Hungarian Summit 2023 in Budapest: strengthening Hungarian-American relations in higher education and business

Deepening Hungarian-American relations is an annual event of the Hungarian Summit, and it is safe to say that many valuable contacts have been established between the two nations. We were at the Hungarian Summit 2023 Big Day event:

The first Hungarian Summit was hosted online only due to the shadow of the COVID-19. Then last year, Daytona Beach hosted the event. This year, the National University of Public Service (NKE) in Budapest was the host.

According to the announcement, the meeting, which was held in English and Hungarian, was open to those interested in networking with US companies, academics and elected officials. The Hungarian Hub, the organiser, promised to bring 10-15 key people from the US who want to learn more about the opportunities in Hungary, make contacts and expand their business or educational offerings.

The Hungarian Summit is a multi-day event, so the US delegation was able to meet Hungarian business people and visit Hungarian universities. The Big Day was the last day, when a full day of exchange took place in a conference setting, with 150 registered participants. The programme proved to be very busy, starting at 9 AM and continuing with small breaks until late in the evening.

The speakers’ line-up was started by Piros Pazaurek, Honorary Consul and owner of the Hungarian Hub, who is also the event’s creator. Pazaurek said that the Hungarian Summit 2023 was an exceptional event: on the one hand, it was possible to attract representatives of 7 American universities from 6 states to Hungary, on the other hand, it was possible to seat three Hungarian ambassadors serving in the United States. The Hungarian Hub is based in Daytona Beach, so it was no surprise that the focus was mainly on Florida, a city famous for NASCAR and its beautiful beaches.

Dr. Ákos Péter Mernyei, International Director General of the NKE (the venue), welcomed the participants, and Jordan Jiloty, NASCAR’s Executive Director of Public Affairs and Relations, gave a brief history of NASCAR and pointed out that EuroNASCAR also organises races in Europe and that the Czech race is perhaps the closest to Hungarian NASCAR fans.

Keith Norden, representing Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation, President & CEO, presented the excellent resources of the State of Florida and Volusia County in particular. As he said, Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world, larger than Poland, for example, and has everything to grow. Central Florida has a population of 4 million, growing at an astonishing rate, and strong local universities welcome 200,000 students every year.

He pointed out that Florida, and Volusia County in particular, has excellent niche geography, perfect weather and world-famous beaches that are a great destination for tourists. There are international and several smaller airports, and 2 seaports. Healthcare, aviation, space & technologies, logistics industries are excellent industries with local companies. It is also significant that the cost of living in Florida is much more bearable compared to other business and tourist centres in the US.

The next speaker, Derrick Henry, Mayor of Daytona Beach, also pointed out that the city is very livable because it is a community. Business, tourism, families and sports are a fantastic mix in Daytona Beach, which welcomes Hungarian and other investors. He stressed that the biggest companies support the community, which is how the city can be a vibrant business hub, but also a family environment with a rich heritage.