INFORMACIÓN EN INGLÉS

Call for scholarship application of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

for the Hungarian Language and Cultural Studies Programme

in the academic year of 2021 (cross-semester)

 

Based on paragraph 2 of the 241/2016. (VIII.16.) Government Regulation and the 4/2019. (III. 13.) Order of the Organizational and Operational Rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFA), within the Balassi Scholarship Programme the Ministry announces application in the academic year of 2021 for the

 

HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAMME

 

for individuals of Hungarian descent living in the Western diaspora outside the Carpathian Basin

who wish to strengthen their language knowledge and cultural identity.

 

  1. THE GOAL OF THE APPLICATION

The objective of the Hungarian Language and Cultural Studies scholarship is to improve, broaden and strengthen the Hungarian language skills and cultural knowledge of young people of Hungarian descent, who are citizens and residents of other countries (the so-called “Western diaspora”). The two-semester course takes place in the MFA in Budapest with the cooperation of the KKM Magyar Diplomáciai Akadémia Kft. (KKM MDA Kft., a training institution of the MFA).

  1. THE OBJECT OF THE APPLICATION

The programme consists of language and cultural studies and provides a great opportunity for participants to actively explore Hungary and contemporary Hungarian culture. In the framework of cultural studies students learn about history, literature, geography, folklore, art history, and social issues. At the end of the programme students take a final exam in the above subjects, defend their final essay, and take a Hungarian language exam officially recognized by the Hungarian state. (The level and type of the language exam is decided by the language skills examination board.)

Participants of the programme will receive a certification at the end of their studies.

Class attendance is compulsory. Should a participant miss classes without cause, or violate the Study and Exam rules or Disciplinary Guidelines, he/she will lose the right to continue the programme and the right to dormitory placement. Any individual who has been expelled from the programme will have to repay all stipend (monthly allowance) received up to that date.

  1. THE LENGTH AND THE CONTENT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

Duration of the programme is 9 months (February – June 2021, September – December 2021).

The scholarship includes:

  • full tuition fee
  • HUF 45,000/month allowance (to be paid monthly for the length of 9 months)
  • free accommodation in the dormitory (2-bedded rooms)
  • student card (offering discounts)
  • basic health services

Maximum number of scholarships to be awarded: 15

  1. CONDITIONS OF THE APPLICATION

Individuals of Hungarian descent between the age of 18 and 35 years are invited to apply. All applicants should have foreign citizenship, those with dual citizenship (Hungarian and other) are also encouraged to apply. Volunteer work, references from post-secondary institutions, and any other activities related to Hungary or Hungarian culture are all taken into consideration in the selection of the applicants.

  1. DEADLINE OF APPLICATIONS

Deadline of applications: 3 December 2020, 24.00 (UTC+1)

 

  1. INFORMATION ON THE SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION OF THE APPLICATION

Steps of application:

The call for application is published in Hungarian at

https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu/2021-evi-keresztfeleves-magyar-nyelvi-es-magyarsagismereti-palyazat

in English at

https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu/hungarian-language-and-cultural-studies-2021

1. Filling in the application form

In case you speak Hungarian:

download the Hungarian-language application form (Excel document) at https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu/2021-evi-keresztfeleves-magyar-nyelvi-es-magyarsagismereti-palyazat  and fill it in electronically (no handwriting!)

 

In case you do not speak Hungarian:

download the English-language application form (Excel document) at https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu/hungarian-language-and-cultural-studies-2021 and fill it in electronically (no handwriting!)

2. Obtaining required documents

Required documentation and references for the application:

  • The excel document named Health Screening Questionnaire filled in electronically (required format: Excel document) and the accompanying word document named Health Screening Questionnaire Declaration, signed and scanned (required format: .pdf),
  • an approx. 300-word essay on why you would like to study in Hungary (required format: Word document)
  • CV (required format: Word document)
  • copy of passport (required format: .pdf)
  • copy of transcripts and diplomas signed or certified by the appropriate authorities (required format: .pdf)
  • reference letter from a volunteer organization (eg. scouts, school, foundation, church, etc.) or from an individual of recognized stature or position in the community. Recommendations from family members are not accepted (required format: .pdf)
  • copy of document certifying vaccinaton obtained so far/vaccination booklet, if any (required format: .pdf)

3. Printing and signing the application form

Print the application form filled in eletronically, then sign with blue ink and scan in colour.

4. Submitting the application material via e-mail to jn2@nyu.edu AND hungarologia@mdakft.hu

To submitting the application the following documents have to be sent to both e-mails:

  • application form filled in electronically (Excel document),
  • signed and scanned application form (.pdf document),
  • The excel document named Health Screening Questionnaire filled in electronically (required format: Excel document) and the accompanying word document named Health Screening Questionnaire Declaration, signed and scanned (required format: .pdf),
  • an approx. 300-word essay on why you would like to study in Hungary (required format: Word document)
  • CV (required format: Word document)
  • copy of passport (required format: .pdf)
  • copy of transcripts and diplomas signed or certified by the appropriate authorities (required format: .pdf)
  • reference letter from a volunteer organization (eg. scouts, school, foundation, church, etc.) or from an individual of recognized stature or position in the community. (required format: .pdf)
  • copy of document certifying vaccinaton obtained so far/vaccination booklet, if any (required format: .pdf)

Evaluation of the Application

Decisions on the applications are made by the Evaluation Committee based on the recommendation of the Hungarian Scouts Association in Exteris. All decisions are binding.

MFA will not consider applications submitted after deadline and/or incorrectly and/or incompletely and/or illegibly.

Publication of the results

Applications will be evaluated by 10 December 2020 and applicants will be notified about the results within 7 workdays afterwards via e-mail.

Successful applicants must confirm the acceptance of the scholarship via e-mail. The winning applicant upon arrival in Hungary must undertake to pay USD 600 for KKM MDA Kft. involved in the implementation of the training as a contribution to the cost of excursions included in the program.

If the payment is not fulfilled after arrival in Hungary or until the start of organising the first trip, the scholarship holder may not participate in the excursions.

Depending on the evolution of the epidemiological situation, the MFA reserves the right to postpone or cancel the excursions announced as part of the program, or to change the conditions of participation in them.

The scholarship does not cover the following expenses:

  • travel to and from Hungary
  • language exam fee (ECL exam of level B2 or C1: approx. HUF 25,000)
  • cost of two compulsory field trips (USD 600)
  • public transport season ticket
  • food and personal expenses (the recommended monthly amount for food and personal expenses is approximately USD 250)
  • fee of type “Other” visa, if necessary
  1. CONDITIONS OF WINNING AND OBTAINING THE SCHOLARSHIP

The applicant must accept the following conditions for obtaining the scholarship:

  • Any applicant providing unreal, false information on the data sheet, and/or make such a statement when submitting the application, and/or withhold any fact or data concerning the assessment of the application may be excluded from the application procedure.
  • By submitting their application, applicants consent to the processing of their personal data in the application form by the MFA, by the decision-shaping bodies and decision-makers defined above for the time necessary for the decision - but not later than 15 February 2021. By submitting their application, the winning applicants also consent to the processing of their personal data in the application form by MFA and KKM MDA Kft. during their scholarship period. Failure to comply with this reporting obligation will result in termination of the scholarship holder status.
  • The list of Scholarship Winners is public. By participating in the application, the applicant agrees that his/her name will be published on the website of the MFA if s/he is awarded a scholarship by the MFA.
  • The applicant acknowledges that, in view of the epidemiological situation, the MFA may postpone the pre-planned start date of the Hungarian Language and Cultural Studies Programme (1 February, 2021) and/or apply distance learning methods in the training, or in a serious situation may refuse to start the training, may decide to suspend the training and continue it after the suspension has been lifted, and may decide to apply a training period shorter than it is determinated in this call for application. The Applicant undertakes that in the event of the occurrence of any of the above circumstances s/he does not file a claim for damages against the MFA or KKM MDA Kft. regarding to this circumstance.
  • A mandatory element of the application dossier is the health screening questionnaire and the accompanying declaration, which must be completed, signed and attached to the submitted application as an indispensable part of it. The applicant undertakes to fill in the health screening questionnaire according to his/her best knowledge, and that s/he does not state unreal and/or false data, and does not withhold true facts and/or real data. He also undertakes to carry out the missing health examinations established on the basis of the questionnaire and that as a necessary condition for living in Hungary s/he will take the mandatory vaccination (measles, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, tetanus) at his own expense, preferably before the start of the training. In case of winning the scholarship the applicant undertakes to take part in the health screening test organised by the MFA and/or KKM MDA Kft. after enrolling in the training. If, as a result of this screening test or any additional medical examination prescribed by the doctor performing the screening test, the applicant receives „medically not recommended for training” result, or the applicant refuses to carry out the previous screening test or examination, then no scholarship contract and training contract will be concluded with the applicant. If the previous contract or contracts have already been concluded, they will be terminated with immediate effect, and the scholarship holder will no longer be able to participate in the training and have to move out of the dormitory within 3 days. If, during the period of the Programme, the scholarship holder’s health status changes from “medically recommended for training” to “medically not recommended for training”, his/her Scholarship Agreement may be terminated with immediate effect.
  • The applicant consents to the use and storage of the health data provided by him/her in the application dossiers by the KKM, KKM MDA Kft., and as well as by the individuals involved in medical screening.
  • Upon arrival in Hungary, the winning applicant must undertake to pay USD 600 to KKM MDA Kft. as a contribution to the costs of the excursions included in the programme.
  • Signing Scholarship Agreement with the MFA and a training agreement with the KKM MDA Kft.
  1. CONTACT

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The official call-for-application and the application form can be found at the Balassi Scholarship Programme webpage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

(in Hungarian: https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu,

in English: https://balassischolarship.kormany.hu/call-for-application-hungarian-cultural-studies),

as well as at the webpage of the Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség (www.kmcssz.org).

All Hungarian speakers should fill in the Hungarian-language application form. Use the English-language form only if you do not speak Hungarian.