New Beginnings and Global Connections – Freshmen’s Day 2025

This academic year, the university welcomes 89 new international students beginning their short- or long-term studies. By faculty, 42 students have joined the Alexandre Lamfalussy Faculty of Economics, 9 the Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries, 20 the Faculty of Forestry, and 18 the Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy. Altogether, the newcomers represent 17 different countries.

In total, the University of Sopron now hosts more than 200 international students from 56 countries.

Freshmen’s Day began with a welcome address by Katalin Linda Krajczár-Sári, Head of the International Office, who spoke about the opportunities and challenges of studying abroad and encouraged students to actively engage in their new community. Following this, Erzsébet Szaniszló, international coordinator responsible for student well-being, introduced the university’s mentor network, including the Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network and StudentHelp mentors, and highlighted the many ways these groups support international students during their studies. Next, Aliya Zholdabayeva, the Head of the department of Foreign Language in Margulan University, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Pedagogy spoke about the growing academic cooperation between the University of Sopron and Kazakh partners.

Afterwards, Dhouib Nawres, a student from Tunisia, gave a captivating musical performance, singing and playing guitar. She later shared her thoughts on the event:

“Freshmen’s Day was such a heartwarming experience to be honest, everyone was so open to sharing their cultures, some words in their languages and also their dance moves. Seeing people enjoy the songs I played made me feel truly connected, like I’d found a second family here. It was a day full of joy, unity, and real human connection.”

The next activity, led by Dóra Kulcsár, international coordinator, was linked to World Bread Day. Participants introduced themselves, shared how to say “bread” in their own languages, told an interesting fact about themselves, and pinned their home countries on a shared world map.

After a group photo, students enjoyed a sandwich break and networking session, where they had the chance to meet fellow students and university staff, take photos, and play games in a relaxed atmosphere.

The afternoon continued with a piano performance by Nigerian student Omabuwa Sholayemi Caleb, followed by a presentation from Fruzsina Tamás, Dean’s Administrator, on the Pannónia Scholarship Programme, which offers mobility opportunities for international students. Ádám Balogh, a student from the Faculty of Wood Engineering and Creative Industries, then introduced Hungarian student traditions.

To conclude the official programme, the Ürmös Dance Group performed Hungarian folk dances and invited the audience to participate in a lively dance house session.

The event was organised by the International Office, and the hostesses of the afternoon were international coordinators Erzsébet Szaniszló and Boróka Buzsáki, with Zsófia Szála, international coordinator providing valuable support.

The event closed with an informal afterparty, where students celebrated together and enjoyed music, marking a joyful beginning to their university experience in Sopron.

Thank you to all participants for contributing to this memorable day!

Go through our photo album below an read our Instagram post about the event here.