Transcarpathian student mobility towards Hungary in the light of the international preparatory institute in Budapest

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The learning-geographical mobility means in-country and crossborder migration. Student mobility of cross-border Hungarian students differs from the European pattern [11, p. 360-384]. Educational scholarship policy provided by the Hungarian State makes a difference. Its goal is that the cross-border Hungarian students should gain professional knowledge and should use this knowledge returning to their mother country [4, p. 10-30; 5, p. 334-336].

International Preparatory Institute (IPI) is a particular target of the Transcarpathian young people's student mobility. The IPI occupies a specific place among the Hungarian educational institutions. The aim of this paper is the introduction of the student mobility in the light of the Transcarpathian graduates of the IPI. Theoretical presentation of the student mobility is the first part of the paper. Secondly, we deal with the student mobility of cross-border Hungarians. Thirdly, we continue the introduction of the operation of the IPI as an essential target institution of Transcarpathians' student mobility. The latter part will be confirmed by a qualitative empirical research with the assistance of a focus group interview. Two groups were formed from the former and current students of the examined institution. The first group included those who returned to the homeland and the second group included those who remained in the mother country. I would like to examine the period from the transition until now.

Problem formulation:

1. Why did the current and previous students choose the IPI after graduation?

2. What was the primary motivating factor?

3. Does the proximity of Hungary influence the Transcarpathian students' career inspirations?

4. How did the difference between the educational systems affect the student mobility?

5. What was the life of students in the IPI like?

The topicality of the research confirmed the fact that the given population and institution has never been examined, so this is a unique piece of research.

Analysis of recent research and publications. To learn the characteristics of the Transcarpathian student migration, we have to reveal the theoretical framework of the student mobility.

Student mobility is one of the most populated segments of the migration. This term appears as student mobility, foreign study, study abroad, international mobile student or high education student in the international literature [8].

Learning-geographical mobility can mean in-country and crossborder migration. After the establishment of the first European universities, the peregrination has already started [3]. Learning mobility has been providing opportunities for ambitious, outstanding students for centuries. Therefore, they can gain the necessary knowledge and degree in a country with a more developed educational system [7,p. 267-281]. Student mobility can be categorized according to several aspects. We distinguish export or import mobility regarding the direction of travel. We can identify full time or part time education regarding the length of studying period [1, p. 44-54].

Several researchers in Europe, almost all around the world dealt with the student mobility. The research on learning mobility dates back to the analysis of the movement of the highly-qualified in 1960's. These researches dealt with the brain-drain of the most qualified and learned persons by some countries. Developing countries joined the braindraining process; qualified Europeans were recruited mainly from Anglo- Saxon Countries to the USA. Research results prove that international students planning great careers stay permanently or in several cases they stay for good in the host country [12,p. 73-93].

Cross-border mobility of the Transcarpathian students

Due to the geographical position, the economic situation of the Transcarpathian region and the fact that it belonged to several country's territories the travel need and necessity was always high [6].

Learning mobility towards Hungary has strengthened among the Transcarpathian students because of the Ukrainian political and economic situation. Further education in the mother country is not a new phenomenon. After the transition, since 1989 studying in Hungarian higher educational institutions made possible. This opportunity has become possible within an institutional framework [10,p. 139-155].

Firstly the Presidency of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and then its Education Committee dealt with the further education of the Transcarpathian Hungarian students. Since its foundation, the Transcarpathian Hungarian Teachers' Union has been coordinating further training in Hungary.

Cross-border Hungarian Scholarship Council was set up February 21 in 1993 to coordinate the foreign Hungarian students' further educational opportunities in Hungary. After this, cross-border Hungarians could apply for several educational forms.

Only 11 Transcarpathian students started their studies in Hungary in 1989. When the further educational opportunity was institutionalized, the number of applicants increased [2].

Owing to the latter fact several Transcarpathian students choose the IPI of Balassi Institution regarding learning mobility.

Introduction of the research, research issues.

IPI has been dealing with the cross-border Hungarian student education for about 27 years. Students' career and its monitoring have not been researched up to now.

We endeavoured to perform exploratory research with focus group interview method, which will be the base of the further questionnaire instead of the interviewing of all former or current students.

The focus group interview because it was the most suitable for getting firsthand information about the former and current students' views, opinions, and experiences. Two focus groups were formed from the former and current students of the examined institution during the survey. The place of research was Ferencz Rakoczi II Transcarpatian Hungarian Institute regarding students returned to the homeland while regarding students remained in the mother country Marton Aron Special College of Budapest was the place of research. The interview in Beregovo lasted an hour and forty minutes while the interview in Budapest lasted an hour and 25 minutes.

To protect the individual right of interviewees, we used monograms instead of the names of the examined persons.

Since the given population and institution have not been examined yet, we did not make hypothesis; we rather focused on the research issues.

The aim of the article (task formulation)

The aim of the article is to seek answers to the following questions:

1. Why did the current and former students of different ages choose the IPI after graduation?

2. What was the primary motivating factor?

3. How does the proximity of Hungary influence the Transcarpathian students' career inspirations?

4. How did the difference between the educational systems affect the student mobility?

5. Did they take into consideration the education aid system and the knowledge of the language of their homeland?

6. What was the life of students in the IPI like?

Results.

Members of the focus groups were homogeneous regarding sexual orientation and age. Accordingly, there were men and women among the members of the focus group, who were in the education developed by IPI for cross-border students and who are studying at the institute.

Two focus groups were formed during the research: the first group consisted of those students returned to the homeland, and the second consisted of students using learning mobility remained in the mother country.

All in all, we managed to interview 13 persons. Seven were from Budapest, while six from Transcarpathian IPI students who contributed to the success of the exploratory research.

During the interviews, the atmosphere of the groups was relaxed.

Members of the group willingly spoke about the period spent at the institute and their experiences. They welcomed the research on this topic and the fact that we tried to seek the former and current Transcarpathian students.

One student refused to participate in the research.

After graduating from the Institute he failed the university entrance exam, the period spent at the Institute remained an unpleasant experience in his memory.

He refused to participate in any research or talk concerning IPI.

All of the Transcarpathian interviewees completed their studies at the Institute, and current students were not present. The group consisted of two men and four women. One interviewee was the husband of the other interviewee. Both of them studied at the IPI. The youngest members of the group were twins.

Four members have a job while the two youngest prepare for the entrance exam of the Master's course. The oldest interviewee participated in the first class of the IPI.

They studied at the Institute in the 2011/12 school year now they are living in the Transcarpathian region and are preparing for the entrance exam of the Master's course.

Four current IPI students, one student and two persons with permanent job participated in the focus group interview in Budapest.

One man and seven women make up the focus group. The oldest member studied in the second class of the IPI; he took the entrance exam in 1991.

The youngest members are current students of the Institute with a little age difference. One of them completed the secondary medical school and graduated as a pharmacist. Another girl met the Ukrainian entrance exam requirements and finished the first year at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpatian Hungarian Institute.

After the first year, she decided to continue her studies in the correspondence course of the Institute. Owing to the lack of the Hungarian language knowledge and her further education in Hungary she participates in the preparatory training.

Ex-students often spoke about the fact that cross-border students had replaced international students. According to the international students from socialist countries had been called back because the Hungarian State had already partly financed their studies.

The institute fumbled its way. After the transition the borders were opened, it started to deal with the foreign Hungarians' education.

When Hungarians started to study at the institute, the number of international students decreased.

Students' institution selection was one of the research questions.

Several interviewees did not assign the IPI as a first target.

«When I applied for admission, it was the first year, when the entrance exam system was organized in Ungvar. Teachers from the Institute travelled to Ungvar to facilitate our entrance exam.

A lot of people from our class started it, without any stakes.

When we travelled to the entrance exam, most of us were not sure about our goals.

I also thought that I tried to apply for the Hungarian faculty in Ungvar and If I failed to be admitted, but I passed the entrance exam of IPI, I would like to study in Budapest.

It was when I was admitted that I started to take it seriously. In the Transcarpathian region, you can only learn in Hungarian at the Hungarian faculty, but every subject. Then I still wanted to be a student of ethnography. The IPI promised to help me to prepare for my entrance exam. Therefore I have not gone to the entrance exam in Ungvar.»

The research emphasized the influence of the current Ukrainian educational system on the interviewee's further education and institution selection. We can confirm that the educational decrees, innovations, Ukrainian political and economic changes affected the plans of the Transcarpathian Hungarians before the school-leaving examination.

One of the participants finished the secondary school in 1990 and he studied in the first class of the IPI.

He said that the Education Committee of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association delegated talented Hungarians with school leaving examination to the first class.

Due to this fact, the education could be considered to be a prestige education in the first year where talented cross-border students participated the first time in the scholarship education of the mother country.

The admission requirement to the IPI was an entrance exam.

Two interviewees finished the secondary school in 1998, while one interviewee in 1999.

That time cross-border Hungarians could already apply for admission to the university without any preparatory training. The IPI was considered to be the last resort by several Transcarpathians. Most of the applicants wanted to continue their studies in Hungary, but they failed the entrance exam of the university, or they did not feel ready for the entrance exam.

External Independent Testing was introduced in Ukraine in 2008 which means advanced final exam had to be taken in Ukrainian Language and Literature or Ukrainian History or Mathematics according to the selected fields of study.

It made the opportunities of the Hungarian language schools difficult. Rules changed year after year, and the requirements became more and more difficult.

Since graduates of the Hungarian langue schools had to take the same advanced Ukrainian language and literature exam like their fellow students of the Ukrainian school, they often did not reach the threshold.

Several graduates trusting in successful exams did not submit their application to the mother country's institution, so they used the opportunity provided by the IPI as a last resort.

Besides, there was a trend that graduates would have liked to continue their studies in Hungary, but they did not feel properly prepared for the entrance exam of the university.

«After finishing the secondary school I wanted to graduate from the selected faculty in Hungary, but I did not try to take the final exam in Hungary, so the IPI seemed to be the best possibility for me.»

T. E.: «I was only 16 when I finished the secondary school. I was too young for the university. It was a better idea for me to participate in the IPI until I get used to the Hungarian educational system and the Hungarian lifestyle.» M.: [...] «I think I am dedicated and I have to fully prepare for this dedication. In my opinion, preparatory training in lycee is not sufficient. When we took the final exam, we completed only 11 years instead of 12. So the education in the lycee lasted only two years. In spite of the three years completed by my friends and acquaintances, the university was difficult for them. It was a good idea for me to prepare better for the university entrance exam during this year and make my studies easier in the university.

Budapest attracted some interviewees and owing to this fact they chose IPI even if they were admitted to another university in the country».

K.A.: «Since I was admitted to a university in Debrecen, I went to the Balassi Institue instead of the university.»

M.B.: «Since I was only admitted to a higher educational institution in Szeged, but I wanted to go to Budapest. And the Balassi Institute can be found in Budapest, so I chose the institute.»

The extracts reveal that the proximity of Hungary, the difference between the educational systems, the educational aid system and the knowledge of the Hungarian language mainly influenced on Transcarpathian students' career inspirations. Current students of the Institute joined the research. Some of them finished Ukrainian secondary school, and most of them speak the Ukrainian language with their family members.

Because of the current Ukrainian economic and political situation, several graduates use the student mobility. In order to overcome the language difficulties and to catch up, they choose the IPI.

B.A.: «To tell the truth the further education is difficult after the Ukrainian school. After the Ukrainian school, I thought in Ukrainian way. In the beginning, I tried to translate everything into Ukrainian, since I understood them better because I have studied in the Ukrainian school since my first school year. The more time I spend there, the more I learn, the better I speak Hungarian. I had difficulties in writing Hungarian; I could not write Hungarian fast. First, when the teacher dictated us, I lagged behind the others. But the situation has already changed by now. I also use the Ukrainian language here, since a lot of people from Ukraine study here and live with us; I speak the Ukrainian language more here than at home».

V.K.: «My family is Ukrainian, we speak Ukrainian with everybody at home, and I studied in Ukrainian language at my first school. I am Ukrainian, so learning is more difficult for me. But this school prepares me very well and make the access to the university much easier.»

Cocnclusions, implications and directions of further research. The focus group interviews revealed that the IPI was particular popular based on different reasons in the last 25 years.

When the applicants made decisions about their future, they were forced to choose the IPI since they had not got other further educational possibilities anyway.

As the Ukrainian educational system, economic and political situation changed, the profile of the IPI has also changed from the point of view of the Transcarpathian students.

In the beginning, the promising students studied here, because there was not other supported Hungarian higher educational possibility after the years of transition.

Later, students chose the IPI because of the corruption in the Ukrainian higher education, the lack of Hungarian faculties and the deficiencies in the secondary school.

When the Ukrainian Ministry of Education ordered the advanced level Ukrainian language and literature examination for every graduate, a lot of students fled to the IPI.

In a significant part of the current Transcarpathian students' mother tongue is the Ukrainian language.

They primarily chose this education to acquire the Hungarian language. They have got Hungarian language classes besides the professional training.

It partly recalls the original aim of the Institute when international students studied the Hungarian language as the foreign language at the Institute as a Hungarian Language Institute.

All in all, we can state that the Transcarpathian students choose the IPI to continue their studies in a higher educational institution in the mother country.

Several students chose the Institute for the purpose of further education, but a lot of people chose the IPI as a last resort.

From the point of view of institution-selection differences can be observed among the students who relocate to Hungary and students who return to the Transcarpathian region.

The members of the latter group chose the IPI to continue their studies at a higher education institution and to return to the Transcarpathian region to live by the acquired knowledge.

Family formation plays a decisive role in returning to the Transcarpathian region.

An interviewee met his mate in the secondary school, so there was no question to him to return to the Transcarpathian region. Several interviewees met their mates in the IPI.

Both members of one of the couples were from the Transcarpathian region, so they returned together after finishing their studies. In another case, one member of the couple came from the Transcarpathian region, while the other came from other ex-Hungarian territory belonging to another country. They formed a family in Budapest reaching a proper compromise. In certain cases, the commitment to the homeland was so strong that the main goal could not have been influenced by any factor.

Some members among the returning students want to continue their studies, and they do not refuse the migration to the mother country or other foreign countries.

Interviewees from Hungary started their studies to continue them in a Hungarian educational institution and to enter the Hungarian labour market.

They migrated to study; they did not want to return to their homeland.

It has several reasons: they formed a family in their mother country, and they could only manage with their degrees there, there is not enough opportunity in the Transcarpathian region.

One of the current students is thinking about returning to the native country. The others refuse to return because of the Ukrainian economic and political situation and military service obligation.

The primary purpose of this paper is to introduce student mobility and learning migration of the cross-border Hungarians. Our research focuses on the introduction of the Balassi Institute's university preparation training (former IPI) operation as a target institution and the introduction of the institution-selection motivations.

We looked for influential factors in Transcarpathian students' institution-selection based on their interviews. We familiarised with the operation, goals and students' life of the Institue with the assistance of the focus group interviews.

The interviews proved that the Transcarpathian students use the opportunity of student mobility and they mostly choose the mother country. The proximity of Hungary, the difference between the educational systems, educational scholarship system and the knowledge of the mother country's language are influential factors among the young people, who decide to move in the hope of a better life.

Transcarpathian students marked different reasons according to the institution-selection, but all in all we can state their main goal is to continue their studies in a Hungarian educational institution.

Students who remained in Hungary and those who returned to the Transcarpathian region play an important role in the further research on the reasons of remaining abroad for good and returning to their homeland. We are seeking answers on the main research question whether the mission-philosophy of the aid policy has been implemented, i.e., students who continue their studies in the mother country return or not to their homeland to use their acquired knowledge.

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