Start of the academic year and anniversary – The Network of Christian Roma Colleges for Advanced Studies begins its 15th academic year

At the ceremony held at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Kaposvár, alongside leaders and staff responsible for Roma pastoral care from the Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Reformed, and Evangelical churches, the State Secretary for Social Opportunities and Roma Relations, the director of the host institution, the István Szentandrássy University Roma College for Advanced Studies, the director general of the Kaposvár Campus of the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the deputy mayor of Kaposvár welcomed the students with words of encouragement.

The speakers underlined that one of the greatest successes of the past fifteen years has been the strengthening of the Roma intellectual class, with more and more young Roma graduates now shaping the country's future. The colleges for advanced studies offer Roma and non-Roma young people a unique opportunity to obtain a degree with the support of a cohesive community and become strong, responsible intellectuals. However, this cannot work without other elements of inclusion policy, so further development and opportunity creation must be pursued through involvement in learning, improvement of the labor market situation, and strict action against discrimination.

Currently, there are eleven residential Roma colleges for advanced studies operating in nine locations across the country, which receive 700 million forints in state support annually. Over the past fifteen years, nearly 750 graduates and more than 20 PhDs have emerged from these institutions, with 90% of the students successfully finding employment in the primary labor market.

Image source: Attila Sztojka's Facebook profile.

For more information on the work of the Network of Christian Roma Colleges for Advanced Studies visit: https://krszh.hu/