Debrecen4U
October 27, 2026
University of Debrecen Welcomes Visiting Professor from US
During the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year, master’s students at the Institute of English and American Studies of the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Humanities can explore the history of immigration to the United States through courses taught by a visiting professor from America. Professor Ashley Johnson Bavery of Eastern Michigan University will spend six months teaching and conducting research at the University of Debrecen.
The professor’s relationship with the Institute’s staff dates back to 2024, when the Institute of English and American Studies (IEAS) at the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Humanities organised an international conference to mark the centenary of the implementation of the US Immigration Act of 1924. Participants travelled to this prestigious academic event from almost every part of the world and one of the invited keynote speakers was Ashley Johnson Bavery, who ultimately delivered her presentation online rather than attending in person.
Her relationship with the University and the Institute continued through joint academic research and a successful application eventually enabled Professor Bavery to spend six months as a visiting lecturer in Debrecen on a Fulbright scholarship, specifically through the prestigious Országh Chair programme. She will also give lectures at several other Hungarian universities.
The László Országh Distinguished Chair in American Studies is a prestigious Fulbright scholarship programme that brings distinguished American university lecturers and researchers to Hungary to teach at Hungarian higher education institutions and contribute to the development of American Studies programmes.
“Our institute has maintained close ties with the Hungarian Fulbright Commission since its establishment. Our colleagues, Professor Donald E. Morse and Professor Zoltán Abádi-Nagy, for example, played important roles in helping launch the Hungarian programme and ensuring its success. The scholarship itself is regarded internationally as a distinguished form of academic support, and within the programme, a special category is named after Professor László Országh, who had particularly strong ties with the University of Debrecen,” Balázs Venkovits, Director of the Institute of English and American Studies at the University of Debrecen, told hirek.unideb.hu.
Ashley Johnson Bavery’s main research focus is the history of migration, particularly emigration to America from Central and Eastern Europe and Southern Europe. She also specialises in the history of irregular migration. “Entering the University’s beautiful Main Building every day to teach my classes is a wonderful experience. It means I can teach history in a historic setting, while also taking an international perspective in several respects, as students from a range of countries within the University’s international student community attend my course. This creates a special atmosphere in the classroom,” Professor Bavery said, reflecting on her experience so far.
The leadership of the Institute of English and American Studies considers it extremely important for native English-speaking lecturers to contribute to students’ education and for students to receive reliable and entirely up-to-date information from distinguished American researchers in their respective fields. As well as raising the quality of education, this also opens up international opportunities for students.
The visiting professor and the Institute are planning to launch a joint course between the University of Debrecen and Eastern Michigan University. As a first step, American and Hungarian students would work together virtually, with an opportunity to meet in person at a student conference organised in Debrecen. This could lay the foundations for long-term cooperation between the two institutions, potentially enabling student exchanges in the future.
Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)
