OUR STAFF

Peter holds an MA in International Affairs and Governance from University of St Gallen, an MA in International Economics and Business from Corvinus University of Budapest, and he is an ACCA member. After gaining experience as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers Hungary, he was working in controlling and finance for small creative companies. Peter joined Milestone in 2017 as Head of Service Centre and took over the CEO role in 2020. Peter loves travelling, reading, and mountain sports.

György studied sociology and cultural history for his BA at the University of East London, Holocaust studies for his MA at Royal Holloway University of London, and he has interrupted his doctoral thesis at University College London to work at Milestone Institute. Before joining Milestone Institute, he had worked as a researcher for historical documentaries and museum exhibits, research projects funded by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council (A.H.R.C.), and had taught through seminars as well as private tuition at UCL. In his own time György enjoys cycling, Thai boxing and writing short stories.

Daniel studied sociology and political sciences in Budapest, Bonn and Berlin and holds an MA in Economics and International Relations from the University of St Andrews and an MBA from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford (New College). At Oxford he was the Director of the Oxford Seed Fund, a fund that invests in startups affiliated with the university. Daniel is currently a consultant at Egon Zehnder, a global leadership advisory and executive search firm. Prior to founding the Milestone Institute, Daniel worked in international relations, gaining experience with the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence in the UK, the Center for European Integration Studies in Germany and in the Prime Minister’s Office in Hungary as a foreign policy advisor. Daniel is a recipient of the International Parliamentary Scholarship of the German Bundestag (2010) and of the German Marshall Fund’s Marshall Memorial Fellowship (2018). He is an avid traveller, passionate about art and architecture and enjoys swimming, rowing and time spent in the country.

Ádám studied economics and the history of religion in Hungary and England. He was teaching economics for a while. Prior to founding Milestone Institute, he spent four years at a multinational company. He spends his free time with his two daughters, he plays the drums, readds, does crossfit, and is a rabbi-in-training.

Ádám is a physicist at Eötvös Loránd University, where he finished his studies as particle physicist. Currently, he is doing his PhD in molecular physics and also has a wide interest in all fields of sciences. One of his main dream topic is general relativity, in which he hopes someday will be able to do some research. Besides his scientific work he learns business administration and managment at ELTE and has a company in teaching informatical technologies. He is usually asked to present in an international summer school, where he teaches physics to curious secondary school students from all over the world. In his free time he plays in a rock band, practices martial arts and reenactment of ancient gladiator combats.

Ádám is a mathematician and a software engineer. He obtained his MA at ELTE as an applied mathematician. His main interests are game theory, operation research, and algorithm theory.
He has studied, researched, and worked on distributed systems like Hadoop and Ethereum. He has also worked for several corporations and startups in various IT-related fields, mostly as a software/data engineer. Currently he is working at a small Hungarian startup as a platform engineer.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, and is passionate about playing board games, he also has a nice board game collection.

Ádám earned degrees in English Studies and History from Eötvös Loránd University and in Comparative History from Central European University (CEU). He wrote his doctoral dissertation on medical understandings of the returning dead in the era of the Enlightenment, and defended it at CEU in 2020. His field of interests cover interactions between religion and science, anthropology, and the history of demonology and medicine. In his freetime, he likes doing sports, especially basketball and martial arts, going hiking, and hunting for bugs with his son.

Besides working at Milestone Institute, Ádám is also studying international business economics at Corvinus University. Back in high school, he was working on Erasmus+ projects, and organised several field trips and events. He further developed his project leadership skills by founding the university’s first English-speaking investment club and leading it as its co-president. In his freetime, he volunteers as an English teacher for a nonprofit organization working for the reintegration of people with disabilities to the open job market. He likes swimming and travelling to the oddest corners of the world.

Adrian Matus defended his PhD in History and Civilization at the European University Institute in February 2022. Previously, he earned two MA degrees, one in History of Ideas at Babeș-Bolyai University and the other in Contemporary History at Université Sorbonne Paris IV. His academic interests focus on creative forms of dissent against the state in the 20th century, archival studies and the comparative history of Eastern and Central Europe. Within his modules at Milestone Institute, he favours history from below approaches, particularly oral history and public history. In the past, Adrian worked as a researcher for Jugend- und Kulturprojekt e.V., an NGO from Dresden, Germany, as a librarian assistant at the European University Institute in Florence, and an assistant archivist at the Open Society Archives in Budapest. From 2020, he is also teaching at the Open Learning Initiative Budapest (OLIve), an inclusive learning initiative for people who have experienced displacement, including asylum seekers and those with refugee status. At OLIve, Adrian has taught social sciences and the secret histories of Budapest. His book, titled “The Long 1968 in Hungary and Romania,” was published in 2024 with De Gruyter. In his free time, Adrian enjoys gardening, going to the theatre, and travelling.

As Lead Education Programme Designer, Ágnes leads the development of innovative, internationally scalable education solutions with the mission of increasing equity of access to higher education. Before joining the Solutions Lab team, she led Milestone’s Upper House for 5 years, heading a team responsible for over 200 students and more than 50 mentors, steering her students towards top universities worldwide.

Ágnes has over 20 years of experience in both formal and non-formal education, various educational methodologies, curriculum design, and course delivery. Trained as a historian, she was a post-graduate research scholar at the University of Cambridge when she realised that her true passion lies not just in learning but also in supporting others on their journey towards knowledge. Having indulged her interest in social and cultural history to the hilt, she turned towards education and young people and has never looked back.

Before joining Milestone in 2018, she was developing and delivering international training courses for young people from all over Europe. She had also managed operations in a startup and overseen major organisational development in a youth NGO, taking both organisations to the next level. She has lived and worked in the USA, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK; she is now based in Hungary. In her free time, Ágnes can be found in the vicinity of dance floors, bookstores, and anything involving sunshine and/or music.

Ágnes obtained her MSc from the University of Horticulture and Food Industry and her PhD from Szent István University in the field of plant physiology. After PhD she started to work at the Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and she works there still. Ágnes holds the position of Senior Research Fellow in the Research Group of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Her main research interest is the structure-function relationship of proteins, more precisely the role of regulatory protein-RAN interactions in epigenetic modifications. She teaches at MSc and PhD level at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and at Eötvös Loránd University.

Ágota holds a degree of Engineering and Management, specialized in Corporate Financial Analyzis, from Budapest University of Technology and Economics. She worked over 10 years for several multinational companies, out of that she spent 4 years in Belgium. She gained financial and controlling experience at long-established companies in FMCG and automotive industry. In her free time she likes baking, gardening and enjoys outdoor activities with her family.

AJ’s academic background lies in gender, politics and international relations. During his
undergraduate studies, he embarked on several competitive scholarships and research
opportunities in academia and think tanks. He also worked and volunteered in the civil
sector at various feminist and LGBT organizations, and still plays an active role in some of
them. His experiences led him to the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna and
Budapest, where he obtained his Master of Arts degree with distinction from the
Department of Gender Studies. His research interests include social movements, ethnic and
queer studies, transnational networks, and equality policy. In his spare time he can be found
jamming to new wave music and reading underground comix.

Alexandra has a degree in trade and marketing, and she was working as an office manager for a while. Afterwards she gained substantial experience in the financial field, working with industrial and agricultural companies. Alexandra is working with us part time, she spends the remaining time with her beloved son. Finally and most importantly, Alexandra loves reading and travelling.

Andor holds three MA degrees: two from Eötvös Loránd University in Hebrew Philology and History respectively and one from Central European University in Medieval Studies. He was awarded a PhD degree at the Medieval Studies Department of CEU under the supervision of Professor Carsten Wilke in November 2017. Andor is very interested in languages, in classical and late antique culture, the philosophy of sciences. He spends much of his spare time either cooking and baking in the kitchen, learning languages or doing sports, especially swimming and running.

András graduated from Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), where he studied engineering and mathematics. He holds a PhD in Engineering and spent his postdoc years at Cornell University.
He is currently a research associate at the MTA-BME Morphodynamics Research Group and the head of the BME Department of Morphology and Geometric Modeling.
His research focuses on the mathematical modelling of natural phenomena and innovations in engineering. In recent years, some striking forms in nature, such as boulders, ooids, and asteroids have drawn him to participate in modelling their shape evolution.

Martin is a research fellow at the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Linguistics from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. His fields of interest are phonology, morphology, the Romani language and the comparative study of generative and non-generative theoretical frameworks. He is not just an armchair linguist; he has done fieldwork among the Roma in the Hungarian countryside as part of his own project, as well as Romani language projects carried out by leading foreign universities in the field.

In recent years, András Jánossy teaches mathematical logic, complexity theory, and environmental economics as a lecturer at Budapest universities. Previously, he worked as an affiliated and non-affiliated research fellow for ALL Applied Logic Laboratory Budapest, and for the algebraic logic study group of the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, respectively. He completed his 3 year postdoctoral studies in Philosophy of Science during 1986-89, after having received his doctoral degree in Philosophy & Symbolic Logic from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences, Budapest (ELUS) in 1985. Prior to that, he completed his Philosophy studies at the Faculty of Arts, and his studies in Mathematics, conducted parallel, at the Faculty of Sciences of ELUS, and was conferred two MSc degrees. In 1975, he received his MSc degree in National Planning and Mathematical Economics from the Corvinus University Budapest. His research interests focus on the logical reconstruction of the notion of the mathematical apparatuses of empirical theories, on the conceptual and logical foundations of a four world ontology, and the modelling of historical economic structure changes and sustainability. Beyond that, he is also interested in the early history of philosophy and logic (he conducted Classical Studies for 4,5 years), as well as in the present and possible future situation of the Roma in Hungary. (He studied Sociology, Social Psychology and Cultural Anthropology for 3 years, took part in several field studies, earned his living by working on construction sites with Roma peers for multiple years, and established friendly relationships with many people in the Roma cultural and political elite.) András is also a devoted environmental activist, he is affiliated as a volunteer with environmentalist NGOs for almost forty years. In his free time he enjoys trekking with friends, and listening to classical music and jazz. From time to time, he writes essays in newspapers and weeklies.

Andi obtained her bachelor’s degree in English from College of Nyíregyháza. After college, she worked for 4 years in London at the front office of a 4* hotel. She is interested in psychology, especially the psychology of human relations and behavior. In her free time, she spends her excess energy on karate training or baking cookies with her children.

Anna studied History at the University of Warwick and Historical Research at Birkbeck College, University of London. Prior to starting her position at Milestone she spent three years working and studying in London. In her MA thesis she focused on the identity building project of Socialist Hungary through the institutions of leisure, including group vacations and children’s camps. She is hoping to pursue a PhD at some point, focusing on a similar topic but in a comparative manner between Hungary and Yugoslavia. In her free time she enjoys travelling, reading and theatre.

Aron is currently working as a quantitative analyst at an asset management firm in Budapest. Since his graduation from university he has held a number of different roles in the field of quantitative finance, working in areas including consulting, model validation and risk management. At university he studied economics – he obtained his Bsc degree at the University of Warwick and his MA degree at the Central European University. In his free time, Aron enjoys hiking and spending time in nature.

Mátyás is a Milestone alumnus. He completed his secondary school education at the Premontrian St. Norbert High School in Gödöllő. He graduated in Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics. During his studies, he specialised in EU politics and international political economy. He will pursue a Master’s degree in Finance at the ELTE GTK, part-time. Mátyás has interned at a foreign policy research institute and has been an analyst at BlackRock since summer 2022. In his free time he enjoys travelling and sports, most recently padel.

Árpád graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2011 with a BA in Economics. Since then he has been working on the quantitative evaluation of Hungarian labour market policies and published in Munkapiaci Tükör, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ labour market review. His interest in social policy and the wider topics of poverty and social exclusion led him to do a masters in Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics.

Attila is a researcher currently finalizing his dissertation in the field of political science. He earned his Master’s degree in Political Science at Corvinus University of Budapest. His main interests are voting behavior, parties, and migration. He is mainly focusing on Hungary and Central Europe.

Attila has been an English teacher for more than 20 years. He likes reading science fiction and rides a motorbike in his free time. He likes learning languages as well, he speaks Italian and French. Hís hobbies are 3D printing and robotics.

Balázs Hetényi is a theoretical physicist with interests in quantum mechanics and condensed matter physics. He holds a Ph. D. degree from Columbia University (chemical physics) and has authored about 40 original research papers. He has worked at a number of universities and research institutions in a number of different countries, and has taught pretty much all fundamental physics courses. He started out in chemistry (was a post-doc at Princeton University chemistry department) but his curiosity drove him progressively towards theoretical physics. Outside of work he spends time with his family. He is very happy to spend afternoons immersed in physics, mathematics, or philosophy books in the company of a caffe latte.

Bálint Magyar is pursuing his PhD studies at the Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics at Péter Pázmány Catholic University. His primary research focus lies in computer vision for medical imaging with a strong emphasis on the utilization of artificial intelligence. In addition to his academic career, Bálint works as a computer vision engineer at a start-up company, where he focuses on medical software solutions. He has diverse professional experiences, including roles as a visiting scholar in Germany, Austria, and Portugal, where he contributed to various research and development projects as well as startup initiatives. Bálint is passionate about science communication, where he has achieved recognition as a finalist in several competitions and frequently gives talks at scientific events. During his leisure time, he enjoys activities such as hiking, travelling, and the exploration of new cultures and ideas. He is also a co-founder and leader of “Benned a Létra Egyesület,” an organization dedicated to helping children in state care.

Bálint is a fourth year PhD student at CEU’s Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations. He received his BA in International Relations from Corvinus University of Budapest, followed by an MA degree in Political and Social Sciences from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. His current research focuses on contemporary political party organizations, and the extent to which online decision-making processes contribute to internal democracy. Besides his research, Bálint has also taught courses as a teaching assistant at CEU, and as a visiting lecturer at ELTE. Prior to embarking on a PhD, Bálint worked as a political correspondent for mainstream Hungarian news site Index.hu. He has also been involved in the work of several anti-corruption NGOs as a volunteer.

After finishing her bachelor degree in Communication and Media Studies at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Bori moved to Amsterdam to study Communications Science at the University of Amsterdam. She is keen on theatre from a very young age, therefore she was working on theatre communication and marketing during her university studies. She used to work at educational institutes before joining Milestone where her main responsibilities were career and CV guidance and event organising. In her free time she likes to cook, go to the movies, and spend time with her dog named Uborka.

After her studies as production and quality manager at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eszter spent her career in the automotive industry, fulfilling project and operative manager roles, currently she is leading a department of research development at a German multinational company. She has multicultural experience as she has worked for Italian, Japanese, and German companies. In the past 20 years, she has explored all operative fields of engineering and business administration, starting from project management, controlling, supply chain to production and commerce. Currently she is working in the R&D software development field. She is managing the innovation process for driver assistant systems – ultrasonic and near range camera based assisted parking function development. She is a certified SCRUM master and business coach, and she is also a TED Circles ambassador.

After spending a year as a Kellner Scholar at Bard College in New York City, Dalma completed a Master of Arts degree at Eötvös Loránd University in American Literature and Culture. Prior to joining Milestone Institute in 2020, Dalma worked in higher education talent management at Saint Ignatius College for Advanced Studies, and as a business developer at one of the top Hungarian start-up companies, Publishdrive. Her university studies and work have focused on literature, popular culture, and diversity, but parallel to them Dalma has been sure to make room for playing the violin, acting and directing in English, and singing in numerous choirs. All of these experiences make her devoted to encouraging students to fearlessly explore and express their academic interests with the assistance of creative, and gamified pedagogical strategies. At Milestone she is committed to bringing her professional experience, her dedication for creative pursuits, and enthusiasm for progressive education into the roles of Head of Lower House and Chair of Applied Aesthetics.

Dani is a hopeless idealist, very much interested in human rights and international (criminal) law issues. He studied at the Lauder Javne Jewish Community School in Budapest, then he continued his studies (thanks, among others, to Milestone Institute, of which he is a proud alumnus) in the Netherlands, France and the United States, obtaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees in International and European law.
He has worked in the Dutch fintech industry for “Adyen” on anti-money laundering issues, and has also provided legal advice to unrepresented individuals in the Bronx Civil Court in New York City. He is very concerned about local issues with a social aspect, so back in his high school years, he launched a civil society organization with some of his best friends, organizing various charity projects throughout the country. Currently he is interning for Transparency International.

Dániel defended his PhD thesis on the philosophical rhetoric of the 18th century author, A. A. C. Shaftesbury at ELTE. He holds MA degrees in History and Philosophy from the University of Szeged. He was a member of the College of Social Sciences in Szeged, and later on, participated in the organization of numerous scientific conferences. In addition to professional studies, he enjoys writing reviews about books on philosophy or art. His research area is primarily the development of 18th-century Anglo-Saxon aesthetic and political-philosophical discourse. He also dealt extensively with modern-postmodern art theories and art movements. He is particularly interested in the relationship between philosophy and the natural sciences, as well as the practical applicability of philosophy in the 21st-century. Dániel’s passion is road cycling and hiking.

Dániel attended Fazekas Mihály Secondary School in Budapest and then studied Biology at the University of York. During his studies, he participated in several research projects mainly in ecology and completed his dissertation project on developmental biology. After graduating, he started medical school at Semmelweis University, where he is currently in his fourth year. He is also currently involved in a neuroscience research project at Eötvös Loránd University. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music and birding.

Dávid Komáromy studied Philosophy, Arts and Chemistry at ELTE Budapest between 2003-2010. After graduation he continued his Chemistry studies at the Freie Universität Berlin as a DAAD fellow. In 2012 he obtained his MSc from Chemistry in the group of Christoph A. Schalley, where his research focused on supramolecular mass spectroscopy. Afterwards, he started a PhD at ETH Zürich, but the research topic did not really fit his interests, so he quit and started a new PhD at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the group of Sijbren Otto, working in the emerging field of systems chemistry and de novo life. After obtaining his PhD degree in 2019, he worked as a mentor and module leader at Milestone Institute in 2020-2021, as well as a bartender at Kisüzem. Subsequently, he worked as a postdoc in the group of Ivan Aprahamian (Dartmouth College), working on chemical feedback loops, followed by another postdoc stay in the group of David Leigh (The University of Manchester), studying molecular knots and novel forms of catalysis. Since March 2024 he is Deputy Head of Teaching and Learning at Milestone Institute. In his free time, David travels around the world and wears colorful fluffy stuff.

Dávid studied at the special mathematics class of Fazekas Secondary School. During these years, amongst others, he finished 3rd at the National Mathematics OKTV and was the reserve member of the Hungarian International Physics Olympiad team. He obtained his mathematics undergraduate degrees at Cambridge and at ELTE with distinction. He held courses at ELTE and BME for undergraduates and worked as a programmer for HP and for Morgan Stanley. Currently he is doing his PhD at CEU and at Rényi Institute in pure mathematics.

Dénes is a researcher and thinker interested in how socio-technical systems interact with each other. He holds an assistant professorship at Lancaster University in the UK, where has a research portfolio in energy systems and a Visiting Professorship at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania, centered around data visualization and business intelligence. His data analyses and visualizations balance on the fine line between work and hobby and he has led educational workshops on sustainability and renewable energy across developing regions in Asia and Africa. He also leads the datactivism blogs Kontext and székelydata, exploring complex topics through data analysis and visualization.

Hungarian by origin, Dénes was born and raised in Transylvania, Romania and obtained a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (2011). Later on, he moved to Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi (now Khalifa University) to pursue an MSc in Engineering Systems & Management (2013) and continued for a PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering (2016), both in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. He believes that it is not only the quality of the research that matters but also the quality of the presentation – placing therefore great emphasis on data visualization and story-telling with data, while trying to inspire the next generation of systems thinkers.

Denisa graduated from University College London, with a degree in Politics and East European Studies. Prior to joining Milestone, Denisa worked at the Science and Technology Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where she specialised in emerging technologies and served as the Gender Focal Point of the Directorate. She is an avid traveler, passionate about technology and blockchain, and enjoys time spent on a terrace with a double espresso.

Derya received her BA in teaching mathematics in primary schools. During and after her undergraduate years, she has gained experience in several countries, including Denmark, Poland, and Finland, through different roles such as student, project coordinator, researcher, and teacher. These experiences intrigue her to develop a deeper understanding of educational decisions, teachers’ roles, and context-embedded practices on different levels. Hence, she earned her MSc in the Department of Educational Science at Middle East Technical University, in Turkey, and continued her PhD in the same department at ELTE University, in Budapest, Hungary. Her main research interest is critical mathematics education and teacher agency in relation to inequalities in education. Before joining Milestone Institute, she worked as an educational researcher in a think-tank in Turkey for 6 years.

Detre studied Literature and Linguistics complemented by Buddhism studies at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (ELTE). During his years at university, he started working in tourism as a host, and later as a shift manager of an Airbnb management company, where he spent almost four years. He is passionate about writing, making music, and literature. He usually gets lost in the philosophy of language and absurdism.

Diomides studied finance in England and Economics in Scotland and France. He has taught courses ranging from Political Economy to Probability Theory to undergraduate and master’s students in Paris and Hungary. His research was on the economics of property rights and the ergodic theory applied to decision-making.

Diomides’s previous work experience includes working as a trainee in a patent law firm in Cyprus, as Chief Librarian in an academic French library, as an analyst in an investment firm in Beijing, and as a trainee for the European Council in Brussels. He worked as a consultant advising large multinationals such as T-Mobile and Tesla to provide public European funds. His current role is as a quantitative associate at Morgan Stanley in Budapest.

Dóra graduated from the University of Pécs in Geography (MSc) in 2014. She earned PhD in PTE-TTK Earth Sciences doctoral school in the field of Human Geography. Between 2014 and 2017, she worked as one of the team leaders of the Hungarian team, which attended the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo). Since 2018, she has been using her olympiad and organiser experiences to coach students individually. In addition to her self-developed exercise book (Geography A to Z) she mentors students from all over the country. Currently, she works at ELKH Institute for Regional Studies as a research fellow, where she participates in international research projects (COST Action, Horizon Europe). Dóra enjoys cycling, practising yoga, reading, and writing a blog in her spare time.

Tímea graduated from ELTE Faculty of Law and she is now a certified tax advisor. She works as a tax lawyer at Baker McKenzie. As part of her work, she represents international clients in various tax controversy matters both in front of the tax authority and in front of court. Timea enjoys reading and practicing yoga and she is a devoted fan of her avid international speedcuber sons.

Zsófia graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Eötvös Loránd University and had her PhD from the University of Hannover in copyright law. After PhD she worked at the EU Law Department of Hungarian Ministry of Justice, then she was Deputy head of the Department for Industrial Property at Richter Gedeon Plc. Then she joined as a lawyer Hegymegi-Barakonyi és Társa Baker & McKenzie Attorney at Law in Budapest, where she had been head of the Intellectual Property Practice group for 13 years, before she has started working at Celanese as Associate General Counsel doing intellectual property and commercial law. She has been teaching intellectual property law at the Eötvös Loránd University’s Faculty of Law as well as at the Faculty of Humanities Intellectual Property Law, at the University of Pécs and at Werk Akadémia.

Edina studied English at the University of Szeged, where she also received a licentiate diploma in translation and interpreting. She worked as an English teacher in many different settings. She spent two school years on the east coast of the United States, one as a college student and one as a high-school teacher. After 12 years of teaching she moved on to become the educational consultant and professional coordinator of the Magic Valley media literacy education center. In her free time she enjoys reading, watching movies and travelling.

Edit is a clinical cardiologist with a strong academic background and extensive experience in bench and clinical research. She has completed her PhD studies at Semmelweis University where she is also an alumna of the Kerpel-Fronius Talent Program. Her international research experiences enabled visiting the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London for 6 months. Furthermore, she had short term fellowships at research laboratories at the Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg and the University of Wien. She completed a postdoctoral clinical research fellowship program at the University of Oxford and John Radcliffe Hospital granted by the European Society of Cardiology. Her academic and clinical interests focus on imaging of the heart (echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance) and the pathophysiology of heart failure. She has a huge desire for continuous learning and spreading her knowledge and experience for all colleagues and students.

Edit has two decades of field experience working in conflict prevention, crisis management and international development with the United Nations, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe throughout the Balkans and Ukraine. She has recently returned to live in Hungary and continues to be involved in development projects in south-eastern Europe and the Middle East as well as in training and capacity building with the EU. Edit holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Political Science. She is a passionate linguist and cook and enjoys traveling, biking and dancing.

Emese holds a PhD in History from the Central European University and one in Linguistics from the Babeș-Bolyai University. After doing research on issues of minority linguistic rights and bilingual language use in Romania, she turned to issues of European social history and wrote her dissertation on the institutions of control in early modern Europe. As a post-doc researcher, she has been dealing with the diffusion of technology through religious conflicts and the consequent mass migrations across distant territories of pre-industrial Europe. She has been appointed as a research fellow at Warwick University, at Ca’ Foscari in Venice, as well as at the European University Institute in Florence. Emese is passionate about swimming, hiking and making ceramic objects.

Emese holds a BA degree in Applied Modern Languages (German and English) and because she wanted to widen her horizon, she also studied International Management and obtained an M.A. After spending 4 years in Germany (studying at Pädagogische Hochschule in Ludwigsburg and working in the Frankfurt am Main area), she moved to Budapest and is currently working as a happy exchange programme coordinator at a local university. She is passionate about biking and travelling, but she also ventures into the fields of sewing and tailoring.

Emőke received an MA degree in Law from the University of Szeged. Then she studied English Literature and Culture in Szeged, where her main research area was contemporary Anglo-American political fiction. She specialised in Translation and Interpretation and gained experience as a legal translator. She pursued an interest in education while working at the American Corner in Szeged, where she organised educational programmes and events for high school and university students. In her free time, she likes travelling, reading and doing Pilates. She is also interested in gardening and architecture and enjoys visiting famous gardens and historical estates around the globe.

After obtaining his M.A degree in International Relations at Central European University (CEU), Erdost stayed at CEU to complete his PhD in Political Science. His academic expertise lies in critical and feminist approaches to war and conflict, the politics of the human body, and political violence. In addition to his formal teaching experience at the Asian University for Women, he took part in CEU’s Open Learning Initiative (OLIve) project, which provides education for forcefully displaced people in Budapest, as a lecturer and tutor. He organized and participated in numerous conferences and lectures that sought alternative spaces and methods for knowledge production, and aimed to make education and institutions more accessible, horizontal, and decolonized. In his free time, he enjoys reading science fiction, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and reading theory.

After completing her master’s degrees in English Language and Literature and Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Erzsébet gained experience in teaching in various educational settings. She has experience in both formal and non-formal educational environments. After some years in teaching, she spent one year in Ireland as a full-time volunteer in a social housing project supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. She also spent two years in Berlin working as a cultural organiser. She recently completed her training in complex art-therapy. In her free time she enjoys everything that is connected to song and dance.

After her studies as production and quality manager at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Eszter spent her career in the automotive industry, fulfilling project and operative manager roles, currently she is leading a department of research development at a German multinational company. She has multicultural experience as she has worked for Italian, Japanese, and German companies. In the past 20 years, she has explored all operative fields of engineering and business administration, starting from project management, controlling, supply chain to production and commerce. Currently she is working in the R&D software development field. She is managing the innovation process for driver assistant systems – ultrasonic and near range camera based assisted parking function development. She is a certified SCRUM master and business coach, and she is also a TED Circles ambassador.

Eszter is a future drama– and media teacher, with a passion for education and development. She earlier studied communication and media as well as acting, and worked on several theatre and movie productions mainly as an actress. She also led a theatre company for teenagers and worked on organising and leading team building events for companies and youth camps for high school students. In her free time she likes doing yoga, hiking, cooking, going to theatre or to the cinema, and her most recent hobby is gardening.

During her undergraduate years at the Eötvös Loránd University, Eszter chiefly focused on South Asian languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, and Urdu, and took interest in South and Southeast Asian art history. Following that, she obtained her Master’s degree from Cultural Heritage Studies and specialized in Religious Studies at the Central European University. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in South Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, and learns Thai at SOAS, University of London. Her research focuses on the contemporary utilization of early Buddhist sites, especially in the Thai national imagination and cultural memory practices. Her dissertation on the topic won the Best Religious Studies MA Thesis Award for the Academic Year 2019/2020. Besides, she is an ice dance coach and prepares Basic Novice and pre-Novice competitors for both national and international championships. In her free time, Eszter enjoys listening to electronic music, visiting cafés with her friends, doing yoga, cooking and tasting Italian food, and traveling around the world.

After completing her BA in Psychology and Film & Media at the University of Stirling, Eszter gained an MSc in Science Communication and Public Engagement at the University of Edinburgh in 2018. She has worked with Edinburgh International Science Festival, with Roslin Institute and coordinated science engagement events throughout her career. She hopes to make education more accessible and enjoyable for generations to come. In her free time, she loves exploring new places and quizzing.

Eszter Szép loves sharing knowledge, is fond of learning new things, and enjoys inventing creative projects. When she is not teaching or mentoring at Milestone Institute, she teaches comics, visual culture studies, or other subjects at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) or works on the programs of the International Comics Festival Budapest. She has been invited to talk at Columbia University, Harvard Extension School, American University of Beirut, Ghent University, and UC Louvain. She received the Fulbright Award to Eugene, Oregon (USA) in 2023. Her monograph, Comics and the Body: Drawing, Reading, and Vulnerability, was published by Ohio State University Press in 2020. She has edited two publications of her students comics. As a mentor, her aim is to help students find their passion. In her free time, she does all things culture or runs. Further info at eszterszep.com.

Éva studied at Eötvös Loránd University and has degrees in Italian Language and Literature and in Media and Communication. After graduating, she moved to London and worked as an assistant at small-sized businesses. She was also volunteering at the Islington Law Centre in the Reception and Referral Team.
After returning to Budapest, she gained professional experience in sales operations at various IT companies. In her free time, she enjoys going to the movies, reading, and playing cards.

Fanni has a BA in International Relations from Corvinus University of Budapest and an LLM in Globalization and Law from Maastricht University. She gained experience as a legal intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague, at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) in London, and at the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in Vienna. Before returning to Hungary in 2018, she worked at the Law Faculty of KU Leuven for a year as a PhD student and a teaching assistant for international law. Upon her homecoming, she joined Central European University as the Open Society Archives’ (OSA) Education Outreach Officer, organising programs and workshops for students and teachers. In her free time, she enjoys theatre, sunny terraces, and good company either in the form of fellow humans or relatively exciting books.

Flóra holds a BA in Political Science from Corvinus University of Budapest and an MA in Public Administration from Central European University. During her university years, she was a member of Rajk College for Advanced Studies. Before joining Milestone Institute, she gained experience both in the private and public sector as a consultant. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and family, ride a bike, and discover new places in Budapest.

Flora is an alumna of Milestone. She attended high school at Premontrei Szent Norbert Gimnazium. She participated in the 26th International Biology Olympiad where she won a silver medal. She obtained her BSc and Masters’ in Neuroscience at UCL,
where she is currently completing her PhD in neural circuits and behaviour. Flora’s interest in combining experimental and theoretical neuroscience led her to pursue an internship in Janelia Research campus (VA,USA) where she spent two summers. In her free time, she enjoys travelling, fencing and playing the cello.

Fru graduated in Aesthetics as well as Hungarian Language and Literature from ELTE and some years later she obtained a degree in Music Business Management from University of Westminster, London. She worked at Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, managed Hungarian bands, was a concert promoter and music export coordinator before launching the first Hungarian tertiary music business management course at Corvinus University of Budapest in 2011. She has been a teacher for thirteen years and has been passionate about learning and education since childhood. Fru is currently writing her doctoral dissertation on music management education comparing US and UK tertiary programs. In her research, she focuses on higher education, management studies and music management education. In 2023, she conducted research in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville among other places as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. In her spare time she is particularly interested in spirituality and Hinduism and spends as much time with self-consciousness methods and in groups as possible.

Gergő graduated as a biologist at Eötvös Loránd University and then awarded a Ph.D. degree in taxonomy and systematics at the same institution in 2012. He worked as a researcher at the Centre for Ecological Research (Vácrátót) for nearly seven years. During this time, he was a visiting academic at INRAE (France), Université de Neuchâtel (Switzerland), and London Natural History Museum (UK) for shorter periods. Since 2017, he has been teaching zoology and ecology-related subjects at the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences (formerly Szent István University, Gödöllő). Alongside teaching, he also supports the research of students and the operation of the Zoology College for Advanced Studies. Gergő loves running, hiking, climbing mountains, gardening, and after that, reading to relax.

Gergely holds a PhD in philosophy of science from Durham University (UK). He worked as a tutor and/or lecturer at Budapest University of Technology, Eötvös Loránd University, Durham University and various colleges for advanced learning. In the last four years, he also worked as a business trainer and coach mainly focused on the development of argumentation and presentation skills of mid-level managers and their immediate staff. As a philosopher, Gergely’s real passion lies in the intersection between epistemology and cognitive science. At present, he is interested in evolutionary accounts of culture, learning and cognitive abilities, in theories of causation and causal thinking and the possible functions of non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Gergely studied Economics at the London School of Economics (LSE), currently working toward his master’s degree in Finance also at LSE with a focus on derivatives. He has internship experience in corporate banking. He is working as a freelancer financial advisor, and web developer. In his spare time, Gergely enjoys traveling, hiking and playing Bridge.

Gitta is currently pursuing her MSc in Psychology of Mental Health at the University of Edinburgh, and is preparing for her upcoming clinical psychology training in Budapest. At present, she’s researching the benefits of self-compassion and its effects on self-critical thoughts and maladaptive perfectionism. Previously, she studied at Bard College in New York, where she completed her BA in Psychology and her BMus in Violin Performance. Alongside her studies in Psychology, she is an award-winning violinist, and has been invited back to Bard College to perform as a soloist with The Orchestra Now for their upcoming season. When she is not studying, you can find her teaching violin online, going on long walks, reading, or watching one of David Lynch’s movies for the millionth time.

Gréta has a BA degree in English Philology, and an MA degree with honours in Translation and Interpretation from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. When she is not at Milestone Institute, she works as a freelance translator. In her BA thesis, she concentrated on the underrepresentation of certain groups in second language learning motivational research, and she is now pursuing a PhD in the foreign language learning motivation of rural learners in Hungary. Before coming to Milestone, she had also volunteered at the Erasmus Student Network for several years as a mentor and event coordinator. In her free time, if she is not found with her nose in a book, she likes crocheting and cross-stitching.

György finished his studies (BSc, MSc, and Ph.D.) at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, in chemistry. He was involved in applied industrial research for 40 years in polymers and composites at various research institutes (Research Institute for Plastics, Bay Zoltán Institute) and industrial companies (Furukawa Electric Institute of Technology, Medicontur Medical Engineering Ltd.). In the 1980s, he spent two years at the Department of Polymer Engineering and Science at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. For ten years, his main job was consulting as a private entrepreneur. He has retired and presently works part-time. As a consultant, he holds the position of Chief Technology Officer at Innovate 3D Global (Australia). His primary interest is the development of tailor-made materials. He is an active participant in the ResearchGate community. In addition, he actively cooperates with the polymer-related departments (Faculties of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering) of Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

He was born in a small Middle Eastern country called Lebanon and have always enjoyed hiking and camping in its beautiful mountains as well as swimming and fishing in its diverse part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Lebanese cuisine is one of his favorites with its huge variety of offerings that are tantalizingly delicious.
He studied in the Lebanese University obtaining his BSc in Life and Earth Sciences, then continued MSc in Biodiversity. He also holds a Teaching Diploma from the same university. In 2009, he joined the Lebanon Evangelical School for Boys and Girls, a very well reputed school in Lebanon where he taught full time for 8 years before moving to Hungary. His responsibilities ranged from teaching Biology to high school students to taking care of the laboratory as the Lab supervisor. Along with his wife and daughter, he moved to Budapest in 2017 and joined Avicenna International College where he teaches Biology mainly for the Medical Foundation Program students preparing them for medical university entrance exams.
He has always seen education as the best investment in life and enjoys teaching others seeing them also grow in knowledge and wisdom to become well-rounded individuals. His philosophy in teaching is to go down to every student’s level to be able to help pull them to higher levels.
During his free times, he enjoys listening and playing music, swimming, and sometimes cooking.

Since childhood, Helga has had a passion for science, especially mathematics and biology. This inspired her to study molecular bionics engineering at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, after which she obtained an MSc in Info-bionics Engineering. She wrote her MSc thesis based on her research in Oxford, building the prototype of a needle-free insulin pump. Afterwards, she continued her studies at the University of Notre Dame in the United States, where she studied the basics of entrepreneurship, which she now uses in practice in a company she co-founded.

Imola Nagy studied philosophy and communication sciences at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj, where she obtained both a BA and MA degree in these fields. She then pursued her doctoral studies at the ELTE BTK Doctoral School of Philosophy, recently submitting her dissertation and currently nearing graduation.

From 2009 to 2017, she served as a lecturer, teaching philosophy, social theories, and communication sciences at Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania. Since 2021, she has held a position as a lecturer at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, where she instructs on various philosophy subjects.

In her leisure time, she engages in volunteering, dancing, practicing yoga and meditation, and hiking in nature. She is the happy owner of a one-and-a-half-year-old Vizsla.

István Reguly did his studies in Electronic and Computer Engineering at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, and was awarded his PhD in 2014 for his research into domain specific abstractions for high performance computing. After a postdoc at the University of Oxford, István returned to PPCU where his research focuses on enabling the productive use of high performance computing and artificial intelligence tools, especially for science and engineering use cases. He is also a founder of the biotech company Cytocast, where they develop cutting-edge computational tools for cellular modeling to revolutionize drug development and personalized medicine.

Originally from Detroit, Jane moved to Budapest shortly after finishing her degree in Organizational Communication at Calvin University. She has been living in Budapest for the past three years. With a greatly varied work history, from NGO work to recruiting to technical writing, she has a love for learning and exploring the world.

As Chief Product Officer, János oversees the development of international products, educational consultancy services and edtech solutions. Educated as a computational biologist in Budapest and London, he moved into education in 2015 after spending some time in biomedical research and industry. At Milestone, he started out with teaching and curriculum development in the natural sciences division, gradually rising to leadership roles in program management. He subsequently led the Teaching and Learning Department for four years, being responsible for Milestone’s interdisciplinary module system composed of 100+ courses delivered by academics and industry experts. In his role at Teaching and Learning, he pioneered Milestone’s Access Program, a year-long academic accelerator for diverse students with Milestone potential. In his current role, he aspires to develop the Milestone knowhow of navigating students towards globally competitive success pathways into a platform enabling digitally-powered upscaling, in order to enhance the global impact of the Milestone project.

János graduated as a system developer, economist and then he developed his skills in a coaching school to help his staff as a leader to manage change and develop teams. His MBA degree was awarded to CEU Business School in 2016. He has gained wide-ranging professional knowledge in the energy sector, is an active participant in the transformations in the industry, but he have been following the trends of other industries. Teaching and transferring knowledge is an important part of his professional work. He taught financial planning at the Budapest College of Economics and holds practical seminars as guest lecturer in other Hungarian higher education institutions. Publications on business planning, working capital management and risk management have been published. He regularly writes case studies, lecturer at national and international conferences. He is a committed supporter of system and design thinking. He is a fan of analogue photography, fashion and perfumes.

Kata is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in the realm of human resources and recruitment. Her journey through key roles at Randstad Sourceright, Tetra Pak, and Diageo has equipped her with over a decade of invaluable expertise in orchestrating seamless recruitment processes and ensuring adherence to global standards and regulations. Kata’s dedication to fostering collaborative work environments and optimizing organizational efficiency shines through her proactive involvement in streamlining HR operations and enhancing cross-team communication. Beyond her professional pursuits, Kata finds fulfillment in various hobbies, including yoga, which led her to obtain a yoga teacher certification.

Kata attended an English school in Kuwait for three years, then became a teacher of English at CETT (Centre for English Teacher Training) and received her MA degree at DELL (Department for English Language and Literature), ELTE. She also took part in the Training for Interpreters and Translators at BME and went on to become a mentor for trainee teachers of English after completing the Mentor and Trainer Training Course at ELTE. She taught at a secondary school for more than 15 years where she and some of her colleagues accredited a programme for teachers based on positive psychology.

Katarina is currently doing her PhD in International and Security Studies at the Corvinus University of Budapest, where she also obtained her MA Degree in International Relations. Her BA Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy she obtained at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). The primary focus of her research is Russia, Visegrad countries, Energy Security and Sustainable Development. In her free time, Katarina enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, playing the piano and visiting Opera.

Veronika has a degree in International Relations from Central European University and Sociology from Corvinus University of Budapest. Her interest developed in the educational sector while she was a member of Széchenyi István College for Advanced Studies,

Krisztina is a Milestone alumna, completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford, Pembroke College, where she read BA Experimental Psychology. Pursuing her interest in Cognitive Science, she conducted research at MTA TTK and at the University of Oxford, receiving numerous grants and prizes for her work, including the Junior Special Prize at the 2019 OTDK conference. She is currently a participant of the graduate Brain and Mind Sciences joint program by University College London and Sorbonne University Paris, where she focuses on the intersection of AI, Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. In her free time, Krisztina is a contributing writer to various English and Hungarian journals and enjoys hiking.

Lara has more than twenty years of experience translating and copy editing for major museums, research institutes, journals, and publishing houses in Hungary and elsewhere in Europe. She has also taught ESL and for the past few years has prepped private students for the IELTS and other language exams, coached public speaking, and assisted in creative and academic writing. Over the years she has helped students navigate the application process to universities in the UK and the USA. She has a BA in English literature from Bates College and an MS in applied ecology from the University of Indiana.

László has a BA in Political Science from Corvinus University of Budapest, a MA in Minority Policy from Eötvös Loránd University, and another MA in Public Policy from CEU. Shortly after finishing his studies, he moved to New York, where he started a career in international education. László worked for AFS-USA and Stevens Institute of Technology, helping high school and university students pursue their dreams of studying abroad. He later moved back to Hungary and joined Tom Lantos Institute as a Program Officer for their Roma Rights and Citizenship program. During his time at the Institute, László took part in a research project, which aimed to map out the representations of Roma in the public spaces of Hungary. He also co-authored a book on the same topic. László is an avid consumer of coffee, likes to play squash and listens to political podcasts.

László is a PhD student in Philosophy at Central European University. He holds two master’s degrees: one in Aesthetics from ELTE and the other in Philosophy from CEU. Through international programs, he also studied philosophy at the University of Primorska, Slovenia, as well as visual culture and literature at Lund University, Sweden.

His philosophical work focuses on the ontological nature of social categories and classifications, but his broader academic interests range from philosophy of art and philosophy of mind through literary theory to Early Modern and Enlightenment thought.
In his free time, László immerses himself in contemporary Hungarian literature (at times publishing reviews), travels, and goes to the movies.

László is a musicologist, psychologist and musician. He works at the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, and at the University of Szeged and, on two occasions, has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge and at Downing College (Cambridge). His research in traditional musicology focuses on Bartók (analysis and performance), in music psychology on emotional communication in music performance, and in music pedagogy on developing effective and creative working and instrumental practice methods. Over the past few years, he has been involved in a countrywide planning of music education curricula across Hungary, including the National Core Curriculum and conservatoire curricula. As a pianist and chamber musician, he has performed in several European countries and the US, and conducts attentional skills training workshops (based on his Practice Methodology) and chamber music coaching sessions at international masterclasses both in Hungary and abroad, including in Britain at King’s College London, and in Italy, at the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire, Rome.

László earned his BA at Kenyon College in the USA, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Mandarin Chinese and Religious Studies. He has also studied at the Yunnan Nationalities University in Kunming, China, and conducted research in Gansu Province on East–West connections along the Silk Roads. He is currently completing his MA in Sinology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest where he researches decorative art collecting and aesthetics during late imperial China. In New York City, he previously worked as a registrar at Lark Mason Associates, an auction house that specializes in Chinese art and antiques.

László is an MSc graduate in Russian, Central and East European Studies of the University of Glasgow, and also holds a BA degree in History with Geography minor from Eötvös Loránd University. Currently he is also working on his doctoral dissertation in History at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. László’s main academic interest lies in the study of national identity in the early modern period. In his free time he likes to go running and hiking.

Léna was an enthusiastic student of Lovassy László Gimnázium and Milestone Institute. During her three years at the Institute, she immersed herself in several scientific fields, from astrophysics to biomedicine. She played an active role in Milestone’s student life with founding the Astrophysics and Astronomy Society and taking part in the MUN Society’s events and international conferences. After finishing her studies, Léna joined the Milestone staff as a Student Ambassador, where now she works closely with the Recruitment Team and takes part in Open Days. In the future, she will continue her studies in the Netherlands hoping to contribute to science as a research biologist.

Lili graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest, majoring in International Business. Her academic focus was nonprofit management and strategy, and she wrote her dissertation on alternative forms of financing for Hungarian non-profit organisations. During her university years, she was an active member and organiser of the volunteer organisation Amigos for the Children. She also studied with scholarships at the Wirtschaftsuniversitat in Vienna and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Currently she works as associate manager at Milestone Solutions Lab.

Marcell received his BSc in brain and cognitive sciences from the University of Rochester (USA), in an interdisciplinary program at the intersection of biology, psychology and philosophy. He completed his Master’s degree in neural & behavioral sciences at the International Max Planck Research School in Tübingen, where he used fMRI to study attention, social cognition and consciousness. After obtaining his degree, he spent a year performing academic research in Belgium, working with adolescents in car simulator experiments. He explored the relationship between risky driving and cognitive control. Subsequently, he also took part in an early stage drug development project targeting the cellular mechanisms that play a crucial role in the aging process of the brain. He is also proud of his sabbatical periods, during which he studied the Culinary Arts and Buddhism. In his leisure time he enjoys outdoor adventures involving mountains, bikes, sailboats or any combination of these.

Marco holds a BA in Translation and Interpreting, an MA in Contemporary Comparative History from CEU, and a PhD in Historical Studies. He is an OHA, IOHA and ASEEES member. After his PhD, he worked as an archivist and researcher for OSA and for the Cold War History Research Center of Corvinus University. He has been mentoring for IUfU. Marco joined Milestone in 2023 as a mentor. Marco loves reading, swimming and boxing.

Mária graduated as a psychologist from Eötvös Loránd University in 2019, where she specialized in counselling and educational psychology. During her studies, she represented Hungarian students in an international organisation and in the Ethics Committee of the Hungarian Psychological Association. She has gained substantial volunteering experience in various local/international NGOs, e.g. supporting children, coordinating international psychoeducational programmes, leading volunteer groups. She is very passionate about non-formal education, she has attended an experiential education course and later graduated from an international Train The Trainer programme. She also participated in an advanced leadership course for young European leaders in 2021. Before joining Milestone, Mária worked for a global youth exchange network, where she was responsible for organising educational exchange programmes and supporting high school students. In her free time, she love cooking, reading, travelling. She also enjoys being in nature, going to concerts or to the cinema.

Masha (Mitya) holds a PhD degree in Comparative Gender Studies from Central European University; they have studied philology at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine, and completed short research stays at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Södertörn University, Sweden, as part of their PhD studies. Masha’s research interests focus on literary masculinities and literary bodies, from Russian avant-garde literature and philosophy of the 1930s to contemporary Ukrainian fanfiction. Beyond that, Masha is interested in a broad array of topics, ranging from mediaeval heresies and the fairy belief in folklore to puppetry and contemporary viral prose. In their free time, Masha enjoys drawing and painting, watching silly things, and long forest walks.

Márton graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS). Within HSPS, he specialised in archaeology, and used drones to create detailed surveys and maps. He once owned a specialty café, but now works as a consultant in the Solutions Lab team. He spends most of his free time trail running.

Márton is research chair in law at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and senior legal adviser in the Administrative Division of Curia, the highest judicial authority of Hungary. He is the convenor of a Hungarian Academy of Sciences “Lendület” research group. He also works for a small regulatory consultancy company which advises corporate clients. Márton is also affiliated with the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine at Central European University. He received his undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Debrecen and his PhD – also in Law – from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. His academic and professional work focuses on European Union public and economic law, the regulation of public services and network industries, tax law, and biomedical technology regulation.

Mátyás graduated from Toldy Ferenc High School and continued his studies at the Budapest University of Economics as a Sales and Marketing Manager. Already during his college years, he tried his hand at several positions: first in the real estate market and then in the field of international trade. After many years of searching, he finally fell in love with web design and website development, which he learned largely in a self-taught manner. By now, he has over 100+ successful projects ranging from the smallest landing pages to robust webshops. Currently, among other things, he proudly maintains and develops the websites of Milestone Institute. In his spare time, he plays jazz piano and creates visual mapping installations.

Maya works at Amnesty International Hungary as a project coordinator in the human rights education team. They completed their BA at King’s College London in French and Philosophy. Later they also completed an MA at Goldsmiths University in Human Rights, Culture, and Social Justice.

Melinda is a scholar, researcher and educator with an interest in varied fields, such as literary and political theory, memory studies, medical humanities, and the Arctic. She earned her MA degrees in English and German literature, linguistics and culture and her PhD in literature at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. She also holds a degree in translation and in conference interpreting. In her free time, she enjoys short and long hikes.

Melinda is a lecturer in drama and theatre studies, and a freelance theatre director and dramaturge. She is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University (BA English and Film Studies, 2013; MA English Literature) and the National University of Ireland, Galway (2021, PhD in Drama and Theatre Studies). Since 2017, Melinda has lectured on BA and MA levels on the subjects of history of drama and theatre, directing and dramaturgy. Her field of research is the relationship of physical theatre and dramatic text, investigated from the perspective of theories of space and place and space dramaturgy. Beside her academic work, Melinda is also actively engaged in making theatre as a director and dramaturge, delivering projects mostly in Ireland and Hungary.

Miklós received his first degree in English Language and Literature from ELTE, following which he studied Modern Middle East, Hebrew, and Arabic at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Since 2001 he has been an English language assessor for ORIGO examinations, and later for ECL and Hungarian GCSE. From 2008, he has been working in the British education system as a teacher and academic manager. Since 2019 he has been an Academic Tutor at Oxford University’s Pre-sessional course, for International Business School, and for the Faculty of Economics at ELTE. He is currently completing his Master level qualifications for Cambridge DELTA. His hobbies include swimming, cycling, and long-distance running.

Miklós holds a PhD in Human Geography from Durham University, UK. His thesis explored urban segregation governance in the city of Miskolc, particularly through the lenses of penal and social policy. His broader academic interests include, but are not limited to, smart cities, gentrification, infrastructures, nationalism, and international development, as well as Marxist, post-structuralist, and postcolonial social scientific traditions. He previously worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Geography at Durham University, where he taught numerous undergraduate modules including Social Research, Geographies of Crisis, Planet Under Pressure, and Urban Geography, and he was also involved in the running of student field trips. In his free time, Miklós is an avid home cook and enjoys playing blues and rockabilly on the piano, hiking in the forest, swimming, and angling.

Miklós Vörös was born in Mohács, but lived most of his life in Budapest. After graduating from the Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences (now Corvinus University) in sociology and financial studies, he spent four years in the United States and earned a cultural anthropology MA at the University of Chicago. Since the beginning of the 1990s he has been teaching at various universities in Budapest, Brno, Chicago, Cluj, and Lund – mostly in the fields of cultural anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and cultural heritage studies. Besides his ongoing educational and research activities, he was on the editorial board of two major Hungarian social science journals: Replika and Café Bábel, as well as translated and edited numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles. Over the past fifteen years he has also worked as a cultural heritage development consultant, acting either as policy advisor or project monitoring expert. In his spare time Miklós enjoys travelling, watching films, and running in the Buda Hills.

Saleem is an assistant professor at the department of Automation and Applied Informatics at Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Teaching computer science courses, mainly in programming and software development, to BSc and MSc students. His research interests are in the fields of pattern recognition and machine learning. He arrived in this beautiful country in 2017, where he finished his Ph.D. studies and enjoyed his time. He enjoy doing sports in my spare time, especially football and vollyball.

Najeed is pursuing an MSc in Mathematics at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi. After his bachelor’s, he worked as a student development instructor in mathematics at The Citizens Foundation Pakistan, where he worked on the cognitive mathematical skills of under-resourced high school students. He is mainly interested in geometry and topology.

Natia is doing her Phd in Educational Sciences. Teaching and learning? That’s her jam. She lives and breathes to make students’ learning experiences top-notch, and she’ll happily spend hours making it happen. Teaching isn’t just her job; it’s her hobby too! Natia’s always there for her students, and she’s a pro at overthinking how to make their learning journey the best it can be.

Hi! I’m Noemie, Ph.D. in economics. I am currently a post-doctoral researcher at BME, QSMS Research Group. My field of concentration is game theory, more specifically, network formation games and political economy.

Olga comes from a Hungarian-Russian family and she spent her university years living in Japan. She obtained degrees in International Relations at the University of Tokyo (BA) and Waseda University (MA), as well as Corvinus University (MA). Since her graduation in 2009, she has been working in international cooperation and development, as well as in the art sector, including projects in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. Olga is a certified coach and currently studies Art Therapy.

Orsolya is an evolutionary biologist, with a passion for both research and education. She received her Master’s diploma from Eötvös Loránd University in 2007, with a specialisation in Evolutionary biology, Ecology and Systematics. Five years later she received her Ph.D from the same institution from Behavioural ecology and Evolutionary biology. Orsolya then moved to the United States for a Postdoctoral Scholarship at Dartmouth College, NH, where she started looking into the effects of climate change and physiology, which was followed by a second Postdoc at UFRN in Brazil. Upon returning back home, she turned her attention towards the evolutionary dynamics of emerging infectious diseases, which she is currently working on in collaboration with the University of Nebraska (USA) and Centre for Ecology Research (Hungary).
Throughout her academic career, Orsolya was highly interested in science communication and educational techniques, particularly in those related to STEM education. She taught classes in Systematics throughout my Ph.D., was elected vice-president of Dartmouth College Postdoctoral Association where she organised networking events, conferences and outreach programmes, and continued mentoring and teaching graduate and undergraduate students at UFRN. In Hungary, she worked as senior lecturer at Duna International College organising the curriculum of the Pre-Medical programme, and took an active role in science communication. She was a finalist in the 2018 FameLab competition at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was invited as keynote speaker to a FameLab-Scindikátor event, to MemoBudapest, and the 2019 FameLab finals. Her aim is to share her passion for science and evolution and break down the barriers between scientific and non-scientific audience, claiming knowledge is for everyone.

Orsolya studied at Eötvös Loránd University and graduated as a high school teacher of biology and English. She has contributed to digital educational content creation in the subject of Biology at the Hungarian Educational Authority. Alongside teaching, she has also volunteered with Konnekt Egyesület, guiding students at workshops focusing on an area that is especially near and dear to her heart: career orientation workshops. Starting September 2023, Orsolya is pursuing further studies in Microbiology at ELTE. Beyond academics, her various interests mirror her love for novelty and learning; however, she finds the most joy in spending time with her friends and family.

Orsolya is the founder of Spark Presentation. With a combination of the realities of TED-style presentations, storytelling, science, design, and business, she assists anyone from experts to executives, from American bestselling authors to Harvard professors, from start up enterpreneurs to TEDx presenters in getting their messages across and to be perceived as smart as they truly are. In the past ten years she has assisted in making several hundreds of presentations and has been in the spotlight herself a number of times: she has stood on TEDx’s red dot in front of six hundred people, on the stage of an expo in Köln, and executive boardrooms. She has learnt creative writing, scriptwriting, being present on the stage, graphic design, and public speaking. Orsolya shares her knowledge and expertise gained in the past ten years in her elearning and blended courses, as well as during consultations. Her book Generational Myths: How to Prepare for the Challenges of the Future argues for defining generations not based on the past, but the future, was published in May 2019 by HVG Books.

Pál was born into a mathematician family. After he got his MA degree at Eötvös Loránd University he made his PhD studies at the University of Cambridge. As a postdoctoral researcher, he worked in Cambridge first and then in Hungary. He was teaching in Mathematics pathway classes in high schools. At the moment he lectures at the Department of Algebra of Technical University, Budapest. He researches mainly group theory, but also interested in algebra and number theory.

Patricia holds a Master’s degree in Ballet, and was a member of the Corp the Ballet in the State Opera House for three years. After this, in 2004 she earned a degree in art management at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. She worked as a TV presenter and editor for six years for Music Television Hungary and TV2. In the meantime, as she was getting more and more involved in the art scene, she got the opportunity to work for Ludwig Museum, a major contemporary art institute, as Head of Communication. She spent seven years here. Lately, she started studying at the Gate of Dharma Buddhist College. She is interested in gastronomy, contemporary art, ballet and modern dance, and philosophy.

Holds a PhD from Geography/Social Sciences Faculty, Open University, UK, dissertation on the political economy and ethical norms of journalism; MA in Journalism from the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”; and MSC in Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, Budapest.
Experienced trainer and course leader of over 50 workshops and training courses for journalists across Central, Eastern, South-Eastern Europe, the former USSR, Turkey and Central Asia, implementing a hands-on training methodology jointly developed with fellow-trainers from The Guardian, Financial Times, BBC etc.
Former first editor-in-chief of Current Affairs Programmes, presenter of the weekly show Sofia’s Tales, news reporter with portfolios – President Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev, Foreign Ministry, Parliament – on Nova TV (1994 – 1997).
Former Editor-in-Chief of Green Horizon, the quarterly magazine of the intergovernmental Regional Environment Center for Central and Eastern Europe in Szentendre, Hungary (2001 – 2008). Project manager of international projects to strengthen the freedom of journalism and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, South Eastern Europe, Turkey, NIS..
Author of applied and academic studies on trends in journalism in the public interest and digitalization, with a focus on professional and ethical norms of journalism, industry interference in editorial processes, relations between journalism and civil society, etc. Associate member of the Open Space Research Center in Milton Keynes, UK.
Advisor for civil society to the Minister of Environment and Water in Bulgaria (July 2023 – April 2024; March – June 2014).
Father of 3. Based in Budapest, Hungary; and in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Péter grew up in a small town in northern Hungary on the Slovakian border, called Salgótarján, in a small family. He was lucky, that instead of the generally obligatory Russian, He could study English from an early age in an experimental class. Péter went to the local vocational high school for economics and trade, then went to the local institution of the College of Finance and Accountancy (now called Budapest Business School). In the early 2000s, He came to Budapest and found a sales job at a small Hungarian leasing firm at the height of the credit boom. In 2006 He got a job at IBM Global Financing, and has worked there for 13 years. He served in various positions, always focusing on financial and business analysis and not going to management. In 2019, their division was sold to Lenovo and he was also transferred as a senior analyst.

Peti embarked on his higher education journey at Hungarian Dance University, then, he pursued his studies in Spanish and English at ELTE, delving into the world of languages and literature. During his high school years, he embarked on a life-changing adventure as an exchange student in Argentina, immersing himself in a new culture and language.

Petya finished his studies in Cambridge in Natural Sciences in 2023 with a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry. Currently, he works at Gedeon Richter Plc. in biotechnology. In terms of teaching experience, Petya has tutored almost a dozen Hungarian students to help them perform better at their Matura Exams in biology or chemistry. He also participated in the Internation Biology Olympiad in 2018 and 2019, and won a silver and a gold medal, respectively. Since then, he has been teaching prospective Hungarian IBO students alongside other former participants in a freely available course available to anyone interested. https://ibo.dedyn.io/ In his free time, Petya loves to cook, play with his dog, play the cello, and play both board games and computer games (mostly the strategic kinds).

Robi is a Cambridge and UCL graduate with a background in social and political sciences. After graduating with an MSc in Public Policy, he pursued a career in the public sector in London. Upon returning to Hungary, he joined the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency where he currently works as a consultant. His interests include moral philosophy, health policy, and political psychology.

Rudolf Paksa was born in 1981 in Ajka, Hungary. He studied History, Philosophy and Library science, as well as some Archaeology and Linguistics at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest. He graduated as a historian and history teacher in 2006, and in 2012 he received his PhD in Modern Hungarian History from ELTE. Between 2009 and 2022 he worked as a historian at the Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and has taught as an associate lecturer at ELTE, Eszterházy Károly University of Eger, the University of Debrecen and the CEU Socrates Project in Budapest. He is an expert on Hungarian far-right movements, the interwar period, historiography and public memory, as well as the history of Hungarian cuisine. He enjoys hiking and discussing various topics with his friends either in emails or in the form of “zoom pubbing.” He is an avid debater. He loves movies and TV shows about historical and social issues.

Sára has studied psychology and international relations in Budapest and Copenhagen. She completed a master’s degree in Conflict Studies and Human Rights at Utrecht University, where she briefly worked as a researcher too. From her student years, she has been active in different civil society organisations, gaining experience in the fields of minority rights and youth policy. She has been working for Milestone as an external mentor since June 2021, until she joined full-time in May 2023 as the Head of Access Year. She is also supervising the Bridge Scholarship which provides full tuition waivers to talented students arriving from a Roma, or socially disadvantaged background.

Tamás works as a lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. His PhD topic was on camera-based collision avoidance of unmanned aircraft. In addition to PPKE, he has also worked as a visiting researcher at the University of Notre Dame. His current research is a continuation of this, combining the fields of drones, machine vision and artificial intelligence. He is also interested in talent management and the development of electronic educational tools. He is the father of four children. In his spare time, he sings in choirs, plays guitar, takes photos and tinkers.

Thomas gained his Master’s degree in computational physics from the University of Edinburgh, his PhD in light-matter interaction from the University of Glasgow and is currently principal investigator of an international project to detect magnetic fields: combining shaped light and atoms. Identifying as a thinker and tinkerer at the Wigner research centre for physics, Thomas has greatly enjoyed adding teacher at Milestone to this list. Something that continues to hold true two years later. Outside of the office, he has strong interests in programming and theology. In fact, he has built an app for learning obscure languages and spent the past year developing a website for families to remotely record audio books. His most recent challenge however, is learning how to jointly raise a 9-month old puppy and a 2-month old baby.

Tünde holds two MA degrees from ELTE (English Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and a CELTA from Cambridge Assessment English. In her 15+ years in the field of education, she has gained varied and extensive experience in teaching, teacher training and academic development, as well as academic and business management, across various roles in Hungary and the UK. Before joining Milestone Institute, Tünde was leading the Examinations Services Department at British Council Hungary. Prior to that, she spent six years in the UK, where she taught on pre-Master’s and university foundation programmes at the University of Birmingham and in Oxford, held the post of Academic Manager at Eurocentres Cambridge, and also worked as a freelance expert for the Council of Europe on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and for Macmillan Education UK on CEFR-related projects.

Valéria is a goal-oriented professional with extensive experience in logistics, process development and customer management. She graduated from the Foreign Trade Faculty of Budapest University of Economics. She started her career at Arthur Andersen & Co, one of the biggest auditing firms. Her work history includes significant roles such as MD of Oximio Hungary Kft. and Oximio D.O.O. Beograd, Supply Chain Manager at Kifli.hu, and various leadership positions at DHL Exel Supply Chain, showcasing a successful track record in general management, project management, and process optimization. She worked for nearly two years in Prague as a logistics consultant supporting Panalpina. Among the notable achievements is the creation of a team at Oximio, – providing end-to-end logistics services for clinical trials – which managed to obtain a drug import and manufacturing license. Previously, she was logistics manager at Rondo Corrugated Cardboard Manufacturing Ltd., worked at Dreher Breweries as a procurement category manager and excelled in risk management at Unilever. Her career reflects a commitment to excellence and the ability to increase organizational efficiency and performance. Her motivation is the team work. Valéria’s two sons are grown up. In her spare time, she hikes and studies and practices two branches of kinesiology.

Vera holds a BSc degree in Neuroscience from the University of St Andrews and an MSc degree in Psychology from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her master’s specialization was brain and cognition with a special focus on cognition in the digital age. Her interest in the education sector led her to dedicate her master’s thesis to investigating the impact of ChatGPT on written assignments. Additionally to her academic studies, she has worked in various research laboratories in the UK, the Netherlands and Hungary. In her free time, she likes playing board games and exploring new creative pursuits from pottery to writing and illustrating children’s books.

Veronika has a degree in International Relations from Central European University and Sociology from Corvinus University of Budapest. She developed interest in the educational sector as a member of Széchenyi István College for Advanced Studies, and this interest drove her to join Solutions Lab’s educational consultancy team. When she is not at Milestone Institute, she is part of the organizing team of Bánkitó Festival. In her freetime, she enjoys painting, dancing tango, or discovering new underground pubs in Budapest.

Will Collins is a lecturer in American Studies at Eötvös Loránd University. His essays, reviews, and reporting have been published in a variety of British and American outlets, including National Review, Newsweek, The Spectator, The Washington Examiner, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The American Conservative. His stories have appeared in The Continental Literary Magazine. As a devotee of short fiction, Will enoys writing in his spare time.

Zalán works in the Capital Markets Team of CBRE, covering all M&A and brokerage deals in the Hungarian commercial real estate market. Prior to his current role, he worked in the wider field of structured finance and investment banking in London, Frankfurt and Budapest. Zalán has completed his MSc studies in finance at the London School of Economics (LSE), and holds a BA degree in Applied Economics from Eötvös Loránd University (Eltecon).

Zoltán was born in Szolnok, where he started his studies. He worked for many years in the field of turism and hospitality, trying himself in many different situations and working with various people. In his spare time he enjoys reading and hiking. He considers himself a curious person who is always open to learning new things.

Zsófi obtained her first degree from Corvinus University of Budapest in International Relations and later continued her studies at Central European University, which culminated in an MPhil in Philosophy. She has explored many different areas in her career from non-profit civic education through university administration to the tech startup world. Previously, she was a Leadership Fellow at Common Sense Society Hungary, and an MA Program Coordinator at CEU’s Department of Medieval Studies. She is interested in philosophy and intellectual history, as well as psychology, (contemporary) English-language literature, and LGBTQ+ histories. Nowadays, her favorite pastime activity is bouldering, but you may also find her on walks listening to an eclectic mix of podcasts, or immersed in a book with her tabby cat by her side.

Zsóka is a theoretical evolutionary biologist, doing research on the evolution of cooperation in humans and other animals. She received both her MSc and PhD degrees at the Eötvös Loránd University. During her PhD studies she has spent 3 months at the Newcastle University, and 6 months at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research.
During the years of her studies she worked as a social and cognitive trainer for children with ADHD. She has also worked for a couple of months as a nurse at a child and adolescent psychiatry department. Before and during all the above, she has spent plenty of time learning, playing, singing and arranging classical music.

Zsolt is teacher of English and Political science, as well as a PhD candidate in Security studies focusing on the analysis of American foreign and security policies and the intellectual historical ramifications of decision-making. He studied American, European and Political studies at the University of Szeged, and also spent some great months at universities in France, Finland and the United States, broadening his scope of interests in digital education practices, media literacy and global communication studies. For the last two decades, he has been keenly involved, particularly in two major kinds of activities: teaching and traveling, Zsolt has got extensive teaching experiences in various secondary and higher educational institutions from Hungary through Finland to the United States. Furthermore, he has quite deeply familiarised himself with the culture, history and scenery of more than 43 countries so far, from USA, Iceland to Palestine. Besides the versatile academic interests and activities (teaching, studying and conducting research) in his free time he loves hiking, travelling with his kids and watching great movies.

Zsolt studied Pedagogy in Witten (Germany), and Architecture, Linguistics, History and Philosophy in Budapest. He holds an MA in History and Philosophy. After pursuing research in Budapest, Vienna, Oxford and Leiden, he obtained a PhD in Philosophy jointly from Leiden University and Central European University in 2010. In his final year in the Netherlands, he worked as a research assistant at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in Wassenaar. Upon his return to Budapest, he was first engaged in developing projects with Kreater Social Innovation Lab. Currently, apart from his work at the Milestone Institute, he is tutoring English and mathematics and continues his research in philosophy. Zsolt enjoys cycling and swimming, and he has a fair interest in politics, theatre and cinema.

Zsuzsi graduated from the University of Groningen with a Master’s degree in Journalism. She instantly fell in love with the Dutch lifestyle, so she spent three years interning and working in the Netherlands, then she moved back home. During her university years, she kept herself busy by designing creative projects, running a culture column and publishing on various online and offline platforms. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, painting, writing poetry, or searching for further opportunities abroad. She has spent a memorable summer working in the US and was invited to the European Parliament in Brussels for a training course.