Presentation of our empirical research on the University of Pécs’s internationalisation

The international students, due to such a magnitude of their presence, have a large impact not only on the university, but on the economic life of Pécs as well. According to a research carried out in 2011, international students enrolled only in the Medical School spend a total of 3.8 to 4.1 billion HUF per year in the country (mainly in Pécs) in addition to the tuition fee (Füzesi – Tistyán 2013). As we know it, the number of the international students of the Medical School has increased since then, not to mention the students of the other faculties, who were not part of this sample. International student increasingly function as an engine of urban development: they have a significant impact on the economy and development of Pécs through housing, consumption and use of services. It is important to mention that considering the domestic student base, the University of Pécs has lost more than 12000 students since 2006 (M. Császár – Wusching 2014). This significant setback has left its mark on the city’s life, so proportionately the impact of the international students has even more appreciated. Furthermore, since many of the students came from developed countries (primarily Germany and Norway), so it is suspected that they individually also have a greater contribution to the city’s economy than an average domestic student. The importance of internationalisation is clearly indicated by the fact that certain developments of infrastructure can be linked to the international students, the bike path between the campuses is a good example of this. Therefore it is of key importance that the university and the city correspond the needs of the arriving international students in every way.

Therefore our current comprehensive empirical research is based on the questionnaire survey of the international students. The questionnaire consists of three groups of

197 questions: the first group focuses on the students’ reasons behind the choice of university, how did they hear about the University of Pécs, and what are their plans after graduation.

The second group puts emphasis on their satisfaction with the university, as well as their integration in a foreign environment (initial difficulties, intercultural aspects). Finally, the most important part of the questionnaire focuses on the international students’ relationship with the city: in which part of the city they live in, what means of transport do they use, how satisfied are they with the different characteristics of the city (public safety, transport, prices etc.). Furthermore, how often do they visit different types of facilities, what facilities are the missing, and finally how much do they spend on different material and other assets in Pécs. The results we get here will have great importance of the city’s perspective, since they can even be basis for future urban development proposals.

The questionnaire survey is going to be complemented also with interviews during the research. In relation to the processing of the results, an important element is the differentiation by faculties and countries: we will be able to highlight the students of a single faculty, country or country group, and to compare their results with another faculties or countries, so that the important similarities and differences will be visible. This is also important because since the capacities of the Medical School are filling up, so in terms of inward student mobility, the other faculties will get an increasing role in the near future.

However, no research has been carried out at these faculties yet concerning the international students. By comparing the international students of the Medical School with primarily those of the Faculty of Humanities, -Business and Economics, -Engineering and Information Technology, and -Sciences, it will be revealed, what potential do these faculties have regarding internationalisation, and whether they will be able to further increase the number of the university’ international students even after the capacities of the Medical School will be actually fulfilled. Finally, the results for the full sample will be of course comparable with other domestic, as well as foreign universities and cities, so it can turn out, where the University of Pécs currently stand sin this field by national and international comparison.

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