Field period of EUROSTUDENT 8 research in Hungary has started

The data collection of wave 8 of the EUROSTUDENT international student survey in Hungary has been launched. Its aim is to provide a comprehensive picture on the opinion, study characteristics and social and living conditions of students studying in BA/BSc, MA/MSc, undivided master’s degree and higher education vocational training programmes in Hungarian higher education institutions.

Getting to know the views of students is of paramount importance, as it can help shape higher education in Hungary, evaluate the Bologna process, and the development of European higher education in general. It can contribute to data-based decision-making and assessing the impact of policy decisions at both institutional and sectoral levels. Thus, students' responses may have a direct impact on higher education.

The research is being carried out for the fourth time in Hungary and for the eighth time in the European Higher Education Area. The research, which has been carried out almost simultaneously in nearly thirty countries this year, enables not only a high-quality scientific scrutiny of higher education in each country, but also an international comparative analysis of European higher education.

Dealing with housing, financial situation, mobility, employment, and the special difficulties of students with disabilities, the research is a unique source of information on many topics. For the first time in this round, thematic questions assess students' well-being and mental health, their experiences with digital education and the constraints of COVID-19, and discrimination experiences.

This year, the student research of the Graduate Career Tracking System (“DPR”) is also carried out within the framework of the EUROSTUDENT 8 research. Therefore, several blocks of questions address the post-graduate labour market expectations of students. As many higher education institutions usually do their own student surveys, this year, EUROSTUDENT 8 questionnaire is supplemented by institutional specific questions, as is usual in graduate tracking questionnaires.

This year, all Hungarian students will receive a personal invitation to the e-mail address stored in the Higher Education Information System (ordered by the Minister responsible for higher education, according to Act CCIV of 2011 on National Higher Education). At the same time, the participation in the research is anonymous and voluntary. The answers provided are used exclusively for educational and scientific research purposes, for the examination and development of higher education and for the examination of characteristics of student groups. It is not aimed to examine individuals, but to analyse aggregated data only.

The questionnaire can be completed in about 45 minutes, but can be stopped at any time: the answers provided can be saved and continued later. Responses are expected by June 15, 2022. In the framework of the research, participants get the opportunity for the respondents to take part in a prize draw. Donated by the Hungarian National Conference of Student Unions, tickets to the 2022 EFOTT (National Tourism Festival of Higher Education Students; https://efott.hu/en/) can be won.

The previous results of the research in Hungary can be browsed on our website. The Hungarian database can also be analysed interactively on the website https://diplomantul.hu. International data and publications can be found on the central research website (https://www.eurostudent.eu/), and the most interesting data in international context is presented at https://countryprofiles.eurostudent.eu/. Further information on the research can be requested from the research group by e-mail (eurostudent@oh.gov.hu).