Parliament in Budapest, Hungary

Institute for Hungarian Studies

Hungarian instruction began at Rutgers already in 1959.  The Institute for Hungarian Studies (IHS) arose in 1991 following an agreement between Rutgers and the Ministry of Culture and Education of the Republic of Hungary.  It supports the study of the culture, history, politics and society of Hungary and Hungarians with programs on the Rutgers campus and abroad.  Notable activities include

  • Course offerings in Hungarian history, culture, and special topics
  • Hosting visiting Fulbright professors from Hungary, who teach courses in the Hungarian and European studies programs
  • Guest lectures by leading scholars in Hungarian Studies, often in collaboration with the Hungarian Alumni Association.
  • The 2011 symposium Hungarian Media and Archives Policies Today is available online.
  • Specialized research collections in collaboration with the Rutgers University Libraries and the Library of the American Hungarian Foundation in New Brunswick.
  • Access to historical sources, including records of the President's Committee for Hungarian Refugee Relief that oversaw the processing of refugees at Camp Kilmer in 1956-1957.
  • Scholarships for Rutgers students at the Debrecen Summer School in Hungary.
  • Support for programming on East Central Europe through the Center for European Studies.
  • Pre-departure orientations for participants in the Fulbright program for American teachers in the Czech Republic and Hungary.
  • Original research in Hungarian history by IHS Director Paul Hanebrink and former Director James P. Niessen.