Summer School on the Protection of National Minorities

As an organization dedicated to the legal protection of Hungarians abroad, the Kisebbségi Jogvédő Intézet (Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights) considers it essential to train young people and have them involved with legal protection in practice. In this context, since 2012, we have been organizing our "Minority Protection in Europe" summer school for university students, PhD students, young researchers and practitioners from abroad or from Hungary.

During the program, our students learn about the international legal and EU foundations of minority protection with the help of university lecturers and researchers. However, the event also places great emphasis on the transfer of practical knowledge, which is provided by our Institute's foreign partners, lawyers, representatives of NGOs, and people working in relevant national, EU and international organizations. In order to help our students in their future careers, they are given special lectures where they can get insights into the life of researchers, but also the opportunity to learn from protocol experts and to hear from practicing lawyers. 

The training is complemented by interactive exercises, case studies and simulations that go beyond the framework of traditional university education. The final competition at the end of the event is a great success every year: students test their skills in teams competing in a playful environment, while their performance is rewarded with useful prizes. In addition to learning, there is always time for recreation, and over the years, our students have taken part in boat trips, hiking in the nature, concerts, musical events, dance nights, 'Quiz Nights' and theatre performances. We visited the Parliament, the Labyrinth of Buda Castle, we’ve been to the Royal Palace of Gödöllő, the Gödöllő Botanical Garden of Szent István University, the Brunszvik Castle and the Beethoven Memorial Museum in Martonvásár, we participated in an interactive exhibition entitled "We Hungarians", and we also explored the Bory Castle of Székesfehérvár as well as the city’s historic center and the Medieval Ruin Garden.

The Summer School is an excellent opportunity for students from different regions to gain a unique insight into the complex legal field of minority protection, while having the opportunity to discuss current issues with our lecturers. In addition, the Institute encourages participants to stay in-touch, and many of our students have participated in different events organized by us, contributed to our work as scholarship trainees or published in our publications. 

Participation in the training is free of charge, and our current call for applications for our Summer School details the conditions for obtaining a scholarship.