Magyar Hírek, 1987 (40. évfolyam, 1-23. szám)
1987-05-30 / 11. szám
I begin with a subject that may personally interest some of the readera of the Hungarian Scene, and that is the opportunity foreign students have to study at Hungarian universities. Ádám Balázs’s article in the Hungarian section of this issue reports that a medical course in English will start in September this year at the Budapest Semmelweis Medical University. As Dr Attila Horváth, head of the Foreign Student Programmes in Hungary stated, the course was developed to suit the academic system of the United States. The New York Medical College (Valhalla) and the St John’s University of the State of New York are the patrons of the new course in Hungary. These institutions participate in working out the syllabus as well as in publicising the programme in America. Three of the seven members serving on the Advisory Board are of Hungarian origin: Professors Géza Jákó (Boston), János Kepes (Kansas City), and Norbert Kercnyi (Toronto). American and Canadian high school graduates may apply for enrolment before the 30th of June 1987 to the North American Representative, Semmelweis University of Medicine, P.O.B. 654, Bronsville, NY 10708. Tuition fees for the first year (Two semesters) amount to US 8 12,600. The present plan is that students will complete Basic Medical Sciences in two years at the Hungarian university. Those, who wish to continue studying at the Semmelweis University can obtain a Master’s degree at the end of the third year. Students do not need to speak Hungarian in these three years, since the whole course will be held in English. Those, who wish to complete their medical studies in Budapest, Medical students at the Semmelweis University of Medicine however, will need to master the Hungarian language as well, in order to be able to communicate with patients. Postgraduate course for mathematicians Right now foreign students are studying at ten universities and academies in Hungary: besides the new English medical course in Budapest and a German one which starter! four years ago, medical courses in English are held by Pécs and Szeged universities also. Foreign students study photography in English from Hungarian cameramen at the Budapest Academy for Theatrical and Film Art. The postgraduate course in mathematics at the Post Graduate Institute of the Budapest Technical University, to which the St John’s University of the State of New York is sending mathematicians for one or two semesters has created a considerable international response. Lectures are given by members of the university staff and of the mathematical research team of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences under the direction of Professors Pál Erdős and Vera T. Sós. Three members of the Canadian team, that came first at the student Olympics recently also studied at the Budapest postgraduate course, where they worked on combinatorics, numbers theory and on the theory of probability. Tuition-fees there amount to US 8 1,850 per semester. American universities accept the credits obtained there. The Europe College also operates under the joint organization of the St John’s university. Under that scheme American university students study for one semester in Europe, mainly at the Budapest Technical College. Hungarian students abroad The article in this issue signed A.É. (I can tell you in confidence, that it was written by Éva Árokszállási) reports on the widening opportunities for Hungarian students to study abroad. One of the contributing factors is Hungary’s membership in the International Organization of Economics Students (AIESEC') operating at five ♦ hundred universities in sixty-four countries. The organization offers outstanding opportunities for postgraduate studies and for obtaining professional experience. Local committees of the AIESEC operate at six Hungarian universities and academies, the Hungarian chapter regularly organizes seminars and conferences with the participation of foreign students, ami the Hungarian students also at- , tend seminars and conferences abroad. The study tom's of Hungarian students usually extend to 6—8 weeks. It is worthy of note that Ákos Zala, a 24 years old Hungarian student of economics, was reoently elected to the post of director of the North-American-European region of the AIESEC: He will hold the office for one year, taking over in the summer of 1987. Ecce Homo, a new Hungarian opera Professional experience abroad The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, which Hungary also joined in 1983, also helps an increasing number of Hungarian students to travel abroad. László Becker, the secretary of the Hungarian national committee of the organization, stated that these students obtain practical experience for one to three months in industry using developed technologies in countries further advanced than Hungary. In the first year twelve young Hungarians went to obtain experience abroad, a number which grew to one hundred and twenty in 1986 and as many as á hundred and fifty this year. Hungarian industries employ just that many students from abroad. Thus, as László Becker said, the exchange scheme took Hungarian students to a camera factory in Japan, to a car manufacturing plant and a robot factory in Sweden, and there is one student in Brazil now. The exchange scheme also operates with the US and Canada—the latter thanks to Professor Ádám Nagy, Vice Chancellor of Quebec University, who attended a meeting of the 1986 Hungarian Forum and invited three students for an extended study tour. Relations keep on growing, and it is hoped that Hungarian students will go as far as Australia in the near future. Hungarian factories and enterprises are happy to receive student-trainees from abroad, since most of them are fourth and fifth year students already possessing a good deal of expertese. The peak performance so far was given by an exchange student at the Ikarusz bus works, who designed a computer programme, which has been used there ever since. A new opera by Sándor Szokolay Magda Soós’s interview with the composer Sándor Szokolay, the occasion of the Budapest premiére of his new opera was published in our previous issue. Szokolay describes the genre of his work as a passion-opera. He wrote the libretto himself basing it on Nikos Kazantsakis’s novel, The recrucified Christ. A film was also made of the novel, The man who died, in which Melina Mercouri played a part. In the course of writing the libretto Szokolay broadened the possibility of interpretation. The title he gave to his opera, Ecce Homo relates not only to Christ, but also to the counter-pole, to vileness, treachery and destruction. “Unfortunately”, Szokolay said “this has been with us right since Biblical times”. The story of the passion-opera is that the people of a Greek village decide to replay the story of the Passion. The village priest selects the types suitable for the various roles. A mountain shepherd is Jesus, a drunkard saddler Judas, and a widow Maria Magdalena. Just then tattered Christian refugees arrive from the neighbouring Turkish village. Some of the villagers want to help them but that is against the interest of others. The shepherd acting the role of Christ takes the refugees under his protection and he is killed in the church for his trouble. “What makes my opera timely” says Szokolay “is that man this century did not perform any better when it came to the test. My music, according to my intention, tries to give absolution by retrieving the lost harmony.” The fii*st performance was directed by András Mikó, the scenery was designed by Gábor Forrai, and the costumes by Péter Makai. Two casts of twenty singers sing the opera alternately, with András Molnár, Magda Kalmár, Júlia Kukeli, Sándor Sólyom Nagy and István Gáti — among others — in the principal roles. The composer and István Dénes alternately conduct. ZOLTÁN HALÄSZ 29
