education

QS 2022 Ranking: Hungarian university among the world world’s best universities

semmelweis_university_budapest

QS World University Rankings by Subject (QS WUR by Subject), as well the new QS Sustainability ranking place BME among the world’s best universities.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is one of the world’s most influential ranking agencies, listing and ranking the top 4-5 % universities of the world.

QS WUR by Subject, in particular, compares these top universities in a given field, based upon academic reputation, employers’ opinion, quality of publications and scientific achievements, and the level of international collaborations. This year, BME advanced further in QS 2022 subject area ranking, and reached an outstanding result: in the field of Engineering and Technology it has been ranked 211th worldwide as the only Hungarian university on the list, with an overall score of 71,3, approaching its competitor, TU Wien (77,3 points). With this result, BME is the best Hungarian university according to QS WUR by Subject, the university wrote.

BME’s programs also excelled in all specific Engineering and Technology subject areas, relevant for BME, where it has been ranked as the only or the best Hungarian university: BME has been ranked among the world’s top 151-200 in the fields of Civil and Structural Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, while in Computer Science and Information, in Chemical- and in Electrical and Electronic Engineering it is among the top 301-350 universities in the world.

Beyond Engineering, BME also progressed in all other relevant subjects area rankings. In the field of Architecture and Built Environment, it is ranked 151-200 worldwide, and it is the only Hungarian university on QS’s top list. In the field of Natural Sciences, it is ranked among the top 301-350 in Materials Sciences and Mathematics, and top 351-400 in the fields of Chemistry, and Physics and Astronomy. First in 2022, BME’s Business and Management Studies program also made it to the top list, where it has been ranked 501-550 worldwide.

BME also excelled in QS’s Sustainability ranking published the first time in 2022; in the field of Environmental Impact it has been ranked 198th, as the only Hungarian institution, and in the category of Sustainable Institution it has been ranked 23rd among 700 participating institutions.

These results clearly reveal BME’s regional position in Central- and Eastern Europe as a leading technical university.

Scandalous situation in a Hungarian school, parents outraged

elementary school child

Students were studying in the Catholic High School and College in Kiskunmajsa last week in 15 degrees Celsius. According to one parent, as soon as the children left the room, the heating was turned off. They had already experienced 11 degrees Celsius in the morning. What is even more outrageous is that the students are not allowed to wear coats.

“The average temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius, but we have recorded colder temperatures,” one parent told RTL Híradó. He said that as soon as the children leave the classroom, they turn the heating down. Students and their parents have even run into 11 degrees in the morning. According to parents, children not only get cold but also regularly fall ill in the cold because they are not allowed to wear coats.

The parent made a complaint about this outrageous situation. He was told that the school had been ordered to heat the school as normal. According to Zoltán Farkas, the principal, such temporary cases of heating issues may have occurred, but they have been eliminated, Telex writes.

The thermometers were taken away from the children, napi.hu writes, as “only the school’s maintenance staff can take reliable measurements”, according to the principal of the school. On the coat ban, Farkas said that “a school has to discipline the children”, they would do better not to wear ankle-length, ripped jeans, sneakers and T-shirts “above which they want to wear a coat”.

Teachers booed the minister
Read alsoVIDEO: teachers booed the minister for education before consultation

Opposition parties demand higher wage hike for Hungarian teachers

Protest Budapest education

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) and LMP parties on Saturday demanded an at least 45 percent immediate increase of teachers’ wages, criticising the government’s planned increase.

The interior ministry overseeing education said late on Friday that the government had earmarked 67.6 billion forints (EUR 167m) temporarily in central funding for giving teachers a 10 percent wage hike until Hungary receives EU funding it is entitled to. The wages of teachers is planned to be increased gradually over the next three years, the ministry said in a statement. Once Hungary receives the EU funding, those wages will be increased by 21 percent instead of 10 percent next year, by 25 percent in 2024 and by 29-30 percent in 2025, it said.

In a statement, DK said that “After Interior Minister Sándor Pintér, the police general ordered to discipline rebelling schools, lectured and intimidated teachers at their recent meeting held behind closed doors, came as a next step the Orbán government’s punishment: some adjustment to the teacher’s wage allowance instead of a wage increase”. DK called the measure “humiliating”, arguing that the inflation caused by the Orban regime “devalues teachers’ wages dramatically” which will lead to teachers’ leaving their jobs in large numbers.

LMP said that the interior minister “does not take notice of the teachers’ problems and does not even understand the current situation”. The party demanded an at least 45 percent wage increase, insisting that a shortage of teachers due to low wages would jeopardise the future of education.

The Párbeszéd party called the increase announced “humiliating and deceptive”, arguing that because of inflation, wages next year “would be worth a lot less”.

The party said in a statement that the government should stop “pointing a finger at the EU over unlocked funding”, noting that state secretary Bence Rétvári “had recently admitted in parliament that 85-90 percent of the wage increase for teachers should be covered from state coffers”.

Teachers booed the minister
Read alsoVIDEO: teachers booed the minister for education before consultation

VIDEO: teachers booed the minister for education before consultation

Teachers booed the minister

Yesterday the Ministry of Interior organized a consultation between some school directors, teachers and government officials. Why not the Ministry for Education? That is because there is no such ministry in Hungary. Public education and higher education are in the interior ministry and the minister responsible for education is a former police officer who admitted during the consultation that he was a non-professional regarding education issues.

Before the consultation started, some teachers waited for the minister’s arrival in front of the venue. Sándor Pintér arrived in his van and got out but did not speak a word with the protesters. Here is the video:

Here is what happened during the talks

Interior ministry officials held talks with school and teachers’ union representatives on public education on Friday, the ministry said. The talks held at the ministry were attended by 373 staff members of state and church-run schools as well as one representative each from teachers’ unions, the ministry said in a statement, MTI said.

The consultation was addressed by 17 headmasters and two teachers, twelve of them from Budapest and seven from outside the capital. The meeting was also addressed by Bence Rétvári, the parliamentary state secretary, Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary for public education, Sándor Brassói, head of the Education Office, Gabriella Hajnal, head of the school operator Klebelsberg Centre, and Péter Horvéth, head of the National Teacher Association.

The meeting ended with a speech from Interior Minister Sándor Pintér. Those in attendance got the opportunity to submit questions in writing, most of which were answered on the spot by the minister. The remaining questions will be answered by the state secretariat for public education, the statement said.

The ministry said it will take what was said at the talks into consideration when formulating its proposals to develop public education.

No future without teachers
Read alsoTeachers’ union calls for all-round consultation with education professionals

Everything you want to know about studying in Hungary

Hungary Semmelweis University

Many students come to Hungary every year with the purpose of studying at a higher education institution. If you are considering moving here, here are some basic information to make the decision easier for you as an expat.

You can choose from 35 Hungarian universities and colleges. There are 3 other courses offered by foreign higher education institutions licensed to operate in Hungary. The online platform of the higher education system Felvi.hu made a list which is updated every semester. It currently lists universities offering courses starting from February 2023.

university, Hungary, education, library, Budapest
Photo: Facebook, ELTE University Library

About the tuition system

If you do not receive state scholarship, you are required to pay the tuition fees in Hungary. The tuition costs vary depending on course length, subject, form of training and training level. Hungarian universities receive funding from the state, therefore they can finance the education. You can study for free for up to 12 semesters if you meet the criteria (average, number of credits, etc). As an international student, you will have to pay tuition fees for Hungarian universities. There are some exceptions.

The academic year

The academic year in Hungary consists of two semesters. The first semester begins in the beginning of September and ends in January. This is the autumn semester and is used for attending lectures and seminars. After that, there is a six-week-long period for the exams. The second semester starts in February and lasts until the end of May. There is another six-week exam period after the second semester.

Hungary, education, university, college, Szeged
Photo: Facebook, University of Szeged

Types of degrees in Hungary

There are different levels of degrees students can choose from. The first level is the Bachelor’s degree, which are usually three-year-programmes, leading to a degree. If you would rather study in Hungary for only two years, the Associate degree (Felsőoktatási szakképzés) will lead you to a certificate.

After you have finished the Bachelor degree, and you still would like to be in the education system, you have two options: either to apply for a Postgraduate degree (Szakirányú továbbképzés) or to enrol for a Master’s degree. There is no free Postgraduate degree, everyone has to pay in order to attend.

If you are still determined to continue your education in Hungary, the country offers a Doctoral (PhD) degree for those most interested in their profession.

Hungary university Budapest energy saving
Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Photo: facebook.com/Muegyetem.hu

elte ttk universities in Hungary
Read alsoHere are the best higher education institutions in Hungary in 2022

Enroling

You need to have graduated from high school if you would like to enrol at a Hungarian university. You might also be required to pass certain entrance exams, but it depends on the university you had chosen. Fortunately, Felvi.hu made an Admission Guide for International Applicants, in which the most important pieces of information about the application and the procedure are summarised.

Exam ELTE Hungary university
ELTE University Budapest. Photo: facebook.com/elteinternational

Housing opportunities for students in Hungary

If you come from a country west of Hungary, you will probably find everything to be cheaper. The currency exchange is always changing, hand in hand with rent and property prices. A much cheaper option for both international and Hungarian students is living in the dormitory of the university. In this semester (autumn 2022/23), a shared room in the cheapest dormitory of University of Miskolc costs HUF 12,000 (EUR 28,6). This price will increase if you are not a state-funded student, if you prefer a double room or if you wish to live in the newly renovated dormitory building.

university, Miskolc, college, campus, dormitory, education
Photo: Facebook, University of Miskolc

The situation is different in the dormitories in Budapest. As a general rule, they are harder to get into because there are not enough places for everyone. Usually, it is further away from the unviersity building and they do not have a campus. Most universities also publish dormitory prices online.

Advantages of attending a Hungarian university

There are more benefits than disadvantages when it comes to attending a Hungarian university. One of them is the student discount, as you are going to receive a 50 percent discount from the transportation price if you travel by train, bus, or local public transportation with your student identity card. Discounts – among other things – also apply to sport facilities, cinemas, theatres, and museums.

Semmelweis University Budapest (2)
Photo: facebook.com/semmelweisegyetem

Exam ELTE Hungary university
Read alsoBrand new graduation rules concerning all university students in Hungary accepted today

Teachers’ union calls for all-round consultation with education professionals

No future without teachers

Teachers’ union PSZ has called on the government to set up a national education roundtable for consultations with all players of the sector.

In accordance with the demands of demonstrators for better conditions in education, the union is calling on the government to sit down with trade unions, professional associations, NGOs and representatives of students and parents. Education is a national issue, and the serious crisis can only be resolved with cross-sector cooperation, PSZ said in a statement on Monday. The government’s aims in current consultations have been “murky”, PSZ said.

The contents of a cabinet meeting on Saturday, attended by education state secretary Zoltán Maruzsa and national teachers’ association Péter Horváth, have not been disclosed to the public, it said. The government has also failed to appoint a commissioner to tackle the sector’s issues, PSZ said.

PSZ will continue to negotiate with the government as a member of the strike committee, but also calls for public, transparent and wide-reaching consultations, the statement said.

Protests will continue until the government sees those fighting for reforms as partners, the statement said.

iraq school novák katalin
Read alsoPHOTOS: Hungarian-built school inaugurated in Iraq

PHOTOS: Hungarian-built school inaugurated in Iraq

iraq school novák katalin

Hungarians want peace in their homeland and on their borders, President Katalin Novák said on Saturday in Erbil, Iraq, where she met Hungarian troops serving there. She also said Hungary is ready to help whenever necessary. She and Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the autonomous Kurdistan Region, inaugurated the Meltho International School on Saturday in Iraq.

On the visit to the base in Iraqi Kurdistan, where she was received by contingent commander Gabor Hraska, Novák “conveyed the respect and thanks of the Hungarian people“, and warned of the possible escalation of the 10 month war in Ukraine. Hungary needs its troops to maintain and preserve peace, she said.

Further, Hungary needs experienced soldiers who have useful practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge for the protection of the homeland, she said. International terrorism is another common enemy, she said. “You are fighting against international terrorism here, in Kurdistan.” Tamás Vargha, a state secretary of the defence ministry, also greeted the troops.

Hungarian-built school inaugurated in Iraq

“We Hungarians are a people of action,” Novák said, “and now we are here to support you and your communities.” Hungary exercises humility in foreign relations, Novák said. “We are respectful and do not lecture others. We want to understand and get to know our partners,” she said.

Hungary also sees democracy as a priority, and condemns all forms of violence and terrorism, she added. The Hungary Helps programme embodies the commitment to helping local communities, “facing challenges where they arise rather than forcing people and communities to leave their homelands”, she said.

The newly inaugurated school will hopefully contribute to the development necessary to maintain a strong community, she said. “As the first female president of my country, I hope that opening this school will also contribute to strengthening the role of women,” she added. Barzani thanked Hungary’s help and “Christian brotherliness” in “investing in the future of the people of our region”, and thanked Novák for her visit.

Novák also met Yazidi women, assault survivors at the hands of the Islamic State. “Yazidi women who were abducted and assaulted along with thousands of others by the Islamic State solely because of their religious faith, have shared heartbreaking stories with me. Hungary will help in that situation too, through the Hungary Helps programme,” she said on Facebook.

President Katalin Novák visit Iraq
Read alsoPHOTOS: Hungarian president on official visit in Iraq

PHOTOS: “No money, no teaching”: students, parents, teachers protested in Budapest again

Protest Budapest education

A demonstration by students, teachers, parents and supporters was held in front of the public media MTVA headquarters in Budapest on Friday evening.

Participants at the event organised by the Unified Student Front and the Pala Movement demanded trustworthy and objective programming by the public media which they said failed to inform the public about the real situation of public education and disallowed them to express their opinion on the matter.

Student speakers said the MTVA headquarters was “a symbol of oppression and silence” and they smashed a television set with a hammer on a stage in front of the building.

The demonstrators gathered earlier in the day at Florian Square and marched to MTVA’s headquarters chanting

“Free country!”, “Free education”, “Pay our teachers” and “Silence is no order”.

Many of the demonstrators carried Hungarian and EU flags and flags symbolising chequered shirts, an outfit that has become associated with teacher demonstrations, as well as flags of the teachers’ unions PDSZ and PSZ.

They carried lit torches and demanded the resignation of the interior minister, who is at the helm of the ministry in charge of education.

Education protest Budapest
Read alsoPHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

Govt ‘committed’ to improving the quality of public education, survey plays major role

Teacher Class Education

An interior ministry official has said the government is committed to improving the quality of education, and it is important to understand the opinion of parents.

A questionnaire sent to parents canvasses their views on the way teachers evaluate students based on their own experiences, Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary for public education, said on Thursday.

He said this was a vital type of feedback concerning the performance and development of students.

“Evaluation is a way of shaping a child’s character and attitude,” he said, adding that more than 100,000 parents have returned the questionnaire.

Exam ELTE Hungary university
Read alsoBrand new graduation rules concerning all university students in Hungary accepted today

Top Court has spoken out on the Hungarian teachers’ strike

teacher demonstration

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday turned down an appeal by opposition lawmakers through which they had sought the top court’s review of the rules governing minimum services teachers must provide during a strike action, the court said on its website.

In its ruling, the court said “stipulations defining minimum services during a strike action in schools are not against the constitution”, and noted that strike actions were illegal with public service providers “whose operations fundamentally affect the population” unless a minimum level of services was ensured. They also said those minimum school services were outlined in a 2022 law concerning Hungary’s “special legal order”.

According to the opposition appeal, the effective regulations restrict strike rights to the extent that a strike “no longer has a potential to exert pressure” on the employer. “The regulations unnecessarily and disproportionately curb teachers’ constitutional right to strike, while they are also in contravention with international agreements.”

Exam ELTE Hungary university
Read alsoBrand new graduation rules concerning all university students in Hungary accepted today

Interest payment cap introduced to cover student loans in Hungary

forint hungary

The government has decided to broaden the cap on interest payments to cover student loans, the minister of economic development said on Tuesday.

With the aim of protecting families and employees amid the current crises affecting Europe, the government previously capped interest payments on household loans and loans for small and medium-sized firms, Márton Nagy noted on the government’s Facebook page.

Now one type of student loan will be capped at 4.99 percent from January 2023, while another will be still available interest-free for students in higher education, he said.

Almost 500,000 people have taken advantage of student loans which have aided them to obtain of 250,000 diplomas, he said, adding that without government action the interest rate on a student loan would double, putting 100,000 people into a position of hardship.

matolcsy
Read alsoGovernor of the Central Bank criticised the Hungarian economy, Minister Varga hit back

Socialists call for linking starter teachers’ salaries to central bank governor’s pay

matolcsy orbán

The opposition Socialists on Monday called for linking career-starter teachers’ salaries to the central bank governor’s pay.

Socialist parliamentary group leader Bertalan Toth told an online press briefing that a current government proposal to raise György Matolcsy’s salary from 5 million forints (EUR 12,275) a month to over 6 million forints was unacceptable.

The Orban government is raising Matolcsy’s salary at a time when inflation is record high, food prices are growing by 40-50 percent, and the central bank has introduced a base rate of 18 percent to prevent the collapse of the forint, he said.

He proposed setting starter teachers’ wages at 10 percent of the central bank governor’s.

As we wrote earlier, the government aims to spend a total of 1,200 billion forints (EUR 3bn) on raising teachers’ wages between now and 2025, covering half of the amount from domestic resources and the other half from EU funds, details HERE.

Education protest Budapest
Read alsoPHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

Hungarian President opens school for folk traditons in Transcarpathia

Hungarian President official visit Ukraine

President Katalin Novák opened a special school for ethnic Hungarians in Chepa-Berehove (Csepe-Beregszász) in western Ukraine on Sunday where children can learn about folk traditions, including music and dancing.

“There must be peaceful Hungarian future in Transcarpathia,” Novák said at the event, adding that the school was needed so that “even the youngest can learn about our common cultural treasures so that they can also transfer them to their children.” Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, with many institutions being forced to close down, the opposite happens in Transcarpathia, she added.

Ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia know the meaning of survival and struggle, she said. “This institution is proof that there is and there will be a Hungarian future here, in Transcarpathia,” she added. Novák assured the ethnic Hungarians that they can always rely on Hungary’s support.

People have joined forces in Hungary and beyond the borders, and a scheme dubbed Bridge for Transcarpathia has therefore received support of over HUF 1 billion (EUR 2.5 million), she said. Hungarian state support will also be maintained, she added.

Novák said she was representing all fifteen million Hungarians “thinking of their brothers in Transcarpathia”. Chepa has been the fourth location in Transcarpathia where a special institution dubbed Tulip School opened, with training courses being run in additional small villages with ethnic Hungarian communities.

novák in ukraine
Read alsoHungarian President lights first candle of Advent in Ukraine

noÁR: Hungarian education a common national issue, does not belong to the right or left

demonstration teachers

Organisations representing teachers’ interests and civilians held a demonstration in central Budapest on Saturday afternoon.

The protesters gathered at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences headquarters and a group marched to the nearby Interior Ministry building to submit a nine-point list of demands in the form of a petition, originally compiled by the Civil Public Education Platform organisation in October.

The demonstrators then moved to Kossuth Square near Parliament where students and teachers gave speeches and representatives of the United Students’ Front also addressed the crowd. Flags of teachers’ trade union PSZ, other professional interest representation organisations and Amnesty International were on display, as well as signs showing slogans of the series of demonstrations which started in September.

Greeting the participants in a video message, Graphisoft CEO Gábor Bojár, founder of the noÁR movement, said that education was a common national issue, which does not belong to the political Right or Left. He proposed that politicians should offer their 2022 salary increase to teachers.

The demonstrators expressed their support for a public dialogue to be launched by the government, the right to strike to be restored in public education, a dedicated ministry of public education to be set up and competitive wages to be introduced in the sector.

elte ttk universities in Hungary
Read alsoHere are the best higher education institutions in Hungary in 2022

Hungary’s public education collapsing? Retired PE teacher aged 80 called back to work

Old man PE teacher education

Promises made by the government will no longer be enough for tackling the crisis in Hungarian public education, a lawmaker of opposition LMP has said, demanding immediate wage hikes in the sector.

There is a shortage of at least 16,000 teachers across the country, Antal Csárdi told a press conference on Tuesday, marking Hungarian public education day. Teachers are obliged to fill in classes on subjects that are not their specialisation in one out of every four schools and it has also been prevalent in one out of every five schools that teachers without a higher education degree teach classes, he said. “On one instance, a retired gymnastics teacher aged over 80 had to be called back,” Csárdi added.

Battery manufacturing car China NIO
Read alsoHungarians may say ‘NO’ on gigantic Chinese investment on referendum?

Many teachers receive a wage equivalent of the minimum wage of a skilled worker, Csárdi said, adding that LMP demands a 45 percent wage increase in the sector with a retroactive effect.

“LMP demands that the government stop shifting responsibility and pointing the finger at Brussels, and take immediate steps to tackle the crisis in education,” the lawmaker said.

Education protest Budapest
Read alsoPHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

PHOTOS: teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest

Education protest Budapest

Teachers, students and parents held a protest march in Budapest on Friday evening demanding a wage increase for teachers and reforms in education.

The march was organised by members of the youth organisation United Students Front and it started from March 15 square as a continuation of the “live chain” protest held earlier in the day. The participants crossed Elisabeth Bridge and marched to Clark Ádám Square with police escort. Those in the front were carrying a banner that read “We are with our teachers” and chanted slogans including “No future without teachers”, “Strike is a basic right”, “We’ve had enough”, “Free country, free education” and “Silence is not order”.

Education protest Budapest
“Who will teach us to build a stadium?” One of the banners.
Photo: MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd

Speakers addressing the crowd were students, stating that it was not sufficient to demand wage increase, but an education reform was also needed. They demanded that students’ financial circumstances should not influence the quality of education they can access.

Hungary student school
Read alsoShattering PHOTO shows how teachers disappear from Hungarian schools

They said they had already called on the public media to prepare news reports about their actions and give them a chance to express their views on television, and held a minute of silence as an expression of dissatisfaction.

Education protest Budapest
Protesters on the Margaret Bridge. Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán

The demands of the United Students Front were presented, including finding a solution to the problem of the teacher shortage, introducing changes to the curriculum, better conditions in schools, “paying attention to education”, restoring the right to strike and putting an end to segregation in schools. Following the speeches, a performance was presented to the participants which involved play money being thrown around, as an illustration of money being wasted by the government on unnecessary projects instead of being spent on education.

demonstration for teachers
Read alsoOctober 23 demonstration for education: here are the demands

Radical increase for education support for ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders

Transylvanian Hungarians folk dance money

The Hungarian government is introducing a radical, multi-fold increase in education support for ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said on Friday.

Semjén told a meeting of the Permanent Hungarian Conference (MAERT) in Budapest that ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia will get the increased support immediately, and in other areas it will be introduced from the next academic year. The current amount of support paid is 22,400 forints (EUR 55) per child and per academic year.

Support to Transcarpathia will be generally increased “because they are in the most difficult situation”, Semjén said. All participants at MAERT signed a closing statement but three opposition parties, the Democratic Coalition, Parbeszed and Momentum, stayed away from the event.

“Those that stayed away did not belittle the government and MAERT but ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders,” he added.

Read alsoRomania: Hungarian inscriptions will be mandatory on public buildings and works of art

Higher education scholarship scheme for diaspora Hungarians

ELTE University Higher Education Hungary

The government is launching a special scholarship programme for young diaspora Hungarians looking to pursue higher education in Hungary, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said on Thursday.

The scheme will be implemented in coordination with Culture and Innovation Minister János Csák, Semjén said after a meeting of the Hungarian Diaspora Council.

Meanwhile, he said the government on Wednesday approved the establishment of a so-called Welcome Office aimed at helping those who decide to temporarily or permanently repatriate to Hungary. The office will be responsible for handling matters related to pension payments, the nostrification of higher-education degree certificates and the validation of driver’s licences, Semjén said.

baltic council days of international education
Read alsoThousands of visitors at biggest foreign education fair in Budapest

Hungary has close institutional ties with more than a hundred diaspora organisations, he said. The government considers it a strategic task to make diaspora and emigration organisations “a home to all Hungarians”, Semjén said.

He highlighted the importance of the Kőrösi Csoma Sándor programme aimed at helping Hungarian diaspora communities preserve their language and national identity, which has so far had around 1,000 participants.

Hungarian Houses have been opened in several countries and the government has contributed to the construction and reconstruction of churches in Hungarian communities abroad, Semjen noted.

Meanwhile, he said that so far 43,000 Hungarians abroad have received maternity benefits and 38,000 have applied for the childbirth incentive baby bond.

More than 1.15 million ethnic Hungarians have been granted citizenship, Semjén said, adding that some 320,000 ethnic Hungarians had voted in the last general election, 50,000 more than in 2018.