A variety of programmes for foreign students at this Hungarian top university

Attila Baumann, leader of the IMT program organizing group, introduces himself and talks about his work within the mentor team. Here is the unchanged interview with him from the website of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, BME.

Please introduce yourself as a mentor! How long have you been working with the mentor team? Why do you enjoy being a member of the community?

I joined the team in February 2022, so I have been a member of the community for over two years now. My main motivation was to make new friends, learn about different cultures, and help the students. The team is an extremely welcoming community, and even from the first weeks, I felt like we have been friends for ages, which hasn’t changed since. I really enjoy spending time with them and the international student community, it’s always uplifting. Throughout my university years, I definitely want to be an active member of the team.

What do you consider the most important tasks of the mentor team?

We are the first point of contact for students arriving in the country, so it’s important for them to feel they can rely on us with their problems, especially navigating the administrative maze in the first weeks and months.

In my opinion, our most important task is to create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. Alongside facilitating socialization, it’s crucial that we can provide assistance and guidance in official matters and health issues. I think the most important thing is for the mentor team to be a stable point of support for students during their stay in the country.

Photo: B. Geberle

What tasks do you perform within the team?

After becoming a mentor, I joined two subgroups: one dealing with official matters (Documents group) and the other which organises programs (Program group). For the past eight months, I have been working as the leader of the program organizing group, no longer participating in the other workgroup. As the group leader, I mainly coordinate the work processes in the background for the past months, with less time to directly participate in organizing. We organize monthly programs and discuss them at the end of each month. For larger events like the International Week, I try to assist new main organizers with my own experiences, but I also try to support the group in the organization of smaller events. I consider integrating newly joined members as my main tasks currently. Additionally, I aim to deepen relationships among the group members by organizing more team-building programs.

In addition to leading the program organizing group, I am also a dormitory mentor. I live in the dormitory for foreign scholarship-holder students at BME, and there is work for me here as well. There are two of us living here from the mentor team, and we strive to bridge the gap between the students and the dormitory management. If students encounter any issues, they can come to our rooms, and we try to find a solution as quickly as possible.

Photo: B. Geberle

What was your fondest memory of the International Week event series?

My fondest memory is associated with the Carnival Party event. This was the team’s first attempt at organizing a university party, and despite all concerns, I think we had a successful event with nearly 300 students attending. It was a special experience to hear the band of two very close friends of mine for the second time, and it was a touching moment when they surprised me after the concert for my birthday.

Could you tell us about your monthly programs?

The Program team currently has 11 members, who are responsible for organizing 5-6 events per month. These events cover a wide range. At the beginning of the year, our goal is to socialize students and introduce them to Budapest and the BME campus. This is served by our annual registration week event series. In addition, we have many seasonal events. For example, every winter, we organize a Christmas event with gingerbread decorating, board games and arts and crafts. In the summer, we often have picnics and go to the beach. We also aim to familiarise our students with Hungarian culture, we prepare interesting educational Facebook posts for national holidays, organize historical city walks or visit the Parliament. Every month includes sports activities as well. In the group, everyone can unleash their creativity, and it’s always a great feeling to see smiling students at our events.

Could you share your most interesting story related to your work?

It’s hard to choose just one story. When I talk about mentoring, several heartwarming memories come to mind, but I’ll share the latest one. A few weeks ago, one of my mentees invited me to a dinner organized for an Indian festival at the dormitory. Together with a close foreign friend, we attended the small gathering. There were perhaps 15 of us in total, but the cooks prepared an extraordinary amount of food. I met many new people and tasted special dishes. I think this will be a beautiful memory that will live with me for a long time.

You may find the original interview HERE.