Alumni Compass panel discussion

The event was moderated by Dr. Benedek Nagy and featured three former students: Andrea Baráth, Jiang „Bella” Xuezhi, and Fuad Mammadov.

Participants of the Alumni panel discussion joined from various parts of the world: Andrea from New York at 11 am local time, Fuad from Azerbaijan at 7 pm local time, and Bella from Budapest at 5 pm local time. Regardless of where the winds of life took our former students, distance was no barrier; they were all here with us again in Szeged, online.

Andrea graduated in 2007 and is currently serving as the Senior Director of DH Innovation and US Incubator Lead at Haleon US. Bella graduated in 2018 and is working as a controller at Exxonmobil Hungary in Budapest. Fuad returned to his home country, Azerbaijan, and is employed as an auditor at Baker Tilly Assurance and Advisory Company.

They emphasized how much the city and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (GTK) had given them, providing a stable foundation, and how the University of Szeged is renowned worldwide, thanks to the reputation of Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó.

Although they faced challenges in Hungary, including cultural and language differences (not to mention the difficulty of the Hungarian language), overcoming these obstacles actually strengthened them and prepared them for further integration and adaptation in international environments.

They advised current students to attend courses that provide soft skills, IT knowledge, and proficiency in foreign languages. These courses are essential for personal development and building self-confidence. You cannot learn today all the things that you will need even five years from now, but knowledge gives you a solid foundation to adapt.

The next stop for the panel discussion series will be in the fall semester of the 2024/2025 academic year.