree additionally has a policy manager specialization.

Sociology With the smallest number of students in this faculty, this BA programme provides Hungarian and English sociology studies. It has two specialisations: Regional and Urban Development, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

Communications and Media Studies As a student here, one can learn about communication theories and major forms of media.

It has two specialisations too: Public Communication (political and economic journalism, media control, etc.) and Organizational Communication (negotiation skills, project management, design).

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Bachelor programmes at the Buda Campus Faculty of Food Science Food Engineering The seven semester-long, high-quality education providing Food Engineering programme’s last half-year is an internship, where students can utilize their knowledge acquired over three years.

After completing the second year, several different specializations are available to students, which determine their third year and the topic of their thesis.

Bioengineering The Bioengineering programme also lasts seven semesters, and its structure is the same as Food Engineering’s. In this field, students acquire the basics of bio-, environment- and chemical engineering.

Viticulture and Enology Engineer The Engineer in Viticulture and Enology programme is an independent BSc programme lasting only three years, yet it has a very long history. The knowledge acquired during the seven semester-long course is an excellent basis to flourish the Hungarian winery.

Faculty of Horticultural Science Agricultural Engineering in Agricultural Computing and Policy Administration IT knowledge is essential for everyday life, and this pairs itself with the high quality tuition of economics in this programme. After getting one’s Bachelor’s degree, students can immediately find jobs in several different areas as they will have acquired basic knowledge with which to handle business, IT and applied law issues.

Horticulture This seven semester-long programme’s goal is to train experts in horticulture – persons able to manage and organize production processes for an enterprise; they will also be able to perform basic professional management and advisory tasks; or they might establish private, self-supporting horticultural farms, operating them in an economically-viable way; and they will be persons with knowledge in the field of distribution, processing and in the storing of products.

Agricultural Engineering in Environmental Management This programme trains experts who are able to carry out directing and executive tasks concerning the 32 corvinusoffline

controlled utilization, effective protection and planned development of the agricultural environment; while such people will additionally be able to effectively enforce principles of environmental management in the practices of sustainable agriculture, and environment and landscape protection. Direct continuative education is possible at the new (and in Hungary, unique) Ecological Management Msc. Faculty of Landscape Architecture The Faculty of Landscape Architecture, founded in 1992, is the only university programme in the country dealing with landscape, nature and the built environment’s open and green spaces. The faculty currently runs two kinds of courses: the Basic course which contains of 6 semesters of education and 1 semester of practice work. After four semesters students have to choose specialization from ’Garden design’, ’Landscape architecture’ or ’Urbanism’. The faculty provides three Master courses: ’Landscape architecture’ (which contains Garden and open space design, Landscape protection and rehabilitation, and Landscape design and regional development), ’Urban design’ and ’Master of Arts’.

Neptun and Moodle Most Hungarian universities use two different e-learning interfaces, called Neptun and Moodle. These two sites provide students with online content where they can easily manage their studies.

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eptun gives you access to all your personal data and lets you modify it without needing to bring in any formal documents. It is also indispensable for managing your courses. Before each semester students are expected to enlist on courses via Neptun. When considering your options, you will find detailed information (lecturer, prerequisites, class schedules, exam dates, locations etc.) about each course. Once you have taken an exam, you can check your marks there. It also serves as the university’s main notification center, where you will receive important information and updates from your lecturers and administrators. You also have the opportunity to send e-mails from there. Another essential feature of Neptun is the ’Finances’ option.

Here you can keep track of your payments with ease.

Moodle is very similar to Neptun, although, it’s designed for other purposes. One of them is assignment submission. When an assignment is due,

the system will notify you, so that you won’t miss the deadline. If you are stuck with your assignment discussion forums will surely be of use. Students can create their own working groups to see the projects through. All the files that you will need to complete these assignments or cram for an exam you will be able to download from here. Not only compulsory materials can be found on Moodle, but also bonus exercises and suggested reading. In addition, you gain access to important online news concerning the courses and university life. And with the latest Moodle update you can manage your studies even better.

To log in, use your Neptun ID as a name, and your Cusman ID as a password. Should you lose your data sheet, or face any problems, just simply visit Salthouse, where the ISZK’s co-workers will be happy to help you out. For more information, there are instruction sheets on the main page about these two electronic systems.

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Academic life In the following article we would like to outline the major notions connected to the university, as these can be useful during your studies. If you need any kind of help or support, do not hesitate to contact us (kulugy@bcehok.hu)!

Courses The courses, which are accessible at the university website (www.uni-corvinus.hu/eng → Exchanges –> Incoming Students -> Courses), are the only ones available to exchange students. Students who would like to attend courses offered in Hungarian (other than language courses) should contact the faculty coordinator to let them know the subjects they are interested in. The courses offered in Hungarian can be found on the Hungarian website of Corvinus University (www.uni-corvinus.hu).

Withdrawal If wishing to withdraw, selected exchange students are requested to notify their home institution as well as the responsible coordinator at Corvinus University as soon as possible in case they cancel their exchange semester.

Student ID Card Exchange students are provided with a student ID card, with which they can have the same advantages as Hungarian students e.g. reduced fares for all public transport, reduced-price entrance tickets for museums etc.

European Credit Transfer System (ECTS ) The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) was established within the ERASMUS programme as a means of improving academic recognition in relation to studies done abroad. ECTS provides an instrument to create transparency, to build bridges between institutions and to widen the choices available to students. The system makes it easier for institutions to recognise the learning achievements of students through the use of commonly understood measurements – credits and grades; it also provides a means via which to interpret national systems of higher education. The ECTS system is based on three core elements: information (on study programmes and student achievement), mutual agreement (between partner institutions and the student) and the use of ECTS credits (to indicate student workload).

Full academic recognition Full academic recognition is a necessary condition as regard to student mobility within the framework of the ERASMUS and other exchange programmes.

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This means that the abroad study period (including examinations or other forms of assessment) replaces a comparable period of study at the home university, though the content of the agreed study programme may differ.

ECTS credits ECTS credits – numerical values allocated to course units to indicate the student workload – are required to complete the courses. They reflect the quantity of work each course unit requires in relation to the total quantity of work necessary to complete a semester at the institution (e.g. lectures, seminars, practical work, fieldwork, private study and examinations or other assessment activities). ECTS is thus based on a full student workload and is not limited to contact hours only. In ECTS, 60 credits represents the workload of an academic year of study, 30 credits are allotted for one semester and 20 credits for a trimester. Credits can be obtained by completing the courses in a satisfactory way. No ECTS credits are awarded if performance is unsatisfactory.

Information package The information package contains the necessary information to students and staff about the faculties, institutions, departments, the organisation and structure of studies and the course units.

Learning agreement The learning agreement, which covers the taken courses and the ECTS credits to be awarded upon their satisfactory completion, is approved not only by the home and the host institutions, but by the student, too.

ECTS Grades An evaluation of a course is made by the grading system of the responsible university. In order to make conversion into the grading system of the home country easier, a descriptive ECTS grading system was developed (which under no circumstances replaces the national grading system).

Grading System In the Hungarian (local) grading system the top grade is 5 (excellent), the lowest grade is 1 (fail).

Transcript of Records The results each exchange student gets at Corvinus University are summarised in a transcript after the study period. The original copy is sent to the International Relations Office or Erasmus Office of the sending institution soon after it is ready.

This usually takes place within 6 weeks after the end of semester. Students may either ask for a photocopy at the faculty they belong to (in case they are still in Budapest at the time) or pick up the original at the home institution.

Academic calendar 2014 fall Day

Day of the week

Event

September 1-5

Monday-Friday

Enrolment week

September 1

Monday

First day to add and drop courses and register for the semester

September 4

Thursday

Orientation Day

September 8

Monday

First day of classes

September 14

Sunday

Last day to add and drop courses

September 15-17

Monday-Wednesday

Submission of course confirmation

October 22

Wednesday

Submission of bachelor thesis works (for those graduating in January)

October 23-24

Thursday-Friday

Holiday (university closed)

October 27-31

Monday-Friday

Midterm exams (classes will be held, subject to change – check with the professors)

December 1-January 30

Monday-Friday

Exam registration

December 8-12

Monday-Friday

Thesis Defence period (BA programs)

December 12

Friday

Last day of teaching

December 15-19

Monday-Friday

Final Exam Period (no classes are held)

January 5-January 30

Friday-Friday

Exam Period

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Libraries at Corvinus There is no university without a library, and going there is a major part of students life.

Luckily, they don’t have to read through books in dark, musty, rundown rooms – for both campuses of Corvinus University of Budapest await students with cozy, quiet libraries.

Közgáz Campus Central Library The Central Library is located in building C of the Közgáz Campus. The three-storey book-palace and its modern design satisfies all requirements a student may have as regards a library. The clear design, the large open spaces and practical equipment are nothing like a classical library’s, and it is popular among students. All three faculties have their own reading room; there are also computer rooms and a research library. And if anyone wants to scan, print or similar, they can do so at any time. The library is full of students all day, even in the study period, so no one will feel alone there. Most books can be borrowed, yet it is worth spending some of one’s study time in the library. For group learning, students can reserve a consultation room, so people can discuss issues without having to whisper!

If you are looking for books or other resources, just use the catalogue-computers. The online part of the catalogue is available via the Central Library’s website, and you can even book books or extend borrowings here, too. Online journals, TDK dissertations, theses and other information can be found on the http://lib.uni-corvinus.hu webpage.

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Budai Campus Entz Ferenc Library The 150-year-old library was recently moved near to the Somogyi dormitory. The new site is much larger than the previous one, so it is a lot less crowded.

The new library is better equipped, quieter, looks better and has a cloakroom. There are enough power outlets, and WiFi is magnificent – so even the Y generation can be satisfied with conditions! As in almost every library, books can be borrowed after a short registration procedure. You can have five books out under your name at a time. You can extend your loan or book a book online – you just need to go to the catalogue’s webpage and enter your ‘account’.

Borrowing is free, though expired borrowings are charged. The catalogue of the library can be found on the following website: http://efkl.uni-corvinus.hu Garden art Library The Garden art Library is useful mostly for students of the Faculty of Landscape Architecture. The library is on the second floor of building G. The offerings here are about the history of gardens and garden art styles. These books and documents cannot be borrowed – they are only available for reading on-site – but photocopying is available.

How to shape your student life at Corvinus Being a student at Corvinus means not just that one has a chance to participate in highlevel classes – it is also to be part of a vivid, unique student life. And this all begins with the activities of student organizations and colleges for advanced studies. CUB ensures an unprecedented supply of these communities.

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student organization means a group of students who come from different study areas but who have (at least) one common area of interest – that they sacrifice some part of their free time! These areas of interest might be quite different: organizing (and taking part in) foreign internships, teaching high-school pupils or even undergraduate students, volunteering, organizing (and taking part in) summer universities, writing articles for the university newspaper, etc. Everybody can find an organization that is suitable for him/her!

However, you may wish to deepen your knowledge in your free time, so colleges for advanced studies are your best choices, regardless of whether you are interested in the economics, social sciences or in landscape architecture. Both campuses (Közgáz

and the Buda Campus) of the university give you a chance to join one of these colleges. Here, you will able to take part in special courses with wellknown guest lecturers, to test and develop research skills and to participate in some quite exclusive events.

These reasons should be adequate as regards persuading someone to join a student organization or a college – yet I have left the biggest motivation to the end! If you are a part of any of these organizations, then you are not alone in this huge university – you belong to a small community, can make friends and enjoy your university life at a “special level”. This is why you should consider joining a student organization or a college, for it is the best way to build up your student life and have wonderful experiences during your university years.

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Events at Corvinus University of Budapest Events at the Buda Campus Buda Campus Student organizations place particularly great emphasis on community organising – and the relatively smaller number of students allows for the creation of a family atmosphere, which is important in students’ lives from Freshman Camp to graduation.

The first event of the academic year is the Campus Opening Party, held at the beginning of the fall semester, and which provides entertainment on two sites of building K, with different styles of music.

This is followed by the Freshmen’s Ball (also in the fall, also in building K), which has an illustrious atmosphere every year, as there are high-quality programs, the freshmen’s dance, and other venues (tearoom, karaoke etc.) Major spring events are Farsang (Carnival) and Felező (Midpoint). The Farsang is a costume ball with a traditional carnival atmosphere; and the Felező is a party held in honor of second-year students, in which there are funny contests and arcade games.

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Apart from these, the Students’ Union organizes programs with the aim of community development.

The spring event ”Arbortakarítás” has long traditions: it starts with agro-technical work on the site of the Buda Arboretum, and ends with a community dinner.

In addition, winetastings, dorm days, exam-forgetting tours and other interesting events are organized.

Based on the above, every Buda Campus student agrees that there is a unique atmosphere in all three faculties.

Events at the Közgáz Campus Közgáz Campus has always been famous for – alongside its high-quality tuition! – its events. This has not changed, and thanks to the growing number of student organizations and advanced colleges – and to the KöZGÁZ! TEAM’s increasing activities – student life is on an unprecedent ‘high’ now. During the year, all kinds of events await students almost every month: balls in the University’s building, parties held in other locations, Közgáz’s own year-end festival, and many more.

Fall starts at the end of August, with freshman camps for new students. A student organization called ‘ÖCSI’ organizes this for bachelors, while the Students’ Union does so for masters. Here, students can meet each other via various team-building programs and night parties. After the freshman camps, the Közgáz events calendar really starts, with the first week’s KöZGÁZ! Opening Party, which always starts up the Fall semester. There is also a ‘Cooltoura’ series of parties organized by the KöZGÁZ! TEAM, which brings students to the best Budapest clubs every three or four weeks. Santa Claus Party, Ice-night, Carnival – these are just a few more events within the fall/winter line-up. Közgáz is also unique from another point of view among universities: the main building changes its normal face on certain special occasions. So that for some nights it becomes one of the city’s most atmospheric party venues – a few thousand partying students and stages in the hall; this spectacle awaits everyone who visits Közgáz’s main building.

In spring, the focus is on more comprehensive events. In February, at the start of the spring semester, Közgáz Campus holds its own Felező (Midpoint) party, which is for students who are halfway in their bachelors or masters education. This gives them an opportunity to celebrate the fact that they have now completed the first half of their time of education (or to celebrate the fact that half of it is still to come...).

Spring semester has a ball too. The campus’ new tradition is the senior prom, which is for graduates.

The ball is premium category: dinner in the university’s hall, a noted patron, and after the formal part, a typical, crazy Közgáz-style party. After the exams, the campus’ official Közgáz Year-end Festival awaits every student in Balatonkenese. Concerts, a party on the sands and dips into Lake Balaton. Nothing more is needed to prepare yourself for the summer...

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Restaurants and Bars near the University In the vicinity of the university you can not only find fast food restaurants, but restaurants specialized for students with normal prices.

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here is a buffet in Building E (the main building) and another one in Building C (the new building). Here you can buy basic snacks like sandwiches, pizza, and chocolate, but there are homemade cakes and muffins, too. You can also get coffee, soft drinks and water. Usually the queue of people waiting to buy things in Building C is longer than in Building E. In the basement of the Kinizsi dormitory, you can find the Africafé. It operates as a canteen in the daytime, but at night is a popular party place among Corvinus students. Probably the hot-dog, the cheese burger and the cordon bleu are the best buy. They mainly cook from frozen ingredients, but they are quite good

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tasting. Here you can also order a beer and play a soccer game with your friends.

Tao is one of the best Chinese restaurants near the university. The decor is modern, and it has an extra floor, too. In this case you have to walk a little farther, because it is almost on Kálvin Square, but believe me, it’s worth it. It is a bit more expensive than the other Chinese restaurants, but the food is definitely the best here. You can also get vegetarian meals here. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

LEVES. is a kind of takeaway restaurant, where you can buy soup and grilled sandwiches. Every day you can choose from four different types of sandwiches and soups, but they always change the soups for

variety. The prices are student-friendly, the service is excellent (they speak good English) and the food is awesome. Here you can meet a lot of Corvinus students, because it’s one of the favorite places among them. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday. The “twin” of the LEVES. is PASTA. which focuses on the best noodle preparation. It’s just a few steps from its liquid-serving sibling, opposite the tram stop on Kálvin Square. Every day you can choose from four types of pasta at a great price, and satisfies in terms of flavour, quality and quantity. Benches – especially in springtime – provide an excellent opportunity for chatting and dating.

Pár Perc Krumpli is also a good choice for a fan of street food. They have introduced the Belgian fried potatoes experience to Budapest. You can try it at the beginning of the Ráday Street. “39” You can find it next to Building C, in Czuczor Street. It is a perfect place to eat a hot lunch. They have 3 types of menus every day, and you can also order food a’la carte. Its biggest disadvantage is the long line during breaks, but it is reasonably priced for mostly good quality food. You can find the Kálvin Bisztró on Kálvin Square, which is a non-self-service restaurant. The food is delicious and wellpresented. Tipping is said to be “mandatory” in places like this. A lot of people have lunch here, so there aren’t always free tables.

The prices are not so high.

Those who want to get together for a beer in the afternoon or start the party in a pub can choose from a wide variety of venues.

As I mentioned, Africafé operates as a pub and club in the night. The students usually organize parties or social gatherings here. The prices of the alcoholic drinks are a bit high for an average Hungarian student. Near Building C you can find the Corvinus Café. The illumination is quite bad, but the feeling is always cool. Here you can drink good cocktails for a low price, and also the variety of the drinks is quite wide. It’s a good place for a date, too. Dömi, usually called Grafika, is a great place for watching football matches. You can play a soccer game or play your favorite song on the juke-box. The spritzer (which is “fröccs” in Hungarian) and the beer are quiet cheap.

Right next to Building C you can find the Coffeeshop Company, which is popular among the students.

Between two classes, it’s the best place to go for a cup of warm coffee and some snacks. The prices are similar to other countries, so it’s a bit expensive for students, but believe me, it’s worth it. They offer reductions for students, which you can get with a student ID.

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Sports at Corvinus No matter how many semesters you spend at our great university, you are sure to have some extra time at your disposal. A great use of this opportunity is to take up various sports at Corvius University of Budapest.

H

ere you pick the kind of sports you want – with no end! When you enroll in the ‘Physical Education’ course in the Neptun system, you get a whole range of activites to choose from: ball games, like football, basketball and volleyball; martial arts, like judo or kickboxing; all kinds of dancing; boxing; swimming; gymnastics; etc.

Due to higher expenses some membership require a small amount of contribution. These include aikido, thai-boxing, kickboxing, tennis, yoga and dancing.

Hardcore players will find it most comforting that they’re welcome at the university’s varsity teams.

Again, there’s basketball, volleyball, and floorball teams to be a part of. In addition, the university offers a chance to play in two different soccer leagues – an inside and an outside one. For further information about these professional sports teams, one also needs to go to the sixth floor of Building C at the

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‘Physical Education Department and University of Sports Center’. Should you find these sports not so attractive, there’s always another way to stay in shape. When you buy a season pass you are free to enter the university’s gym anytime you want.

Most of these sports take place at the “Kinizsi” dormitory’s gym, which is about 200 meters from Building C of the university. Outdoor and water sports are in different locations, though information is always there when you locate the class on Neptun.

At the Buda Campus, the opportunities are almost the same, though the locations are different: gym is at ‘Villányi Fitness’, and other sports occur at the gymnasium in Szüret street.

For more detailed information about sports, their locations, or anything similar, go to the following web page: testneveles.uni-corvinus.hu --> in English tab, or in person at the PE department where they could help you with anything about sports!

The International Office The International Office of Corvinus University facilitates so-called internationalisation at the University by taking care of various related activities, which could be described as: initiation, coordination, support and representation.

M

ost of these activities connect up with the student exchange and the partner agreements upon which the programme is based. Each semester, Corvinus University exchanges over 200 students with more than 300 partners.

The International Office: • is responsible for signing international cooperation agreements and managing partnerships; • coordinates and supervises the exchange programmes, e.g. ERASMUS, CEEPUS and inter-university exchanges, and this includes supervising the registration of incoming students and making a choice of ‘outgoing’ students; • coordinates the so-called Tandem Programme (Buddy programme); • cooperates with Student Associations (e.g. ESN Corvinus, Students’ Council) in the arrangement of programmes for incoming students; • gathers, processes and disseminates information on partner institutions, on their study programmes and on other study abroad possibilities; • gathers students’ study abroad reports, making them available to future candidates; • maintains contacts with the European Commission, the National Agency, the Hungarian Scholarship Board (MÖB) etc.; • prepares (or assists in the preparation of) promotional materials, study guides and other publications relating to the University for international students, and current and prospective partners; • carries out various tasks in relation to the arrival of international visitors, academic staff and students; • represents Corvinus University internationally at conferences, fairs or on other occasions.

In all the above activities the International Office, being a central administrative unit, works closely together with other central administrative units, and especially with the faculties, which all have one or more international coordinator(s). Details of contact information are shown in the following table.

Arrival and First Steps 1. First (after having settled at a hostel or in a rented apartment) it is strongly recommended that students attend the orientation programme advertised by the International Office.

2. The second step is that one goes to the administrative unit (one of the faculties) that the student belongs to (based on information received at the International Office), where students enrol and get their student ID cards.

3. Registration of place of residence and/or residence permit application procedures should be done with the help of the Hungarian Tandem partner.

Tandem Programme The Tandem Programme is a Hungarian adaptation of other tutorial programmes, for instance the so called “Buddy Network” in English-speaking countries and the “Tandem Programme” in German-speaking ones.

First impressions and experiences are very important for somebody arriving in a foreign country.

The university would like to give assistance to its exchange students, giving them a helping hand in matters for the first few days or weeks of their stay.

Students will automatically get Hungarian partner students, who will contact them by e-mail and who will be ready to answer all questions concerning life in Hungary, Budapest and the university.

Students who are to study at the Buda Campus should contact their Programme Coordinator with questions about the Tandem/Buddy Programme.

Orientation Programme The orientation programme is for all Corvinus University exchange students. There will be informative presentations regarding different administrative and academic questions. Therefore, attendance on this orientation day is strongly recommended.

What to Bring For the International Day (organised around the middle of the semester) exchange students are kindly asked to bring some brochures, posters, etc. with themselves to be able to present their home institutions – hoping to persuade Hungarian students to spend an exchange semester there.

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Contact Persons Name, Phone, e-mail

Title, Responsibilities

Room, office hours

International Office Address: Fővám tér 8. / Fax: + 36 1 482 5023 Welcome Office

General questions

E-205 Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00

Ms Erzsébet VERES Phone: + 36 1 482 5389 erzsebet.veres@uni-corvinus.hu

Head of International Office Institutional CEEPUS Coordinator

E-207/a Wed 9.00-12.00

Ms Anna OROSZ Phone: + 36 1 482 5213 erasmus@uni-corvinus.hu

Institutional Erasmus coordinator Erasmus partners Outgoing Erasmus students (for study and traineeship)

E-207 Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00

Mr Gábor SZALAI Phone: + 36 1 482 5189 gabor.szalai@uni-corvinus.hu

Incoming students’ coordinator CEEPUS programme Student exchange with Russia Erasmus teaching staff mobility CVS programme BÁH and MÖB contact

E-207 Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00

Ms Ildikó KÁNYA Phone: +36 1 482 5438 ildiko.kanya@uni-corvinus.hu

Tandem Program (FBA, FEC, FSS) Transcript of records Summer universities Erasmus administrative staff mobility Erasmus disabled support

205 Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00

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Name, Phone, e-mail

Title, Responsibilities

Room, office hours

Faculty of Economics (FEC) Address: Fővám tér 8. / Fax: + 36 1 482 5164 Ms Judit STRIKER Phone: + 36 1 482 5347 judit.striker@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange student coordinator (incoming students) Bilateral agreements

E-150 Mon 12.45-15.45, Tues 10.00-13.15, Wed 9.00-13.15 and 14.30-16.00

Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) Address: Fővám tér 8.

Ms Mónika CSIZMÁR Phone: + 36 1 482 5008 monika.csizmar@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Student Coordinator (incoming students)

E-136 Mon-Thurs 8.00-13.00, Wed 14.00-16.30

Ms Zsuzsanna KRISTA Phone: + 36 1 482 5225 zsuzsa.kristani-corvinus.hu

CEMS and PIM Program Manager

E-154/1 Mornings 9.00-12.00

Ms Dóra NAGY-SZAKONYI Phone: + 36 1 482 5311 dora.szakonyi@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Program Assistant (outgoing students)

E-154 Mornings 9.00-12.00

Ms Eszter VADÁSZ Phone: + 36 1 482 5150 eszter.vadasz@uni-corvinus.hu

DSG Coordinator

E-318 Mornings 9.00-12.00

Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) Address: Közraktár utca 4-6. / Fax: + 36 1 482 7208 Ms Viktória SIMON Phone: + 36 1 482 7210 viktoria.simon@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Student Coordinator

C-506 Mon and Tue 13.00-16.00, Wed 9.00-12.00

Faculty of Food Science (FFS) Address: Villányi út 29-43., Building „K” / Fax: + 36 1 482 6366 Ms Judit BÚS-PAP Phone: + 36 1 482 6189 buspap@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Student Coordinator

ground floor 1 Mon and Thurs 8.00-11.00

Faculty of Horticultural Science (FHS) Address: Villányi út 29-43., Building „K” / Fax: + 36 1 482 6365 Ms Zsuzsa VÉGVÁRI-KOTHENCZ Dr Phone: + 36 1 482 6314 zsuzsa.kothencz@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Student Coordinator

ground floor 16 Mon and Thurs 9.00-12.00 and 13.00-15.00

Faculty of Landscape Architecture (FLA) Address: Villányi út 29-43., Building „G” / Fax: + 36 1 386 8312 Ms Sára FÁBIÁN Phone: + 36 1 482 6592 or 6596 sara.fabian@uni-corvinus.hu

Exchange Student Coordinator

-

Students’ Council Address: Fővám tér 8.

Mr István KÁRÁSZ istvan.karasz@bcehok.hu

Officer responsible for Foreign Affairs

-

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HÖK – The Students’ Union As a part of the university self-government, the HÖK (The Students’ Union; StU) has the right to act on behalf of the students in the consultative and decision-making bodies of the university. In few words, its main object is to protect students’ rights at all levels.

T

he whole system is based on the work of the faculty students’ unions. The HigherEducation Act and University Regulations give all university students the right to vote for the representatives, as well as to be elected. In the different faculties, students elect representatives to stand for them in the faculty Students’ Union, which delegates members to academic bodies, such as the Faculty Council, the Education Committee or the Campus Board. Faculty councils suggest changes in the curriculum, help with the entrance examinations, evaluate lecturers’ work and voice their opinion on any issue concerning the students at the faculty level. In issues concerning the whole university it is the HÖK who expresses its opinion; it consists of representatives from each faculty. They elect the HÖK chairmen, direct the work of the university student federation, participate in the work of the supreme governing bodies.

The HÖK is engaged in the support and operation of university students’ professional, scientific, sports and other community activities. We organise the freshman camp for incoming master students, the

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midpoint ball for bachelor students, the Corvinus Days and each faculty has its own special programmes. You can read more about social activities organised by the HÖK in that booklet. Of course, you are all invited. We also try to do our best in helping international students. In that field, the main object is the same, representing your interests, protecting your rights and getting you better involved into the University’s social life. Our office provides an info desk where you can ask your questions and what is more, you can use computers, print and copy. If you are not willing to visit us personally, you can also write an e-mail. We can ensure that your question will be answered within a few days, so do not hesitate to contact us!

HÖK Office – Fővám tér 8. room 17.

Mon-Thu: 9.00-16.00 Friday: 09.00-13.00 Contacts: kulugy@bcehok.hu (Foreign Affairs Team) oktatas@bcehok.hu (Education Team)

Small Hungarian language class Greetings: Good morning!

Jó reggelt!

Good afternoon!

Jó napot!

Good evening!

Jó estét!

Good night!

Jó éjt!

Hi!

Szia!

Goodbye!

Viszontlátásra!

Conversation: What is your name?

Hogy hívnak?

My name is…

A nevem…

How old are you?

Hány éves vagy?

Do you have hobbies?

Van hobbid?

How are you?

Hogy vagy?

Fine, thank you, and you?

Jól, köszönöm, és te?

Thank you very much!

Köszönöm szépen!

You are welcome!

Szívesen!

Directions Could you tell me, where the… is?

Meg tudnád mondani, merre van a…?

Keep straight on!

Menj egyenesen előre!

Turn left!

Fordulj balra!

Turn right!

Fordulj jobbra!

Wishes/Greetings: Happy birthday!

Boldog születésnapot!

Happy name-day!

Boldog névnapot!

Merry Christmas!

Boldog karácsonyt!

Happy new year!

Boldog új évet!

Have a nice weekend!

Kellemes hétvégét!

Important words: pub

Kocsma

drug store/chemist’s

Gyógyszertár

Hospital

Kórház

police

Rendőrség

university

Egyetem