In the tight-knit community of Fulbright scholars, there’s an unofficial motto: “Once a Fulbrighter, always a Fulbrighter.”
San Diego State University linguistics professor Eniko Csomay exemplifies that phrase in more ways than one. Thirty years ago, she came to the United States from her native Hungary on a Fulbright scholarship.
This summer, she will return to Hungary as a Fulbright faculty scholar, where she will give workshops and conduct research on English-Medium Instruction (EMI) teaching practices.
This full-circle moment is not lost on Csomay. It reflects years of involvement with Fulbright, the U.S. State Department academic diplomacy program that funds international engagement for students and educators across more than 160 countries.
Csomay will join colleagues at the University of Pécs, founded in 1367. There, she will conduct research on specialized subject-matter courses — such as chemistry, history, and accounting — that are taught in English, even though Hungarian is the country’s primary language.
English-language subject-matter courses are well established around the globe, from Asia to South America. They are seen as preparing students for the global job market while enabling universities to internationalize their campuses.
However, challenges can arise if English proficiency is not sufficient.
“Everywhere else in the world, people have reported on what they have found with these programs,” Csomay said. “They have good and bad sides. But nobody has written about Hungary.”
Research goals
Csomay will collect and analyze data with the goal of publishing her findings. Eventually, she hopes to collaborate with Hungarian colleagues to develop a new program that provides training for instructors teaching their subject matter in English, including strategies for incorporating language development into content instruction.
“These are techniques we know from teaching English as a second language that can be applied there,” Csomay said. “I conducted this training in Taiwan a couple of times as an English Language Specialist using the same framework and program, and it worked well.”
A faculty member at SDSU since 2002 and a former associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Csomay has worked extensively in international settings, including Morocco, Mexico, Montenegro, and Singapore. She also assisted faculty when SDSU established its STEM degree partnership with universities in the Republic of Georgia. She is a graduate student advisor and Statewide Academic Senator representing SDSU in the California State University System.
Throughout her career, Csomay has maintained strong ties to Fulbright. She served as president of the Fulbright Association’s San Diego Chapter for five years and as a reviewer for the Fulbright National Screening Committee for seven years. She also provides feedback to students applying for Fulbright ETAs (English Teaching Associate).
Cristina Alfaro, SDSU’s associate vice president of International Affairs, congratulated Csomay on receiving the honor. “Being named a Fulbright scholar is a lifelong distinction,” Alfaro said. “SDSU is proud of her achievement and global engagement, which benefit both our faculty and students.”
In addition, The National Fulbright U.S.Student Program named three SDSU students or recent graduates as semi-finalists for the 2026-27 award cycle. Eva Coleman and Precious Letchaw made the cut to conduct research in The Philippines and Ghana, respectively. Natacha Garbe, a linguistics graduate student, is a semi-finalist for an English Teaching Assistantship in Taiwan.
Finalists for the Fulbright student program are expected to be announced in May.
Funding for the Fulbright Program for fiscal year 2026 has not yet been finalized.