Debrecen4U June 26, 2026

City Scholarships for 2026 Awarded to Local Talents in Debrecen

The ceremony for this year’s Béla Békessy Sports Scholarships, Cívis Talentum Scholarships and Ferenc Kölcsey Scholarship took place on 25 June 2026 in the Simonffy Hall of the Old City Hall. Presented by Mayor László Papp, the scholarships were awarded to ten outstanding athletes, ten talented secondary school students and one creative artist.

In his welcome address, László Papp emphasised that talent can truly flourish when it is supported by a secure background, community recognition and encouragement. He said that Debrecen has taken pride in its status as a city of education for centuries and continues to regard the nurturing of talent as one of its highest priorities. The Mayor stressed that outstanding achievement should not only be recognised but also publicly celebrated within the community. Through these three scholarship programmes, Debrecen wishes to send a clear message to the recipients that the city sees, values and appreciates their accomplishments, and aims to provide a supportive foundation on which they can always rely.

He added that the awards acknowledge not only success, medals and prestigious competition results, but also the unseen dedication, sacrifice and perseverance that make such achievements possible. The young scholarship recipients are already ambassadors for Debrecen, enhancing the city’s reputation through their accomplishments in sport, academic competitions, science and the arts.

Established by the Municipality of the City of Debrecen in 2016, the Béla Békessy Sports Scholarship aims to support the successful preparation of Debrecen athletes and their participation in international competitions. The scholarship may be awarded to amateur or professional athletes competing individually or in team sports for a Debrecen sports organisation, either at senior level or in the oldest youth age group, who have achieved outstanding results at the Olympic or Paralympic Games, the World Games, World Championships, World Cups or European Championships.

In 2026, the Municipality of the City of Debrecen awarded the Béla Békessy Sports Scholarship to Attila Csaba Arany (athletics), Viktória Éva Bányász (aerobics), Sugár Katinka Battai (fencing), Attila Bernáth (boxing), Gergő Dobi (triathlon), Flóra Fehér (aerobics), Dániel Göttlinger (wheelchair fencing), Nóra Komjáthi (boxing), Lili Litvák (karate) and Dorottya Pernyész (finswimming).

Also established in 2016, the Cívis Talentum Scholarship aims to support secondary school students with outstanding academic achievements and competition results while promoting their successful participation in international academic competitions. The scholarship may be awarded to talented secondary school students studying in Debrecen who, alongside their studies, have demonstrated exceptional performance in the humanities, sciences, foreign languages, the arts, information technology or vocational education, have taken part in international academic competitions, and serve as role models for their fellow students.

In 2026, the Municipality awarded the Cívis Talentum Scholarship to Júlia Baran, Year 10 student at Fazekas Mihály Grammar School; Noémi Bodor, Year 11 student at Fazekas Mihály Grammar School; Dániel Czapák, Year 11 student at Ferenc Medgyessy Grammar School, Secondary School of Art and Technical School; Fruzsina Flóra Fekete, Year 10 student at Árpád Tóth Grammar School; Tamás Görömbey, Year 12 student at Fazekas Mihály Grammar School; Enikő Kovács, Year 13 student at the Gábor Bethlen School of Economics and College of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre; Dóra Lesku, Year 12 student at Árpád Tóth Grammar School; Áron Pankucsi-Versényi, Year 12 student at the Lajos Kossuth Practice Grammar School of the University of Debrecen; Levente Marcell Rátonyi, Year 11 student at Fazekas Mihály Grammar School; and Bendegúz Péter Vámosi, Year 11 student at Fazekas Mihály Grammar School.

Founded in 2006 by the General Assembly of the Municipality of the City of Debrecen, the Ferenc Kölcsey Scholarship aims to encourage the creation of valuable works about Debrecen that strengthen local identity and residents’ attachment to the city. The scholarship may be awarded to individuals or legal entities working in the cultural sector. In 2026, the Ferenc Kölcsey Scholarship was awarded to Attila Mispál, Balázs Béla Award-winning film, television and theatre director, screenwriter and dramaturge, for his project Etchings from the Workshop of Imre Szilágyi – Portrait of a Contemporary Copperplate Engraver from Debrecen. The aim of the project is to produce a 52-minute professional documentary portrait of graphic artist Imre Szilágyi. The film will present the artist’s life, career and most significant works, as well as his unique artistic vision, creative approach and worldview. It will also explore his relationship with Debrecen and the significance of the experiences that have connected him to the city.

In his closing remarks, Mayor László Papp emphasised that simply listing the recipients’ achievements demonstrated the extraordinary level of excellence they had attained. Behind those accomplishments, however, lie many years of hard work, sacrifice, commitment and determination. He underlined that Debrecen values its young talents and is proud to support them, doing so with the ambition and commitment not only to recognise their achievements today but also to rely on them in the future. He added that the dedication and work of the scholarship recipients contribute to ensuring a bright future for Debrecen. Finally, he congratulated all the scholarship recipients and expressed his gratitude to their parents, teachers, mentors and coaches for providing the support and encouragement that enabled these young people to achieve such remarkable success.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu