WESLEY JANOS LELKESZKEPZO FOISKOLA

Their core work

Wesley János Lelkészképző Főiskola is a Budapest-based Methodist theological college primarily focused on training ministers and clergy. Beyond its core ministerial education mission, the institution has engaged in EU-funded social research, contributing expertise in community engagement, faith-based education networks, and grassroots social cohesion. Their EU project work suggests a bridge role between academic research and community institutions — particularly in areas where church and school networks intersect with vulnerable or marginalized populations. Their contribution likely involves access to community trust networks and practical experience with social inclusion in real institutional settings.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their first EU project (NoVaMigra, 2018) addressed the ethics and values dimension of the European migration crisis — a topic where a theological institution has natural standing. By 2020, their focus shifted toward educational inclusion and the structural relationship between schools and communities, as seen in Inclusion4Schools. This trajectory suggests a move from normative/values-based social research toward applied community education models, reflecting a growing interest in practical institutional change rather than policy framing.

The institution appears to be positioning itself as a community anchor in educational inclusion research, likely drawing on church-school networks in Hungary to contribute field access and community trust to larger European research consortia.

How they like to work

Wesley has participated in both projects as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with an institution that contributes specific community or theological expertise rather than leading large research programmes. With 13 unique partners across 12 countries in just two projects, they appear comfortable in internationally diverse consortia. This breadth of partners relative to project count suggests they are sought out for a distinctive national or community perspective rather than technical capacity.

Despite only two projects, Wesley has worked with 13 unique partners spanning 12 countries, indicating meaningful European reach. Their network is built through participation in broader society-pillar consortia rather than through repeated bilateral partnerships.

What sets them apart

Wesley is one of very few faith-based theological colleges in the H2020 database, which makes it unusual as an EU research participant. For consortia working on social inclusion, community trust, or church-school educational models in Central and Eastern Europe, Wesley offers access to institutional networks — faith communities, minority congregations, local schools — that secular universities typically cannot reach. Their value is less about scientific output and more about community embeddedness and ethical framing capacity.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Inclusion4Schools
  The largest project by budget (EUR 643,873) and longest in duration (2020-2025), directly aligned with the institution's community engagement profile — addressing segregation and exclusion through school-community partnerships.
• NoVaMigra
  An earlier RIA project on migration and refugee norms that reflects the institution's capacity to contribute ethical and values-based expertise to pan-European social research.