Group experiences with the support of Pannonia Scholarship Program 01. Apr. 2025

“This study trip to Vienna did indeed provide a great opportunity to gain international experience and a better understanding of European processes in the economy and tourism. Visits to the Austrian capital's city hall and the European Parliament provided us with an insight into the functioning of the institutions and the decision-making processes. In addition to all this, the social aspect of this experience was also outstanding, as we discovered the Viennese atmosphere together and shared new adventures,” said the students of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Debrecen.

According to Katalin Vargáné Csobán, assistant professor of the Department of Tourism and Catering Management at the University of Debrecen and the organizer of the professional visit, the students gained valuable theoretical and practical experience and knowledge during their three-day study trip.

“Our group of students attended a presentation on tourism, culture and the implementation of the Smart City concept in Vienna during a visit to Wiener Rathaus, where they also had an in-depth, lively discussion with Thomas Resch, Head of the European and International Group of the organization Stadt Wien. The House of Music in Vienna is not simply a traditional museum with old exhibits, but a rather spectacular exhibition space equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia tools. So the students could check out and test exciting virtual and real music games and experiments in the world of sound. For these future professionals in tourism, it was particularly interesting to compare an innovative, interactive and visitor-friendly exhibition with what traditional museums would normally offer. As regards the European Parliament Experience - Vienna center, here students were introduced to methods of experience creation and learning through experience. They were divided into groups that participated in a simulation role-play, in which they could follow the steps of political decision-making at European level on a specific topic,” said Katalin Vargáné Csobán.

The assistant professor of the Department of Tourism and Catering Management at the University of Debrecen also added that, in addition to the specialized programs, the students also had found time to explore the city of Vienna, including sights such as Stephansdom, Schönbrunn Palace, Hundertwasser House and the Prater amusement park.

The staff of the International Office of the University of Debrecen consider it highly important to provide opportunities for short group study trips for the teachers, researchers and students of our institution in addition to long-term mobility projects.

“Through support from Pannonia Scholarship Program, it has been possible to organize short group study visits in the framework of a subject or course taught as of the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. This way, students who would not have taken part in a longer study-abroad trip on their own can also benefit from the experience of international studies. With the support of their lecturers, they can now open up the world to their group mates in the framework of a course they take, and we only hope that they will also go on a longer mobility trip on their own at some later stage,” said Orsolya Jánosy, Head of the International Office of UD.

The head of the office coordinating our university's mobility programs wished to underline the following: “We would like to encourage all the faculties to organize group study trips, as the institutional resources are readily available to fund them.”

“It was the students majoring in Tourism and Catering at the Faculty of Economy and Business who were the first to benefit from this opportunity, but several other faculties have also started to organize their own trips already. Students from the Faculty of Informatics will leave for Prague next week and, in the middle of May, German majors from the Faculty of Humanities will travel to Vienna for a week-long professional visit organized by the Austrian Ministry of Education,” added Orsolya Jánosy.

Further information about the mobility programs of the University of Debrecen can be accessed on the website of our International Office.

Press Center - ÉE