Budapest Metropolitan University turned 20 years old! With this series, we would like to honor the events and amazing memories of these past two decades by looking back at stories of our students, alumni, professors and staff members who have been with us on this journey. 

Meet Brittnek Andrea, professor, Head of Specialization and course leader of our international Graphic Design students. 

How did you end up at METU? 

I have joined the team of METU as a professor in July 2013, after being approached by Gyula.  I already had experience teaching at multiple higher education institutions as lecturer. I was also working as a graphic designer and as Art Director of a graphic design studio. Since September 2017, I have been as a full-time employee at the Graphic design course of the Institute of Visual Communication at METU. I aim to develop the creative opportunities related to package design and brand building. As Head of Specialization and course leader of our international Graphic Design students, I also strive to create more and more exciting tasks and bigger projects integrating Hungarian and international students. 

What's your first memory of METU? 

I started working with amazing colleagues in the Graphic Design Department of METU who were not only professionally outstanding, but they were also very open and welcoming as people. We have built up the complexity of the course together, supporting each other during the whole process. We have come up with the program of the Package design specialization in 2013, which is a very important field of graphic design. The projects started with our students have grown into beautiful, exciting and innovative solutions. These creations were showcased during the Design Week held at the Dovin Gallery in September 2016 as a fantastic exhibition called METU Brand//Pack. It was a huge success, the first of many more to follow, of course, but it is still a dear memory and experience that I look back on with pride and joy.  

Can you share any determining experiences you had at METU?  

Our teachers have a solid mindset and approach focused on helping the students to embrace their individuality and flourish. There is a strong, both personally and professionally supportive environment and way of thinking. 

There is no key scheme, art or design theory – every professor, mentor strives to familiarize students with the beauty, expectations and opportunities of their field. The goal is to help students in discovering their personality and in improving themselves. 

This environment had a very positive impact on me from the very beginning. It is amazing to work together in a place where everything can go hand in hand, where autonomous thinking of artists and functional design approaches complement each other well. 

There are two related student achievements which I am really proud of and where I was able to help the projects as supervisor. We have won first place on the graphic design competition of OMDK with book design projects in both 2017 and 2021. These pieces of work integrated academic content, the individual identity of the artists in writing, visuals and functionally interpretable graphical elements an exciting form. 

Where do you see METU in 5-10 years' time? 

We already have more than 150 international Erasmus partner universities who we work closely with. Our students are happy to use these opportunities. We intend to deepen the cooperation with universities with similar values and principles to METU by working together via more projects, common creative communities and student exchange programs. I see plenty of opportunities here and I hope that in 5-10 years, we will be able to continue these on a new and modern METU campus. 

What do you think lies behind the success of METU? 

Looking at it globally, I think it is the continuous renewal, progressiveness, expansion of opportunities and the unfaltering drive to make things better for our students from every aspect. At METU, we really focus on our students. The university does everything it can to develop itself and to become a leading institution in both Hungary and abroad in every field. 

 The Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries is a special place where we work together with our students in close creative communities. Here, our professors can be mentors all the more.  In the informal, open environment and with focusing on the individual development of our students, we can achieve amazing results. 

We are continuously improving and expanding our workrooms for our students. They enjoy working here and actively use these to discover both traditional forms of arts, as well as modern, innovative, digital and 3D solutions. Students can turn any of their ideas and plans into reality on campus.  They can not only master every step of the creative process, but they can also prepare for the practical expectations of their professional field. This way, they will be able to stand their ground on the market immediately after they graduate. 

We believe prioritizing innovative, future-oriented and eco-friendly sustainability is of key importance. We do not only do our best to teach the theoretical foundations, but we also actively research new creative ideas and technological innovations together with our students. This approach creates the basis for success that we build on traditions, work out today and serves our future. 

Discover METU art programs by clicking HERE. 

2021. 09. 22.