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This year, at the National Meeting of International Coordinators 2025, she was honored with the prestigious Coordinator Excellence Award from the Stipendium Hungaricum and Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship Programs, in the “Master Coordinator” category. In our interview, Lilla not only shares her inspiring professional journey, but also sends a message to future coordinators!

Lilla ALMÁSI-FÓNAI, Award-Winning Master Coordinator at the University of Debrecen (b) and Richárd BODROGI, Director-General, Tempus Public Foundation (TPF) (r)

Could you introduce your role and responsibilities in supporting international students?

Almási-Fónai Lilla, a Debreceni Egyetem díjazott Mester Koordinátora

I take part in the entire administrative process for incoming international scholarship holders - from the admission procedure through enrollment and study organization, all the way to everyday administrative matters. Together with my colleagues, I coordinate the admission process of roughly 800 students each year under the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program, in close cooperation with 8 faculties, 16 doctoral schools, and the university dormitories.

What motivated you to start working with international students?

As a recent graduate, I wanted to work at the University of Debrecen in an English-speaking environment that matched my qualifications, where I could meet people from many different languages and cultures and support them in their daily lives or in integrating into Hungary. I believe that at the Coordinating Center for International Education my work is truly diverse, and we have students from more than 80 countries around the world.

You completed your BA in Russian Language and Literature and your MA in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Debrecen. How did your studies shape your worldview, your connection to the university, and your approach to working with international students?

I believe that through education and continuous self-development we can improve ourselves and help others use the knowledge they gain to shape and improve the world around them. I’m especially glad to work in a field where, through education, we can give talented students a chance and an opportunity for personal development, and also the possibility to return home and use their knowledge for the benefit of their local society.

What motivates you most in your work as an international coordinator?

I consider it important that scholarship holders and international students become as much a part of university life as possible. To this end, we hold in-person and online orientation programs for newly arrived students: we participate - together with my colleagues - in faculty information events, and we stay in daily contact with the organizers of the mentor program.

For me, supporting international students is not just a job but also a vocation. My goal is for the foreign students studying here to be satisfied with their years spent in Debrecen, with the degree they earn, and to enrich the reputation of the University of Debrecen and Hungary as alumni.

Could you share a special story or memory from your work with international students?

International Food Day is one of these events: it grew from a student cooking competition into a city-level event with concerts, and the money collected from purchased food coupons is donated to charity. It’s special to me because it’s a public event, so I usually invite my family members as well. They find the multicultural environment and the variety of national cuisines fascinating, and it makes a key part of our work tangible for them: integrating international students into the life of the city.

Are there any unique programs, traditions, or support services at the university that international students particularly enjoy?

One good example of the university’s unique initiatives is yoUDay, the opening stadium show of the academic year, during which the university leadership officially opens the year in a friendly and entertaining format. A key element of the show is the flag parade, which is similar to the Olympic procession: students march under their national flags, visually representing the diversity of the university’s international community.

Origin of the Photo: Debrecen University - Flag Show at yoUDay

What achievement or moment are you most proud of in your work as a coordinator?

It’s always nice to see positive feedback in the student questionnaires managed by the Tempus Public Foundation. Students rate our university’s international office as outstandingly satisfactory - even on a national level - and for us, that is the greatest recognition.

How did it feel to receive the ‘Master Coordinator’ award?

I’m very happy about this professional recognition. It’s my first award of this kind, so it’s especially meaningful to me.

In your view, what makes the University of Debrecen an attractive study destination for international students?

In addition to a safe environment, a vibrant student community, and a wide range of programs, the value of the degree earned here is very important. Students don’t just want enjoyable university years—they also want their degree to be internationally recognized and to help them find employment quickly. All of this is available to them at the University of Debrecen.

What advice would you give to newly starting international coordinators?

Don’t be intimidated by the number of incoming emails. I believe it’s important that every student - whether they are interested in the scholarship program or are already enrolled and need help with academic matters - receives quick and clear answers. Template emails are important, but they can also feel impersonal. We should strive to provide personalized responses that truly address the student’s question, which also helps avoid unnecessary additional email exchanges.

I’ve created a folder in my inbox where I collect students’ positive feedback and humorous messages. During difficult, deadline-filled periods, it’s refreshing to look at funny or heartwarming messages. It’s worth staying curious - doing things the usual way is easy, but innovation and optimization are harder; however, only through this can we provide well-functioning services in the long term. It is always worth asking questions.

Photo: Roland SZAMLER

Last modified: 13-01-2026