Debrecen4U
August 19, 2026
More Than 100 Certificates Awarded at Debrecen Summer School
This term has come to an end Debrecen Summer School, with the organisers awarding a total of 116 certificates during the month-long course. Half of the participants studied Hungarian for four weeks, while the other half took turns after two weeks. Everyone passed the final exam, and the language students returned home happily on 15 August, the university said.
This summer, a surprisingly large number of students were placed in higher-level groups. This was particularly encouraging, as it shows that many students did not give up learning Hungarian after completing the beginner level. There were also relatively many participants who are teachers or university lecturers in their home countries, which may partly explain the strong interest in the programme called Társalgó, held every Wednesday to give participants the opportunity to talk in Hungarian and English with Péter Szaffkó, director of the Summer School, about Hungarian culture, Hungaricums, Hungarian history and famous cities. Students with a higher level of Hungarian also showed greater interest in local attractions: they visited the Magda Szabó Memorial House, while the more sporty participants got a taste of everyday life in Debrecen at a Loki match.
The folklore programme was once again the students’ favourite this summer. Every Monday, participants were introduced to different regions of Hungary: dinner featured local specialities, followed by folk-song lessons and dancing. The second Friday evening programme was also a great success. At the ‘beach party’, teachers and students alike dressed in colourful beachwear, while dinner consisted of lángos, a favourite Hungarian beach food. The students also thoroughly enjoyed the two excursions: at a farm in Sáránd, they made csigatészta (traditional rolled soup pasta), plaited yeast bread and got an insight into the preparations for a traditional wedding, while in Nyíregyháza they learnt traditional folk games at the open-air museum and then everyone had the chance to make their own ointment in an old-fashioned pharmacy.
Over the course of the month, the organisers also held several quizzes and fun competitions. At the beach party, the language students tested their knowledge of Hungary’s rivers and lakes, while after the farewell dinner they generally competed on their knowledge of Hungarian culture. The organisers concluded that there was strong demand for these competitions, so they plan to come up with and organise even more of them next summer.
Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)
