Debrecen4U April 3, 2025

The Confucius Institute in Debrecen celebrated its jubilee

The Confucius Institute of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen held a commemorative ceremony on the occasion of its fifth anniversary. The event was attended not only by the faculty, the faculty and the teachers of the institute, but also by the management of the Tianjin Foreign Language University and the Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Budapest.

The Confucius Institute was established in the autumn of 2019 thanks to the cultural and educational cooperation between the University of Debrecen (UD) and the Tianjin Foreign Language University. The Confucius Institutes were established by the People’s Republic of China to promote and disseminate Chinese language and culture, and to develop cultural relations. There are already more than 500 institutes worldwide, and the one in Debrecen, Hungary, was the fifth to start its operation. Its main activity is teaching Chinese language and culture, as well as organising cultural events, lectures, film screenings and celebrations for students, teachers and local residents.

Thanks to the work of native speakers and Hungarian teachers, the University of Debrecen is a stronghold of Chinese science, culture, language, history and philosophy, and on 1 April the anniversary was celebrated with guests from China.

In Budapest, the members of the delegation first visited the diplomatic mission, where they met with Ambassador Gong Tao, and then the official program continued at the Hungarian Librarians Association, where a Chinese-Hungarian agreement was reached on teaching and research cooperation and exchange between the two countries, on the further strengthening of language teaching, and on the possibilities of study tours to China to promote language learning for teachers of Confucius Institutes operating in domestic higher education institutions, including the University of Debrecen.

On their arrival in Debrecen, the guests from Tientsin were first welcomed by István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, responsible for cultural affairs.

Prior to the ceremony, the delegation led by Zhou Honglei, Party Secretary of Tianjin Foreign Language University, was received by Zoltán Szilvássy, Rector of UD and Okszána Kiszil, Director of the Coordination Office  and Strategy Directorate of the Rector-Chancellor’s Office of UD, in the Rector’s Council Room of the Main Building, where they jointly assessed the achievements of the Confucius Institute in the years since its establishment and mutually assured each other of their continued support and cooperation.

“For almost 500 years, since the beginning of higher education in Debrecen, cooperation between the city, the Church, educational institutions and local industry has been important. After half a century, this four-way innovation structure has been further strengthened, complemented by foreign companies. The Confucius Institute, established five years ago at the University of Debrecen, joined this system, which, in addition to teaching and cultivating Chinese language and culture, is actively involved in the life of the city and the industrial companies operating here, especially the Chinese partners,  CATL, EVE Power, Semcorp,” Zoltán Szilvássy said at the opening ceremony.

Okszána Kiszil recalled the history and development of the institution, which dates back to 1538, highlighting that today the University of Debrecen is one of the largest higher education institutions in the country, operating with 13 faculties and 25 doctoral schools, with a student population of 40,000, of whom almost 8,000 came to Debrecen from about 130 countries to study, including 418 Chinese students studying at the faculties of UD. 

“Last year was the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, and bilateral relations reached a historic high point thanks to the visit of President Xi Jinping. In recent years, educational, economic and trade cooperation has also been continuously deepened, so the demand for Chinese-speaking professionals is growing,” the Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Budapest in the festive greeting emphasised.

Han Dongshen pointed out that language is a means of communication, a carrier of culture, and a bridge for dialogue and exchange of ideas between civilizations. The Confucius Institute at the University of Debrecen is a key channel for encouraging dialogue and mutual learning.

Since its establishment in November 2019, the institute has been continuously developing its education system, launching language, cultural and thematic lectures, and the number of registered students has exceeded 3,500.

“Today, the Confucius Institute has become an important Chinese language teaching centre and cultural exchange platform for the city of Debrecen, and indeed for Hungary. During the long-term cooperation, the leaders of the two universities have made mutual visits several times, so that a brotherly friendship could be developed, which perfectly embodies the Confucian principles: joint discussion, joint construction and common benefit,” Zhou Honglei emphasized in his speech.

In addition to the successes achieved in the field of education, the Party Secretary of Tianjin University of Foreign Studies reported on the close cooperation established with the city government, the Hungarian-Chinese Friendship Society, the Budapest Chinese Cultural Centre, and CATL. Among the programmes, he mentioned the successfully organised Mid-Autumn Festival, the Petőfi Literary Exhibition, the World Chinese Language Day, the Chinese Bridge Symposium, and the recently held Chinese Lantern Festival.

The latter featured the Dancing Fairies, Hungarian students of UD, who also demonstrated their Chinese dance skills to the participants of the ceremony.

UD’s Chinese Students’ Association contributed to the anniversary with a surprise production, a compilation of short films showing the students’ everyday lives, and the institution’s Multimedia and E-learning Technical Centre contributed to the anniversary by presenting a video documenting the institute’s five years.

Following the ceremony, the Chinese guests also met with their compatriots studying at the University of Debrecen.

The Confucius Institute of the University of Debrecen also published a celebratory publication for the anniversary.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu