EGOV2023 – IFIP EGOV-CeDEM-EPART 2023
The conference is organized by the IFIP 8.5 WG in ICT & Public administration
IFIP 8.5 Conference 2023: 4-7 September
at Corvinus University of Budapest
| About Corvinus | |
| Corvinus University of Budapest is the best educational institution in Hungary in the fields of economic, management and social sciences. The institution offers state-of-the-art knowledge, a professional network and a secure future for its 10k+ students. The institution builds on more than hundred years old history.
Corvinus essentially educates the social and economic elite of the region. It strives to produce scientific results that are relevant for Hungary, Europe and the world and that promote our objectives. Founders of the university believe that only talent and ambition should count – social or financial status should not prevent anyone from studying. |
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| Therefore, the Corvinus Scholarship Programme is based on excellence and was created to ensure free-of-charge education for the best, most talented students. Corvinus stands for quality and opportunities, for state-of-the art and useful knowledge, for extensive social capital, for career opportunities, for life-long friendships and community.
Regarding numbers, the university has 120+ years of history, 10,000+ students, 1,500 international students from 80+ nationalities. The institution is reported in the Top 300 in the QS World rankings for 2021 in the fields of Business and Management, Economics, and Social Sciences. The institution has over 250 partner universities worldwide. It is an AMBA accredited Business institution and the member of CEMS in Hungary. |
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| About the Country and the City | |
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Hungary is a member of the European Union and is located in the heart of Central-East Europe with roughly 10 million inhabitants. Budapest is not only the capital, but it is the political, economic and cultural centre of the country.
Due to its unique natural and architectural factors it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe (most airlines operate direct flights to Budapest). Each year millions arrive to admire the Castle District of Buda, the Saint Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament building, the Synagogue in Dohány Street and to indulge in one of the famous baths. The city has good public transport system, its liveable and close to nature, and no one would feel lost here. |
| According to The Economist, Budapest has overtaken Prague and Moscow as the most liveable city in Eastern Europe based on health, environmental, cultural, educational and infrastructural factors. The Great Market Hall is one of Europe’s historic fresh food markets – incidentally, located right beside the main building of Corvinus University. | |
INFO SHEET
Venue address
Corvinus University of Budapest
Fővám tér 8, Budapest H-1093, Hungary
Contact: eGov2023@uni-corvinus.hu
More About the Venue
Corvinus University can be found on the Pest side of the river Danube close to the famous tourist attraction of the Old Central Market Hall. It has three main buildings on the streets of Pest right on the river: the Main building (which used to be the main customs house), the Salt House right beside it (which, as the name suggests, used to be where customs fee on salt was collected), and the New (C) building bit further East of the other two.
The conference will be held in the Main (E) building in four different rooms (Lecture Theatre III on the ground floor, and rooms 324, 326 and 330 three floors up). Reception desk will be in front of Lecture Hall III. Coffee and lunches will be served in the Aula.
Transportation
Getting to Budapest:
Like most major European cities, Budapest may be reached through air, by train or by car.
You may fly directly to Budapest (see below) or alternatively, you may fly to Vienna and take a train.
For driving, you may consult a navigator application, but all major highways of Hungary end up in the circular highway around the city (M0) from where you can get to your hotel.
There are train services to all other European capitals and big cities, most notably Vienna, Paris, Munich, and so on.
Budapest Airport:
The airport in Budapest is called Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport and it is a few kilometres outside the city.
Taxi to downtown would cost around 7k HUF (appr. €20), but there are two cheaper alternatives: Minibuses (similar to taxi) or public transportation (bus 100E goes directly to the centre of the city and stops at Kálvin tér, Astoria and Deák tér, from where most hotels may be reached easily – tickets need to be purchased in advance at a machine outside the airport building and cost 2200 HUF, appr. €6).
Public transport:
We recommend to use public transportation in general to get around in the city as Budapest has an extensive line of Trams, Buses, Metros and Trollies (see https://bkk.hu/en/). Public transportation requires pre-purchased tickets: one trip, daily or three-day passes exist (https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/prices/travelcards-valid-for-one-or-more-days/) and can be purchased from the wending machines at any major stop. If you change vehicles, you need to validate a new ticket (except from a Metro line to another Metro line).
The public transport company has its own mobile app (BudapestGo) and you may use the app to buy e-tickets (which need to be validated before getting on the given vehicle by using the QR-code printed by the door on the outside).
Ultimately you may choose to utilize the city bike system called MOL Bubi (BUdapest Bicycle sponsored by MOL oil). The Bubi system also has an app.
Tram No. 47 or 49: These trams stop in front of the North Main Gate of Bldg. E of Corvinus University. If you take one of these trams, please get off at “Fővám tér” stop
Metro:
Take Metro Line 4 (the green line) and get off at the “Fővám tér”.
Or
Take Metro Line 3 (the blue line) and get off at the “Kálvin tér”. From there take the tram 47 or 49 towards the river for one stop or walk 1000m.
Public transportation tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines at stations and bus stops, or with the BudapestGo application (https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/budapestgo/?gclid=CjwKCAjw-8qVBhANEiwAfjXLrjIV2NrJJHhkgW414WnugjwtSVBjR7tQuBes3mM5xrwlO27Q_KWlaBoC3OEQAvD_BwE)
Public transportation is free for EU citizens over the age of 65.
Taxi:
We recommend ordering taxis from official taxi companies, as their fares within Budapest are fixed and they charge using taximeters based on distance and time.
Főtaxi: +36 1 222 2222; https://fotaxi.hu/en/
City taxi: +36 1 211 1118; https://www.citytaxi.hu/index.php?lang=en
Taxi 4: +36 1 444 4444; https://www.taxi4.hu/en/
Accommodation
About hotels in general
Currently, the University does not have promotion agreement with any accommodations, as most conference visitors we had since the COVID do prefer to use online booking and search for deals
including airbnb-like services.
Other than the specific hotels below, our general advice is to choose a hotel from where Corvinus buildings (i.e. Fővám tér) may be reached using one public transportation line (without needing to transfer). Such locations include:
- on the Pest side of the capital
- the bank of the river Danube (from here tram #2 has a stop at Fővám tér),
- the vicinity of the East Railway Station located at Baross tér (from where Metro line #4 has a stop at Fővám tér),
- the Károly körút – Múzeum körút area (which is connected to Fővám tér by trams 47 ad 49),
- while on the Buda side
- the Bartók Béla út is a good choice (with trams 47 and 49 having stops at Fővám tér – from the other direction).
Specific hotels usually used by our visitors
Here are some potential targets depending on your budget (organizers have no connection to these businesses and cannot be responsible for issues with booking):
A new hotel right behind the Main building:
https://www.meininger-hotels.com/en/hotels/budapest/budapest-great-market-hall/
One tram stop or 6 minutes walk away:
https://www.budapestmuseumcentral.com/
Two tram stops or 12 minutes walk away:
https://www.danubiushotels.com/hu/szallodak-budapest/danubius-hotel-astoria
A bit further up in a new shopping district:
https://corvincentersuites.com/
Covid-19 Restrictions
At present visitors can enter Hungary without any restrictions, and there is no need for vaccination, immunity certificates or other Covid-19 tests.
General Information About Budapest and Hungary
You can find more information on the following websites:
Practical Information
Currency : The official Hungarian currency is the forint (HUF). The current exchange rate is about HUF 380-385 to EUR 1.
Currency exchanges:
We strongly advise that you only exchange currency at official exchange agencies or banks. You may meet people on the streets offering you better exchange rates, but they may not be trustworthy.
Many shops accept euros, but at a less favourable exchange rate compared to banks or exchange agencies.
You may use your trusted FinTech app including NFC.
Most shops in Hungary are obliged to accept debit/credit cards.
Credit and debit cards: Visa, Mastercard and Maestro are widely accepted in Hungary, with American Express being somewhat less widespread.
Business hours: Most stores in Hungary are open from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, and from 10 am to 1 or 2 pm on Saturdays. Large malls often extend their opening hours to 9 pm. Many malls are open on Sundays as well, with somewhat shorter opening hours. There will be no public holidays in Hungary during the period of MOP8.
Eating and Drinking: In Hungary tap water is considered safe to drink. Pork is an ingredient in many Hungarian meat dishes, but you will always find alternatives (poultry, beef, fish, vegetarian or vegan dishes) in restaurants.
Healthcare: First aid and emergency medical care are free for foreigners; in other cases, you need to pay for the treatment, unless you have travel insurance which covers healthcare.
Emergency phone numbers:
The venue has provisions for first aid and medical care. If you need emergency services these are the telephone numbers:
General emergency service: 112
Police:107
Ambulance:104
Fire service:105
Electrical Voltage and Adapters: Standard voltage is 230 Volts, AC 50Hz. Primary sockets require European plugs with two round pins. If you are coming from a country with a different standard we recommend that you pack a universal travel adapter. 
Wi-fi: High speed Wi-Fi will be provided in the Congress Centre. Outside, fast and reliable Wi-Fi is usually available in almost all hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and shopping centres.
Time zone: During the period of MOP8, Central European Summer Time (CEST, Daylight Saving Time) is in effect in Hungary. This is 1 hour ahead of Central European Time (CET) and 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Weather: September is the first month of autumn, with average daytime temperatures of around 17 degrees Celsius, while at night it can feel rather cool. Weather forecasts can be found on https://weather.com/.