A story by Nina Begesh, a communications and administration professional and a holder of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship. Nina is of Hungarian origin on her father’s side and she has been living in Hungary since 2023. She strongly identifies with Hungarian culture, traditions, and values, and supports the mission of Hungarian communities across borders to preserve cultural identity and build meaningful connections within the global Hungarian network.

Before joining the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship, I mostly thought about studies, universities, and life in Hungary itself. I did not realize how important the people around me would become.

One of the most special parts of the program is meeting other diaspora students from completely different countries and backgrounds. Some come from South America, some from Israel, the United States, Europe, or Australia. Everyone has a different story, but at the same time there is often a similar feeling connecting people — curiosity about Hungary and a desire to understand their roots better.

What I found especially interesting is that many students discovered their Hungarian background in very different ways. For some, Hungarian culture was always present in family life. For others, it was only a small detail in family history that became important much later.

Because of this, conversations during cultural events often become surprisingly personal and meaningful very quickly. People share stories about grandparents, family memories, moving to Hungary, learning the language, or simply adapting to a new life.

I also noticed that friendships in the program feel very easy and natural. Maybe because everyone is going through similar experiences at the same time — new country, studies, language, and adaptation.

Some of my favorite memories are actually from simple moments during trips and events organized by the program: talking late in the evening after a long day, walking together through Hungarian towns, or laughing together about funny mistakes in Hungarian.

These connections became an important part of my own experience in Hungary.

And I think this is something very valuable about the Diaspora Scholarship. It is not only about education. It also creates a real international community of people connected to Hungary in different ways.

by Begesh Nina