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.

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.

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.

Besides working at Milestone Institute, Ádám graduated from Corvinus University studying international business economics. 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.

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.

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 completed his BA in English and American Studies at ELTE and during his student years he started working in the IT sector. Later he continued his career in IT as a Project Manager and spent the next 10 years in this role in various companies. He is on his way to complete his degree in Mental Health Studies at Károli Gáspár University. He loves travelling, pizza, spending time with his partner and their senior dog.

Hanna is an artist, art teacher, and graphic designer who graduated from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. In addition to mentoring at the Milestone Institute, she teaches technical English at the Budai Art School, where she combines language with creativity to inspire her students. She is the founder of art & science workshops for children that encourage playful exploration and self-expression. Alongside teaching, she maintains an active artistic practice, primarily working with drawing, painting, and collage. As a mentor, her goal is to help students discover their true passion and feel empowered in their personal journeys. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and having long conversations with friends. Creativity, connection, and curiosity are at the heart of everything she does.

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.

Trained as a historian, Ágnes was a post-graduate research scholar at the University of Cambridge when she realised that besides learning, her true passion lies 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.

Ágnes has over 20 years of experience in both formal and non-formal education, various educational methodologies, curriculum design, and course delivery. She joined Milestone in 2018 and led its 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. Later, as Lead Education Programme Designer in Milestone’s Solutions Lab, she led the development of innovative, internationally scalable education solutions with the mission of increasing equity of access to higher education. She is now a Master Mentor and Module Leader.

In her free time, Agnes can be found in the vicinity of dance floors, bookstores, and anything involving sunshine and/or music.

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.

András was a Milestone student for four years before attending law and business studies LLB at the University of Warwick. Similar to his days as a Laika, he continued communication related activities during university, adjudicating British parliamentary debates in the UK, and holding remote public speaking seminars at Engame Academy. After moving back to Hungary, András was a legal trainee at the M&A practice at Dentons in Budapest, before becoming a consultant at the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency. Now, András is a mentor, module leader, and coach of the Milestone Debating Society. In his free time he enjoys going on hikes with his dog, and participating in other sports related activities with his friends.

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.

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.

Boglárka Fedorkó is a dedicated NGO professional with over 15 years of experience working across grassroots and international movements for gender equality, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. With a background in economics and communications, she has contributed to both local and global efforts to advance social justice, including work with organizations such as TGEU, ILGA-Europe, Romaversitas, and Mama Cash. Her professional journey is rooted in her commitment to intersectional feminist organizing, having coordinated numerous advocacy, research, and community empowerment projects that foster collaboration and policy reform.
In addition to her work in human rights, she is passionate about fostering collaboration between grassroots movements and global stakeholders, ensuring marginalized communities have a meaningful voice in shaping global policy. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys mentoring young people and emerging activists, as well as engaging with art that explores themes of social change.

Beata studied Molecular Biology at University of Debrecen and holds PhD from Medical Science. During her PhD study she was visiting scientist at Cardiff University and at Taichung University of Science and Technology (Taiwan). Beata received a postdoctoral fellowship to Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) and after her postdoc years she stayed in academic research in high ranked laboratories for several years. Beata’s main scientific interest is biochemistry, cell biology, metabolism, immunology, system biology and neuroscience. Beside academic research, Beata has several years experiences in biotech industry and in innovating startup world. In their free time, Beata loves sport, especially triathlon, cycling and open water swimming.

Bence studied Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. His dissertation focused on medical imaging using AI (nnU-Nets), with a particular interest in the metabolic state of the heart. He is passionate about programming and applying AI to solve real-world problems. Bence takes a special interest in mentoring and enjoys seeing his mentees succeed. He is also enthusiastic about sports. While at Oxford, he achieved a Blue in water polo and was part of the premier league championship team. He even had the opportunity to represent the University at the European University Games.

Boglárka is currently working on her PhD in interdisciplinary history at Eötvös Loránd University. Her research focuses on the changing ideas about the body and physical dis/ability in late state-socialist Hungary. Her research interests also include spatial experience and the critical study of the built environment. She holds a BA and an MA in Design Theory from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. Boglárka has recently started volunteering at Menedék (Hungarian Association for Migrants), and in her free time, she enjoys reading and running.

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 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 OLIve project, which provides education for the 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 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 Máté is an artist, designer and researcher. He graduated with an MSc in graphic design from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and is finishing his doctorate there. He is an assistant professor at Eötvös Loránd Science University Visual Art Department. His artistic and research practice primarily deals with the ideology and politics of large-scale infrastructures. His works were exhibited at prominent Hungarian exhibition venues such as the Budapest Gallery and the MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art. He was also a co-editor of the books Approximating Borders: Artistic Research in Practice, and Elmélet és tudomány a művészeti gyakorlatban

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.

Detre studied Literature and Linguistics complemented by Buddhism studies at ELTE Faculty of Humanities. He is deeply fascinated by linguistics and philosophy, constantly exploring their many intriguing aspects. In his free time, Detre enjoys writing, reading, and taking walks with his dog, Lenke.

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.

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.

Edith is an artist and art therapist, with a deep interest in the role of creativity in everyday life.
She holds an MA from Fine Arts University Budapest, a post-graduate diploma as art therapist from Janus Pannonius University Pécs, and pursued two doctoral degrees: DLA in sculptural arts and Phd in Transdisciplinarity.
She taught Social Psychology of Communication at Corvinus University Budapest for 3 years, before spending 2 years in Portugal holding art therapy workshops at ISCTE University Lisbon and at retreat centres. She has a private art therapy practice.
Besides art, opera and jazz, she loves travelling, swimming, hiking, dancing, and listening to TED talks and podcasts while cooking or baking her own recipes.

Edit studied economics and business studies at Corvinus University of Economic Sciences, majoring in Corporate Finance and minoring in International Management. After several years of banking experience, she turned towards IT and started to work with Digital Transformation. She completed several major transformation projects in the Financial and Energy & Utilities sector in Hungary, Italy, Germany and Sweden. She is now leading a Start-up company in the financial & real estate market. She is proud mother of three children, in her free time she likes traveling, cooking, visiting festivals and concerts and spending time with friends and family.

Ella loves sharing her passion for architecture. She holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from KU Leuven in Belgium and completed her Bachelor’s at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Throughout her professional path, she finds joy in all phases of architectural realization: the creative expanse of conceptualization, the meticulous work on sketches and models, and the analytical overview of the project. Her experience spans architectural studios in Tel Aviv and Paris, where she has worked on diverse projects including museum proposals, office renovations, and urban development initiatives. In her spare time, Ella enjoys cooking, practicing yoga, and playing the cello.

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.

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 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.

Eszter has completed her degrees in Literature and Aesthetics at Eötvös Loránd University, and in Cultural Heritage Management and Social Development in an Erasmus+ programme at Eötvös Loránd University and École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Her vision of community and education is influenced by the time she spent as a student at Saint Ignatius College of Advanced Studies and College of Advanced Studies for Social Theory. In the past she has worked at the CEU Democracy Institute and at the Municipality of Budapest. She is a poet, she publishes poetry in Hungarian and is currently working on her first collection. She is a passionate ashtanga yoga practitioner in the tradition of the late Sharath Jois and a singer in the feminist autodidact choir Varsányi SzIrének.

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. She then earned her Master’s in Cultural Heritage Studies with a specialization in Religious Studies from Central European University. Before returning to Hungary, she spent two years pursuing a PhD in South Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and studied Thai at SOAS, University of London. Her research on the modern use and representation of early Buddhist art, particularly in Thai cultural memory practices, earned her the Best Religious Studies MA Thesis Award in 2019/2020, which she later published as an article in Political Theology. In her free time, Eszter enjoys exploring various genres of music, visiting cafés with her friends, doing yoga, cooking and tasting Italian and Asian food, and traveling around the world.

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.

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 Markó is the chair of the Thought, Language & Behaviour pathway at Milestone Institute and she also works as a school psychologist. She completed her undergraduate degrees at Bard College (New York, USA) in psychology and violin performance, and got her master’s degrees from the University of Edinburgh and Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest in developmental psychology. She has conducted research on performance anxiety, self-compassion, as well as human sexuality.

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.

Gyula finished his psychology studies at ELTE, after first completing his economy degree at Corvinus University. He is also on his way to earn a PhD in psychology. He has experience with research in clinical psychology and customer experience, as well as practical experience in the field of mental health. In psychology Gyula takes a holistic perspective, with focuses on clinical and affective psychology as well as Jungian depth psychology. Aside from his academic life he is a passionate painter, leatherworker and cook. Now he is oriented to further the understanding of Artificial intelligence, from a psychological perspective.

Hanna graduated from ELTE in 2023 with a degree in Film and Theatre Studies. During her university years, she developed an interest in the issue of minority representation in theatre and film, focusing on both production processes and portrayal. Throughout her studies, she had the opportunity to delve into translating theoretical texts and writing theatre reviews. She worked in communications for an independent theatre advocating for social equality, and later took up a position as a trained baker before beginning her studies in Special Needs Education in 2024. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of collaborative creative projects and different aspects of social responsibility.

Hanna graduated as a cultural organizer from ELTE TÓFK. Before joining Milestone, she worked as a press officer in Hungary and Austria, as a project manager at a translation agency, a babywearing consultant, and a chef. In addition to managing the Institute’s events, she spends her free time managing apartment renovations, making jam, and going to the opera.

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.

Husam is a Research Fellow Assistant in the Department of Automation and Applied Informatics at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He teaches laboratory courses in C, C++, informatics, and data-driven systems, working with both undergraduate and graduate students.
He moved to Hungary in 2020 to pursue his PhD at BME, which he successfully completed in March 2025. His research initially focused on hardware security, particularly configurable ring oscillator PUFs.
In his free time, Husam enjoys playing sports, including football and table tennis, as well as board games such as Catan, Wingspan, and Blokus.

Husam Rajab, Ph.D., is a computer engineer with expertise in communication networks and emerging technologies. He completed his PhD in Computer Engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 2023. Prior to that, he obtained an M.Sc. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in 2017. His research focuses on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, energy efficiency in communication networks, and machine learning. In addition to his academic achievements, Husam has significant professional experience in systems engineering, having worked with organizations such as Quest|One Identity, Ericsson, and Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He is also dedicated to mentoring and contributing to various research initiatives, including the Digital Aid Project and EIT Health Innovation Days. Outside of his professional work, Husam is an active volunteer who is engaged with several international organizations, including EIT Health Innovatros and UEFA. His broad experience, combined with his commitment to continuous learning, enables him to make meaningful contributions to both research and practical applications in technology.

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.

Juli is a neurobiologist with more than two decades of experience in research, teaching and science communication. She earned an MSc in Biology (2001) as well as in Teaching of Biology (2002) at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Faculty of Science, where she also met most of her best friends and the guy who later became her husband and the father of their two children. While doing her PhD in neurobiology at the University of Pécs, Juli also worked as an editor for the the popular science weekly Élet és Tudomány (‘Life and Science”). In 2006 she moved to London with her husband and was very proud to be hired by Nature Publishing Group as an Associate Editor for one of the group’s medical journals. After returning to Hungary with her family and working for a Hungarian medical journal for a while, she applied in 2012 for a job at ELTE’s Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education where she has been working ever since as an Assistant Professor. Juli is teaching biomedical courses, such as Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Embryology, and courses related to the pathology of various disabilities. Since 2019, she also teaches anatomy for international students at the English-language psychology BA program at Károli Gáspár University. Her main research topic is the prevalence of neuromyths – that is, false beliefs about the nervous system – in education. Her hobbies include contemporary literature, etymology and classical music (with experience in piano playing and choir singing.)

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.

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 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.

After studying comparative literature and cultural studies at ELTE, Lilla started writing her PhD at the University of Debrecen. Her academic interest revolves around representations of non-normative human bodies. She reads, interprets, writes about, and talks about contemporary Hungarian literature and comics on different platforms and with various people. She has experience teaching in diverse environments: she taught at both ELTE and UniDeb, worked in the education of underprivileged children as well as in organisations for gifted youth. She spends her free time playing board games and dancing.

Lukács Hayes is a Budapest-based urbanist and participatory expert. He holds a Sociology and Social Policy BA degree from Corvinus University of Budapest and and Political Science and Government MA degree from the Central European Univesity. Lukács is an alumni of Rajk College for Advanced Studies where he used to work as a Lecturer after graduation. In the past, he held a number of managerial roles in Momentum Mozgalom, a Hungarian opposition party, notably, managing to winning campaigns in Budapest and working as the Chief of Staff of one its MPs in the Hungarian Legislature. Lukács is the Co-Founder and Program Director of Katalizátor Program, a democratic learning program for youth in Hungary, and Co-Founder and Project Manager of Cooperative City, an urban research think-tank. Apart form teaching at Milestone, he is also a Visiting Lecturer at the Corvinus University of Budapest and serves as a Member of the Board of Directors at RÉV8 Zrt., the urban planning office of the Municipality of Józsefváros in Budapest.

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.

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 earned a Master’s degree in Teaching at Eötvös Loránd University, specializing in Spanish and Hungarian as foreign languages. Over the past ten years, he has taught in nearly every segment of language education, from language schools and public education to universities. Previously, he worked at Lauder Javne School, where he participated in numerous innovative educational development programs and mentored students in successfully achieving their higher education goals and securing admission to universities. Currently, he teaches Spanish and Hungarian as foreign languages at the International School of Budapest, preparing groups for their Cambridge (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. He is passionate about all aspects of education and applied linguistics, with a particular interest in gamification and audio-visual translation. When not teaching, he works as a dubbing dramaturge, attends improvisational theatre courses, enjoys learning new languages, and have even had the opportunity to explore the exciting world of the music industry as a member of a folk fusion band.

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 has studied International Business and Economics at Corvinus University of Budapest and Political Science at Central European University in Vienna. During his university years, he was a member of Rajk College for Advanced Studies. Before joining Milestone Institute, he worked in the public and private sectors, both domestically and abroad. He is passionate about higher education, driven by his experience as a practitioner and policy researcher. In his spare time, he’s trying to develop his chess skills, catch up on the literary/motion picture canon or escape the city for his beloved Zala hills.

Melinda is a scholar, researcher and educator, her interests span various areas, and she is always ready to learn new things, but professionally she is engaged in literary and political theory. Her research encompasses topics such as the role and representation of memory, postcolonialism and Central Europe, science diplomacy 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, and her MA in International Relations at CEU. She is a trained conference interpreter (EMCI) and translator, with English, German and Hungarian as working languages. Thanks to various scholarships, she has visited universities in Germany, the UK and the US; and regularly gives talks at international conferences. Having more than a decade long higher education teaching experience and several years of mentoring experience, she enthusiastically assists students in exploring their academic interests. 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.

Azouz is a Teaching Assistant at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He moved to Hungary in 2017 to pursue his Master’s in Computer Engineering at BME, later starting his PhD at the same university in 2019, which he successfully defended in 2024. Azouz teaches software development courses at BME and enjoys working on interdisciplinary research projects, applying his expertise in IT and machine learning to enhance processes in various industries. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, football, and board games with friends.

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.

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.

Nóra graduated from the Faculty of Science at the University of Szeged (Hungary) in 2007 with a degree in Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching. After gaining a year of experience in an industrial laboratory, she began her PhD studies at the Doctoral School of Chemistry at Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), where she obtained her PhD in 2014. Her doctoral research focused on investigating interfacial chemistry phenomena through computer simulation methods.
In 2015-2016, she contributed to the development of fire-retardant fabrics in Professor Mao’s group at the University of Leeds School of Design in the UK. Following this, she transitioned to roles in research support and management, including a position with the innovation team at Semmelweis University.
Nóra has a keen interest in science communication, as well as in raising public awareness of science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. She enjoys reading and hiking with her family.

Nora studied Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sussex and Sociology at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. She is mostly interested in issues of feminism and ecology. In her free time she does and teaches yoga and carries out her duties in the feminist movement she is part of.

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.

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.

Péter began his career as a high school English and German teacher before becoming a mentor at ELTE CETT, where he supported teacher candidates during their in-school teaching practice. He holds a PhD in Language Pedagogy from ELTE and an MBA from CEU. He later transitioned to the corporate sector, working for various international companies – including City & Guilds, Pearson, and Libra Books – specializing in vocational qualifications, language examinations, publishing, and the book trade. Currently, he works as a freelance business coach and as a part-time teacher at Szabó Lőrinc Hungarian-English Bilingual Primary and Secondary School. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, cycling, and fishing.

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.

Péter studied linguistics in Hungary, Norway, Germany, and Scotland, worked as a researcher in New Zealand and England, and now teaches at the Cognitive Science Department of BME, where he deals with problems related to language, cognition, and learning. He likes eating food and plays the piano badly.

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.

Robert Taylor taught English in Heidelberg and Vienna as well as teaching in Hungary. He taught at (Seattle) The University of Washington’s IELP program, which is where he also obtained his MA-Tesol degree and I-tefl certification. He made English lesson plan workbooks, taught Language test courses (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) at the University for International students, and edited papers for students applying to Western Universities. He taught students as young learners all the way to adults (business), taught beginner to advanced students. Furthermore, he taught both in and outside the USA, as well as online. One of his main objectives are to make English both fun and engaging. He loves teaching English and helping others with their language goals and interests. He also teaches online literature books and novels, which he enjoys reading as well.

Rozália is a PhD student in the Astronomy and Space Physics program at ELTE, where she previously completed her undergraduate and master’s studies. As a visiting student, she also participated in the doctoral program at Princeton University.
As a student, she was always active in university life, serving as a mentor and holding several positions in the ELTE Faculty of Science Student Union. During her PhD, she also had the opportunity to teach, where she realized how important talent development is to her.
In her free time, Rozália enjoys hiking, reading fiction, and is always happy to discuss the difference between astronomy and astrology.

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.

Szilárd is a political theorist with a background in political science. He is currently employed at the Centre for Social Sciences. His main areas of interest are theories of community, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and multiculturalism. His secondary fields of research are the political history of south Slavic peoples and the political history and the history of ideas of Vojvodina Hungarians.

Sylvia earned her Master’s in Global History in 2023 from Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Berlin. Her MA thesis, Seen Not Heard: African Students in East German Newspapers, 1960-1980, detailed the juxtaposition between official GDR rhetoric regarding students from the Global students with their experiences. In 2018, she graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Contemporary European Studies. Her primary research interest is Blackness in Central Europe, but she is also interested in migration, historical revisionism, and political memory. Professionally, she has worked in academic administration, education, and client services. As a dual citizen of the United States and Hungary, her transatlantic upbringing greatly influenced her passion for intellectual exploration. She speaks English, German, and Hungarian at an advanced level. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, swimming, hiking, reading interesting books at cafes, and listening to podcasts.

Szofi studied at the University of South Wales, graduating with a BA in Media, Culture and Journalism before returning from Cardiff to her home base in Budapest. While studying and in the years that followed, she worked as a freelance journalist in TV and culture, and as an occasional translator of comics and graphic novels. Eventually starting full-time as a technical writer, she has been working in the profession since 2020, focusing on software documentation and improving CI/CD processes. She still enjoys writing reviews every now and then but mostly watches TV and movies for just fun these days, along with expanding her ever-growing Rubik’s cube and Lego collections and dabbling in graphic design.

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.

Timea Sipos was born in Budapest, but grew up between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Balatonlelle. She holds a BA in English Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing and an MFA in Creative Writing with a fiction focus, both from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Later, she earned a certificate of Hungarian to English literary translation from the Balassi Institute in Budapest. Her fiction, poetry, essays and translations have appeared in American and international literary journals, such as Prairie Schooner, Passages North, Juked, Waxwing, The Washington Review, and many more. Her work has been supported by PEN America, the Vermont Studio Center, Tin House, and the Nevada Arts Council, among others. She has translated several poetry collections and has published one of her own, all about her love for Budapest and the Mojave Desert, called The Shapes Our Tongues Make. She has taught multiple age groups at a number of institutions, such as Otis College of Art & Design, College Transitions, Education Unlimited, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her hobbies include slam poetry, hiking, biking, and various forms of dance, like bachata.

Tünde has Master’s degree in Aesthetics and in English Language and Literature. She completed an ‘Art and Finance in the Global Market’ course at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London in 2013. She has been working as a tutor and curator for 10 years. She has extensive experience in teaching academic skills in the UK, mostly at the Centre for Global Programmes, University of York. She managed a contemporary art gallery and curated numerous shows in the fields of digital art, contemporary photography and video art in the previous years. Her main interests are contemporary art, community building and hiking.

Vera completed her masters in English and Japanese Language and Literature at Károli Gáspár University. Afterwards, she lived in Scotland and Japan before starting her career as a language teacher in Hungary. Later, when her children were born, her focus shifted to understanding the needs of newborns and new parents. She dreamed of creating a place where these would be supported with great care and quality. In 2008, her dream came true when she co-founded Hordozóház in Budapest and worked there until she joined Milestone. In her free time, she founded a unique collection of ethnographic baby carriers (included in the official Register of Cultural Values of Public Interest). Since 2021, counseling bereavement groups as a grief educator has been a special part of her life.

Yaren Varol is a PhD student specializing in Diplomatic History at Pázmány Péter Catholic University. Her research focuses on Hungarian-Turkish relations in the early 20th century, exploring contemporary history through a diplomatic lens. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Pázmány Péter Catholic University and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration in the French Language with an international relations concentration from Marmara University.

She has diverse professional experience in diplomacy, e-commerce, copywriting, and corporate communications across Hungary, Poland, and Turkey. She gained experience in foreign policy during her internship at the Turkish Embassy in Budapest. She is currently working as a user interface reviewer for a children’s app at an international IT company.

Yaren is actively involved in student mentoring and leadership. She has been part of the National Union of Students in Hungary (HÖOK) for several years and was recently promoted to Leading Mentor, overseeing student mentoring programs at Pázmány Péter Catholic University.

Her international academic experience includes PhD mobility at the University of Vienna, where she expanded her research perspective. She also participated in the European Voluntary Service, volunteering with EuroDesk Polska, where she contributed to youth engagement and international exchange programs.

Beyond academia, Yaren enjoys theater, traveling, and participating as a background actor in films. She is passionate about mentoring, history, and digital diplomacy.

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).

Zoltan studied theoretical physics at ELTE in Budapest and did PhD with Prof. ‘t Hooft in Utrecht. He worked on quantum gravity, quantum information theory in The Netherlands, Scotland, Italy and England. He moved back to Budapest already with a wife and a daughter and switched to Quant Finance in 2017 working first for Morgan Stanley Model Risk Management, then for KPMG Financial Risk Management, where he works currently. He taught a few modules during his academic years from Calculus to Discrete Time Finance. He likes independent movies, series, theatre, reading, music (live and recorded), snowboarding, via ferrata and cycling.

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.

Zoli did his studies at four universities: SZTE, ELTE, University of Luxembourg and Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. He founded the first student magazine (ROUX) of the University of Luxembourg. His fortes are creative writing, academic writing, philosophy, and how to take initiatives and make them happen. He believes that studying and learning should be fun. As a hobby he sings, and writes songs, poetry and fiction.

After completing her BA in English Studies at the University of Pécs, Zsófi took a gap year to teach swimming and Physical Education to children of all ages in Bangkok, Thailand. She then obtained her MA degree and taught English as an extra-curricular activity in local kindergartens. Zsófi spent a semester in Haifa, Israel, where she attended pedagogical courses at Oranim Academic College of Education and participated in a case study of teaching English to Hebrew-speaking elementary school children. She was the Head of EDUC Office at the International Centre of the University of Pécs. She volunteers at Bátor Tábor and is passionate about helping others and doing the right thing. She swims about three or four times a week. She enjoys travelling and getting to know new people while trying international dishes she has never tried before.

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.

Zsófi is a historian who has researched racial residential segregation in the United States. In her work, she is deeply interested in what makes us human in a world full of uncertainty. She graduated as a historian of the twentieth-century United States from Texas Christian University, where she will defend her dissertation in 2025. Zsófi’s research features aspects of American urban history, focusing on Texas. She regularly presents her research at international conferences. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching new skills to her animals and cultivating her permaculture garden.

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 a teacher of English and Political science. He earned his doctoral (PhD) title from international 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 with various scholarships where he could broaden his scope of interests in digital education practices, political theory, media literacy and global communication studies, too. For the last two decades, Zsolt has been keenly involved, particularly in two major activities: teaching and traveling. This way he has quite thoroughly familiarised himself with the culture, history of more than 50 countries so far, from the USA through Israel to the Phillipines. Besides the versatile academic interests and activities (teaching, studying and conducting research), Zsolt in his free time loves travelling with his kids, watching movies and cheering for his favourite British team, Liverpool.

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.

Zsuzsa is an economist graduated from universities in Hungary, Germany and France and lived 10 years in Chile. She’s got over 13 years of international work experience in leading positions in either the public and private sector speaking fluently 5 languages (English, Spanish, French, German and Hungarian). She has gained professional experience across the globe spanning from Advisor to the Chilean Minister of Economy, managerial roles in Sales & Marketing and HR to having her own start-up company. She is a very open-minded, empathetic and positive person with a handful of international experience to share. She has very much enjoyed teaching teenagers over the last couple of years as she also has 3 own daughters. Zsuzsa loves traveling and getting to know other cultures and people. Her hobby is teaching yoga once a week and she’s passionate about rock-climbing, trekking and sailing. She is somewhat a “bookworm”, too and enjoys reading books in original language.

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.