Outstanding Success of the Stipendium Hungaricum at the University of Sopron

Budi Mulyana, an Indonesian PhD student, successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in January at the Roth Gyula Doctoral School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Sopron. The specialist obtained his forestry undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Forestry at the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in 2002. He continued his studies with an Indonesian government scholarship in an environmental science master's program. Currently, he works as a lecturer and member of the forest planning laboratory at the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. He won the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship in 2021. After three and a half years, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in Sopron.

"I traveled thousands of miles from Indonesia to Hungary to pursue doctoral studies in forestry at the University of Sopron. I am researching the carbon dynamics of forests and energy plantations. At the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Sopron, I found incredibly good supervisors who supported me in completing my PhD thesis on 'Carbon dynamics of poplar and black locust plantations under different management strategies' at a high level," said the Indonesian specialist.

The newly graduated student emphasized that, thanks to the University of Sopron's faculty, he was able to research a topic that is highly relevant today, such as the capacity of tree plantations and forests to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.

The Hungarian support provided to Indonesian students and the good relationship is also indicated by the fact that representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Hungary attended the public defense: Mr. Yudhi Gunawan, Deputy Head of the Information and Cultural Department, and Mr. Agung Prabowo, Secretary of the Ambassador.

The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program was founded by the Hungarian Government in 2013, and the University of Sopron has been offering its English-language programs to international students since 2016. The application period for students for the 2025/2026 academic year closed on January 15, 2025. Within this framework, 447 applicants listed the University of Sopron as their first choice, while the number of second-choice applicants was 536.

These figures not only prove the university's attractiveness and international reputation but also the success of its strategic goals. The significant increase in the total number of applicants is clear evidence that the University of Sopron is a demanded and dynamically developing institution within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum program.

The most applications for the university's 12 English-language programs came from the following countries: Morocco, Pakistan, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ghana. In terms of programs, the Educational Science master's program of the Benedek Elek Faculty of Education was the most popular among applicants. For the Lámfalussy Sándor Faculty of Economics, the Business Administration and Management bachelor's program, for the Faculty of Engineering in Wood Science and Creative Industries, the Timber Industry Engineering master's program, and for the Faculty of Forestry, the Environmental Engineering master's program received the most applications. Currently, 81 scholarship holders from 33 countries are studying at the university within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum program. The Tempus Public Foundation's Board of Trustees will make a decision on awarding scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year in June 2025.

This remarkable result positions the institution in an outstanding place on the global educational map. The University of Sopron proves, both domestically and internationally, that quality education, research and development, and commitment to a sustainable future create real value.