Anastasija Popović, former Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holder, summer 2025 graduate of the International Business Economics programme offered by ELTE Faculty of Economics (ELTE GTK) explains why studying at our faculty appears to have been a great foundation for her future professional life.

“Starting one's studies abroad means starting from zero. In 2021, I moved to Budapest to begin my International Business Economics studies at ELTE, which marked my first experience with both living abroad and studying fully in English. While challenging at times, it quickly became one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

ELTE GTK’s program

The program offers a broad and well-structured curriculum, covering broad topics and subjects such as Management, Marketing, Finance, Statistics, Business Law, Taxation, and Economics. Having still been unsure at the time which future path I was to take this array of different subjects helped me better explore different areas of business and economics and ultimately clarified my academic and future career goals. The assessment system is particularly effective, with midterms and seminars throughout the semester, constantly challenging you to go over the study materials. Another amazing bonus of this program is that passing courses through midterms (and earning offered grades) eliminates the need to take the end-of-semester exams, which was extremely beneficial for me and all my fellow students. Additionally, this program focuses on more practical, hands-on experiences through presentations, group projects, case studies, and compulsory internships in the final year. These internships allow students to apply theoretical knowledge they have obtained thus far at ELTE GTK to a real work environment, and for many, like for me, represents the first ever encounter with real responsibilities and obligations. 

Living abroad can get expensive as well. That is why I cannot recommend the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship enough! Open to students from all over the world, this scholarship covers the full financial burden of tuition fees, with monthly stipends, covered health care, but also clear guidance on all the steps needed to take before and after coming to Hungary (getting a student ID number and card, opening a Hungarian bank account, help with finding accommodation, etc.) As such, it is very useful, and a tip from me is to make sure you have noted all the deadlines and have all the documentation ready in advance, as the application deadline for the scholarship is mid-January.

Life beyond studies in Hungary

If you are worried about not speaking Hungarian but still want to fit into the society of Budapest, don’t be! Budapest is a vibrant and very international city where you can hear languages from all over the world. English is widely spoken, and the city is home to people from everywhere. ELTE also offers Hungarian language and culture courses, which I highly recommend, as they are easy and extremely useful for daily life since they provide a strong and solid base of the language.

Building friendships abroad may feel intimidating at first, but stepping outside your comfort zone is what studying abroad is all about! Don’t be afraid to take the first step, introduce yourself, where you’re from, your culture and you might find that you have a lot more in common than you might initially have thought.

Explore the city, as it never sleeps!

Budapest itself offers endless opportunities for exploration, from historic landmarks like the Parliament, the Buda Castle, and Fisherman’s Bastion, to relaxing walks along the Danube and the picnic-worthy beautiful nature of Margaret Island and Normafa park. Explore the lively nightlife areas such as Gozsdu Udvar and the famous “ruin bar”, Szimpla Kert.