According to psychological research, it takes approximately 21 days to form a new habit. Based on this idea, the 21-day challenge educational module was created, which aims to raise students' awareness of the 17 goals of the UN's sustainable development strategy for 2030 in a playful and interactive way.
This innovative module contains 17 short thematic videos, each related to one of the Sustainable Development Goals. By completing the challenges, students can develop sustainability-related habits that help them live more consciously in their everyday lives, while learning through play.
The challenge is available to students of the Sustainable and Responsible Management course as a point-scoring task. This means that students not only encounter the topic of sustainability in lectures and seminars, but can also engage with it in a third, personalized way: interactively, at their own pace, and in line with their interests.
During the program, students learn about each of the 17 goals, including those they can contribute to in their everyday lives. They also receive practical tips on opportunities for individual and community action. The interactive forum associated with the module provides an opportunity to exchange experiences and gather inspiration, while quizzes related to the goals help provide feedback on the knowledge acquired.
The 21-day challenge was developed by a team of international educators and researchers as part of the ERASMUS+ project ISSUE (Innovative Solutions for SUstainability in Education). The aim of the project was to create educational tools based on the principles of sustainable development that can be easily integrated into the practice of higher education institutions. The initiative aims to help students and educators not only understand the concept of sustainability, but also act responsibly and actively contribute to a sustainable future.
Unconventional colors, bold flavor combinations, a story with character – These were the hallmarks of the debut of the first student-developed beer at the Budapest University of Economics in the 2023/2024 academic year, which was not only a novelty on the Hungarian craft beer scene, but also brought a new dimension to university education. As part of the Hungarian Beer Culture course, students can get up close and personal with the world of small-scale brewing, and then, organized into groups, they can create their own specialty beers in a competition, which are evaluated by a professional jury. The recipes deemed the best are then produced each semester under the mentorship of the One Beer guerrilla brewery and are commercially distributed, creating genuine, marketable products born from a combination of creativity, experimentation, and a passion for beer.
In the fall of 2023, the winning beer specialty of the first semester was Black Elderberry Gose, an unconventional, deep blue-colored black elderberry gose that proved to be unusual not only in its taste but also in its appearance. The salty-sour beer owed its slightly salty aftertaste to the minerals in elderberry, while its striking blue color immediately attracted attention. The drink, finalized in collaboration with the One Beer team, was presented to the BGE community not only as the result of a successful university course, but also as an experimental product based on a student idea.
Following the positive reception, the second speciality was ready by spring 2024: Russian Imperial Stout with Pineapple. This milk stout, combining cold-brewed coffee and pineapple, further expanded the creative possibilities for students. The deep, roasted character of the beer was complemented by the fruity freshness and elegance of cold brew coffee, balancing sweetness, bitterness, and fruity aromas. During the second semester, it became clear that the BGE project was not a one-off experiment, but a developing, community-building initiative with a unique identity.
In the summer of 2024, the third beer was born: Blackberry & Beetroot Gose, which continued the successful gose line but took it to a new level. Made with beetroot and blackberries, the drink stands out not only for its 25% fruit content, but also for its unusual packaging – the label on the can is deliberately upside down so that consumers have to turn it over before opening, ensuring that the flavors and fruit fibers are thoroughly mixed. The beer officially debuted at the Forbes Business Fest on June 13, 2024, as a product that is also competitive in a festival environment.
The fourth semester's beer special is a real taste sensation: Flódni Fruited Pastry Ale. This brew is a reinterpretation of the classic flódni pastry, not only in name but in every sip. The combination of apple and plum puree, walnuts, poppy seeds, caramel and biscuit malt creates a full, rich flavor profile – all in the form of an 8% fruited pastry ale. This beer is not in the category of light summer refreshments: it is more of a complex, dessert-like experience for those who are not afraid to reinterpret what a "pastry drink" means, with which the creators of this special recipe have created a truly distinctive beer.
The Hungarian Beer Culture course is therefore more than just a subject: it is a practical knowledge transfer in which students work in teams while learning about the diverse world of beer culture and having the opportunity to get involved in the innovative world of product development. Each semester brings new challenges, new styles, and new flavor experiments, through which BGE beers become more refined, distinctive, and recognized with each passing semester.
Small-scale brewing is not only one of the most dynamically developing sectors of Hungarian gastronomy, but also an area where innovative intent and craft traditions are organically intertwined. At BGE's Faculty of International Business, introducing students to this world is particularly important, as they will become the hospitality professionals, business managers, gastronomic managers, and entrepreneurs of the future. Through the course and the beer-making project, students not only learn about different types of beer and the basics of brewing technology, but also learn to recognize the values, work processes, and market opportunities behind craft products, which are radically different from those of mass production. Studying small-scale brewing also gives students a deeper understanding of the principles of sustainable and local hospitality. Craft beers are often made with local ingredients, environmentally friendly technologies, and human-scale production capacity. This approach is in line with the principles espoused by today's hospitality industry, where quality, authenticity, and transparency are becoming increasingly important.
The collaboration with One Beer is therefore exemplary: not only is it a partner that provides practical knowledge, but the joint work is also clear proof of how beer gastronomy, education, and the creative industry can come together. Students can experience first-hand how an idea can be turned into a marketable product with a distinctive design and taste.
The work done in the Hungarian Beer Culture course therefore goes beyond education: it also conveys a creative entrepreneurial approach and professional standards. This is key knowledge for BGE students to become the shapers of the future of hospitality, whether they are putting together a beer selection for a restaurant or starting their own gastronomic business. The BGE's "beer project" thus not only offers the joy of learning and experimentation, but also provides insight into the world of small-scale brewing, forming a real bridge between education, industry players, and consumers.
The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is a form of international student mobility that combines online preparation with a week-long intensive face-to-face training course. In addition to BGE students, students and lecturers from partner universities abroad also attend these courses, creating a truly international learning environment. The program is a great opportunity for those who want to gain international experience within Hungary while participating in project-based, English-language, interactive education.
BGE has been involved in organizing BIPs since the fall of 2022, with three successful courses completed so far.
2022 – The first BIP course at KVIK
The first BIP at the Budapest University of Economics took place at KVIK in the fall of 2022. The course was attended by 12 BGE students and 40 foreign students from Finland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Belgium, among others. Five foreign lecturers also participated in the teaching. The program was based on the results of the CORALL and Learn to Change international projects.
The course focused on the digital presentation of the Margit Quarter as an alternative tourist destination, using digital storytelling methods. The project's professional partners included Dániel Ongjerth, head of the Margit Quarter program, as well as Attila Lőrincz (Doupla) and Lóránt Ónodi (Republic Group), who supported the students' work with lectures and workshops.
The course materials, photos, and videos are available here: corallprojecteu.wixsite.com/bip-budapest
2023 – Behind the Scenes of Urban Tourism
The second BIP course took place in October 2023 under the title "Behind the Scenes of Urban Tourism." Six European universities and three faculties of BGE participated in the program, with a total of 48 students and 16 teachers.
Three Hungarian partners – Bartók Béla Boulevard, Budapest Brand Zrt. and Szubjektíven egy objektívvel vállalkozás – also actively participated in the professional program. During the course, we also held an international teaching forum aimed at sharing training experiences in tourism and hospitality and preparing for future collaborations.
At the closing event, nine student teams presented their project work. Jorge Roza de Oliveira, Portugal's ambassador to Hungary, also honored the event with his presence and met with students and instructors from the Portuguese partner institutions.
2025 – Social Sustainability and Wellbeing
The third BIP-based intensive course was organized in March 2025 under the title "Social Sustainability and Wellbeing." The program focused on the sustainability challenges identified by the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest.
The course was attended by 71 students from Estonia, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, and Malaysia, among others. In addition to BGE, the teaching team was reinforced by experts from Saxion University (Netherlands), USM (Malaysia) and Rajabhat University (Thailand).
A video of the opening event can be viewed here.
Since its inception in 2018, the Pro Gastronomia Award has provided an opportunity each year to pause for a moment and recognize those who work tirelessly in the hospitality industry—in the kitchen, in the dining room, in education, or in other areas of gastronomy. The award was created by Dr. Dénes Sándor, retired associate professor at BGE, with the intention of celebrating the outstanding representatives and young talents of the profession in a fitting manner each year.
The Pro Gastronomia award is presented each year following the decision of a prestigious professional committee, whose members include the originator of the idea, Dr. Dénes Sándor, retired associate professor of the BGE KVIK Department of Hospitality, the current head of the BGE KVIK Department of Hospitality, and recognized professionals in the field, many of whom have ties to the faculty that established the award. In recent years, the jury members have included Prof. Dr. János Gundel, retired college professor and professor emeritus at BGE KVIK; Imre Kiss, director emeritus of the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Hospitality, who passed away in 2023; Zoltán Kőrössy, co-owner of Eventrend, and Viktor Segal, chef and gastronomic consultant. The jury members select the winners based on their outstanding professional achievements and commitment to gastronomy.
Since then, Alain Ducasse, Roy Hobson, Thomas Keller, Rasmus Kofoed, Wolfgang Puck, and Olivier Roellinger, among others, have been added to the list of award winners, all of whom have contributed greatly to the development of gastronomy not only in their own countries but also worldwide.
Prominent representatives of Hungarian gastronomy such as Ibolya Csahók, Prof. Dr. János Gundel, Zoltán Hamvas, Kálmán Kalla, László Kovács, Dr. János Kiss, Zoltán Kőrössy, Attila Molnár, Sándor Nyíri, Katalin Pintér, Rudolf Semsei, Tamás Széll, Szabina Szulló, Károly Varga, and Frigyes Vomberg are also among the award winners, emphasizing one of the main principles of the Pro Gastronomia Award: the importance of professional excellence and commitment across different trends and generations.
Representatives of the young, up-and-coming generation are awarded in a separate category, receiving a chef's jacket previously worn by Dr. Dénes Sándor. Several former students of our faculty's predecessor, BGE KVIK, are now working at the forefront of their field, winning competitions or running their own restaurants, bistros, and pastry shops. Examples include Zsófia Böröcz, György Lipták, Dániel Szűcs, Dr. Katalin Tóth-Turanitz, and Gergely Turanitz, or the most recent award winners, Fanny Czompa, Bence Dalnoki, and Dorottya Dalnoki-Peteli.
The Pro Gastronomia Award is not merely a recognition, but also a gesture: an expression of gratitude to those who work tirelessly every day to make gastronomy an experience for guests. The Budapest University of Economics is particularly proud that the award is linked to our university and shows year after year that the work of those in the hospitality industry is something worth celebrating.