Venes Carmelo Banquiles

GIVEN NAME: VENES CARMELO

 FAMILY NAME: BANQUILES

AMBASSADOR OF FACULTY OF: ARTS (BTK)

NATIONALITY: FILIPINO

STUDY PROGRAM: MA in CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

YEAR OF APPOINTMENT: 2022

E-MAIL: VENES.NEW@GMAIL.COM

A few words about your opinion about the University / Miskolc / Hungarian culture, etc.

·         When did you start your studies here and why did you choose the University of Miskolc?

I started my studies at the UM in September 2021. I only had two reasons for choosing the University of Miskolc. First, because of its long standing tradition of teaching anthropology, which is the discipline that I am interested in. UM's department of anthropology has been there for decades, proof that it has already established itself as a premier school of anthropology in the country. The second reason was because of its location. I used to live in my country's capital and that exhausted me in many ways. Seeing the university's location, I was attracted to the Hungarian countryside. Miskolc simply seemed to offer silence and a rather relaxed atmosphere, and certainly my observation was right. 

·         What is the most exciting thing about studying in Miskolc?

 I think the most exciting thing about studying in Miskolc is the students' proximity, in many sense, with each other. In living in a foreign land, it will be of great help to have many friends and connections. Such are simply easy to make in Miskolc. 

·         What kind of career prospects does Miskolc offer to international students?

No sugarcoating, but Miskolc hardly has any career prospects for international students due to some factors, and I'd like to name at least two of them. First, in Hungary things are rather centralized in Budapest. While there are other big Hungarian cities, most of the job postings are located in the capital. And in Miskolc, while English speaking skills are increasingly becoming a must, such are of no great use as companies still prefer people who speak the local language. Secondly, there are very few opportunities in Miskolc especially for students like me who come from the social sciences. While there are international companies operating in Miskolc, these prospective workplaces are very concentrated to some professional competencies particularly those that have something to do with engineering. While I cannot speak in behalf of everyone, the reality is just not as kind to me as an anthropologist.

·         Do you have any recommendations for future students?

I have only two recommendations for future students. First, consider your options thoroughly and meticulously. For sure, each decision has its own pros and cons, and the students have to be able to name each of them so that whatever decision they will come up with will be for their benefit. The options could be practical, academic, financial, etc. In all cases, one has to clearly weigh things. Secondly, take part in the life of the university. There is so much about university life outside the classrooms. It is in getting involved with many things that friendships are made and experiences are gained.

·         What is your mission as a student ambassador? 

To make known to future students my department's strengths so that they too will be able to maximise them and have a fair share of such.