Similarities and differences between the contemporary Stipendium Hungaricum programme and international student mobility in Hungary during the socialist era

Dobos, Gábor and Izmindi, Richárd and Menyhárt, Viktor and M. Császár, Zsuzsanna (2026) Similarities and differences between the contemporary Stipendium Hungaricum programme and international student mobility in Hungary during the socialist era. MODERN GEOGRÁFIA, 21 (4). pp. 179-198. ISSN 2062-1655

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Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive comparative quantitative and policy analysis of inbound international student mobility in Hungary, tracing historical trends from the socialist era (1960–1990) to contemporary developments in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic years. The results indicate a profound expansion and geographic realignment: the number of international students doubled from 23,000 in 2013 to 49,000 by 2025, while the primary sending region shifted from Europe (72% in 2010) to Asia (46% by 2025). The study concludes that, although both the socialist-era framework and the modern Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) programme rely on state-driven bilateral cooperation, their institutional impacts differ significantly. Student mobility during the socialist era remained a localized foreign policy instrument with minimal structural impact, characterized by Hungarian-language instruction and strict return policies. In contrast, the SH programme serves both foreign policy and higher education development objectives, driving systemic internationalization, the expansion of foreign-language (predominantly English) curricula, and integration into global labour markets. By providing a long-term longitudinal overview extending to 2026, this study contributes to the literature by contextualizing modern state-funded mobility programmes within broader geopolitical shifts and institutional transformations in Central European higher education.

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