Semester in Hungary at the University of Pécs: Experience to Remember Forever
Anna Kirgizova, a 4th-year Bachelor’s in Business Informatics, shares her unforgettable experiences from the fall 2025/2026 semester abroad at the University of Pécs in Hungary. Full of vibrant student life and an international community, this semester was a time for her to make her biggest dreams come true.
Studies
All courses are taught in English. It’s worth noting that students from all over the world have a strong command of the language, so communication and teamwork were easy. There’s a good variety of courses: I took both undergraduate and graduate classes, which allowed me to interact with students from different years. The learning follows a practical, hands-on approach: guest speakers from the industry, field trips, simulated finance games, and team case studies. The Faculty of Business and Economics has a beautiful, modern building. Nearby is the central library, where you can always find a quiet spot to study. The university also offers free classes in many sports, including table tennis, ballroom dancing, team sports, and more. Everyone can find something they enjoy and even discover a new hobby!
Hungary
The town itself is cozy, and it feels like about 80% of the residents are students, which gives the place a calm and welcoming atmosphere. Because the town is compact, everything important is close by and you can reach remote spots by taxi or bus. There are also many places worth visiting in the country. Besides trips to Budapest, we visited Lake Balaton, which is the largest lake in Central Europe and even went swimming in warm September. The lake is just a four-hour train ride away. Europe has a pleasant climate and mild winters. At the end of December I even saw green trees on the hilltops! You should also try the local goulash and dishes with paprika.
Social Life
All the events I attended helped me meet like-minded people: icebreaker games, country presentations, pilates, parties, workshops and educational talks with guest speakers. The student community is unforgettable. Students come from all over the world from Australia and Vietnam to France and Argentina. A big advantage of the university is the variety of study programs; all of them accept exchange students. This brings together people from very different backgrounds, which makes everything more interesting.
Choose the Dorm for the Exchange Program!
The university offers comfortable apartment-style housing. Cleaning is included, so you do not have to worry about chores. It is also a great place to meet new people. The dorm is very clean, and the staff is always helpful.
Travelling is a must
One of the best parts of the exchange program is getting together with students from different countries and traveling on weekends and breaks, just like in those atmospheric student movies. During the program, I managed to visit nine countries. Some destinations are reachable directly from Pécs, but in most cases (about 80%) you first travel to Budapest, the 2.5-hour train ride passes quickly. Hungary also has the Hungary Pass, a student travel card that covers trains across the country and the metro, which is very convenient. In six months, you’ll gain unique experience from both spontaneous trips and carefully planned journeys.
For me, this time became one of the best periods of my life and I’m deeply grateful to my faculty, the Graduate School of Business and the International Office. In just six months, I was able to make so many dreams come true! The mobility program is an experience I strongly recommend if you get the chance, whether it’s in Europe or Asia. Living in a country not as a tourist, but like a local, you start to realize how much your perspective expands and how beautiful every corner of the world can be.
I still can’t believe this experience is possible for us, students of the HSE Graduate School of Business. Now it’s your turn to apply and who knows, it might just work out!
