Hungary is a dynamic political and cultural space that has been in constant transformation since 1989, and where political developments since 2010 in particular have attracted considerable international attention. Although the country’s current political trajectory has already invited a great deal of commentary from within as well as beyond its borders, further critical analysis is still required. At the same time, Hungary’s social and cultural present also deserves further scrutiny by the international scholarly community.
 
Since the 2010 election victory of Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party, Hungary has undergone radical and sweeping changes to its political and economic order, provoking debates on the limits of democracy and the rule of law within the European Union. Furthermore, due to an increased role for the far right within mainstream government and shifts in spheres of interest in both domestic and international politics, Hungary has emerged as an important case study for reflections on post-socialist states in the 21st century. Therefore, increased scholarly attention is essential for understanding Hungary’s current social, political and cultural landscape. The broad themes of post-socialism, nation and identity, and contemporary Hungary’s place in the wider European political and socio-economic context are of particular importance.
 
This need for a renewed discussion on Hungary that compliments or critically reflects on existing discourses forms the basis of this postgraduate conference. The term ‘Hungarian Studies’ can encompass a range of multidisciplinary perspectives and contemporary critical frameworks through which Hungary can be examined. Therefore, submissions to the 2015 Contemporary Hungarian Studies Postgraduate Conference are invited from a wide variety of academic disciplines.

We welcome papers on the following topics, among others: