Eszter Jakab

Head of Freshman and Sophomore Year

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.