An intellectually enriching experience as student in Budapest

I have had the chance of attending a migration specific workshop organized by The Artemisszio Foundation while I was attending the first semester of 2016 at the Corvinus University of Budapest. This migration-specific workshop has been very helpful in enabling me to appreciate and understand what we were studying in one of my elective courses, Migration Studies. It has equipped me with some theoretical foundations on the issue of migration. Admittedly, this workshop allows me to explore more about the subject matter of migration.

The migration workshop started on November 2016 and ended up in the mid-part of December 2016. It was a combination of seminar-discussion, presentations, and analysis and interpretation of biographic and literary texts on migrations. We have had oral presentations, sharing of ideas, role playing and other interactive activities. There were two batches of trainees or participants and I belonged to the first batch. Most of the participants were students of the Corvinus University of Budapest and the groups were multicultural and international, making the workshop more interesting and engaging.

The Artemisszio Foundation is only one of the many non-profit organizations in Hungary which really promotes interest of the public. Established more than two decades ago, the foundation envisions to promote tolerance, intercultural understanding and cooperation. It seeks to educate people in general and the youth in particular on intercultural communication and mutual understanding through conduct of seminars, workshops. They likewise partner with various organizations, public and private to allow a greater reach for stakeholders and promote optimum participation on matters affecting public interest.

Among the core modules that we have learned under the workshop include facts and figures about migration as well as the context of migration in Hungary. I have learned a lot and came to develop in me a more sensible and logical approach on the issue of migration crisis that has taken place in Europe in the past years. I also came to realize how difficult it was to deal with this issue given the ramifications and multi-dimensional complexities involved in migration-related matters. Furthermore, this workshop has been an eye-opener for me. It enabled me to look at migration on the perspectives of the Europeans in general as well as the Hungarians in particular. Migration crisis has been approached in various ways by the different member states in the European Union and it is really intellectually engaging to discuss the issue in a more enlightened, informed and dispassionate manner.

Apparently, discussion on the issue was really interesting since the participants were international students, who incidentally are student migrants. So it is really a bit intriguing how participants look at themselves as a migrant and how they view migration as a multi-pronged issue and a very encompassing topic.

Apart from this, I was also able to make my perceptions more liberal when it comes to the issue of migration in the sense that I came to view it in both worlds of the recipient countries and the sending countries. Interestingly, I had the rare opportunity to look at this issue in the perspectives of a migrant and delved how a migrant feels and think in as far as his situation in the host country is concerned.

This workshop has been an actively engaging and dynamically interactive because the organizer also made as part of the activities to be undertaken by the participants to make a short analysis of biographic or literary text on migration. In so doing, they made us think critically and logically how migration can be understood, analyzed and interpreted in different perspectives---economically, sociologically, or even historically. This literary and biographic analysis exercise sharpened our sensitivity on the issue and allowed us to view it along different lenses. At first, I was a bit hesitant to do the exercise since it was a time-consuming and sometimes even energy-draining. However, as I progressed on my analysis, it gradually fueled an interest in me to think on the topic, open my self-awareness and magnify my perspectives---things that really improve my analytical and logical reasoning skills.

Some of those who joined the workshop opted to conduct a case study of migration-related issues in a particular country as part of the completion requirements of the workshop. Some participants have work experience on refugee camps so it was rather easy for them to analyze and understand some of the more complicated topics involved in the workshop. Still others opted to visit a migrant or refugee reception center and deliver and submit a report to the organizers of the workshop. Interestingly, the variety of activities that we have experienced in this workshop had given us added dimensions on dealing with migrations and its multidimensional aspects.

The workshop, which is directly relevant to our subject Migration Studies, I would say, has been a fruitful one. It was able to achieve what it aimed to achieve. It was able open new dimensions and possibilities for the participants that they can bring with them after the workshop and share with other people.

I would say that activities and programs like this as part of the Erasmus experience are truly enriching. I would recommend exchange students to attend free workshops, conference, symposium and forum which discuss the relevant, timely and important issues of the day, issues that affect the economic, political and social aspects of life in Europe and the world. You would really make the most of your experiences studying abroad if you try to magnify the opportunities available for you to develop your personality, improve your intellectual faculty and widen your space of interaction with other people. I think this is one of the important aspects of studying in other country: to be ready and open to possibilities of exposing yourself to a vibrant intellectual atmosphere that allows the free and open exchange of ideas, liberal and dispassionate debate on issues that matter and active engagement to societal some concerns.

When I interviewed a student migrant as part of the requirements of the workshop, I have learned a lot of things how a migrant thinks, feels and acts on certain situations. His revelations of feelings, ideas, opinions, and sensibilities among other aspects of his personality as a migrant were truly sensitizing to me for some unknown reasons.

An interview and conversation with a fellow foreign student in Budapest

The interviewee is a foreign student from Vietnam who has been studying at Corvinus University for three years already. He studies in Hungary because he was able to obtain a scholarship back home from Vietnam which finances students who wanted to study in Hungary.

He mentioned that Vietnam and Hungary had special relationship as nations as they share similar political system when Hungary was a still a socialist state. His parents lived in Hanoi, Vietnam where they manage a small business.

He related that he was motivated to study in Europe for a number of reasons. Firstly, a lot of Vietnamese students go to Europe particularly Hungary to study. Another is that he was granted a scholarship to study in Hungary implying that the scholarship would take care of his finances during the duration of his studies.

He said that if he has a choice he does not want to go back to Hanoi. He wanted to live in Europe but he said that it might not be possible for him to do so as he is the only male child in the family who is supposed to tend their small business in Hanoi and take care of his parents. Should he be given the chance to study again, he would opt to take a master’s degree. He wanted to study in another European country, in the US or in Australia.

He wanted to become a university teacher, just like his sister who is currently an accounting teacher in one of the universities in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Some notable themes/patterns in the conversations/interview

A number of discourses surfaced in the interview, to wit: the notion of the interviewee between collectivism vs. individualism, between parent-child relationship, between Hanoi Vietnam and Budapest, Hungary, city and countryside, and even between profession and politics.

The interviewee disclosed that if and only if he had the choice, he would rather stay in Budapest or in any other parts of Europe, take his master’s degree and live in a European country. However, he could not decide for himself alone, he needs to take into account his family back in Vietnam. He mentioned that as the only male child in the family, he needs to continue looking after the small family business and to take care of his parents in their old age. It appears that the interviewee has some inclinations to stay in his new place and had, to some certain extent, learned to adjust himself to the new culture where he is in. However, what is preventing him is his connections to his culture of origin where a child, more particularly a sole male child, is expected by norms, to take over the responsibility of the family for the parents during their old age.

At this point, I would say that the interviewee is confronted with some difficulties of priorities. On one hand, he wants to explore the world; however, a part of his identity, which is anchored upon his cultural norms, dictates that he should conform to the prevailing and existing norms of his culture. To go against it is to break away with traditions, which in turn, will cause some anxiety and disappointment to his parents back in Vietnam. It is a tension between his newfound freedom in Budapest against the prevailing cultural norm in his country of origin. This is apparent in the following passage:

Q : Should you have completed your studies here in Hungary, will you return to Vietnam?

A : Hmmm…the truth is I really do not return to Vietnam. I want to do my masters in another European country.

Q : Okay. Can you please tell me more of this plan of yours?

A : Yeah. I have learned to live independently. I love to study in another European country such as the United Kingdom or Germany. I wanted to apply for another scholarship if there are opportunities for me to do so. You know, sometimes I have that feeling of no longer wanting to go back to Vietnam, but…I have some concerns. I am the only male sibling in the family. I am expected by my parents to help them in the family business. We had a small merchandise stall which my parents tend and manage. And since I am the only boy in the family, it is really a tradition for the male son to continue what my parents are doing and to help them you know, during their old age.

The foregoing passage likewise shows the relationship between parents and children in Vietnam. Typical among Asians are there value of giving respect and deference to their parents. Asian families are known for having close family ties so much so that parents during their old age are taken care of by the children. In some Asian cultures, it is the youngest son who takes care of the parents just like the interviewee who already expects having the burden of living with his parents during their old age. The Eastern vs. Western culture is almost always a point of reference when it comes to comparison of values, beliefs and worldviews. In our subject we found a classic clash where an easterner (Asian) who has been assimilated, either consciously or unconsciously, partially or fully, to the Western tradition, will tend to weigh down possibilities and options. It remains to be seen whether or not the interviewee will follow the dictates of his individual will or conform to the collectivistic will of the Vietnamese society.

Another interesting theme is that of his description between his city as against his new city, i. e., Hanoi, Vietnam vs. Budapest, Hungary. Here, the interviewee expressed an unambiguous comparison between Hanoi and Budapest. He stated that there exist some differences between the two. It can be deduced from this comparison that his perception of Budapest, being more superior in a number of aspects, are what made him love the city more. We can likewise argue that this inclination to improve one’s self, to get himself, a better place in the sun, so to say, is what made pushed him to study abroad. It is this deprivation in his home country that directly or indirectly, led him to migrate to Budapest and undertake his formal schooling here. Using the theory of New Classical Economics of migration, we can safely comment that this desire to better one’s self in relation to others, the determination to improve one’s stature in the society and the persistence to get himself a better place in the sun are the incentivizing factors that led him to migrate. This is reflected in the following passages:

Q : You said that you came from Hanoi, Vietnam, how was life like there way back then?

A : I would say life there in Hanoi is totally different from here.

Q : Can you tell me about that?

A : I mean when I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, I was totally dependent to my parents for my needs. Back here, I need to do things myself. Another thing is that life in Hanoi, Vietnam is a bit more difficult. Life is a struggle. While we live in a city, we do not enjoy that much privilege of living a good life. There is much traffic, noise, garbage, waste, pollution and all that. But Budapest is different. I mean, I find myself comfortable here because I already had some friends. The city is beautiful and I find an ideal place for study. I would say, Budapest is a lot better than Hanoi. I really love staying in cities than in towns. If you live in the countryside in Vietnam, there would be less opportunities, not much things to see and experience. When I got here in Budapest, I was really glad because it has good transportation system unlike in Hanoi where the traffic really sucks. I should add that the cost of living here is more or less comparable to Hanoi, although I would say Hanoi is less costly than Budapest because everything in Hanoi is cheap.

In a sense, the interviewee expressed impliedly that Budapest is a much better place to live in than in Hanoi, Vietnam. He also mentioned that he loves staying in cities than in the countryside. This he accentuated in the following passage:

“…. I really love staying in cities than in towns. If you live in the countryside in Vietnam, there would be less opportunities, not much things to see and experience…. ”

Another pattern discernible from the statements of the interviewee is that of his view between profession and politics. It can be gleaned from his statement that politics and employment in the government are two inseparable things. If you need to get a job in the government, you need some persons who can back you up. Nepotism and partocracy are almost universal phenomena. Almost all cultures have in a way or another have these features in their institutions. Such frustration to existing system is sometimes triggering factor of migration for some. It can be recalled that the interviewee wanted to stay in Budapest or in other European countries if only he had the option to do so. This seeming intertwined relationship between politics and profession is, more or less, aptly shown in the following passages:

Q : So when you finish you studies in Hungary and should you return to Vietnam, do you want to work in the government?

A : If I go back to Vietnam, I want to teach in the university.

Q : Right. Can you tell something more about this?

A : My sister is a university teacher in one of the universities in Vietnam, I think I also wanted to teach in the university for two years. I do not want to work in the government because I it is really hard to find job in the government. You should find a way to connect you to persons in position before you can get a good job. You know what I mean. It is not what you know, it is whom you know. After teaching for two years, I will search for another scholarship opportunity to another European country, or better yet, if opportunity presents itself, in the US or Australia.

On Integration

With regard to integration, the interviewee seems to suggest that he has at least, partially successfully integrated to the Hungarian culture and society. He makes this assumption under the belief that he speaks Hungarian; that his country Vietnam and Hungary share some good relationships diplomatically and politically, the latter having been a former socialist state like the former; that he had lots of friends already in Budapest, both Hungarian and Vietnamese alike and that in Hungary they have an Association of Vietnamese Students in Hungary of which he sits as its chairman of Communication.

The interviewee did not have that much trouble when it comes to language since he learned Hungarian before departure from Vietnam. He said that he did not find any much difficulty in Hungarian because he was highly motivated to learn it. This is shown in the following passages:

Q : Please tell me how you have learned Hungarian and how do you feel about it.

A : That Hungarian thing…Aha…just before we left Hanoi, Vietnam, we were required to study Hungarian for six months. I was made to attend a language training centre in Hanoi. And upon our arrival in Hungary, I also attended a one semester Hungarian language course.

Q : They say that Hungarian language is of course one of the most difficult languages to learn, so how did you manage to learn it?

A : Yeah, it is really tough to learn the Hungarian language. But I was determined to study in Hungary and I really love to learn the Hungarian language so while it is really tough, I was able to hurdle this language barrier. I was told that a certain Vietnamese who just came here in Budapest managed to speak Hungarian in matter of a week. Hahaha…I don’t know it was a joke but they did tell me that when he arrived in Hungary, he just spoke to Hungarian people and after a few days, he already speaks Hungarian…

The prior links, cultural, political and or diplomatic between Hungary and Vietnam appear to have an influence and impact for the interviewee to have had some good feelings about Budapest. The World System Theory of Migration, if correctly applied in this context, seems to support this idea. The expanding globalization of politics and economics is what makes migration a self-perpetuating phenomenon. Vietnam and Hungary share some parallelism in their historical, political and cultural past. This parallelism, according to the interviewee, is what endears the Vietnamese government to maintain its good political and diplomatic ties with Hungary. Hence, sending Vietnamese students to Hungary to study, is merely a part of making these ties stronger. Partly, one can also argue that it is this sharing of commonalities that the interviewee tend to identify himself with Budapest as a city not remotely far from Vietnam, as though it is just his second city. He implies this fact in the following passage:

…It so happened that Hungary and Vietnam have close relationships because of our historical past as well as our prior links and connections as socialist states. We have good diplomatic relationships. And the Vietnamese government is really supportive of sending students in Hungary for studies.

Another manifestation that indeed the interviewee appears to have integrated himself in the new city is because he had already established some relationships with his classmates, friends and other people, who in a way or another, serves as his support system. One can make a good point in case of the application of Social Capital Theory of Migration in our interviewee. The existence of an already established network of migrants in a particular place makes it easier and less expensive for a new migrant to integrate himself to the new place. This community of migrants where the interviewee belongs gave him the valuable information to guide intelligent decision-making. The interviewee is glad to have this “circle of friends” from Vietnam who helped him out in several numbers of ways like securing residence permit, arranging for accommodation and similar assistance, which would have not been possible without the already existing network of migrants from Vietnam. This is explicitly presented in the following passages:

Q : Tell me more about your peers and friends from Vietnam who are also studying in Hungary.

A : I am very thankful to my circle of Vietnamese friends here in Hungary. They helped me in my studies. They also gave me assistance in terms of getting acquainted with the city. They have actually helped me out fix my concerns about getting my residence permit, student ID, library ID. They also brought me to different parts of the city so that I will be able to travel myself and do my stuff here in Budapest. They also help me how to cook food in the kitchen and arrange my accommodation in the dormitory.

Q : Do you feel that your fellow Vietnamese students here in Budapest help you a lot in some ways?

A : Of course. We have an Association of Vietnamese students in Hungary. I am the Chairman of the Communication. This association is responsible in helping new Vietnamese students in their paper works in Budapest like student card, getting monthly pass card for the metro and transportation, getting residence permit from the immigration, arranging for a dorm and/or flat accommodation and organizing meetings and activities for Vietnamese students.

Q : How did you find living in a dorm?

A : I learned to love living in a dorm. At first, I was just stucked. I don’t know how to cook my own food so sometimes I need to call my mom in Vietnam how to cook Vietnamese food. I miss Vietnamese food sometimes. I had a dorm mate who is a Hungarian student but I was not comfortable with him because he stayed late a lot during the night and he smokes. I had another dorm mate from Serbia who speaks Hungarian and Serbian who helped me how to cook pasta and other Hungarian food. Now, I no longer have problem cooking my own food in the dorm.

However, he also related that it is not easy for him to get adjusted immediately to his new environment. For him, joining a class conducted in Hungarian is indeed a great challenge. He faced a number of difficulties in his situation. He related this fact in the following passages:

Q : I see. I would like to go back to your experiences here in Budapest. Can you tell me something about how your life in the university is?

A : To be honest, it was really tough for me. I faced a number of difficulties in my studies. First, the classes are in Hungarian language. Hungarian is not my native language and I just learn it back home in Vietnam before my departure from my country. There are lots of things of course which I still don’t understand. I am just thankful, my Hungarian classmates and friends are helpful. They help me in my studies. Another thing is I am the only Asian in the class and almost all are Hungarian students. Sometimes, I felt different from the rest.

He believes that most of his teachers are kind and patient and that they understand his difficulties coping up. He even mentioned one of his teachers, a native speaker of English, who helped him a lot. He remains optimistic of the Hungarian society as a generally good society. Here are some passages that support this:

Q : Really. What do you mean by that?

A : I don’t know. I have no problems with my Hungarian classmates as they are helpful and do not discriminate, but my teacher…. Hmmm…I really don’t know why she acts that way. I have an English teacher who is from UK but he was really nice and he helps me speak in English though I really find difficulty sometimes.

Lessons Learned

One of the most valuable insights that I learned from this conversation with the migrant is that the existence of a network of support system lessens the costs of integration and eases up the pain of being uprooted from one’s country and culture of origin. This is based on a well-founded Social Capital Theory or the Migrant Networks Theory. Integration can be a painful and expensive process. But the burden, pain, costs and the tedium of daily life can be loosened up a bit with a support system from other fellow migrants in the place. This pattern is a positive thing for new migrants and it can be a self-perpetuating phenomenon which makes it easier for migrants to integrate themselves in the new place.

Another insight that I discovered from this conversation is that a migrant is sometimes torn between his personal ambition and, at some point of his adult life, has to give up this ambition for the sake of continuing the norm or tradition of his family. His gendered role as the sole male child of the family puts him in a situation where he needs to continue the family’s business and to take care of his aging parents. On the part of the interviewee, he still needs further reflection whether to choose his personal individualistic position or conform to the family’s collectively observed norm. As to which will triumph, that remains to be seen.

Over-all impressions on the migration workshop

Over-all, the workshop deserves two thumbs up and it would really be vital to allow students to explore and learn more ideas on their chosen electives through seminars and workshops organized by the university or a non-profit organization. They say learning is not confined to the four corners of the academic hall and this rings true wherever university you may be.

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