Name: Bernadette Kovacs
Home university: Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. During my semester abroad at the University of Debrecen, I met many wonderful professors who lead interesting, thought-provoking classes. I especially enjoyed my literature classes where the professors were very knowledgeable and prepared. Class discussions were stimulating, and I was able to see how a discussion in one class was connected with a discussion in another class. Indeed, what I have learned during my time at the University of Debrecen will stay with me as I continue my studies at my home university.
Name: Christina Neuhaus
University: Technical University of Dortmund
Germany In 2011, I spent two semesters studying as an exchange student at the Institute of English and American Studies, one semester of which was spent studying within the North American Studies MA programme. During my time at the Institute, I was repeatedly amazed by the genuinely supportive atmosphere and the close relationship between staff and students, both in- and outside of the classroom. The courses I took led me to discover fields of study that were entirely new to me, such as American-Hungarian relations, but also to reorient and focus my previous research interests by introducing new vantage points upon familiar topics. Moreover, the small class sizes combined with the incredible openness and kindness of students and instructors allowed me, even as a visiting student, to become part of a community that went beyond merely attending classes together and was certainly the decisive factor in turning my year in Debrecen into the amazing experience it became.
Name: Malou Kürpick University: Technical University of Dortmund
Germany One of the most interesting things about Erasmus is the fact that you revise your thoughts on the home and the host university based on the new perspectives. In this case, the conclusion is that a group of far less than 30 to 40 students and a different approach in teaching helped me a lot to get a clearer idea of film and literature as art, and studying in general. The focus on close-reading in the Institute of English and American Studies, at the University of Debrecen was a great match to the panoramic and fragmentary perspective on e.g. literature within certain topics and scientific fields in Dortmund. In fact, the emphasis in Debrecen lies on the focused reading since I have seldom been analyzing literature and film as deep as during my stay here. What truly surprised me was the openness of the students and especially the staff in the Institute, it helped a lot to exchange impressions about universities and Hungary in general with really, really kind and open-minded teachers. Personally, it was great to continuously get a broad feedback about how I was doing as a student, it gave me an idea of results and their worth.
After first toying with the idea for a few months after I came back to Dortmund in 2015, I returned to the University of Debrecen as a full-time student of the English Studies MA program in 2016. Studying in this institute helps me very much to get clearer ideas about my future – I do not plan to stop studying so soon, in fact I would like the idea of teaching at the university one day.