Hungary: Temporary Home or Final Destination? : International Students’ Post-graduation Plans

Abstract: This thesis studies the factors that make international students from non-EU countries move to Hungary for their studies, what their experience in the host society was and how this experience affected their decisions about their post-graduation plans. Using qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews, this research seeks to analyze the different factors that either pull these students to stay in Hungary or relocate to a different country or factors that push these students to return home. These factors are divided into three main groups: professional, personal and social factors. Overall, the results reveal that professional factors play the biggest role in either pulling students to stay in the host country or relocate onwards, while these factors were never mentioned as an incentive to return home. Personal and social factors, on the other hand, affected people differently, as some of the personal or social factors made one stay, while the same factors made others leave.