Dispatch from Budapest: First Impressions - Public Transportation; Academics I

Hopefully I'll be able to average more than one of these postings per week, especially now that I have a small but indubitably faithful readership to serve.

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Public Transportation

I've made considerable use of public transportation systems in only two major U.S. cities: Boston and New York. Boston's system, operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), is comfortable, reliable and fairly expansive, though not nearly as expansive as New York's system, maintained by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Of course, with its greater scope, the MTA is plagued with delays and lacks the comfort the MBTA's smaller system.

The Budapesti Metro (Budapest Metro), operated by BKV, offers both expansive coverage of the city and comfort for passengers, comprising a system of three rapid transit lines, a large array of light rail lines (both quite reliable), bus service (not quite so reliable), and heavy rail service to surrounding suburbs.

Comfort in the system is engendered by padded seats throughout the system as well as the considerate habit of rail engineers of gradual acceleration and deceleration, which is far nicer than the jarring starts and halts of both the MBTA and the MTA.

As for cost, a single ticket, which grants access to a single route of a single mode of transportation for a single use (i.e. without the ability to transfer to another line or mode of transportation), costs HUF 230 (Hungarian Forints) or USD 1.25. Books of ten tickets cost HUF 2,050, approximately USD 11.13. Monthly passes, which provide unlimited access to all modes of transportation with the exception of the heavy rail lines, cost HUF 7,350 or USD 39.90.

When using tickets, they are marked upon entry to a particular line with the line number as well as the date and time of entry. However, there is no physical barrier to prevent riders from getting on a particular line without validating their ticket. Thus, the Budapest Metro relies on conductors to check tickets on all lines, as opposed to the token- or card-based systems in Boston and New York, which prevent physical access to the mode of transportation if one hasn't purchased a card or token granting such access. However, the Budapest Metro does enforce a strict fine for those riding without validating a ticket: HUF 5000 or USD 27.21!

Academics I

Central European University has the interesting and, frankly, quite useful policy of conducting what is called "zero week" at the beginning of the semester. After last week's plethora of orientations to everything from the Student Records Office to fire are safety procedures to departmental organization and regulations, this week, "zero week," comprises lectures on courses scheduled for the coming semester by the responsible professors.

Even only having attended two sessions, one held during the orientation week and one held today, I have a fairly good sense of the courses for which I would like to register:


Public International Law

This course addresses treaty law, law regarding territorial claims, including those made on continental shelves as well as in outer space, law regarding refugees, law regarding statehood and international recognition of statehood, law regarding international conflict, and diplomatic and consular law.


The Policy Process and Policy Analysis

A requirement for students in the Department of Public Policy, this course, taught by Alex Fischer, examines policy processes in detail, addressing the place of policy in political processes, the principle actors in policymaking, and the challenges that result not only in policymaking, but in policy implementation.


Freedom of Information from a Comparative Perspective

Taught by Péter Molnár, a former Hungarian Parliamentarian, this class examines the differing policies that various nations have on freedom of information. Such exploration is achieved by having students request sensitive information from their home governments and, in the event of a refusal, having them find an NGO with which they can coordinate legal action in order to obtain the requested information


International Policy Process (Audit)

Also conducted by Alex Fischer, this course is run as a colloquium series, with representatives of eight major international organizations speaking about their work and fielding questions from students. In addition, students are required to research a particular institution and present a the relevant history and facts as well as an analysis of the work of the organization in the context of theoretical questions about international policymaking raised during the course.


Additionally, I intend on taking a basic, two-credit course in Hungarian along with the course in Central European history required of all undergraduate students in the Bard/CEU program.

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Next:

• life outside the Residence Hall;
• a trip to Szentendre; and
  
• photographs.
  

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