Europe of the Nations Career Programme
Joint course between the Ludovika University of Public Service and the Ministry of Justice
In September 2023, the Europe of Nations Career Programme, a cooperation between the Ludovika University of Public Service and the Ministry of Justice, launched its fourth year. The programme was first launched in September 2020 with the aim of increasing the number of Hungarian professionals with appropriate policy knowledge, fluent in foreign languages, who are committed to the cause of Europe and Hungary, and who successfully apply for and find employment in EU institutions.
The Europe of Nations Career Programme Director is Gergely Prőhle, Programme Director of the John Lukacs Institute of Strategy and Politics.
The aim of the training is:
- Professional preparation for European public service by accredited trainers,
- Preparation for the open competition of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO),
- language skills enhancement through professional language courses.
The Europe of Nations Career Programme is a real milestone in supporting those preparing for a career in the European Union, providing a broad range of training, from theoretical knowledge to practical training to effectively represent the country's interests internationally, to preparing for the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) open competition and improving professional language skills to help candidates find international employment. For graduates, this can be a solid basis and a major opportunity for a career in the EU institutions.
The main subjects of the course are: European Union law; History and institutional framework of the EU; Administration of the EU institutions; Policies and decision-making of the European Union; Theory and practice of differentiated integration; European Union diplomacy; Current economic issues of the European Union; EU communication and information positioning; Hungary's European policy, effective lobbying; Focus on climate change - the EU's green policy; The functioning of the European Parliament in practice: Advocacy in the Europe of today and tomorrow; Representing national positions in a changed Europe; EU policies in the Member States; EU terminology; Career planning.
Courses (5 hours per week of vocational courses and 5 hours per week of English EU language courses) are delivered in small groups for greater efficiency. Professional training is complemented by additional skills training days (e.g. conflict management and assertiveness). The training will end with a final exam and a final "home" EPSO test, for which participants will receive a certificate if they pass with a score of at least 70%.
Following a multiple oversubscription and selection procedure, 47 young people completed the first batch of the 2020/2021 course. In September 2021, with four times the oversubscription, 18 young people who passed the entrance exam started the course, which has now been extended to two semesters (9 months). In 2022/2023, 18 students also successfully completed the course.
Who can apply for the course:
- any Hungarian citizen under 35 years of age with no criminal record and a university, college, bachelor's or master's degree;
- Hungarian higher education students who have a Hungarian citizenship, who present their university diploma and can prove an overall grade point average of at least 4.00 by the start of the Career Programme;
- a Hungarian citizen with a higher education degree and no criminal record, who has been working in a legal status under the Kit., Küt. or Kttv., Hszt., Hjt. for at least one year at the time of application.
- A knowledge of English at a secondary level and one other EU official language is required for admission.
More information on the training can be found on the Europe of Nations Careers website: https://nemzetekeuropaja.uni-nke.hu/