We are excited to offer two recurring programs from Monday to Thursday throughout the week: "Campus tour" and "Meet the Student Center." Whether you are interested in exploring our campus or seeking guidance on your residence permit application or ÖGK insurance registration, these programs are designed to assist you.  

10:30, 11:00, or 11:30 Campus tours followed by a library tour / Campus 

Get to know the CEU campus from Monday to Thursday. You can pre-register for a 45-minute campus tour starting at 10:30, 11:00, or 11:30. Each walk takes approximately 40 minutes and is led by devoted volunteers. Meet the guide in front of the reception. Please register HERE. 

12:30 Meet the Student Center – Show your documents for quick advice 

We invite you to visit the Student Center's desk at Ankersaal each day before the official program begins. If you need any guidance or support with your residence permit application or ÖGK insurance registration, please bring the necessary documents to our team, who will be delighted to assist you. To locate the event, please follow the signs guiding you to the 3rd floor. We look forward to meeting you there. 

The Student Center operates daily from 13:00 to 16:00 at the Quellenstrasse (QS) campus in room B601. During their opening hours, you can schedule a slot for a personal consultation. Appointment booking opens in the middle of August. We look forward to supporting you at the Student Center. 

8:00 Meet and Greet / Campus Auditorium 

We cordially invite all incoming students to a breakfast gathering on CEU’s campus. An excellent opportunity to meet your department coordinators and pick up your new student ID card. The breakfast gives you a chance to network with fellow students.  

12:00 Welcome lunch 

The official kick-off of Orientation Week is a delightful lunch at the ANKERSAAL Kulturhaus Brotfabrik. This lunch is a great opportunity to start building valuable relationships and celebrate the beginning of your academic studies. Join us on Floor 3! 

13:00 Official Opening (Tim Crane, Katalin Horvath, Helmut Summesberger) C

We're thrilled to announce that Tim Crane, Pro-Rector for Foresight and Analysis / Professor of Philosophy, will be joined by Katalin Horvath, Director of the Students Services Office, and Helmut Summesberger, Head of Student Life, who will warmly welcome all of you. Their presence underscores our dedication to providing everyone a seamless and fulfilling university experience. 

13:30 Warm up - How to communicate in Austria? (Maria Andrea Urbas, Peter Wittmann) C 

Austrian authorities uphold a cherished tradition of maintaining formal communication, emphasizing the importance of courtesy and respect. Our colleagues from the Student Center will advise on a range of etiquette rules to foster positive, polite, and fruitful exchanges.  

14:00 Residence Permits (Maria Andrea Urbas, Peter Wittmann) C 

In this session, the Student Center will introduce you to the Austrian residency permit application process, focusing on third-country nationals but not exclusive to EU citizens. We will discuss what documents are required for a successful application, who the responsible authorities are, and how to renew existing permits. 

14:30 Coffee break 

15:00 Living and Studying in Vienna (Maria Andrea Urbas, Helmut Summesberger, Peter Wittmann) 

This session offers helpful information about registration and navigating the city of Vienna, including some tips on how to get around the city, how to purchase the semester ticket for students, and some insider information on customs and manners in Vienna. 

15:30 Introducing the Student Records Office (Lea Tilless, Gabriella Kulik, Renáta Rusz) C 

You will encounter the Student Records Office (SRO) colleagues throughout your studies several times: mostly when you wish to get an enrollment certificate or a transcript. You can ask for help from our office when you have course registration problems or would like to transfer credits from your previous studies. It is also the SRO who prepares diplomas and administers the conferring of various academic achievement awards. 

16:00 Survival in German (Helmut Summesberger)
From “Grüβ Gott!” to “Zahlen bitte” - hear German from a real Viennese – fun and informative. 

Short break, walk to campus 

17:00 Vienna Quiz / Campus Auditorium
Let’s find out who knows the most about the city buzzing with the highest-quality life in the world (according to Mercer’s)! QuizNight.hu will present a fun set of questions about Vienna’s past and present, the essential things to see and do, along with the city's hidden gems. Pre-registration opening around mid-August is required for the event.   The event is organized by the CEU Community Engagement Office.  Please register HERE. 

8:00 Visit the Meldeamt with the Student Center’s representatives and register your address / Campus 

In Austria, address registration is mandatory within 3 days upon arrival.  You must register your address in a municipal office (Meldeamt) with a Meldezettel/registration slip. After the authorities process your registration, you will receive a Meldebestätigung (confirmation of address registration). Please note that without the Meldebestätigung,” you will not be able to collect your final residence permit or register with ÖGK. It is an important document in facing bureaucratic hurdles. To assist you with this task, the Student Center's team offers help visiting a Meldeamt together. You will receive guidance and support, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free registration process. Meet the team in front of the Campus. Please register HERE.

13:00 Student Well-being and Health Insurance - mandatory for Master students, Bachelor students, and Erasmus Mundus students (Lisa Auzinger, Dora Wohner) 

In this session, the Student Center will introduce you to two insurance plans, ÖGK Student Self-insurance, and Expat & Co. They will share general information about the requirements of the providers and authorities. In addition, we will introduce the CEU Medical Center and CEU’s psychological counseling service, two in-house services for the CEU community.  

13:30 Learn about ÖGK services (Melek Sancak) C 

14:00 Student Counselling at CEU (László Bíró) C 

Student counselling is voluntary and confidential and provided by 3 student counselors. This session will introduce you to Student Counselling Services at CEU, including how, when, and where to contact student counselors, the issues they might help you with, and webinars, workshops, and training offered for your empowerment with psychological knowledge. We will also introduce you to CEU’s Peer Counselling Project. 

14:30 Coffee Break  

15:00 Student engagement, opportunities and well-being events (Lisa Auzinger, Bernadett Fekete, Zsuzsanna Szalka, Shwetha Nair) C 

In this session with the Student Engagement Team learn how we support students’ initiatives and enrich your student experience to create a vibrant community outside the classroom. By attending this session, you can anticipate a comprehensive overview of campus activities related to human rights, culture, and opportunities to get engaged and volunteer with local communities, insights into maximizing your student experience, and resources to support your ideas. Join in and discover the countless ways to make the most of your time here with us! 

15:30 IT Orientation (Laszlo Palfi) C 

This session is an introduction to all the major IT services CEU offers. It will cover the following topics: IT Account, Multi-factor Authentication Methods (MFA), Office 365 services (email account, document management, and collaboration tools), WiFi, VPN, video conferencing via Zoom, uploading, recording, editing, and sharing video on Panopto, virtual and physical computing resources, printing services. You will learn where to ask for IT support and how to deal with security threats. 

16:00 Career Services (Elena Dancu)  

The Career Services Office works on transforming the student experience into a meaningful professional engagement. While there are things you cannot control regarding your future, there are also many actions you can take to ensure you are as prepared as possible. Join us to discover how CEU can support you through your time as a student and beyond, what to expect during the coming academic year, and why our office slogan is: The Future Starts Today! 

Short break, walk to campus 

17:00 History of CEU (Pusa Nastase, Matyas Szabo) and screening of Free University / Campus 

We are excited to invite you for a glimpse at the vibrant academic life of CEU. As part of this experience, we will provide a brief overview of our university's rich history. Following that, we have arranged a special screening of the documentary “Free University” (Szabad Egyetem), directed by Jonathan Hunter. 

After the movie, we have an engaging and inspiring discussion where you are encouraged to share your thoughts and reflections. Before we dive into the program, we invite you to join us for a snack.  Please register HERE. 

About the movie: 

Free University (Szabad Egyetem), 2019 Hungary, 54 min 
A group of CEU students refuses to accept that their university is expelled from Hungary, choosing to resist the decline of academic freedom. Imagine waking up as an “enemy of the people.” This was the reality for students and staff of Central European University (CEU) as a coordinated legal and media apparatus began to demonize and eventually criminalize the Hungarian-American institution. The documentary follows students of CEU as they struggle against their exile by an increasingly authoritarian government. Through their stories, we show life in a backsliding democracy and the consequences of democratic “red lines” being crossed with impunity.  

Directors: Jonathan Hunter, Lucie Janotová;Edited & translated by Ádám Hushegyi; Cinematographer: Ifra Asad; Producer: Mackenzie Nelson.

8:00 Visit the Meldeamt with the Student Center’s representatives and register your address / Campus 

In Austria, address registration is mandatory within 3 days upon arrival.  You must register your address in a municipal office (Meldeamt) with a Meldezettel/registration slip. After the authorities process your registration, you will receive a Meldebestätigung (confirmation of address registration). Please note that without the “Meldebestätigung,” you will not be able to collect your final residence permit or register with ÖGK. It is an important document in facing bureaucratic hurdles. To assist you with this task, the Student Center's team offers help visiting a Meldeamt together. You will receive guidance and support, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free registration process. Meet the team in front of the Campus. Please register HERE. 

13:00 Information about Financial Aid (Ildikó Török, Tamara Bobor, Bernadett Bálint) C 

CEU’s Financial Aid Office will share information about important deadlines regarding payments, obligations, and general information on stipends and grants. 

13:30 Inclusion, Diversity and Equality (Ana Belén Amil, Natalia Nyikes) C 

The presentation aims to acquaint students with the variety of policies and measures through which CEU promotes equal opportunities within the institution and removes barriers to full participation in student life. The main topics covered will be the advancement of gender equality, protections, and complaint procedures in cases of discrimination and harassment, the rights of students with disabilities, accessibility, and how to request accommodations.  

14:00 Erasmus OSUN Mobility Programs, CIVICA (Anna Szathmari, Maja Skalar, Timea Mester-Takacs) 

The Erasmus+ mobility program enables higher education students to study for part of their degree or to pursue a traineeship in a European or other associated country.  The session provides an introduction to the elements of the program. The OSUN student mobility program is an exchange program between participating Open Society University Network institutions which allows students to complete a semester of study or a period of research at another OSUN institution. A general introduction will be provided during this session. 

Have you ever wondered what the Open Society University Network (OSUN) is all about and what opportunities it offers you? We at the OSUN Secretariat at CEU would like to invite you for a short presentation about OSUN and how you can benefit from it as a student at CEU. Topics will cover OSUN opportunities such as research grants, fellowships, Network Collaborative Courses, OSUN courses, Certificate in Civic Engagement, and participating in exciting events, workshops, and conferences.  

Among CEU’s most successful initiatives is the establishment of partnerships with ten leading European social science institutions and universities within the CIVICA network. CIVICA, the European University of Social Sciences, offers CEU students numerous , research, and civic engagement opportunities. In this session, you get an overview of the CIVICA offerings and a preview of current courses open to enrollment. To stay informed about the latest news, joint courses, and funded opportunities within the network, subscribe to the CIVICA newsletter, visit CEU’s CIVICA page and find CEU’s CIVICA contacts on the dedicated SharePoint page. 

14:30 Coffee Break / Meet the Ombudspersons Network 

Take this opportunity to meet and greet the members of the CEU’s Ombudspersons Network, a group of five Senate-appointed volunteers from our community who are in charge of taking and handling informal harassment complaints intending to reach an amicable solution. They are ready to answer any questions about complaint mechanisms and the CEU Policy on Harassment. 

15:30 Fire and Safety (Daniel Übleis) C 

We have arranged a dedicated session on fire and work safety at CEU, delivered by our esteemed external Work Safety Officer, Daniel Übleis. This session is compulsory for all attendees. It is of utmost importance that you pay close attention during this session, as it is your responsibility to be well-informed about the necessary actions to take in an emergency. 

16:00 Short introduction to the CoursEval System. (Erika Toth-Mate) C

Learn how to give impactful anonym feedback on your courses and professors. Your voice matters!

16:15 Make an impact – do good through your studies (Gabi Gőbl, Andras Martoni) C

Science Shop invites social partners (non-profits) to submit research questions that can be pursued by students who are eager to do good through their studies. This can be your internship, volunteering gig or thesis/capstone project. Learn more about the opportunity during the session.

16:30 Student Union and Clubs Fair (Shwetha Nair) C 

Meet representatives of the CEU Student Union and learn how you can get involved in their activities. The Student Union (SU) is responsible for student representation at CEU. It is engaged in various institutional decision-making and policy-shaping processes, organizes numerous activities and events, and supports students’ initiatives. Follow the SU SharePoint to learn more. 

Students can discover, join, and start new Student Clubs, meet fellow CEU students from different departments, and chat with the Student Union representatives. Details of the event can be found here. 

16:30 CEU Item Drive (Community Engagement Event) 

This event is intended to support incoming students by providing an opportunity to pick up useful household items donated by the CEU community.  Valuable giveaways include picture frames, candles, small decorative items, and small plants. 

10:30 Student Well-being and Insurance – mandatory for PhD students (Lisa Auzinger, Dora Wohner) 

In this session, the Student Center will introduce you to SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbstständigen) and share general information about the requirements set by the authorities. In addition, we will introduce the CEU Medical Center and CEU’s psychological s counselling service: two in-house services for the CEU community.  

11:00 Taxation for PhD Students - mandatory for PhD students (Thomas Zotlöterer) 

This session with a tax specialist from the Vienna-based Austrian firm Baldinger & Partner will provide incoming doctoral candidates with an overview of the local taxation landscape. Students will be informed about their tax responsibilities and offered professional advice about how to fulfill requirements. All new PhDs are strongly encouraged to attend. 

11:30 Demonstration of Mindfulness Meditation (László Bíró) / Campus, A-109 

Mindfulness meditation is a form of contemplative practice that teaches you to stay in and with the present moment. It involves being entirely focused on "the now". It allows you to acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. Join us for a short demonstration: no experience, no preparation, no commitment, no mobile phones needed. Pre-registration is required. (max. 15 people) Please register HERE.

11:30 Parent Students: rights and benefits (Ana Belen Amil, Lisa Auzinger)  

In this session for CEU students with child(ren), Ana Belén Amil (Gender Equality and Diversity Officer) and Lisa Auzinger (Student Well-being Coordinator) will share benefits and support provided to pregnant students and parent students by CEU, ÖGK/SVS, and the Austrian State. 

12:00 Lunch for Parent Students 

After the informative presentation, we warmly invite all parent students to join us for a delightful lunch at Magdas. This gathering provides an opportunity for them to connect, share experiences, and ask questions they may have. Please register HERE.

13:00 Alumni (Jason Weedon) 

Alumni from Day One: Welcome to the Family! Do you know that by joining CEU become part of a global family of over 18,000 alumni in nearly 150 countries? Take part in this session to learn how alumni support students at CEU by sharing their treasured experiences after graduation. We will talk about how you can get involved from Day One and make the most of being a member of this powerful network. We look forward to meeting you soon. 

13:30  Source Languages (Gyorgy Gereby, Anastasia Theologou) C 

The  Source Language Teaching Group (SLTG) offers courses in historical and contemporary languages (source languages). Language courses (Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic, Classical Syriac, Modern Hebrew, Yiddish, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, Russian, and Serbian-Bosnian-Croatian) are specifically designed for academic purposes, are free of charge, and open to all CEU students, academic staff, and administrative staff. These courses are subject to the regular registration procedure as part of the university curriculum. In this session, we will introduce you to the source-language courses offered this academic year and share general information about the aims and content of the program. In addition, you will be able to ask questions concerning the value of studying at the SLTG as an elective option and how to make the most of our center and its excellent resources. 

14:00 Modern Language Courses Center for Academic Writing (Agnes Makary)  

The Center for Academic Writing Language offers extracurricular foreign language courses (German, French, Spanish, and Hungarian). The courses are offered both online and on-site. They cover all levels and are all fee-paying. They are open to all members of the CEU community, students, staff, faculty, and alumni. 

If you want to learn more about these courses and meet the language teachers, come and attend this session.   

14:30 Coffee break 

15:00 The CEU Library (Kenning Arlitsch, David Frank, Ivett Molnar, Jeremy Braverman) C 

Learn about the CEU Library. This place is a hub of student learning and research at CEU. Besides having access to printed and electronic media, you can book training courses for databases and other library-related matters. You can access eBooks and eJournals off-campus at all times via VPN. A good source to get an overview for beginners is to check the Library’s page for incoming students.  

15:30 Introduction to Sustainable CEU: Environmental Activism at CEU (Logan Strenchock)  

Sustainable CEU is a campus group comprised of interested students, staff, and community members who are interested in promoting environmental engagement within the University and the local community. We invite you to join this session if you are interested in learning more about how to get involved in helping event organization, workshops, and community outreach in the upcoming year. 

16:00 Advanced Certificate Programs (Matthias Riedl, Esther Holbrook)  

CEU has 11 Advanced Certificate programs available to students currently enrolled in CEU's degree-granting departments. Some of these programs are degree specific, but some are available to students across departments. This session will allow you to familiarize yourself with the format of AC programs at CEU and will give you a better idea of how to pursue your AC interest alongside your core departmental studies. 

16:30 Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives in Budapest (Robert Parnica, Ivan Szekely)

The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives (Blinken OSA), housed in Budapest, is one of the biggest Cold War and Human Rights archives in the world. We will use the opportunity provided by the orientation week to present the institution and its archival holdings, explain its activities and mission, and show the rich analog and digital archival collections, relevant for both faculty and students of several departments of the University. We will inform students about remote research opportunities in the Archives through our special services to CEU, including the dedicated "Research Cloud" and "Digitization on Demand", which are accessible even from Vienna. Finally, we would like to inform students about the ways they can communicate with us via several social media platforms and the soon-to-be-launched new Share Point site.

17:00 Wrap up C 

To ensure a smooth and practical Q&A session, we kindly request you submit your questions in advance. We will carefully review them and do our best to address the most frequently asked questions on stage. However, we understand that time constraints may prevent us from addressing all your concerns during the live session; therefore, any questions that are not answered on stage will be published on our SharePoint page. 

18:00 Coffee Beats concert / Campus, Cafeteria

The Coffee Beats Concerts provide a platform for artists of all levels to perform in front of the CEU Community.  
The first Coffee Beats concert of the academic term will be a performance of Bengali Folk Music by invited artist Suramya Pushan.

Suramya Pushan was born in Calcutta, India. He is a film actor, theater actor, painter, musician, and singer. He has performed in front of audiences worldwide and produced and composed his own music. His performances combine various influences, taking on traditional and popular Indian songs, and the occasional rock ballad, for an immersive, spiritual, and meditative moment.

10:00 and 11:00 Yoga Session / Campus, 6th floor, BA lounge 

This relaxation practice will be a soothing combination of breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, slow yoga, visualization, meditation, and mindfulness practice. No former experience is needed, but registration is required. Bring comfortable clothes, and a yoga mat will be provided for all participants. Pre-registration is required (max.15 pax) Please register HERE. 

11:30 Demonstration of Mindfulness Meditation (László Bíró) / Campus, A-109 

Mindfulness meditation is a form of contemplative practice that teaches you to stay in and with the present moment. It involves being entirely focused on "the now". It allows you to acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment. Join us for a short demonstration: no experience, no preparation, no commitment, no mobile phones needed. Pre-registration is required. (max. 15 people) Please register HERE. 

From 12:30 onwards | Join the CEU Hiking Club for a scenic outing and mountaintop picnic  

Join the CEU Hiking Club for a scenic walk around the Kahlenberg vineyards in Vienna’s 19th District (Döbling). The first outing of this academic year will offer beautiful views of the inner district and the Danube River while introducing you to a popular excursion destination for the city’s residents, which now includes you too! The picnic will be at Am Himmel, a mountain peak amongst the vineyards, forests, and meadows on the slopes of the hills.  

There are two routes planned: one is more of a hike with more off-road terrain and a greater incline, and the other is a nature walk that will be slower in pace and less physically demanding terrain-wise. Only the routes are different; no matter which you choose, what you see will be similar sights, and we will all picnic together.