One week in Budapest. Students from seven countries. One of the most urgent questions in European politics.
Join us in Budapest from 28 June to 3 July 2027 for an intensive international summer school at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Faculty of Social Sciences.
No registration fee
Your participation can be covered by CEEPUS and/or Erasmus BIP funding
3 ECTS credits and a certificate of participation
Taught in English by professors from seven universities and experts from human rights NGOs
Why this summer school?
What happens to a society after16 years of illiberal rule? How do people who were targeted by state propaganda rebuild trust, and what do they need to feel safe again? These are no longer abstract questions in Central and Eastern Europe.
The summer school grows out of an interdisciplinary research project Reconciliation and the Public Sphere after the Orbán Regime (REPUBHU) at ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences on democratic transitionafter the Orbán regime. The project studies how the government's propaganda machinery worked and what politically motivated stigmatisation did to people and communities: exclusion, lasting anxiety, and a loss of trust in institutions.
Drawing on international experience with transitional justice and victim support, we ask how past harms can be acknowledged, responsibility addressed, reparation imagined and recurrence prevented. You will not just read about this research: you will contribute to a meaningful research project, and your work can feed into publications and future international collaboration.
Why Budapest?
Brilliant Budapest is waiting for you. Few places let you study regime change while living right where it is being debated. Between sessions you can explore a city of thermal baths, Danube views, ruin bars and a lively cultural scene in the long summer evenings.
The summer school takes place on ELTE's Lágymányos Campus, on the Buda bank of the Danube.
What you will do
The programme has three parts, so you arrive prepared and keep working together afterwards.
| Part | Dates | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Online preparation | 1–7 June 2027 | Readings and preparatory tasks; meet your group |
| Summer school in Budapest | 28 June – 3 July 2027 | Lectures, seminars, workshops, field visits, group project, international conference |
| Online follow-up | 8–21 July 2027 | Finalise your project; continued collaboration afterwards |
In Budapest you can expect:
Keynote lectures by invited guest speakers, alongside lectures by professors from partner universities and experts from NGOs
Seminars built on discussion, case studies and critical reading
Workshops and field activities where you meet practitioners from outside academia and test theory against real challenges
An international group project. You will work with students from other countries and disciplines on a research question linked to the project, and present your results at the closing session
An international conference. You are invited to attend the panels of an international academic conference held in Budapest at the same time, and hear current research first-hand
You will leave with:
in-depth knowledge of civil society, human rights and regime change in the region
practical research and project-management skills
experience of working in an international, intercultural team
a real contribution to a meaningful research project, whose results can feed into potential publications and future international collaboration
a network of peers and academics across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond
a strong point of reference for your future academic career
3 ECTS credits and a certificate of participation issued by ELTE
All readings and materials stay available to you on an online learning platform after the summer school ends.
Partner universities
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest – host
Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj
University of Belgrade
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
University of Zagreb
Comenius University Bratislava
University of Aberdeen
Who can apply
We welcome PhD students and motivated MA students in political science, international relations, law, sociology, human rights and related fields. BA students with a strong interest in the topic are also encouraged to apply.
There are 8 CEEPUS places within our CEEPUS Network and 15 Erasmus BIP places, plus places for selected ELTE students. Places are limited, so we give priority to students who are ready to take an active part in the whole programme.
Costs and funding
No registration fee. Tuition and all academic activities are free.
Funding: your travel and stay can be covered by a CEEPUS mobility grant and/or an Erasmus BIP grant through your home university.
Accommodation: we are negotiating budget-friendly accommodation for participants and will share the options. You book and arrange your accommodation yourself.
How to apply
Contact the CEEPUS coordinator or Erasmus office at your home university and tell them you are interested.
Ask about your university's internal deadline for CEEPUS or Erasmus BIP applications. These deadlines can be early, so do this soon.
Your home university nominates you to us. [Nomination deadline: date to be confirmed]
Contact
Alíz Nagy, ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences – aliz.nagy@tatk.elte.hu
Organisers: Alíz Nagy and Balázs Majtényi, Department of Human Rights and Politics, ELTE