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. Among the four selected fellows who accepted the commitment of immersing themselves in Hungarian history and culture, we welcome Ryan Brockhaus, Senior Fellow. Ryan’s host institution for the duration of his Fellowship is Ludovika – University of Public Service, with the research topic, US–Hungarian military cooperation. His mentor to guide him on the journey will be Balázs Mártonffy.
Ryan Brockhaus
During his previous stay in Hungary for the next ten months, Ryan will be conducting research and political analysis for enhancing political and defense cooperation between the United States and Hungary. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies at Arizona State University and is in the process of obtaining his Masters in Global Security at Arizona State as well. His main interests are US and European history, as well as geopolitics. Prior to his acceptance into the BFP, Ryan spent the Fall of 2019 at Corvinus University in Budapest where he studied the transition and post-transition challenges within Hungary and other CEE countries. While at Corvinus, Ryan was also a part-time intern at the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, in which he conducted research on Russia’s political, economic, and military coercion of Ukraine under the administration of Zolodymyr Zelensky.
Ryan Brockhaus
While living in Budapest, Ryan developed a significant interest in the history of Hungary and its current place in the world. This ultimately led to his interest in the changing political dynamic of US/Hungarian relations under the Trump Administration and the willingness to conduct research on the topic. He believes that BFP provides the perfect opportunity and atmosphere to achieve this research goal.
“I expect to get a better understanding of Hungary in general, and this Program will lead us in this direction. Also, in order to focus on our research topics, this program will certainly provide the necessary tools to be able to do our best.” – Ryan Brockhaus
Prior to his university studies, Ryan was a certified paramedic and worked in the Emergency Medical Service for more than a decade in the state of Arizona. He is married for nine years and has a seven-year-old son. After the fellowship program, Ryan plans to complete his Master’s program at ASU, with the intent of working as a regional specialist in either the Defense Intelligence Agency or the US State Department.
Like all of the Budapest Fellowship Program participants, Ryan is working with a trusted mentor, Balázs Mártonffy, who is a HIF alumnus himself. Balázs is very much looking forward to working with Ryan, this is how he described his first impression of the senior fellow:
“Ryan is an open-minded and inquisitive fellow, who quickly grasped a solid view of Central European perspectives. In the security world, he exhibits an acute understanding of the fact that the guiding principles and threat perceptions that underpin a hegemon’s decision-making (namely his native United States’) are significantly different from a regional medium-power’s, such as Hungary’s, views. He is tirelessly working on how to bridge the two in his current research project.” – Balázs Mártonffy