Students life
Amr Nagy, our former Stipendium Hungaricum student, defended his PhD thesis in December 2022 with Summa Cum Laude qualification at the Faculty of Information Technologies. He has already returned to his home country Egypt, however, his relations with the University are still alive. Here you can read a short interview with him about his experiences in Veszprém.
Questioner: Dear Amr, why did you choose the University of Pannonia for your PhD studies?
Amr: As I work at a University in Egypt, found it a good idea to get the PhD somewhere in Europe. When I was searching on the Internet, I found that the University of Pannonia contains many internationally recognized and highly appreciated professors, and it looked that they are always developing their academic environment. In addition to, the University of Pannonia has a good history and is located in the beautiful historic town Veszprem. So, I thought it was a perfect starting point for exploring Hungary and Europe.
Q: How was the application process?
Amr: Well, it was not a complicated process. It started with an announcement about the scholarship call (I think it was between November and January). Then, the accepted applications went to the second round (the interview step). Finally, the results for the accepted scholars were announced between June and July. I was happy to get the scholarship, since my personal carrier really needed the PhD to work at a University.
Q: How flexible was your study plan, and how long did the program run?
Amr: During my “PhD journey”, I could choose between different subjects which were related to my research interest. The whole program started in September 2018 and ended in December 2022. During my research work, I had regular consultations (typically several times a week) with my supervisor and each semester I should prepare a report about my research progress. The research plan was somewhat flexible, since research outcome is never exactly how we think before, and also the publication requirements should have been satisfied in time.
Q: In your opinion, what advantage does a PhD degree holder have in the job market or in your future career?
Amr: I think PhD holders have many advantages in many ways: a PhD makes a candidate very attractive to employers looking to fill higher-level, research driven positions, and in certain sectors, like science and finance, PhD holders can look forward to a significantly higher earning potential than masters and bachelor’s graduates. As the society is transforming to a knowledge-based culture, there is a natural need for highly skilled, experienced experts also on the theoretical field.
Q: What do you like the most about your PhD studies?
Amr: In Veszprém I learned how to make research in general and I also learned a lot of technical information on my field of interest. I also met some great people along my way.
Q: It is a few months that you returned to Egypt. What happened since then?
Amr: I’m working now at the University of Benha. I feel my PhD degree and my learnt experiences can open up new lines for my field and I can use it as the foundation for a fruitful research career. For example, I can start to work with my students at a much professional level. Moreover, we are working on some topics together with colleagues in Veszprém.
Q: Do you have a family; how did you organize your staying here?
Amr: Yes, I am happy to have a wife and three sons. We rented a flat in Veszprem city. It was at a nice, friendly location and within walking distance to the University. In general, to find an accommodation for foreign people is not an easy process, especially if you have a family with you. Moreover, the cost of rent is expensive if you compare to the salary. A large portion went to rent and utilities. On the other side education was not expensive. My older sun even started the elementary school in Veszprém and they also attended the local kindergarten. All were in short distances, their studies were great and without difficulties. I would like to thank the Botev school for its good educational system.
Q: What were the main cultural differences to your home country that you experienced personally?
Amr: There are a number of differences, the one I am most aware of is the difference in thinking. Hungarians love reading everywhere on bus, train, beach…, and the number of people who enjoy reading is larger than in Egypt. Hungarians tend to be individual and rational, similarly to other Europeans, whereas my country is more socially driven. Most Egyptian families have higher number of members if we compare them to Hungarian families.
Q: Could you visit other cities, regions, natural areas of Hungary or Europe?
Amr: I am happy that we could visit different cities: in Hungary maybe we enjoyed Budapest, Balatonfüred and Siófok the most, but visiting Venice (Italy) was very exciting too.
Q: Which Hungarian food you liked/disliked the most?
Amr: I follow halal diet, so there were couple of foods I did not try. The traditional Hungarian food lángos I liked very much.
Q: Dear Amr, we are very happy that your staying here was successful, thank you for the interview.
Amr: Finally, I would like to finish my talk by saying that being in Veszprém was a good and memorable period in my life and also for my family. I could say that me and my family enjoyed everywhere in Hungary and Europe. Additionally, my older son is always asking me to visit Hungary again.