In September 2020, the Hungary Foundation together with Mathias Corvinus Collegium (Budapest, Hungary) established the Budapest Fellowship Program, a full-time, fully-funded transatlantic fellowship opportunity in Budapest, Hungary, for young American scholars and professionals.
Izabella joined the Budapest Fellowship Program’s Team, as an intern for the 2020/21 season.
Alíz Izabella Markó – or how acquaintances call her, Iza – is currently an International Economy and Business (MSc) student at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Before moving towards the field of business and economy, she studied International Relations (BA) at Corvinus University of Budapest with a special focus on European integration.
Izabella Markó
During her high school years, Iza was already interested in multiple disciplines – IR, social sciences and politics, just to name a few – so she took the opportunity and applied to Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s (MCC) Secondary School Program. While at university, she remained a student at MCC where she first concluded the Junior Program, then the Faculty of Central Europe, and now she is a member of the Leadership Academy that MCC offers.
During her time as a BA student in IR, Iza – as an intern – contributed to the work of the Danube Institute and the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT) in Hungary. The fields she was mainly focusing on at both institutions were either in connection with Central Europe or with the Anglo Saxon countries. She also contributed to the work of Takarékbank Zrt. through a scholarship program offered by Takarékbank itself. Her interest in international relations, international economic relations, diplomacy and politics led her to choose not just her field of study but her field and place of work too: she is currently working at the Budapest based think-tank, Danube Institute. Besides work and university, she also had the chance to challenge and develop her skills by taking part in various student projects – for example organizing theme-oriented summer schools for youngsters from all around the world or competitions for high school students.
Being an MCC student led her to HIF and specifically to the Budapest Fellowship Program also, and soon she realized the great opportunity and potential that is actually in it.
“With the help of the Budapest Fellowship Program, one can not just develop professionally and personally, but can also kickstart a professional career, and last but not least, one can help in building bridges between our region – specifically talking about Hungary – and the United States, which is quite unique.”
Her goal with the program besides self-development, learning, and gaining as much professional experience as possible is to try to give and give back in the fields she actually can, because she believes that real success comes from both the inside and the outside.
In September 2020, the Hungary Foundation together with Mathias Corvinus Collegium (Budapest, Hungary) established the Budapest Fellowship Program, a full-time, fully-funded transatlantic fellowship opportunity in Budapest, Hungary, for young American scholars and professionals.
The goal of the 10-month program is to cultivate the next generation of American policy professionals and equip them with a thorough understanding of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Hungary. The fellows will have an opportunity to conduct independent research on the topic fellows choose independently while gaining practical experience working at a Hungarian host institution that matches their professional interests.
The program’s structure is designed to nurture an understanding of Central and Eastern European, and specifically, Hungarian history and culture. The program will offer extensive professional and personal networking opportunities and fellows will be matched with local mentors to guide them during their fellowship journey.