by Eric Szeto, News Editor
Joint program may increase enrollment in Hungary
UBC and the University of West Hungary have embarked on a joint forestry program—the first of its kind between Canada and the European Union.
The program, slated to begin by 2007, will employ a common English curriculum, which will allow students from Hungary and UBC who study in forestry to have credits that are transferable between the two universities.
“It’s mutually beneficial, it really ties into the UBC Trek 2010 document with internationalised globalisation so I’m a strong supporter of it, and I think my colleagues are too,” said UBC’s Dean of Forestry Jack Saddler.”
UBC forestry has had a long tradition with forestry faculty at the University of West Hungary (Sopron), dating back to 1957—one year after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Hungary. For the school to survive under Soviet occupation, UBC opened the Sopron division of forestry here in Vancouver, which allowed over 200 Sopron students and 14 faculty members to emigrate and continue their education in Vancouver.
The Canadian-Hungarian community has roots here so it’s no surprise that Sopron chose UBC for the joint venture program, said Saddler.
There are currently four visiting professors from Sopron, all here on a type of reconnaissance mission that they say will help them understand the nuances between the two schools and their curricula.
Professor Vosak, one of the visiting professor’s from Sopron called this program “a unique European-Canadian diploma.”
Professor Laszlo Jager, another visiting professor, expressed his hope that this program would increase the fledgling number of post-secondary students in Hungary.
“The number of the students are decreasing in Hungary so we hope that we will be able to increase the number of the students with this program,” said Jager.
One of the hurdles that people from Hungary will have to overcome is learning English, something that Sopron Professor Balint Heil said will be difficult because not many students speak English—although the numbers are improving.
“More and more people are learning English,” he said.
The long term goal of this program is for Hungary to be able to recruit students to Sopron from all the adjacent countries, said Tony Kozak, a coordinator between the two universities.
The program’s success will bode well with the European community and Canada, he added.