International Alumni Volunteer Program Guide 2021-2023

Join our team of International Alumni Volunteers for the next two years!

What is the International Alumni Volunteer Program and Stipendium Hungaricum Alumni?

The program dates back to 2016, the beginning of the Alumni Network Hungary, when volunteers occasionally helped at various local education fairs, promoted the network, and mentored new students. By 2019, alumni membership significantly grew thanks to the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program, which also meant that it was necessary to rethink the volunteer program and to create a new structure and strategic framework for effective future collaboration.

In the last two years, the network expanded, which required a community of volunteers instead of individuals, so we organized the work in a systematic framework and focused on teamwork. Our communication messages have been formulated and more community-based activities have been developed. The program’s structure provided a safe and good environment and vision for the volunteers, and we became a community even in the challenging last year (2020).
Currently, we have 30 volunteers from many countries such as Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, and Sudan. They studied at 12 different Hungarian universities in 25 fields such as engineering, business administration, health and medical sciences, fine arts, and IT. Most of them graduated with a Master's or PhD degree between 2016 and 2021 as Stipendium Hungaricum students, and since then they have become alumni. The diversity of our volunteer group is reflected in 23 languages, most of them speak at least 2 languages.

What is the Alumni Network Hungary (ANH)?

The ANH is the alumni network for international students who studied or still studying at any Hungarian higher education institution. The ANH has more than 5000 members most of them from 70 countries with many famous researchers and experts from various professional fields – most of them studied with the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program. The ANH aims to build an international alumni community with many small groups (called alumni chapters) and provides inspiring workshops, webinars, platforms for networking for the registered members.

For more information and registration visit the registration page or Facebook page.

Who can be an international alumni volunteer?

you must be 18 years old or older,
you must be a registered member of the Alumni Network Hungary,
you must either be a graduated student from a Hungarian higher education institution (HEI) or be in the last academic year of your studies at any HEI,
you must have advanced English skills (both oral and written, minimum C1 level) For more information: https://europa.eu/europass/hu/common-european-framework-reference.

The volunteer program in the ANH framework

The application procedure

Your application is valid if:

you filled out and submitted the form,
attached your CV.

The deadline for filling out the application form is 26 August 2021. 23:59 (CET timezone)

round: you must fill out the Application form no later than the deadline.
round: if your application is successful, you will be invited to participate in an online volunteer candidate interview. The interviews are expected to be held in early September.

The successful candidates will join the International Alumni Volunteer team in early October 2021 and can start preparing for their tasks. The new volunteers will have individual and small group meetings with their alumni volunteer coordinator from the ANH’s team and create the new schedule and volunteer plan for the next season. Each month there are meetings and workshops on various topics that prepare volunteers for their tasks and develop their personal and social skills. (e.g.: planning and organizing skills, communication workshop, alumni chapter training).

The volunteer team applies many social media platforms, work organizing apps and group mails which makes it easy for the new volunteers to join and start facilitating small projects. Every year there is a dedicated period of time when the volunteers report on their achievements. After one year of volunteering, volunteers have the opportunity to require a certificate or reference. The program lasts for 2 years, but it is possible to continue the volunteering work later on too.

There are two types of volunteer activities available:

A) Promotion and communication of the Alumni Network Hungary, Stipendium Hungaricum Program, and the Hungarian higher education in general
B) Facilitating the alumni activities in different alumni chapters, especially Stipendium Hungaricum alumni

The two main activities cannot be merged. First, you should choose one of the activities then you can find different tasks within it. You should select only 3 tasks within the Promotion and communication activity OR only 1 task within the Facilitating alumni chapters activity because the tasks are complex. A/4 and A/5 tasks cannot be selected together within the Promotion and communication activity.

Each activity includes various tasks that develop different skill sets.

Promotion and communication

A/1. Create alumni portraits and share the news on different social media platforms

In this task, the ANH’s team will create alumni portraits about our volunteers, in which they can share their experience in Hungary, their professional achievements and provide tips for the new students. Previous portraits are published on the ANH’s here: Meet our alumni volunteers series).

A/2. Conduct interviews with the senior alumni

By choosing this task you will conduct interviews with famous senior alumni who studied in Hungary before the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship.( e.g.: Basak Dilara Özdemir-Lakatos or Yedil Myrzakhanov)

A/3. Create your own blog/vlog channel or website about Hungarian studies, professional development or experiences

For this task, you need to create your own website or channel to promote your Hungarian studies or write about your experiences in Hungary.
Keep in mind that you should already have a blog or vlog channel to undertake this task! In case you do not have any website or channel, you must create a blog/website/vlog channel within two weeks after you have signed your volunteer agreement!

A/4 Participate in different education fairs (it cannot be selected with A/5 task)

By choosing this task you will help the promotion of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program at various education events. You will also help the Hungarian HEIs and ANH with translation, local knowledge or organizing help.

A/5 Participate in Tempus Public Foundation events (e.g.: Farewell, Welcome event) (it cannot be selected with A/4 task)

In this task you will help organizing the events of the Tempus Public Foundation, mainly the Stipendium Hungaricum Welcome and Farewell parties. You will also help in the promotion of the Alumni Network Hungary at these events.

Facilitating alumni chapters

B/1 Build a local alumni chapter in the volunteer's country of origin or residence

For this task you need to complete the “How to build your alumni chapter?” tutorial and make a work plan with your volunteer coordinator. Your responsibility will be to establish a core group with other alumni members from the same country of origin or residence, to carry out the work plan and to organize the chapter accordingly.

B/2 Build a professional alumni chapter

For this task you need to complete the “How to build your alumni chapter?” tutorial and make a work plan with your volunteer coordinator. Your responsibility will be to establish a core group with other alumni members from the same professional field of interest, to carry out the work plan and to organize the chapter accordingly.

B/3 Facilitate local or professional alumni chapters

For this task you need to complete the “How to build your alumni chapter?” tutorial and make a work plan with your volunteer coordinator. You need to join a professional or local alumni chapter and help the core group’s work and facilitate the chapter’s activities.

B/4 Cooperate with Hungarian partners (pilot)

You will make your work plan with your alumni volunteer coordinator and you need to join a local or professional ANH alumni chapter. You also join and cooperate with your Hungarian HEI’s alumni network, and create common events with them. These tasks need to follow the ANH’s principle and volunteer program plan.

B/5 Mentor new alumni members

You need to create your mentoring work plan with your alumni volunteer coordinator. If you are not a member of any local or professional alumni chapter, you should join an alumni chapter within 2 weeks after you have signed the volunteer agreement for the future mentor work. You can mentor a maximum of 10 new alumni members, fresh graduates and help them to be active alumni members of their chapter.