Experiences of FSŠ Students in Transylvania
In June 2025, students of the Faculty of Central European Studies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra took part in a study trip to Transylvania, whose central stop was Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania. The students were welcomed by Rector Dr. Márton Tonk and Dean Dr. Dezső Szenkovics, who in their lectures provided a detailed overview of the current situation, challenges, and value-preserving role of the Hungarian community in Transylvania. The meeting was not only a valuable academic experience but also a personal encounter, as the students were able to hear directly how higher education and community life of Hungarians beyond the border are being shaped. During the trip, participants also discovered the historical and cultural heritage of Transylvania, visiting, among others, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Turda, Aiud, Hunedoara Castle, and Alba Iulia.
The students unanimously stated that the study trip to Transylvania was more than a simple excursion – it was both a community experience and an inner journey. “There are times when a journey means more than just a sequence of destinations. When it is not merely about moving from one place to another – but about genuinely coming closer to ourselves and to one another. Our study trip to Transylvania was like that. (…) This journey was much more than a study trip. It was also an inner journey, during which I not only learned but also felt. I experienced what it means to be Hungarian also beyond the borders – and how important it is to remember what connects us,” reflected a teacher training student. Similarly, her peer remarked: “The study trip to Transylvania was not only an excursion but a true intellectual and emotional journey, one that we will remember for a long time.”
For a preschool pedagogy student, the trip represented real personal growth, as she stepped out of her comfort zone several times: “On the way there, I bought a Topjoy drink, and the message on the cap read ‘Be braver!’. I took it as guidance. During the study trip, I had several opportunities to cross my own boundaries and step out of my comfort zone. These moments meant real development for me, and I look back on them with joy.” Her fellow student added: “We arrived in Romania as individuals, but returned home as a team – with smiles on our faces.”
The students’ reflections revealed that studying the past of Transylvania enriched them also in the present – in knowledge, experiences, and human relationships alike. Several highlighted how inspiring it was to witness the value-preserving role of Hungarian communities living beyond the borders. “This journey not only broadened my knowledge but also inspired me. It encouraged me to be more open to other cultures and people, to dare to ask questions, to explore, to take an interest,” said a student of Tourism Management.
The students expressed their gratitude to the main organizers, Dr. Zsófia Bárcziová and Dr. Viktória Gergelyová, as well as to the support of the Makovecz Scholarship Program, which made this special journey possible. The participants agreed that the study trip to Transylvania provided not only knowledge and experience but also lifelong memories that will accompany them for years to come.
Text and photos: Mgr. Viktória Gergelyová, PhD.
