The transition from higher education to the world of work has become a prominent research topic over the last two decades. As a result of the Bologna process, and the European integration, the universities have tended to be more responsive to the labour market needs (Hrubos, 2010). In Hungary, the graduates’ post-study career, and the various aspects of their labour market performance are essential indicators in order to monitor and evaluate the higher education institutions. The most significant step was achieved in 2005 when the national government launched the Graduate Tracking System (GTS). After some considerable improvements, the integration of various (mainly administrative) databases (e.g., tax data, higher education data) has become the central element of this national-level system (Nyüsti & Veroszta, 2013). The tracking of international graduates leaving Hungary after their study is not possible, though. Therefore, and due to the missing empirical studies, little knowledge existed about international graduates’ careers. This gap has been filled by the practice-oriented research conducted among international graduates having completed their full-time studies under the framework of Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship programme (SH) in Hungary.

The conceptual framework guided the research is mainly based on the concept of employability. Drawing on the broader employability literature, the research focuses on questions of employment obtainment, satisfaction, personal and employability skills (Cai, 2013; Pham & Jackson, 2020). The other theoretical approach was the implementation science in order to better understand and evaluate the implementation of a scholarship programme (Nilsen, 2015).

Regarding the research method, quantitative method was applied. In 2021 and 2022, between March and May of each year, an online questionnaire has been distributed among all SH scholarship beneficiaries who have completed their studies. The response rate was 26% (N=1165) in 2020, and 28% (N=1902) in 2021. The questionnaire consists of three main sections: the post-study route and work experience, the satisfaction of their current position, and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. For the development of the questionnaire, some questions were adapted from the Hungarian Career Tracking Survey (Hungarian Graduate Career Tracking – Questionnaires, 2011) and Futuretrack survey (Elias et al., 2021). In addition to descriptive analyses, exploratory analysis is applied to understand the deeper processes.

The paper seeks answers to how the post-study route of international graduates who completed their studies under a scholarship programme can be described. Focusing on the graduates’ workforce entrance, the paper shows the navigation process, moreover the employability experiences and challenges of international graduates faced after their studies. Additionally, one of the main questions is what significant differences there are among international graduates according to the degree levels. The paper examines not just short-term but medium-term tendencies as well. The presentation also gives insight into what implications can be identified for policy and practice, moreover how the research results can be integrated into the implementation of a scholarship programme.

Cai, Y. (2013). Graduate employability: A conceptual framework for understanding employers’ perceptions. Higher Education, 65(4), 457–469. Elias, P., Purcell, K., Atfield, G., Kispeter, E., Day, R., & Poole, S. (2021). Ten years on – The Futuretrack Graduates. 186. Felvi.hu—Hungarian Graduate Career Tracking—Questionnaires 2011. (é. n.). Retrieved from https://www.felvi.hu/felsooktatasimuhely/archivum/research/career_tracking_researches/career_tracking2011_questionnaries Hrubos, Ildikó (2010). A foglalkoztathatóság kérdése az Európai Felsőoktatási Térségben. Educatio. Retrieved from https://folyoiratok.oh.gov.hu/educatio/a-foglalkoztathatosag-kerdese-az-europai-felsooktatasi-tersegben Nilsen, P. (2015). Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Science, 10(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0 Nyüsti, S., & Veroszta, Z. (2013). Hungarian Graduate Career Tracking 2013. Retrieved from www.felvi.hu Pham, T., & Jackson, D. (2020). Employability and determinants of employment outcomes. In Developing and Utilizing Employability Capitals. Routledge