„I accepted the recognition with pride for which I am extremely grateful and which will be very useful for me, since I still have three semesters left of my studies.” – She said.

The awardee added that she will work also as a Demonstrator at the Institute Economics and Rural Development of the Faculty in the next semesters, where she will assist the education of international students. She conducts research at Gabonakutató LTD., Szeged as well.

Speaking about her plans Afiqah admitted that after completing her BSc studies, she would continue her master studies at the Cornell University with the support of the Scholarship program, since the Dutch branch of the famous University in the USA, is one of the best agricultural basis in the world.

If she does not succeed in the admission, she has a plan B, - returning to Malaysia, where she wants to do research in the field of agriculture or official licensing.

She added that there is no tradition of agricultural activity in her family, her father is an employee of the Malaysian Ministry of Health and her mother is a regional manager at a company so she will be the first to obtain an agricultural degree.

Phoutthasone Soumphonphakdy, a first-year agricultural engineer student, received an SZTE Start Scholarship. The scholarship was awarded to a foreign, self-funded student who performed well in the admissions process. The one-time scholarship of 500 Euros will be used by the Lao student for his study and living expenses.

„I was very happy when I found out that I was the winner. When I planned to continue my studies, I initially searched among Hungarian universities, and I chose the University of Szeged, including this Faculty, because I am interested in agriculture, and I want to study it.” – said Phoutthasone Soumphonphakdy.

The young man is a resident of the Vásárhely Faculty College, who did not deny that the long journey and the administration caused him difficulties, but at the same time he was moved by the helpfulness of the international students studying here.

Two other senior Lao students from the Faculty and other peers helped him to fit in.

He has been to Europe twice before, in France and Italy, but a vacation of a few weeks is very different from the situation when you have to settle in a foreign environment in a new, unknown country for a long time.