{"id":18292,"date":"2026-10-26T12:20:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T11:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/?post_type=portfolio&#038;p=18292"},"modified":"2026-10-26T12:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T11:30:58","slug":"welcome-home-individual-journeys-form-into-a-community","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/news\/welcome-home-individual-journeys-form-into-a-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Home: Individual Journeys Form into a Community"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18274 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-1030x491.jpeg\" alt=\"Group photo of participants at the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Welcome Home event in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-1030x491.jpeg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-300x143.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-768x366.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-1536x733.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-2048x977.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-1500x715.jpeg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/csoportkep_web-705x336.jpeg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Held at the Puli &amp; Juh\u00e1sz restaurant in the heart of Budapest, the event welcomed the newest members of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Programme for an afternoon of network, reflection, and discovery. Through inspiring talks, interactive workshops, and shared experiences, students had the opportunity to meet one another and begin building the relationships that will accompany them throughout their studies in Hungary.<\/p>\n<h2>Building Connections Across Borders<\/h2>\n<p>Csaba Rada, Deputy State Secretary for European and North American Relations, welcomed the students on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his speech, he encouraged them to fully embrace learning the Hungarian language and highlighted the important role Hungarian Diaspora students and their families play in building connections between countries through their shared heritage, experiences, and studies.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18276 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Csaba Rada delivers a welcome speech at the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Welcome Home event organized by Tempus Public Foundation.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0410-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In his welcoming remarks, Bal\u00e1zs Vince Nagy, President of the Board of Trustees of the Tempus Public Foundation, emphasized that being Hungarian is not limited by borders and that the scholarship offers a special opportunity to strengthen one&#8217;s connection to Hungarian culture while building friendships with fellow Hungarians from around the world. He encouraged students to make the most of this experience and the community that comes with it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18278 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Welcome address at the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Welcome Home event for new international students in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0482-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Following the speeches, participants gathered for the premiere of the new <strong>Diaspora Short Film<\/strong>, which showcased the journeys of two Diaspora Scholarship holders: Emese Kiss, from South Africa, studying architecture at the University of P\u00e9cs; and Tam\u00e1s Tottszer, from Australia, studying computer engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Through their very different personal stories, the film highlighted a shared experience familiar to many students in the programme: discovering new connections to their Hungarian heritage while finding a place to belong in Hungary.<\/p>\n<p>The host of the event was a Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship alumna Tisza Fizli. Although she graduated this year, she remains an active and valued member of the Diaspora community. With her energetic personality and heartfelt personal story of learning Hungarian and earning a degree at Corvinus University of Budapest, she not only guided the event as its host but also offered a personal perspective on what it means to find a home in Hungary.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18280 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Tisza Fizli, alumna of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship, hosting the Welcome Home event for new scholarship holders in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO0433-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on her experience, she shared:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThroughout my years as a mentee and then a mentor in the Diaspora Program, I found a sense of community like no other. All of us sitting in this room today are here for a reason. We share a common connection that is very special. A lot of us have similar stories. The details are different, but the feeling is often the same.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Her words resonated with many participants and captured one of the programme&#8217;s greatest strengths: while every student arrives with a different background and journey, they become part of a community built on shared experiences and mutual support.<\/p>\n<h2>From Meeting New People to Finding Community<\/h2>\n<p>The afternoon continued with two parallel workshops designed to help students learn more about themselves, each other, and the opportunities available through the scholarship programme.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18282 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship students networking and getting to know each other during the Welcome Home community event in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1224-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The cultural workshop invited participants to share their personal stories and explore the many different ways they connect to their Hungarian heritage. Through discussions and interactive activities, students discovered both the diversity of their experiences and the common threads that unite them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18284 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship students posing with community-themed signs at the Welcome Home event in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1099-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Diaspora Mentor Network workshop, organized by the <a href=\"https:\/\/diaszporamentor.hu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Union of Students in Hungary (H\u00d6OK)<\/a>, introduced participants to the mentor programme and the support system available throughout their studies. Through four interactive stations and team challenges, students met current mentors, learned about the programme&#8217;s opportunities, and got a taste of the strong community that awaits them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18286 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship students taking part in a community-building activity during the Welcome Home event in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1107-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As the afternoon came to a close, students left not only with new information and new friendships, but also with the realization that they are now part of a community that extends far beyond their universities. Their journeys to Hungary may have started in different corners of the world, but from this day on, they continue together.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s to new beginnings, new adventures, and lasting connections. Welcome home.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-18288 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-1030x687.jpg\" alt=\"Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship students participating in an evening community programme during the Welcome Home event in Hungary.\" width=\"1030\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-391x260.jpg 391w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/LEKO1078-705x470.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship holder arrives in Hungary with a unique story. Some have grown up speaking Hungarian, while others are only beginning to explore their heritage and learn the language. Yet on 14 October, these individual journeys came together at the Welcome Home event, where new scholarship holders took their first steps towards becoming part of a vibrant and supportive community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":18290,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"portfolio_entries":[23],"class_list":["post-18292","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","portfolio_entries-actual"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/18292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18292"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/18292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18303,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/18292\/revisions\/18303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18292"},{"taxonomy":"portfolio_entries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diasporascholarship.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_entries?post=18292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}