Introducing BZSH Secondary Vocational School for Foreign Trade
BZSH Secondary Vocational School for Foreign Trade is located in the heart of Budapest and maintained by the Jewish Community of Budapest. We provide education for young people entering secondary school, students who have already completed their secondary education, and adults seeking a vocational qualification. More than 800 students currently study with us.
Our aim is to help students acquire knowledge they can use independently, both in their professional lives and in further education. We place particular emphasis on practical learning, foreign languages and international experience. We want our students to understand the connections between what they learn, make informed decisions and feel confident in unfamiliar situations.
Our origins and educational programmes
The school was founded in 2018. Many of its first teachers and administrative staff brought experience from established vocational and adult education institutions, including KOTK and STUDIO ITALIA . Their expertise helped shape an educational approach that takes account of students’ different backgrounds and connects classroom learning with professional practice.
Our programmes cover commerce, logistics, information technology, tourism, finance and accounting. Students who already hold a secondary school leaving certificate can study towards a vocational qualification through full-time or evening programmes. We also work with approximately 30 partner companies to provide vocational education connected to the workplace.
In 2024, we welcomed our first students entering vocational secondary education after completing the eighth grade. Today, 134 students attend our language preparatory and subsequent secondary school years.
For this age group, we offer programmes leading to qualifications in commerce and e-commerce or logistics and freight forwarding. These combine general education, preparation for the Hungarian secondary school leaving examinations and vocational studies. We also prepare students for advanced-level school leaving examinations to support their plans for higher education.
Our six-year pathway consists of a language preparatory year followed by five years of vocational secondary education. For admission in the 2027/2028 academic year, applicants can choose an English or Italian language preparatory year. The Italian option is particularly suited to students whose English is already at or close to B2 level and who wish to develop a second foreign language through intensive study.
Languages and international experience
Foreign language learning is an essential part of education at our school. Our communicative approach helps students use languages to exchange ideas, find information and participate in professional life beyond Hungary.
Full-time students in our programmes for secondary school graduates receive an additional 120 English lessons free of charge. Students can also take optional courses in Hebrew, Chinese, Spanish and German. Through our partnerships, they have access to Euroexam English and CILS Italian language examinations.
Erasmus+ gives our students opportunities to complete vocational placements abroad, including in Italy and Spain. Our teachers also participate in international professional development courses and exchanges. These experiences bring new teaching ideas into the school and help students become more confident in working with people from different backgrounds.
Practical learning and ENTERRA
Our teachers combine classroom experience with knowledge gained in their professional fields. We encourage students to take an active part in learning through practical tasks, cooperation and discussion.
This approach also guides the development of our ENTERRA Digital Enterprise Simulation Lab, which is currently in its pilot phase. The lab models processes in commerce and logistics, allowing students to make decisions, observe their consequences and explore how different parts of a business influence one another. Experience gained during the pilot phase will inform its further development.
The school is also an ICDL and Euroexam examination centre, supporting students in gaining recognised certificates in digital skills and English.
Further education
Since 2021, we have worked with Budapest University of Economics and Business to strengthen the connection between vocational secondary education and university studies.
Our commerce and logistics pathways offer students the opportunity to continue in the jointly developed advanced vocational programme, known in Hungary as Okleveles technikus, from Year 11. This cooperation supports preparation for higher education and creates further study opportunities for successful graduates, including the possibility of admission to state-funded university programmes, subject to the applicable admission requirements.
Our school community
Our school occupies a renovated building at 16 Révay Street, between St Stephen’s Basilica and the Hungarian State Opera. Its 15 classrooms include specialist computer rooms, while the Greenhouse communal area provides a welcoming place for students to spend time together between lessons.
Our Jewish heritage is reflected in the building and in school life. Corridor exhibitions introduce influential figures of Jewish origin and display photographs of Jerusalem and other places in Israel. Cultural visits, walks through Budapest’s historic Jewish quarter, theatre programmes and discussions of social and economic questions broaden students’ understanding of the world around them.
We encourage students to take responsibility for their communities. They can participate in charitable activities supporting disadvantaged people and refugees, as well as other forms of community service.
As a recognised European Parliament Ambassador School, we help students learn about European institutions, democratic participation and active citizenship. Through discussions, simulations and joint projects, they practise expressing their views, considering different perspectives and thinking critically.
Students who need accommodation may also have access to free accommodation at the Dávid Király student residence, near the Pillangó Street metro station.
Working with us
We welcome cooperation with schools, universities and companies in Hungary and abroad. We are interested in vocational placements, student and teacher exchanges, joint educational development, research and opportunities to learn from one another’s practice.
We believe that students benefit when their education connects them with professional life and with a wider international community. Our partnerships help us make those connections part of their everyday learning.
BZSH Secondary Vocational School for Foreign Trade
1065 Budapest, Révay utca 16, Hungary
Head of School: Mr. András SALUSINSZKY
Email: igazgato@kulkertechnikum.hu
Telephone: +36 1 776 6620
Website: kulkertechnikum.hu