Exchange Report Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary

Spring 2019

Tong Lai Him, Cyril

BBA in Operations Management & Economics

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Monthly Log January

I arrive at Budapest on 21st January. My buddy met me at the airport right after my arrival and she brought me to my rented flat. These two weeks were for me to settle down and get used to the living in Hungary. I went to the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office of Budapest to for the residence check-in and complete the application of the residence permit, joined the Orientation Day and explored around Budapest. February The lectures started in this month. I sometimes joined the event organized by the ESN like the walking tours in both Buda and Pest. Also, I went to Vienna with some friends.

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March I joined a Serbia trip organized by a Serbian who is experienced in organizing Serbian trip for exchange students. He posted the event details in many groups for exchange students and brought us to two cities in Serbia which are Novi Sad and Belgrade. Also, there was a national holiday in Hungary and I spent the long weekend in Krakow, Poland by joining a guided tour organized by ESN Corvinus. Mid-terms exam commenced in mid-March when is right after my Poland trip. However, it was not a big burden for me to take the exams because the subjects were easy. I normally studied one day before the exams. I regret that I left Hungary during the National Day (15th March) because I saw many pictures that there were a lot of celebration activates in Budapest and Museums and Parliament were open to everyone for free. So, if you are going to Corvinus for exchange during Spring semester, try to stay in Budapest on 15th March. I believe celebrating the National Day with a lot of cultural activities will be enjoyable in Budapest which is a city covered by its national colors, red white and green. April After mid-term exams, there was a long week for intensive courses which were held only for local students with no normal lectures to be held. Therefore, I got a long vocation for travelling. I went to London, Munich, Ingolstadt, Salzburg, Hallstatt. After the long trip, there were normal lessons and a project presentation on Business Ethics. Before the presentation, my groupmate and I had several meetings for the discussion of the project topics and the research. In the weekends of these two weeks, I went to other cities in Hungary like Visegrad, Tihany and Szeged. Then, there was another long vocation, the Spring Break. There were no lessons and I went to Tallinn, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius and Warsaw, which is the capital of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland respectively, with my friends from HKUST.

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May One week of lessons left in May. As I did not have lessons on Friday and Monday, I spent my long weekend in Dublin, Ireland. I joined the one-day local tour to the Cliff of Moher and explored the Dublin city center with my friend. Then, I started to prepare for my final exams. After the exams, I went to Morocco, visited several cities there and took a rest back to Budapest and continued my trip to Bratislava in Slovakia, Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes, Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia and Ljubljana and Bled in Slovenia. June Leaving Slovenia, I went to Berlin and Prague and beck to Budapest to pack my luggage, preparing for my departure.

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General Exchange Information Visa Procedures According to the HK Immigration Department, “HKSAR passport holders do not need a visa to the Schengen area fora stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period”. Therefore, Visa is not required for a single entry to Hungary for HKSAR passport holder. However, as exchange students staying more than 90 days in Hungary, we need to apply for a residence permit. It is better to apply before your departure. I contacted the Consulate General of Hungary in Hong Kong through email. Then, they sent me the steps to proceed with. After getting all the required documents ready, I sent an email again to the Consul and made an appointment for a meeting with him at the Hong Kong Office in Central. During the meeting, I submitted the documents and my fingerprints were recorded. Once my application is accepted by the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office, I was notified by the Consul in Hong Kong through email to obtain the residence permit in Hungary. After entering Hungary, I went to the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office of Budapest for checking in and they provided me with another document that needs the signature of the landlord. To avoid over-crowding in Immigration Office, the Office set up another temporary booth in Corvinus University for all the exchange students in. After I had my landlord signature prepared, I submitted the document in the temporary booth in Corvinus and received the residence permit at the same time. As you will get the residence permit card after arrival in Budapest and do not have visa for the entry to Hungary as a Hong Kong passport holder, if you are buying only one flight ticket for departure but no return ticket, the ground crew, who insist passengers have to have a return ticket or a visa, may refuse to offer you the boarding pass which I encountered. At that moment, I showed them the email conversation with the Consul who confirmed that I do not need the D Visa and will be able to get the residence permit after arrival to Budapest. They finally offered me the boarding pass. Therefore, try to ask for confirmation through email with the Consul whether you need a visa or other type of entry document. So, you will not be in trouble before the exchange. Orientation Activities There would be orientation days held by both the International Office and Corvinus Business School. Please attend both because both provide students with important information including the pick-up of residence permit. Here is the rundown of the Orientation Day held by International Office on 28th January: 12:10 - 12:15 Corvinus Official Video 12:15 - 12.30 Introduction of Corvinus University of Budapest 12:30 - 12:45 Practical information for Exchange Students 12:45 - 12:55 Student Counseling 12:55 - 13:10 NEPTUN information 13:10 - 13:25 MOODLE information 13:25 - 13:40 Introduction speech about the library 13:40 - 13:55 Sports facilities in and around CUB 13:55 - 14:05 Introduction of ESN Corvinus

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International Services & Activities There is an official organization call ESN Corvinus providing activities and assistance to all exchange students in Corvinus. Join their activities, I knew many friends all around the world and got a Tandem Partner, which is similar to Exchange Buddy, to assist my adaption to Budapest living. If you would like to have a pick-up from the airport or you have any difficulties, Tandem Partner and ESN Corvinus are always willing to offer a helping hand. If you purchased their ESN membership card, there will be a lot of discounts from Ryanair and Flixbus which is very useful for traveling. Accommodations Corvinus does not provide any dormitory place to exchange students. So, I rented a flat through Downtown Apartment which is an agent recommended by Corvinus. My flat was located at Szent István krt 15 which is near Nyugati Paludvar. Going to Margret Island or Corvinus University is just 15 minutes on foot and by tram no.2 respectively. There is a stop for night tram route no.6 so it is so convenient to go back home even in mid-night. Also, there are supermarkets, Spar, Lidl and Aldi and a shopping mall called West End nearby. Course Registration Three online systems would be used starting from the application of the exchange program until the end of the exchange period. MOB is the system for inputting the personal information, acting as an online application system for the exchange after being nominated by SBM. Neptun, which is like MyPortal in HKUST will serve as the course registration system where you can check for the academic requirement and register a course. Moodle, which is like Canvas in HKUST, lecture notes and learning materials will be posted there. One month after completion of online application of the exchange program in MOB, I was required to register courses on Neptun. Before registering a course, make sure you get familiar with Neptun, ensure there is no time conflict between the courses that you want to register and read the instructions given by Corvinus carefully. Sports & Recreation Facilities There is a gym room in the Kinizsi Dormitory near the main campus. A gym card is needed to be purchased to use the gym room which is fully equipped. The prices of the gym cards are as follows:

• 5000 ft/ 15 sessions • 4000 ft/ 10 sessions • 2500 ft/ 5 sessions

Moreover, there are also dance, stretching and yoga classes to join after paying a certain amount of money. You can choose to join if you are interested in them. Social Clubs & Networking Opportunities As mentioned above, there is an organization called ESN Corvinus providing exchange students with a lot of events and activities like chair lifting, ice-skating, trip to other countries.

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Teaching & Assessment Methods Courses HKUST Equivalence Teaching & Assessment Methods

293NBUSV498B Business Ethics (6 ECTS)

MGMT 2130 Business Ethics and the Individual (2 Cr)

This is the course with the largest workload among all courses I have. The professor always encourages discussion and asks for students’ opinion on specific topics or issues, giving extra points towards the final grade as a reward. As a shy student who does not speak a lot, I seldom raise up my hands and answer for a question during the lessons. However, never feel guilty of not answering any questions because I can still get Grade 3 (more than a Pass!!!) although class participation is a criterion of assessing the course grade.

293NOPRK212B Decision Techniques (6 ECTS)

ISOM1500 Insightful Decisions (3 Cr)

There are lectures twice a month and seminar every week. Lectures are about the theories of different decision-making techniques and seminars are for game and group interaction which is fun and enjoyable. There are a mid-term exam, a final exam and a group project. All stuff is easy to learn and memorize in this course.

293NECOV395B Economics and the European Union (6 ECTS)

ECON4000LEVEL 4000-level Course in Economics (3 Cr)

This course mainly talks about the economic policy imposed by the EU towards its member states. Although sometimes I find the course content boring, this course is worth taking because I can easily get good grade for this course by just reciting all the materials for the exams. The professor will give us all the exam questions in advance, so we can just easily get prepared for the exams.

293NLNGV105B Hungarian for Beginners I. (6 ECTS)

LANG1000LEVEL 1000-level Course in Language (3 Cr)

Although Hungarian is not a common language in Europe and considered the most difficult language in the world, I benefit from this course a lot. At least, after having several weeks of lessons, I can buy a train ticket to another city and order food in a restaurant in Hungarian. The course not only provides students with language skills, but also lets students know the Hungarian culture more in-depth. Exams usually test about Hungarian grammar and simple vocabulary which are easy to get high marks.

4MI25NAK33B Introduction to Game Theory (6 ECTS)

ECON4124 Applied Game Theory (4 Cr)

Although the exam is marked in the syllabus as the assessment method of the course, the professor opens two sessions for the course, one for local and one for exchange students. He does not require exchange students to attend the exam. He distributes an A as the final grade for us who attend the lectures.

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Finance & Banking Hungary is considered an affordable country from a perspective of Western Europe. Still, please be conscious about the expenditure, because living in Budapest is becoming more and more expensive. Hungary’s currency is the Hungarian Forint instead of Euro. This is either shortened as HUF or the symbol ft. l Valid coins: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 l Valid banknotes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, 20000 Good to know: l Prepare a certain amount of Euro for the exchange of HUF. l Do not exchange at the airport because the exchange is extremely bad but exchange at the official

currency offices. l If you have the chance to choose between HUF and any other currency including Euro and HKD, always

choose HUF. l After enabling the foreign withdrawal function in Hong Kong, withdrawing money from ATMs under the

bank network UnionPay (銀聯) which are very easy to find throughout Budapest is another way to obtain HUF but always choose ATMs from the famous banks in Budapest like OTP, K&H or CIB. On top of the exchange rate, Hong Kong bankcard issuers usually charge 15-20 HKD as a service fee with no other fee charged by Budapest banks. Do not choose Euronet because it incurs an extra cost at around 40 HKD.

l All major credit card or debit cards such as MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. But card acceptance is not obligatory, always look for the window stickers to check if cards are accepted and always carry some cash in HUF.

l Cash payments that do not end in 5 or 0 will be rounded to the nearest 5 or 0, e.g. 150ft will be collected for a 152ft-service and 158ft for a 160ft-service

l Tips are always appreciated but not mandatory, although tips are commonly expected in several circumstances like in restaurants and taxis. The standard tip is 10% but many restaurants in Budapest include a service charge (“szervizdij” in Hungarian) in the total amount.

Here is my expenditure for your reference:

Item Amount (HKD) Flight ticket 8,000 (two trips) Accommodation 4,000 (per month) Transportation: Semester Pass 500 Living Expenses 4,000 (per month)

Health & Safety I did not get sick during the exchange period. However, here is some useful information for you if you need to buy some medicine or consultation from doctors. There are some private clinics catering to expats and foreign tourists, with doctors speaking many languages. Always bring along with the residence permit and passport if you need the medical services.

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Private medical institutions: • First Med Center (1015 Budapest, Hattyú 14.) • Dr. Rose private hospital (1051 Budapest, Széchenyi Istvàn tér 7.) • Szent Gellért private clinic (1061 Budapest, Visegrád u.74) • Medicover Hospital (1134 Budapest, Váci út 29-31) • International Medical Service (1138 Budapest, Váci út 184.)

Food Compared to other European cities, it is more affordable to dine out in Budapest. Price of a meal can vary from 1000 HUF to 6000 HUF. If you would like to eat some food at a low price, you can just cook or find some pizza places or Chinese stores. Transportation Almost all transport (metro, bus, city trolley, selected routes of ferry and tram) in Budapest are operated by BKK. I purchased the Semester Budapest-pass for Students, which is highly recommended because of the unlimited rides and low price, with the valid period start in February and end in June. For the period before February, I used weekly pass and block of 10 tickets to use the transportation. Please be reminded to validate the tickets and bring along your student ID verification letter from Corvinus with you as use of transport without a valid ticket or pass or unable to show the student ID when using student pass will be entitled to a penalty of 16000 HUF. One of the advantages of living in Budapest is that buses and trams are very punctual. Also, night buses and trams are available in mid-night. The coverage of the transport in Budapest is well-designed. You can go to school or all the tourist spots very conveniently. If you need to plan for your ride, you can download the APP from BKK for checking the time for the next bus or tram, or just simply use Google Map. If you would like to travel to other cities in Hungary, it is recommended to take the train, which is not under BKK. University students are entitled to a 50% off discount for all rides. Again, you can download an APP called MAV to check for the price and timeslot by typing the destination you would like to go. Climate I arrived at Budapest in January. It was -2°C to 13°C from January to February. Starting from March, the temperature started rising, when I used to wear short-sleeved once. The temperature difference between daytime and night was big. Starting from April, flowers came out. The temperature was 17°C to 25°C. From May to June, the weather condition was like Hong Kong, a hot city with strong sunlight. All long-sleeved were put aside in that summer when the temperature was at 22°C to 32°C. But please be careful! Although Hungary is located in Europe, the weather condition can be as bad as in Hong Kong. I encountered hailstones and heavy rain.

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Communication I bought several sim cards in Hong Kong before exchange so I was not worried about my telecommunication in Europe. It is also possible to buy a sim card in Budapest. There are three main service providers in Hungary which are Telekon, Telenor and Vodafone, whose networks can be accessed all over the country. They have branches in most malls so you can get the card easily. Cautionary Measures In case of emergency, the following numbers can be dialed free of charge:

General emergency 112 Ambulance 104 Fire Department 105 Police 107

Other Notes The following is the Academic Calendar provided by the Corvinus Business School.

Miscellaneous:

• The voltage in Hungary is AC 230V / 50Hz with electrical plugs being “Type F” • Daylight saving time runs between the end of March and the end of October (CET +1 / GMT +2)

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Items to Bring • Passport • Passport photos • Jacket • Bedsheets • Notebook charger • Clothes for summer • Clothes for winter • Medicine • Euro • Bankcard • Credit Card

Useful Links and Contacts

Corvinus Business School http://cbs.uni-corvinus.hu/ Application details for Residence Permit http://www.bmbah.hu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=70&Itemid=824&lang=en Transportation website of Budapest https://bkk.hu/en/welcome-to-bkk/ Website of the Consulate General of Hungary, Hong Kong https://hongkong.mfa.gov.hu/eng If more information is needed, please get my contact from the SBM Exchange Team by emailing at bmugexch@ust.hk.