What students say about us?

Abdulkareem Alshooly

One of our former Physical Training students, the Jordanian
Abdulkareem Alshooly is now a successful coach in his home country!

Where do you work as a coach? Who do you deal with?
I’m working at the Olympic preparation centre, which is part of the Jordanian Olympic Committee, I’m the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s national boxing teams, and I’m also the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s fencing national teams at the Jordanian Fencing Federation.

What was the biggest contribution to getting your job?
One of the main factors was gaining a respectful amount of knowledge from studying sports science at the Faculty of Sciences, and the other one was chasing further education from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Why did you choose the UP Faculty of Sciences?
I was granted a scholarship by the Stipendium Hungaricum to study sports science at the University of Pécs, Faculty of Sciences, and the whole experience was amazing.

Why did you choose the study program you completed?
I was always fascinated by the science behind sports, why some athletes do better than others, why our bodies have certain adaptations to different stimuli, and what are the keys to great sports performance. That’s why I studied sports science.

What can you thank UP for?
Studying at the University of Pecs raised the bar for me, seeing how much discipline everyone involved in sport showed, and how much effort was put into the research and analysis taught me in to excel as a coach, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.
I had some great professors from whom I learned a lot, and who left a huge impact on me to this day, especially Professor Márk Váczi, who was a mentor, a teacher, and a role model who I always looked up to.

Fidel Egbe

Where do you come from?
I am a very proud Nigerian and an honorary Hungarian.

How did you get to know about Hungary/Pécs/Faculty of Sciences?
I did an extensive search on the best place I could go study at a reasonable price and an affordable cost of living and I stumbled upon Pécsi Tudományegyetem and Pécs a tiny little gem of a city in the south-west of Hungary. The city and university ticked all my boxes.

Why did you choose the Faculty of Sciences?
The faculty gave me the opportunity to achieve my educational goals, and the wonderful management and staff of the international office and the Institute of sports science were very helpful on a personal level in making sure I met all the necessary requirements needed for me to enrol onto my course.

What were your best experiences so far?
I couldn’t honestly pick one experience as the best, I have made lots of memories, made new connections and friends from all over the world. The locals (Pecsiek) and this beautiful city have grown on me.

Do you have plans after graduation?
I plan on doing a little bit of travelling, achieving a few other professional goals and then moving on to a master’s programme to further my studies.

Would you recommend the Faculty of Sciences for others?
This faculty and university give you an endless opportunity to achieve your dreams, and it sets you in the right part – it has certainly done that for me. I would definitely recommend it to any students out there.

Pham Tran Hung

from Vietnam - the first who obtained an English Degree in Physics BSc at our Faculty

Why did you choose to study in Hungary?
The Hungarian government offered me a full scholarship, which was quite tempting. Additionally, before I came here, I had been told that Hungarians were very friendly and helpful, which is absolutely true according to my personal experience.

What aspects made you choose UP?
Pécs, as opposed to Budapest, is a quiet and peaceful place, which is more suitable for me and I also looked up the university and found it promising. And the new English Programme also added to its appeal.

Why Physics?
The Universe has always been a curious and mysterious place and there is no other subject that is better at exploring it than the one trying to model the Universe.

The English programme at the Faculty of Sciences was just launched when you started your studies. What is your opinion about the university?
Although there are some problems due to the novelty of the system, everything has been quite smooth thanks to the enthusiastic help from all people at the university. My courses are also quite enjoyable since lecturers try to adjust their teaching to my ability.

How do you see yourself in the future? Will you begin an MSc programme at UP? And what comes after that?
Since there are quite a few options when it comes to deciding where to start my MSc degree programme, I do not have strict plans, UP, however, is definitely high on my list. I have some ideas about what I should do after MSc, but I still want to keep my options open, because anything can happen and I am open to new ideas.

When someone asks you about living in Hungary, especially in Pécs, what comes to your mind first? How do you like it here? Would you stay here and settle down?
Pécs is one of my most favourable cities. I am glad I can say that I feel relaxed and safe in this city. One thing I truly love about the city is that almost everything is within one-hour walking distance, so I nearly never get to use any kind of public transportation. I rather walk as Pécs is a lovely place to do it, with all its trees and vintage buildings. I am not an outgoing type of person, so I prefer peaceful places. Though my family and most of my friends are not here, and I do not speak the language, I would still keep Pécs at the back of my mind when it comes to settling down.

The interview was appeared in the UnivPécs International Published on Oct 16, 2017

Selah Carr

from California choose to study Geography BSc

Selah's grandmother left Hungary in 1956 and settled in Santa Barbara, California, after an Australian detour. After a year and a half, Selah spent a half year in Madagascar as a volunteer, where she decided to study geography, preferably somewhere in Europe. So she has found the Faculty of Sciences, at the University of Pécs.

Import-export

Selah would take home a more relaxed life from Pécs: she really enjoys having much more time to cook, and if she can, she goes to the market five times a week. "I love that I can buy a whole chicken here that I could chop as I want. Of course, this would be possible in California, too, but I have never done it there. From California, I would certainly bring the ocean to Pécs."

Where & what to eat?

"I think there is a nice selection of good restaurants in Pécs. The only thing I miss is a really good Mexican place. And I do not know where to eat goulash in the city." Selah would love to have a bigger selection of organic vegetables and organic foods, but she can get a lot of things at the Búza Tér's Market, for example, she has just found a really good bread there. In the Vásárcsarnok (Main Market) she likes the good quality of dairy products. "Here I get milk for one-tenth than at home, and the taste is not even comparable".

International Community in Pécs

Most of Selah's friends are also international students, the community is very strong and feels that the university is doing a lot for these communities, but one thing is missing. "There should be more events for people who do not want to club. Simply because I'm pretty like grannies, I'm an early-to-bed type of person who is in bed by nine-ish in the evening. So it will be good to have more daytime events."

TOP5 places in Pécs

• The hidden path behind the TV tower
• The other secret hiking path from the Szántó dormitory to the Mecsek
• Walking in downtown and watching people
• The narrow streets between Király Street and Papnövelde Street, and the buildings there
• The Market Hall (Vásárcsarnok)

The full interview can be read in MADEINPÉCS Published on Oct 31, 2017
The photo was taken by Lajos Kalmár

Raiel Solomon

a student of our Earth Science BSc program from Cape Town, South Africa

In his free time, he makes experimental hip-hop music: he plays music and makes music as a DJ too. He has already played music in the Made in Pécs Café, in Szoba and in November he had a performance in Budapest. What is even more exciting about Raiel is that he would like to start a weekly event that would help him to get better in Hungarian and what also would go on when he returns to South Africa.

First Impression

"I arrived in the city late at the beginning of September, so I did not feel anything about it at first sight. The next day I did not find the meeting points but finally, I got to the downtown and I was amazed about the buildings, the large squares, and the kindness of the people."

Hungarian Language

The biggest surprise for Raiel was the Hungarian Language among all the new experiences he gained in Hungary so far. "I have no idea what the hell is going on in Hungarian, and unfortunately, the body language does not help much either. I know confidently the words "hi" (szia) and "thank you", (köszönöm) I do not dare to try other words yet."

The full interview can be read in MADEINPÉCS Published on Oct 31, 2017
The photo was taken by Lajos Kalmár