Educational and Research Fellowship Program to Launch with the Fulbright Foundation
A new chapter is opening in international relations as the Hungarian-American Fulbright Commission and Obuda University have signed a cooperation agreement to implement educational and cultural exchange programs. The partnership aims to broaden the University’s academic and research portfolio and to strengthen cultural exchange with U.S. partners.
Fulbright is one of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programs. For a university, becoming an official partner of the Foundation represents a kind of “quality seal” on the international higher education market, making the institution more attractive to international students and researchers alike. The agreement also establishes a living channel through which top-tier American expertise can flow into Hungarian higher education. At the same time, it offers students first-hand insight into how leading universities around the world think and operate.
Participants were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Enikő Maior, Vice-Rector for Education. She emphasized that the agreement aims to strengthen the Fulbright program at the University, enabling American faculty members to teach at Obuda University.
As highlighted during the event, the central element of the cooperation is the “Fulbright–OU Fellowship.” The program will allow Obuda University to host native English-speaking American Fulbright scholars each year. The University commits to covering specified costs related to the visiting professors’ stay, thereby supporting the successful implementation of the program.
Obuda University has also seen a significant strengthening of student excellence in recent years. “With the scholarship made possible through our agreement with the Fulbright Foundation, we can effectively reach these outstanding young talents,” stressed Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács, Rector of the University. He added that partnerships established with U.S. universities in recent weeks also offer numerous opportunities, further contributing to the expansion of joint education and research programs and to the creation of an inspiring, globally minded environment for both students and faculty.
Tamás László Magyarics, Chair of the Fulbright Board, noted that one of the original goals of the program’s founders was not only to benefit the individual grantees, but also to ensure that their home institutions gain lasting value from these connections. U.S.–Hungarian educational and cultural relations are of key importance, and their strengthening is greatly supported by the Fulbright community, which today includes tens of thousands of members worldwide. The program is gaining momentum, supported in part by significant funding from the Hungarian government. Beyond higher education institutions, the Hungarian economy itself can also benefit from the outcomes of these partnerships.
Subject to the approval of the Fulbright Commission and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB), the program will become ongoing starting in the next academic year, from September 1, 2026. Fulbright scholars will spend at least one semester at Obuda University (a minimum of four and a half months) as visiting Fulbright faculty. During this period, and in line with University requirements, they will teach one or two courses. Each course will carry at least three credits, include two contact hours per course, offer consultations and office hours, and involve participation in standard faculty responsibilities.
An important component of the program is that Fulbright scholars take part in the Fulbright Commission’s regular monthly events for grantees, known as “enrichment activities.” In the case of a joint teaching or research plan, there is also the option to deliver courses in an intensive eight-week format, with the remaining time dedicated to individual research.
A strategic goal of Obuda University is to host Fulbright scholars in clearly defined academic fields. These include engineering sciences; information technology, with a particular focus on computer science and information systems; architecture and civil engineering; business, management, and marketing; environmental engineering; light industry and environmental studies; applied mathematics; and the natural sciences.
Participants were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Enikő Maior, Vice-Rector for Education. She emphasized that the agreement aims to strengthen the Fulbright program at the University, enabling American faculty members to teach at Obuda University.
As highlighted during the event, the central element of the cooperation is the “Fulbright–OU Fellowship.” The program will allow Obuda University to host native English-speaking American Fulbright scholars each year. The University commits to covering specified costs related to the visiting professors’ stay, thereby supporting the successful implementation of the program.
Obuda University has also seen a significant strengthening of student excellence in recent years. “With the scholarship made possible through our agreement with the Fulbright Foundation, we can effectively reach these outstanding young talents,” stressed Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács, Rector of the University. He added that partnerships established with U.S. universities in recent weeks also offer numerous opportunities, further contributing to the expansion of joint education and research programs and to the creation of an inspiring, globally minded environment for both students and faculty.
Tamás László Magyarics, Chair of the Fulbright Board, noted that one of the original goals of the program’s founders was not only to benefit the individual grantees, but also to ensure that their home institutions gain lasting value from these connections. U.S.–Hungarian educational and cultural relations are of key importance, and their strengthening is greatly supported by the Fulbright community, which today includes tens of thousands of members worldwide. The program is gaining momentum, supported in part by significant funding from the Hungarian government. Beyond higher education institutions, the Hungarian economy itself can also benefit from the outcomes of these partnerships.
Subject to the approval of the Fulbright Commission and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB), the program will become ongoing starting in the next academic year, from September 1, 2026. Fulbright scholars will spend at least one semester at Obuda University (a minimum of four and a half months) as visiting Fulbright faculty. During this period, and in line with University requirements, they will teach one or two courses. Each course will carry at least three credits, include two contact hours per course, offer consultations and office hours, and involve participation in standard faculty responsibilities.
An important component of the program is that Fulbright scholars take part in the Fulbright Commission’s regular monthly events for grantees, known as “enrichment activities.” In the case of a joint teaching or research plan, there is also the option to deliver courses in an intensive eight-week format, with the remaining time dedicated to individual research.
A strategic goal of Obuda University is to host Fulbright scholars in clearly defined academic fields. These include engineering sciences; information technology, with a particular focus on computer science and information systems; architecture and civil engineering; business, management, and marketing; environmental engineering; light industry and environmental studies; applied mathematics; and the natural sciences.
