16 Portuguese students have spent the last semester with Erasmus at the University of Dunaújváros. We enquired about their experiences about Hungary and about their studies here:

Q: Somehow you all ended up in Hungary, at the University of Dunaújváros. Why Hungary? What were the key points in your choice?
Fernanda Garcia: When I chose Hungary the main point for me was the big number of subjects that I can do out of my University in Portugal.
Ines Delgado: I applied to this university because it was the one giving me the most equivalences compared to my subjects in Portugal, which I have not yet completed. Also there were friends of mine who have been here in the previous semesters and they recommended Dunaújváros.

Q: What was the most important cultural difference you realized so far?
Lara Soares: Well, the most important ones? The language and the food….
Maria Martins: Yes, for example we didn’t know that the gastronomy in this country is so much based on cheese. In Portugal there are no varieties of foods with cheese. Like cheese soup, we tried and it was simply delicious.

Q: What do you like the most about the country?
Rafael Lima: Hungary surprised me very positively, the first time I visited Budapest was completely fascinated and I can say that is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.
Valeria Gomes: It’s wonderful to feel secure in the streets no matter it is day or night!

Q: Is there anything you don’t like in Hungary?
Ines Delgado: Many people do not understand English, they might strive but mostly they just talk to us in Hungarian.
Lara Soares: For example when we go to a cafe, gym or even a disco I feel that there are always people rudely staring at us, sometime they are saying some unfriendly things. I do not know why.

Q: The University of Dunaújváros has international students from all corners of the World: from China to Brazil, from Cameroon to Finland. What do you think about the student community?
Fernanda Garcia: This travel for me was like a dream come true. I always liked the idea to be far from home to see how people lives in other places of the World. Being here with so many different cultures was so special for me. Breaking down taboos about some cultures and understanding the way of their thinking and actions. In my opinion there is a great student community here. I made good friends and I wish that we can keep this for the rest of our life, even living so far from each other.
Maria Martins: I loved it, the things that we learn from each other is amazing, we learn other culture and manners to think, all about stuff like, religion, gastronomy, games, languages and it’s amazing, it gives us other thoughts about life. Everybody is very helpful, friends and good companions of this adventure. A real family, very welcoming.

Q: You are now at the end of your exchange period. How do you consider your studies here? Are the structure of courses and the educational methods different from what you are used to in your home country?
Rafael Lima: I really enjoyed studying here in Dunaújváros, found that the evaluation method is quite identical to Portugal.
Ines Delgado: The educational methods are a little bit different but in general they are quite identical to the one in my home country. It was not difficult to perform at all, however we always hear that for Erasmus students it is always easier.

Q: What do you think, will the knowledge and skills you gained here contribute to your further studies and your future career?
Valeria Gomes: Of course, the time that I spend here helped me a lot to improve my English and to learn how it’s like to live in a different country. It is a unique experience which can help us a lot in the future.
Rafael Lima: Yes, I think I made the right decision when I applied to Erasmus. I feel much more comfortable to handle certain situations since I came to Hungary and this owes much to the fact of not having my parents around

Q: You are studying here within the framework of the Erasmus+ exchange programme, which is based on mutuality. What would you tell about your institution to Hungarian students who could be interested in selecting your home university?
Lara Soares: Our institution is very welcoming, as students and the city. It is a small town but it has a lot of life, especially nightlife. Regarding the studies, the teachers are great and they can learn a lot. I am sure they will not regret if they choose Leiria.
Maria Martins: I think Portugal is a beautiful country to visit. Portuguese people are really cozy and we have something that the Hungarian students would simply love; we have a coast full of beaches and it’s really near by the school. The nights are amazing, the clubs, the people, the music the diversity of music they can learn and try to listen. Our most traditional music is called “fado” and it is really unique and beautiful. The food here is fantastic too, our traditional dishes mostly made of different kind of fish.


We hope that indeed it was an unforgettable experience for each one of the students. Our door remains always open to them if they would intend to come back sometime in the future to take a trip down to Memory Lane.