Debrecen4U April 4, 2025

Polish Day was held at the University of Debrecen

During a full-day programme, the participants could learn about Poland, Polish history, culture, folk customs and gastronomy, as well as study, scholarship and job opportunities, organised by the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen, in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Budapest and the Polish Tourist Board. The event on 2 April was linked to the Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship.

The history of teaching Polish language and literature in Debrecen goes back half a century, the training started in 1974 at the predecessor Kossuth Lajos University’s Institute of Slavic Philology.

“Since 2018, the Polish minor has been available as an elective course, which currently offers 12 students intensive language training, eight hours a week and insights into Polish literature, history and culture. In addition, 10 more students are improving their language skills as a compulsory second Slavic language in the Russian specialisation of the Slavic Studies bachelor and master’s degree and as an optional subject for other students,” Language Teacher at the Institute of Slavic Studies at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen (UD,)  Éva Fórián told hirek.unideb.hu.

The organiser of the Polish Day added that  the range of training courses is constantly expanding, and from 2023 students of the Master’s degree in translation and interpreting had been able to study Polish at the university.

“Poland is an exciting example of tradition meeting modernity: it has a proud history, a vibrant cultural life and a dynamic economy. The Polish Day, organised by the Slavic Institute for the third time since 2018, is a great opportunity to bring Poland and the Polish language closer to everyone, as learning a language is always the key to a deeper understanding of culture and traditions,” Jarosław Bajaczyk said at the opening ceremony in the main building’s main courtyard.

The Director of the Polish Institute in Budapest emphasised that Poland offers great opportunities for students from all over the world, including those from the University of Debrecen.

Head of the Budapest office of the co-organising Polish Tourist Organisation, Melinda Farkas, a former student of Russian and Polish at the University of Debrecen, later a lecturer, welcomed the visitors, stressing that without the studies she had done here she would not be able to do her current job and work on promoting Poland as widely as possible.

All the day’s activities inspired visitors to get to know Poland: an exhibition of illustrations by Marianna Oklejak at the Kölcsey Ferenc Reformed Primary School, an exhibition of posters designed by students from Polish and Hungarian art schools in the main building of the university, a presentation on Polish pub culture by blogger Tibor Ulu Csanádi , a presentation on Polish cities and a fun country quiz with food tasting. The event ended with a film screening at the Apollo Cinema.

Source and photo credit:dehir.hu