On 30 May, the Hungarian Faculty Developers’ Forum was held again,  organised for the second time this year by Corvinus University of Budapest, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary (KRE) and Budapest Business University. The purpose of the event has not changed this time: to provide a common space for those involved in supporting learning and eaching in higher education institutions, educational development, methodological innovation and the operation of digital tools for education. 

The Forum’s programme was rich and practice-oriented, reflecting the current challenges of higher education. Participants came from all over the country, demonstrating that the networking that began last year has been strengthened and that more and more institutions and professionals are embracing the cause of collaboration. 

In the opening speech, Kata Dósa (Corvinus), Ida Dringó-Horváth (KRE) and Adrienn Papp-Danka (BBU) presented the results of their study on how conference events have evolved in recent years. The focus of the study was on the knowledge-sharing events of the POD (Professional and Organizational Development) network of US faculty development. The aim of the presentation was to provide an insight into international knowledge sharing trends and to indicate that the Forum’s programme has also focused on these new formats for  
connecting and thinking together. 

In the morning, the day started with a workshop for centre directors and “Workshop-in-a-Box” workshops. These included the next steps in the development of the Hungarian network, the integration of artificial intelligence into Moodle LMS, and the PEEP educational methodology workshop introduced at John von Neumann University. In the afternoon, during the small group discussions “We are in the same boat!”, the faculty developers, the LMS support and the administrative staff jointly sought answers and solutions to the current challenges of their practice. 

Afternoon workshops included sessions on supporting international students‘ learning, but the Forum also focused on supporting mental well-being. The latter included a workshop on leadership self-awareness, as well as sessions on preventing burnout and coping with challenges. 

Once again, the Forum’s professional discourse, connectivity and practice-oriented approach demonstrated the growing need for collaboration and joined-up thinking in faculty development in Hungary. For participants, the event provided not only professional inspiration but also a real community experience.  

To read the summary of last year’s Forum, click here.