For her National Conference of Scientific Students’ Associations Competition paper, Anita Kéri (Marketing MA student) did research on the study motivation of foreign students. Later on,she further developed her research in an examination paper.The 5 main factors driving foreign students’ motivation to pursue their studies in Szeged, Hungary are as follows:

• influence of reference groups
• self-realization
• the culture, discovering other countries
• the city
• competitive knowledge

Culture, discovering other countries and the city:

The first major motivational factor is not the attraction of the target country but the possibility to discover new cultures, to learn a new language, and to gain new experiences. Interestingly enough, some of the foreign students even plan to settle in Hungary in the future.

Reference groups:

The second motivational factor is the influence of reference groups. Family, friends, and the local environment of the students can also affect their choice. For instance, several students have arrived in Szeged with their friends (especially Chinese students). Many of them were influenced by their family, friends and the information they gained about the university.

Self-realization:

The third major motivationalfactor is studying itself: the desire to gain new knowledge, which they consider as a device to achieve their aims.

Competitive knowledge:

The value of the university degree obtained in a Hungarian higher education institution is also attractive for foreign students, sincewith this diploma theyhave better prospects also in the labour market of the European Union.