INTERVIEW

Bundestag president thanks Hungarians for courage in 1989 – Interview

Thanks to the courage of the Hungarians, a new chapter of history began in 1989, the president of Germany’s Bundestag told public news channel M1 on Monday evening in an interview marking the 30th anniversary of the opening up of Hungary’s western border.

Former West German politicians always knew that Germans living in the German Democratic Republic would choose unity if they could decide for themselves, Wolfgang Schauble said.

But it was also known that borders could not be changed either in Germany or in Europe, because such efforts would be suppressed by the communist regime, as was experienced by the Germans in 1953, the Hungarians in 1956, and later by the people of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the Poles in 1980-81, he said.

“However, in 1989, we felt that something started to change, and thanks to the courage of Hungarians, […], it became clear that a new chapter of history began and Europe would no longer remain divided,” Schauble said.

The Bundestag president said

Germany “will never forget” Hungary’s decision to open its border in September 1989 which had paved the way for German unity and the unification of Europe,”

said Schauble, a leading politician of Germany’s senior ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Responding to a question, Schauble said that

the Iron Curtain dismantled in 1989 cannot be compared to the fence built along Hungary’s southern border in 2015.

“The two have nothing to do with one another,” he said.

While the Iron Curtain “closed people”, the fence was an answer to current challenges, including globalisation and regional differences, he said.

“It is quite understandable that people seek to flee from poverty-stricken, war-torn regions but it is also obvious that Europe cannot take in all those in need. We should find a solution to migration,” he said.

Schauble said that there is a need for border control. He added, however, that “we do not want to isolate ourselves hermetically because Europe is not a fortress”.

“If we do not want to restore internal border control, we should defend the external border,” he said.

Asked about Hungarian-German relations, Schauble said

“we should make continuous efforts so that political differences should not open new ditches between us and that we should be able to resolve issues that can only be resolved efficiently together.”

Schauble said that national affiliation should not be set against European endeavours. “Germany’s future will not be successful if that of Europe fails and Hungary has better prospects if it is part of a unified Europe.”

September 17, 2019

Mentoring foreign students: next year of the Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network

After the first, pilot year, the mentor network prepares for its next year. What is the future direction in mentoring and what changes can we expect? We talked with Tamás Kaizinger, the executive of Stipendium Hungaricum Mentor Network.

DNH: The success of the program can be easily measured by the number of students who apply to take part in it. How many students do you expect to come to Hungary this year?

Kaizinger: It is very hard to tell now: we know how many students have applied to take part in higher education somewhere in Hungary, this number is around 28 000 people. From this amount, the Hungarian government secures matriculation for 5 600 people. Those are the ones, who can come to a Hungarian higher educational institution. Besides, students are very wise and apply to different scholarships, meaning that the number of students that will surely start their education in Hungary is around 3 300.

DNH: What can you offer in terms of mentoring for those who come here?

Kaizinger: Getting accepted by the Stipendium Hungaricum (SH) scholarship has lots of advantages: the students don’t have to pay e. g. for their tuition fees, for housing, moreover, they even receive health insurance. This is completed by the SH scholarship itself.

To each newcomer we appoint a mentor who helps the foreign student’s integration to the Hungarian higher educational system. This can mean administration, guidance, or anything that effects a foreign student’s life and education. With this work we try to give back the feeling of safety to each student.

DNH: What difficulties are there for students coming from abroad?

Kaizinger:

Students coming here are mostly between 18 and 20 years. Some of them even fly here from thousands or ten thousands of kilometres far, to a different social, economic and religious cultural space. There is a lot of psychological stress: stress about grades at university, homesickness or even financial problems. These difficulties also effect the Hungarian students, but for foreign students this phenomenon is present multiple times – just think about the fact that flying home to China isn’t necessarily simple or cheap.

DNH: How can mentoring help to overcome such problems?

Kaizinger: After the mentor and the foreign student got in touch with each other, we organize trainings in September and October where students can acquire skills on different learning methodologies, financial and time management tips and cultural differences. The attendance of students is completely free-will at these events. Needless to say, the strong relationship between the mentor and his/her student may include daily conversations about what to do or how to deal with the upcoming problems.

DNH: Besides mentoring, there are many programs for the foreign students…

Kaizinger:

Yes, after the trainings we also organize touristic and cultural programs for them. Every foreign student shall visit her/his ambassador in Budapest. We collect students coming from one country and guide them to the chancellery of that country where students can have a talk, a dinner or just a salon with the ambassador.

With cultural and touristic programs our aim is to let students get in touch with Hungary and the Hungarian culture. We take them to many cities, to museums, national parks and with professional tour guides we try to introduce the many faces of Hungary.

DNH: How do you see, is there anything you can or should change?

Kaizinger: Yes, we plan a new event called SH-factor, where foreign students can sign up with a production they would perform. During the schoolyear, there would be rehearsals, qualifyers, and at the end a final in Budapest.

We also want to organize a small football cup. In the teams both Hungarian and foreign students could take part in order to aid the international integration between students in Hungary and help Hungarian students get in touch with foreign people.

Last year we had a gala, that closed the first year of the programme. We gave the awards to the best ‘mentor of the year’ and the ‘leading mentor of the year’. After that the students had the opportunity to have a great closing-party. We would like to follow this ‘tradition’ this year as well.

DNH: Would you change anything in the mentoring system?

Kaizinger:

Yes, we are working on a new methodology. In the new program there would be a mentor-pair, a Hungarian and a foreign student, and they would help a group of students coming from abroad. The main advantage is that the foreign mentor has similar experiences as hi/her mentees: I mean coming from abroad and trying to live and study in Hungary. The Hungarian mentor can help with administration and introducing the institution; and the pair would be present as ‘Hungarian parents’ in this mentoring-family.

DNH: Are there any students who apply for mentoring and later will be mentors themselves?

Kaizinger: Yes, there is a common psychological idea that they get very much from Hungary and from people; they are really grateful and do their best to give back something. They also meet foreign mentors and see that this is a possibility to go and help the coming students and other mentors as well.

University of Szeged – Increasing number of international students

September 10, 2019

Interview with Jobbik MEP Márton Gyöngyösi

After the EP election 2019, Márton Gyöngyösi, Jobbik executive vice president became the opposition conservative party’s new and only MEP.

Daily News Hungary: Congratulations on becoming an MEP after working nine years as an MP in the Hungarian Parliament! What’s the atmosphere like in Brussels? What differences have you experienced between the Hungarian and the European Parliament so far?

MEP Gyöngyösi: Unfortunately, Hungarian parliamentarism has become completely empty in recent years as Fidesz, with its two-thirds majority, feels entitled to ignore the various discussion forums entirely. This is a move in a horrible direction because half of the country has an opposition stance, regardless of the electoral system.

The European Union is undergoing formative times right now.

Citizens clearly expect a change of direction. The time has come to truly implement the generally accepted slogan that Europe should be brought closer to the people. However, this also means that Europe needs more democracy and backroom deals should no longer be made. That’s why I’m so frustrated to see certain politicians ignoring the lead candidate system or party affiliations overriding expertise when committee memberships are determined.

On the other hand, I believe that European politics will gain significantly more weight in the upcoming years. At critical times like these, it is especially unfortunate that the Hungarian governing party is increasingly isolating itself and Hungary as well. I want to demonstrate that there is a civic and democratic centre-right in Hungary, too.

Daily News Hungary: What were the most critical moments during your service in the Hungarian Parliament?

MEP Gyöngyösi: As a Hungarian MP, I have always done my best to call the public’s attention to the increasingly grave social gaps and tried to find solutions for them together with my fellow MPs. That’s why we launched the initiative for a European Wage Union. I’d also like to point out that Jobbik, as the largest parliamentary opposition group, stood up against the slavery act as well as several other anti-democratic measures so typical of the Fidesz government.

Daily News Hungary: Jobbik has been in the European Parliament for 10 years. What have been your party’s most significant achievements so far? What would you carry on with and what would you change?

MEP Gyöngyösi:

Jobbik is the only party to offer a centre-right, conservative, Christian-Social alternative to Fidesz’ exercise of power which has been centre-right in its words but rather Bolshevik in its deeds.

We believe the Wage Union initiative was a great achievement as we gathered the support of several allies despite the headwind generated by the Hungarian government. Jobbik is a patriotic, conservative, social and democratic party. That’s the concept I want to carry on with.

Besides that, I also want to make our European parliamentary work more visible and more palpable for Hungarian voters. European politics in general and the European Parliament, in particular, have an increasingly important role in our lives. Unfortunately, the Hungarian government employs whatever means it can to prevent Hungarian citizens from getting an insight into this work. Therefore, as an opposition MEP, I will need to use all the available tools to involve the people in European politics. There’s a third sad thing, too: since Orbán’s growing dictatorship is now curbing MPs’ rights and undermines the functioning of entire political parties, the only politicians still immune to Fidesz’ omnipresent network and machinations are the Members of the European Parliament.

Daily News Hungary: At the moment you are working in Brussels on your own as a non-attached MEP. What are your short and mid-term plans?

MEP Gyöngyösi: I am indeed a non-attached Member in the European Parliament, but I don’t feel being on my own at all.

I have been in cooperation with several MEPs on certain issues in the past few weeks, and I think our joint efforts may lead to a collective parliamentary group as well. Jobbik’s goal is to offer a centre-right, conservative alternative to Fidesz’ dictatorial exercise of power, as a significant part of Hungary is conservative.

Daily News Hungary: And what are your long-term plans? Do you have some agenda items that you want to implement by 2024? What are your ambitions in Brussels?

MEP Gyöngyösi: Democracy, solidarity, social justice and Christian values. That’s what I want to represent.

Daily News Hungary: What committees are you going to work in and what are your primary goals there?

MEP Gyöngyösi: I will be involved in the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on International Trade. This is a great achievement for me because many MEPs, who are already members of certain party families have only been given seats in committees with much lower prestige and, last but not least, influence.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs is especially crucial for us in Hungary because we border on non-EU countries which nevertheless have close EU relations and their ultimate accession, albeit distant, is continuously on the agenda. These are the areas where I want to represent the Hungarian view on Eastern Europe or the Balkans.

Daily News Hungary: The European Parliament is often unduly considered as a place for sidelined politicians. How do you view this assignment? Do you have ideas of how an MEP could become an important political player in Hungary?

MEP Gyöngyösi:

As I said, the Hungarian Parliament has become almost entirely useless during Fidesz’ reign: even though the opposition parties still sit there and they do an excellent job as professionals, the governing party’s two-thirds majority considers them as enemies and operates Hungary as a single-party dictatorship instead.

Unfortunately, the situation has become even more grave now when state authorities are openly taking action against opposition parties and politicians. We, Hungarian opposition MEPs, are still privileged in the sense that we are immune to the machinations of Orbán’s regime. It’s up to us what we can make of this opportunity.

Back to the first half of your question: the European political arena is increasingly important, and there are fewer and fewer of these “sidelined” politicians, fortunately.

Daily News Hungary: You’ve been running joint campaigns with Momentum’s MEP Katalin Cseh. Do you think you will keep up close cooperation in the EP as well?

MEP Gyöngyösi: Although we disagree on several issues, I think it’s vital for Hungarian opposition MEPs to sit down at the same table and coordinate their efforts in critical matters. This is not a question of political sympathy; it’s a must.

Daily News Hungary: Did the EP elections cause a crisis in Jobbik? Do you think there’s a way out?

MEP Gyöngyösi: You’re never happy to see a bad result, so I was somewhat disappointed on May 26, too. However, there’s no feeling of crisis and rightfully so.

We’ve been through a challenging year, the leader who helped us achieve our best results has gone, we suffered under giga-fines from the state, and we had to endure ignoble smear campaigns, too. However, the number of Jobbik members is growing. New local organisations are formed one after the other. Of course, we will need to learn our lessons from the EP election and correct our mistakes. We have already started this process.

Daily News Hungary: Let’s put political issues aside for a while and tell us about your private life. Will your family follow you to Brussels? Where will you live? Have you set up your residence yet?

MEP Gyöngyösi: They are going to follow me. Right now we’re looking for a school for my 11-year-old son who will start the year here in September. We found a flat in a quiet suburban area a bit farther out from the centre. I’m happy about that because I’ve always considered myself as a provincial man who finds great comfort in nature, even though my work tied me to Budapest and now to Brussels.

Daily News Hungary: Living in a different country, what sights are you planning to see in your spare time?

MEP Gyöngyösi: Between moving to Brussels and my parliamentary work, I’ve had little time to discover Belgium, but I will likely have a chance to do so in the upcoming years. The Belgian coast is a bit chilly for my taste, but I would love to visit the historical cities, such as Gent and Brugge, for example.

Daily News Hungary: How about gastronomy? Are Brussels and Strasbourg completely different from Budapest? Do you have any local favourites yet?

MEP Gyöngyösi: I’m not entirely familiar with the Belgian cuisine yet, that’s something I still need to discover. Also, my stomach is used to Plzen type beers so I will have to adapt to Belgian beers as well. However, I did spend considerable time in Strasbourg recently, so I have a great favourite there: it’s kind of a local pizza called tarte flambée. I love Alsace white wines and the champagne called crémant d’Alsace, too. Due to German influence, local beers are great there as well.

July 17, 2019

Orbán in Brussels: Weber, Timmermans ‘have failed’

Manfred Weber and Frans Timmermans, the lead candidates of the European People’s Party and the European Socialists, “have failed” in their bids to become the next European Commission president, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday, adding that this was “good news” for Hungary because the Hungarian people did not want to see either of them in charge.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels about the first day of the ongoing European Union summit, Orbán said: “We’ve taken important steps forward.”

The prime minister noted that his Fidesz party had won last month’s European Parliament election with 53 percent of the vote.

“This is unparalleled: hardly anyone in Europe has this [level of support],” he said.

Orbán noted that he had pledged to use the mandate given to his party to prevent the EU from choosing leaders who support immigration. He noted that he had also vowed to make sure that the EU would not have a leader who “doesn’t respect Hungary or the central European countries”.

Orbán said he had been successful in keeping these promises because “the Spitzenkandidaten, Mr. Weber and Mr. Timmermans, have fallen.”

“They didn’t meet either of the criteria, so their departure is good news for Hungary,” the prime minister added.

Asked about the possibility that the Visegrád (V4) countries may field an important EU post, Orbán said they stood “a good chance”.

“For every EU position, the V4 has more than two or three candidates,” he said, adding the V4 would punch with its weight in negotiations.

He said V4 has proposals with “specific names” that would be good for Hungary and central Europe as a whole. He added that names “must be handled with care” since the chances of prospective candidates could be compromised by revealing them publicly.

Mid-week, V4 leaders will meet to “make the final negotiations”, Orbán said. On Sunday evening, the V4 will then make proposals in the interests of central Europe.

“We have good candidates; I think they will run.”

Meanwhile, Orbán said Hungary was committed to addressing climate change alongside other countries. “We could [in principle] do this by 2030,” he said, adding that plans to realise climate goals without raising household utility bills existed. In principle, the money was also available, he said, adding that the two aims could be reconciled. But in order to commit to the 2050 target, there would have to be signs of the money being made available. “So let’s start talking about money,” he said.

“If the money is there and if the EU opens up its resources for this, we can upgrade Hungary’s energy network so that families will not have to pay more. We’re open to negotiation,” he said.

Orbán noted a debate on nuclear energy was taking place.

The Hungarian position, he said, was clear: “If we want to reach our climate targets, we need nuclear power.” He added that one or two countries were arguing about this but they were in a minority.

The prime minister said every country had the right to decide on its nuclear power needs. Referring to Hungary’s sole nuclear power plant, he said: “‘Without Paks, there are no low energy bills.”

He said the aim of regulation was to make people better off, not the other way round.

June 21, 2019

Orbán vows to strive for EPP success – interview / Bild

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in an interview to Germany’s Bild on Friday, said he would strive for the success of the European People’s Party. “I want the EPP to win the European Parliament election, but afterwards there will be a debate on the direction it takes,” he told the paper.

Orbán said he still considered the EPP his “political home”.

He added that whether Fidesz stayed in the EPP or joined a new alliance depended on the EPP. “[There’s] a painful debate ahead of us,” he said.

The prime minister cautioned the EPP against joining forces with the left wing, which he said planned “European socialism”, the price of which would be paid by Germans and central Europeans.

orbán interview bild — Photo: www.miniszterelnok.hu

He said that in Italy, Matteo Salvini, the interior minister who leads the League party, “is doing a good job”. After the election, all options for an alliance with him should be on the table, he added.

He blamed the Scandinavian and Benelux members of the EPP for strife in the grouping and the initiative to exclude Fidesz from the EPP, saying its leaders were too weak to rebuff it.

Orbán said Manfred Weber, the EPP’s lead candidate for the post of European Commission president, had rejected the votes of Hungarians and therefore did not deserve to receive them. Weber, he added, was a weak leader who “is not ready to fight for his own values”. The Fidesz leader preferred not to reveal for the time being who he would support instead.

Commenting on the appearance of Weber on billboards promoting secure external borders, Orbán said Europe would be wise to support Hungarian border policy. He noted that Hungary had not received any European Union funding for its fence on the southern border. Hungary, he added, will not allow Frontex to police the Hungarian border, adding that Frontex was needed where the authorities were unable to protect their borders.

Commenting on the political turmoil in Austria, Orbán said: “We’d rather not interfere in Austrian domestic politics.”

As regards the case of Heinz-Christian Strache, who last weekend resigned his post of Austria’s vice-chancellor, Orbán said the most important thing for a politician was having the trust of the people. But Strache, he said, had made “unacceptable” remarks, with which he lost that trust.

Meanwhile, he said Hungary’s economy was growing by more than an annual 5 percent, had a competitive tax system and was approaching full employment but further investment — from Germany too — was needed.

On the topic of press freedom, Orbán said that he was strongly criticised from all sides in the media. “It would be good if the Hungarian press put wind in my sails but now I’m ploughing into headwinds.”

Turning to international affairs, Orbán said that whenever there was a conflict between Russia and the West, Hungary always suffered. “So a balance must be found.” Strength must be shown when it comes to defence and security while economic cooperation should be the focus of negotiations, he added.

Noting his recent talks with Donald Trump at the White House, Orbán said the US president’s administration faced “injustice”, since none of their successes were recognised. Whereas their scale is different, Hungary and the US share similar traits, he said. The US economy is developing better than ever, there is a deep consensus on immigration, and both act in ways to ensure that Israel is treated fairly, he said.

Commenting on George Soros, the prime minister said his dispute with the US billionaire had nothing to do with anti-Semitism but rather with “casino capitalism, NGOs with opaque funding and political interests, and speculators”. In Hungary, he added, there is zero tolerance of anti-Semitism.

“The Jewish community [in Hungary] is probably the safest in Europe,” Orbán said.

Regarding German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s future departure: Orbán said: “I’ll only believe if I see it.” He said Merkel would be leaving a vacuum in Europe, adding that this was a “problem”. He said that since Merkel had made a partial withdrawal, Europe was bereft of any leadership. “Europe needs a strong German Chancellor with clear, bold ideas,” Orbán said, adding that Merkel had not left yet but was already missed.

The prime minister insisted that the German-French axis was no longer. “France, Germany and the Visegrad states: this is what Europe’s new geometry looks like,” Orban said. The Visegrad states have a lasting alliance politically, emotionally and economically, he said. One day, Germany will recognise that it also belongs to this central European grouping, Orbán declared. “This will change politics in Europe”, he added.

May 24, 2019

“UAE is an oasis of peace and political stability” – Interview with UAE’s Ambassador to Hungary

GLOBS Magazine’s interview with H.E. Abdulhamid Al Mulla, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Hungary.

Your Excellency, it is a great pleasure to greet You as the first Ambassador of UAE to Hungary. By opening of the Embassy of UAE in Budapest the relations of our countries are raised to a higher level.

First of all, let me express our gladness for establishing a new Embassy in Budapest, in February 2018. This significant step shows the importance of friendly relationship with Hungary by the UAE, and also indicates that the leaders of both countries has the strong intention to strengthen our bilateral relations. I think that the UAE Embassy in Hungary can contribute to the deepening of our cooperation in various fields and levels.

How do You assess the relations of UAE and Hungary? Which areas of cooperation need improvement?

We are very glad to have excellent relationship between our countries but we can do much more to raise this to a strategic partnership level. There are opportunities in many economic fields where we can cooperate with mutual benefit. I think we can do more to increase the bilateral trade volume and to exploit the potential in the investment field in both countries.

We can also work on fostering the cultural and educational dimensions of our cooperation.

The UAE’s 47th National Day – celebrated on the 2^nd December – coincided with the centenary of the birth of late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the UAE, 2018 was dedicated as the “Year of Zayed”. What are the main achievements of Your country that make You proud of and gained the respect and admiration of the world during this 100 years?

We are proud of having wise leaders since the reign of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. The values of the late Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, laid the foundations of modern cultural and development renaissance in the country. Inspired by these values, our wise leaders built the chance to have a bright future for the UAE, strengthening its position among the countries of the region and the world. The UAE is only 47 years old, but what we achieved from zero is of utmost importance. The UAE became a top tourist destination, a financial and cultural hub, with the latest construction of road network, seaports, airports. We also have a long-term space research program and satellite project entirely made by our engineers. We are very proud of these results and we want to go further by setting new goals and realizing them. UAE is an oasis of peace, political stability, boosting remarkable economic and social progress.

Thanks to a visionary and pragmatic leadership, the country has evolved as knowledge based economy driven by innovation and diversification, and has succeeded to reduce its reliance on oil of the state income to 30%. How have you reached this unprecedented result? What are the main pillars of your economy?

This is even less than 30%, the UAE has made progress toward ending its economic dependence on hydrocarbons and crude oil. That represents only one source of income in our GDP. The policy of the economic diversification has led to impressive development in key sectors such as tourism, trade, financial services, manufacturing and alternative energy. We are building four nuclear plants in Abu Dhabi by a Korean company. The globe shifts toward renewable energy raises a significant opportunity for the UAE to become the first global country financing significantly the use of clean energy. Noor Abu Dhabi is the world’s largest independent solar plant. UAE will host the 24^th World Energy Congress in September 2019, in Abu Dhabi.

The six national priorities of our country are:

cohesive society and preserved identity, public safety and fair judiciary, competitive knowledge economy, first-rate education system, world-class healthcare. Diversification will continue to be a key pillar for the UAE in coming years.

UAE has the second largest economy in the Arab World.

What is the position of the UAE on international level?

The UAE continues to devote itself to addressing major globe challenges, especially those related to poverty eradication, environment protection, climate change, establishment of justice and peace, supporting and promoting global social and economic progress.

The UAE has achieved qualitative growth in all areas. This is reflected clearly through several indicators, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report, which covers numerous key areas such as quality of life, infrastructure, technology, and adaptation of business, friendly government policies. For the fifth consecutive year, the UAE ranked first as the largest international donor of Official Development Aid (ODA) compared to gross natural income (GNI). It shows that we do not focus only on our nation, but we are actively working on international level as well, making projects all over the world, helping people in need.

The UAE is an open and tourism-oriented country, and became one of the preferred destinations for Hungarians. What do You consider special and unique in the UAE?

The UAE today is one of the most popular places for holiday, since the country became a top tourist destination, receiving 18 million visitors a year. We have excellent air transport availability: Emirates and Etihad airlines are among the leading air companies of the world, and FlyDubai will start to fly to Budapest in June. The tourists can enjoy beautiful sandy beaches, mountains, desert, modern shopping malls, the view of and from the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa), and many other great attractions like Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. We have wonderful hotels with excellent service and exquisite restaurants, we offer high level cultural events and entertainments, from the Dubai Opera to The Louvre Abu Dhabi, a pioneering universal museum. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a modern mosque of incredible size and beauty. And there are many other places to visit in the 7 emirates that compose the country. I would like to mention that Dubai Expo 2020 is one of the most important projects of ours under way.

Your Excellency, tell us please about Your diplomatic carrier? What are Your priorities as Ambassador to Hungary?

It was more than three decades ago when I started my diplomatic carrier. First I was posted as young diplomat to Indonesia, then to the USA, United Kingdom, Italy, Sri Lanka and now I’m in Hungary. I enjoy my work so much since I can serve my country, and represent the interests of UAE and my nation in the country I am posted to. As a student I always dreamed about becoming a diplomat and to give back something to my country. My priority as a first Ambassador of UAE to Hungary, this beautiful country, is strengthening the relationship between our nations.

What inspires You in Your free time?

I enjoy my life and professional work despite the countless diplomatic duties and activities. Whenever I have spare time I like reading especially political and historical books and novels. I also like walking for long distances during the weekend in the beautiful Budapest.

Your Excellency, what is the message Your country is sending to the world?

It is a very good question and in right time.

The main message is that UAE declared 2019 as a Year of Tolerance.

Our leader says, Year of Tolerance will highlight the UAE as a global capital for co-existence and peace in local, regional and international communities. The first pillar of this initiative will deepen the values of tolerance and co-existence among cultures and people. The second seeks to solidify the UAE as the global representative for tolerance. The third factor will see the UAE multiple cultural programs to build tolerant communities, while the fourth pillar will focus on legislative and policy-orientated objectives that contribute to cultural and religious tolerance. The fifth pillar will focus on promoting tolerance and co-existence via targeted media projects. The UAE has championed the values of multiculturalism and tolerance, rejecting discrimination and hatred speech. Today, 200 nationalities live in harmony in UAE, as their second home.

We created special positions: Minister of Tolerance, Minister of Happiness, Minister of Youth and Minister of Artificial Intelligence. It shows the creative and visionary policy of our leaders. Women are very important in our society: we have women as ministers, ambassadors, pilots, university professors. 70% of the students at the Emirates University are women. After the next elections 50% of the National Council’s members will be women.

I would like to share with the readers, that Pope Francis paid a very first visit to UAE in February 2019 at the invitation of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to UAE. We were delighted to welcome His Holiness on a visit to the UAE. He is a symbol of peace and tolerance, and promotion of brotherhood. We hope that the success of this historic visit, will strengthen the intention of peaceful coexistence among people.

April 19, 2019

Startup Safari Budapest: Interview with chief organiser Péter Kovács

Today, for the fourth time, Startup Safari is launched in Budapest, with over 300 programs open for thousands of visitors at over 100 locations at the two-day intensive startup festival.

Behind the success of Startup Safari Budapest is Péter Kovács, co-founder and CEO of the IseeQ headhunting company and xLabs startup, who is also the co-founder of Global Startup Awards, which has been held in 60 countries and three continents since 2012. The exclusive interview is here:

Daily News Hungary: Please, tell me briefly about your life and what started your relationship with startups!

Péter Kovács: Since the age of 16, I’ve been doing business and working constantly, smaller jobs first but then gradually more serious ones. After graduation, I got into the world of recruitment accidentally, more precisely, the world of tech recruitment, where I became successful very quickly. This was mainly because I started this whole profession with a community building attitude.

It was around 2008 when I first started to encounter companies that labelled themselves as “startups”. I instantly sympathised with their mentality of problem-solving, which differed greatly from corporates’ and large companies’. I specialised in recruitment for startups and worked at Prezi for one and a half years as one of the first recruiters.

Not long afterwards, we founded ICQ for the express purpose of international tech recruitment and later, I turned to building the startup ecosystem. This led to the founding of xlabs, the organiser of Startup Safari Budapest.

So, this was my path leading to where I am now, and it all started with the love of startups.

DNH: When was the turning point when you committed yourself entirely to startups?

Kovács: Around 2008, I met a developer who invited me to a community called OpenCoffee Club. It was already an international brand with the sort of “underground” meetup events that brought together like-minded people. I met my first startup clients in this community, of which some don’t even exist anymore, but others became successful. This is where the love began.

DNH: You currently work on a couple of startup projects; can you talk about them?

Kovács: I’m currently working on two main projects. One is the Budapest Startup Safari, of which I’m co-founder. Safari has been running for four years now, and it grew out to be quite a big event. The other project is the Global Startup Awards, the world’s largest independent startup ecosystem competition, and it currently runs on three continents in more than 60 countries, which means we cover 32% of the world.

DNH: Please, tell us more about the Hungarian startup scene. From when can we talk about a serious startup ecosystem here? What are the main strengths of Hungarian startups?

Kovács:

The Hungarian startup scene started to form in the second half of the 2000s.

We’ve seen some success stories before, like Graphisoft, but these were isolated and didn’t have an ecosystem around them or investors backing them. The first big breakthrough came with Prezi, and Budapest became a reference point in the global startup scene. Western investors started to take Hungary into consideration beyond industrial investments. Things started to really kick off around 2012-2013, and development has sped up in the last five years.

And what are our strengths? I would say our strength shows more in our skills than in certain fields or industries. We are quite successful in natural sciences, like Mathematics or Physics; however, we lack around 50-100 years of business experience because Hungary has always been an agricultural country, rather than an industrial one. This backlog, nevertheless, has started to dissolve quickly with the latest generation, who have access to digital information and have the possibility to study abroad. Another advantage, in my opinion, is that for historical reasons, we’ve learned to survive with fewer resources, which is a useful skillset if we talk about an early stage startup where there’s less money, and still a steady background needs to be generated quickly. This is absolutely an advantage, although we lack the confidence to utilise it fully – we need to develop that. If a Hungarian has to cope in the Western startup scene, they will most likely underrate themselves, and that is a problem.

DNH: Let’s have a look at Budapest Startup Safari. Tell us about the beginnings! What was the first festival like and how will this year’s Safari differ from that?

Kovács: Startup Safari was originally the idea of a Polish guy. He lived in Berlin and saw a market opportunity in letting his acquaintances and network connections in his office meet the employees and see the work process of a startup. By the time I first met him, this system worked quite well, and we decided to develop the basic idea from that. In the first year, in 2016, we aimed at 200-300, maximum 500 participants – in the end, 2200 people showed up. The Safari proved to be a market fit, and we had every resource to go on with the project. This year, we’re expecting 6000 people, and both the organisation, the structure of the event and the quality of the programs improved significantly since the first year. Of course, in four years, we hope that Startup Safari will be even better.

Structurally, there haven’t been any big changes. As the number of events increased significantly, we organise thematic routes, so they would be feasible for the visitors. No one would like to read the description of 300 individual events, so these routes can serve as guides for people who already know what their interests are. The system hasn’t changed, but the quality of it did: we’ve learned from the experience of previous years and created a more transparent structure. Another difference is that this year, we were able to bring more big names from the global startup scene than ever. Also, our partners at Central European Startup Awards will be invited to look at the innovative side of Budapest, meet companies and employees.

DNH: What makes Startup Safari different from a job fair in general?

Kovács: Safari shouldn’t be compared to job fairs, even if they share some similarities. Even though it is a recruitment event, so companies who seek to hire might join the event based on that need, it is only a section of the whole experience. A huge percentage of participants joins for other reasons, such as finding an investor or finding a startup to invest in; to introduce products and services to the public; to build a network, etc. Brand building and employer branding are present in almost every program. The benefit of this type of recruitment is that the company is not represented by a simple stand, but they can show the whole atmosphere of their office, their own little world; they are on “home ground”, so they have a higher chance to recruit professionals. This, for sure, is an important difference that makes Startup Safari more efficient than a job fair.

DNH: A part of our readers is foreigners living in Hungary, what would you say to them? Why should they participate in the Startup Safari? Will there be programs in English?

Kovács:

At least 20-30% of the lectures are in English. That means that of 300-350 events, there’s plenty to choose from even for those who don’t speak any Hungarian.

Also, several participants arrive from other countries. For those foreigners that live here, I would say this is a perfect chance for networking and integrating, as those who participate in the Safari are generally very open-minded. Everyone can find interesting workshops and lectures on all topics and meet new people from every field. Nothing can top Startup Safari in terms of networking and innovation in the world of startups.

DNH: Is there a central location for the event?

Actually, we don’t choose the locations. The basic conception of the whole event is that the companies don’t go to some place we rented to promote themselves, but we ask these companies to open their offices to the public and host lectures and workshops there. Almost every thematic route has a central locale, mostly a coworking office connecting somehow to the theme of the route – Budapest is very lucky in this sense, we have many coworking offices, but they are not in fierce competition with each other –, or corporal partners’ head offices. We only ask our partners to keep their event in the inner city: our experience shows that people don’t usually participate in lectures and workshops held in the suburbs, it makes them feel left out of the other events.

Budapest is perfectly fit for a successful Safari, as it is a big city, but not too big, so everything is within a 10-15-minute distance. Some extra locales include the A38 ship, but otherwise, it is mostly our partners’ offices – you could say that Startup Safari is 300 meetups in two days.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/startup-safari-2019-the-biggest-festival-of-the-startup-scene-in-budapest/” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] STARTUP SAFARI 2019 – THE BIGGEST FESTIVAL OF THE STARTUP SCENE IN BUDAPEST[/button]

DNH: Many foreigners arrive in Budapest for Safari, who are these people?

Kovács: We will have many people from a lot of countries as guests and lecturers, you can take a look at them on our website. Also, as I mentioned previously, our partners from the Central European Startup Awards were invited, and many of them will participate. We’ll also have some special guests, coming from all over the world from California to Dubai. Safari is an opportunity not only to meet locals but also people from around the world.

DNH: So the leaders of the startups will be present, but what about investors and mentors?

Kovács:

Everyone will be there – this means investors and mentors as well as CEOs and employees.

The startup ecosystem consists not only of startups but corporates, nonprofit organisations, investors and even the state with its representatives. An example of this is the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office whose support we’ve won for the second year now. Other partners also back the project, and they are all important, all a part of the ecosystem, and at the end of the day, our goal is to maintain existing connections and also build new ones. This is the interest of every one of us.

DNH: Finally, I would like to ask about Startup Safari’s more exclusive services. What extra services are included in the higher ticket prices?

Kovács: We have three ticket categories: Economy, which is basically the price of a cinema ticket, so most people can afford it; Networking, which is a more special category that allows access to e.g. networking parties; and the Premium, which allows access to workshops where one can gain information that would be worth hundreds or thousands of euros otherwise, and it also includes the opportunity to enter an exclusive dinner with executive and investor special guests and the closing party.

Get tickets and more information here: STARTUP SAFARI BUDAPEST

April 17, 2019

“Intelligence and innovation are decisive” – Interview with the Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research

For those down to Earth, it was breaking news that a new Ministerial Commissioner Responsible for Space Research paves Hungary’s way to space. Orsolya Ferencz is a senior research fellow at ELTE Space Research Group. In addition to being a well-known expert, she is well qualified in politics, since she is representative in the local government of the 8^thdistrict. She is currently working to establish a National Space Strategy together with professionals. This concept identifies the goals of our country in this area and the tools necessary for their realization.

The interview is brought to you by GLOBS Magazine.

Why does Hungary have to pay special attention to space research? What role can such a small country play in space discovery?

Hungary is not a top player, but has its own role. We should not forget the fact that our country has serious achievements in international space activities. The country’s tools and innovations are present not only in research, but in services as well. It is very important for the public to understand that the world uses space activities in everyday life through the techno-sphere developed by mankind. It is enough to consider only the various services in the fields of news casting, long-distance communication, navigation, telecommunications and meteorology. In addition, the added value of various economic and industrial services related to space is growing sharply in the world economy. Today space is not an exotic notion but a part of our everyday life. Furthermore, Hungary must preserve its 70 years of space activity and strengthen its position so that the country can advance in this race. It is important to see that ingenuity, creativity and innovation are decisive, not the economic size of a country. For example, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh have their own telecommunications satellites. In 2017, Bulgaria joined the satellite club. This is a regional country comparable to our size.

In which space sectors are we present, and where should we make our way?

At the moment, we are mainly present in the areas of on-board electronics, development of communication devices, material technology, radiation measurement and power supply units.

With the utilization of our existing competence base, it is worth joining large international projects by which we can gain additional opportunities for the Hungarian space industry and research sites. We have been a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2015. Equally important is the Russian-Hungarian space co-operation based on decades of “Interkosmos” initiative, which provides programs we can also connect to.

How many Hungarian companies are currently interested in space activity?

We can identify roughly ten companies involved in international space activities to some level. I stretch this point because there is a company that is a very serious component supplier of Sentinel satellites which are currently on orbit. With this in mind, this company belongs to the global forefront in material technology. There is also a company that has only participated in a program with one software package so far. However, this is still a very significant added value.

How can we participate in an international project?

The European Space Agency works by having a compulsory membership fee tailored to the size of the member countries. However, this offers a very minimal set of opportunities for joining the programs. In addition, there are so-called optional programs to which we need to contribute partially. Hungary is currently paying EUR 6.2 million a year. For comparison, the fees are EUR 42.6 million for Romania, EUR 34.6 million for Poland and EUR 32.54 million for the Czech Republic. We therefore need to increase our contribution, as a large part of the amount paid is reimbursed to the space industry of the country from where the payment was received, based on the so-called “georeturn principle”.

Each dollar, euro or forint invested can produce six times more then its original value for the national economy.

It is a very complex area. To what extent is the training of professionals currently organised and is it necessary to alter the current training system?

There is a Department of Geophysics and Space Science at the ELTE, which autonomously issues master degrees. The Technical University of Budapest has courses which provide very serious knowledge in space engineering. Nonetheless, it is very important to unify and strengthen the country’s higher education with what we think of this sector. In this process, we rely on the Ministry of Human Resources. It is important to see that this area will need special care in the future.

The goals to be achieved will be shaped in the National Space Strategy. When can this guiding document be ready?

The National Space Strategy will include all the areas and directions in which Hungary wants to achieve its goals in the short, medium and long term. This is written consensually with professionals, and work is still ongoing. Our goal is to be ready by the end of this year in order to present the strategy to the public and decision-makers. We want to achieve a complete professional consensus in the matter.

By Gabriella GYÖRGY, Journalist

April 14, 2019

Garden Wonder introduces magnificent concerts in Budapest – Video & Photos

“I cannot sleep. I’m just thinking about Garden Wonder and I want to come back to Hungary” – said one musician after performing in Budapest for the first time. House concerts are popular in Western-European countries where musicians invited usually play music with smooth chill vibes. In Hungary, this trend and music style is not that well-known. To broaden the reputation of indie folk music and house concerts, Hanna Gulyás established Garden Wonder two years ago to provide a rare and unique opportunity for music lovers. I sat down with her to talk more about Garden Wonder.

What is Garden Wonder?

Garden Wonder is more of an experience than a simple concert. In Hungary, little concerts and gigs are popular in rooms and flats, but Garden Wonder is still different from that.

“It has its in-house features, but it is not 100% a house concert experience.”

In the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland these concerts are extremely popular and Hanna experienced these concerts on her own skin. There are concerts almost everywhere: in flats, restaurants, cafés, and even in yoga-centres. This house concert trend is popular and well-known in Western European countries and in the United States. Hanna emphasised, that in Hungary, only Garden Wonder organises similar house concerts and its aim is to introduce these special concerts to Hungary and to make indie folk music style more popular in the country. Moreover, Garden Wonder is a bridge to foreign artists, giving them the opportunity to increase their reputation in Hungary.

Garden Wonder, concert, Budapest — *Photo: Garden Wonder by Nicky Burkert*

How was the idea of Garden Wonder born?

“I started it in June 2017, and I did not even plan to do this and had no experience at all. In the spring of 2017, my sister got a message from an American musician friend. He said that he wanted to come to Europe for the first time but had no money for the travel. But if we organised him a concert and people would pay for it he would be able to visit Budapest.”

Hanna’s sister showed her this message and as she is a big fan of music she started to organise her first ever house concert. This very first occasion was in her family’s garden and this is how the name Garden Wonder was born. Seventy people attended the concert. They had BBQ, campfire and, of course, music. The concert was a huge success and Hanna could pay the musician’s flight ticket back.

“After this occasion, I started to get loads of feedbacks about when the next ‘garden experience’ will be. To get more inspiration I moved to London for six months where I attended many house concerts to gain experience and ideas.”

How many members the team of Garden Wonder consists of?

The team of Garden Wonder consists of volunteers. Currently, Hanna has 10–14 enthusiastic people but the main engine is only her.

“I organise three or four meetings every week with my volunteers to catch up or to talk about a project. The ‘Wonder Crew’ attends every Garden Wonder concert where they constantly help to prepare every venue before the guests arrive. Everyone has their own roles, for example, taking pictures, videos, posting on our social media platforms, etc.”

How do you choose your artists for concerts?

Hanna decides which artists will have the opportunity to perform on the next Garden Wonder concert with the help of one or two other people and in some cases, the audience writes to her about which musicians they would love to see perform. On the official Facebook page of Garden Wonder, there is a Google Form where people can apply to be a volunteer or the next performing artist. The artists would generally represent the indie folk music style, but Garden Wonder broadened its repertoire with electro chill, pop, chill pop, rap, and ambient styles so far.

“They can either fill out the Google Form, or sometimes others give me ideas, otherwise I also like to discover new artists.” – explains Hanna.

Hanna uses a specific strategy with four points when she chooses future performers.

The music has to be of quality and it is also important for Garden Wonder to work with experienced musicians. Here the number of followers or reputation does not matter but only the music.
The music needs to be original. Garden Wonder never invites cover bands as it prefers and supports musicians who write their own original songs.
Technical features are also important when Hanna chooses the venue for the concert. It is important to know how many instruments the musician brings, and would the venue have enough space for the equipment and the audience. Also, the music the artist represents need to be compatible with the house concert atmosphere.
Garden Wonder only invites musicians if their music has the ‘spark effect’ which means you get goosebumps while listening to it.

How do you organise a concert?

Garden Wonder always chooses the international artist first to determine the whole concert’s concept. The next step is to choose the venue and the local or support musicians to perform. In the beginning, Hanna chose the venues for the concert: her acquaintances’ flats, her favourite cafés, etc. Since then, Garden Wonder organised many concerts and became known in the capital, and many venues offer their services for future concerts and are keen on hosting Garden Wonder.

“We have venues booked four months ahead. I always meet with the director or manager of the venue and we sit down to talk and to examine the venue’s services. The most important is that we would have enough floor space for the audience, and this year we are talking about approximately 50–100 guests. I always emphasise that Garden Wonder brings the audience, volunteers, sound equipment, and the performers.”

The location of the venue is always secret, and guests get notified about it via e-mail or WhatsApp one day before the concert. As the first concert venues were living rooms of Hanna’s friends they did not want to share the exact address on the Internet. Only those got the exact location who bought a ticket to Garden Wonder. Although most of these concerts today are in commercial places, Hanna decided to keep this ‘secret location’ tradition as it makes the whole event even more exciting. She added that there are guests who write to her days before the concert and try to persuade her to tell them the exact address of the location. The most special place to host Garden Wonder so far was an underground gallery.

Who are your guests?

Garden Wonder’s concerts are mostly attended by university students and young adults, from age 19 until 35. On the other hand, Garden Wonder had pleasant surprises from the older generation and basically, everyone is welcome, no matter their age.

From what nationalities do your guests arrive?

About 50% of the guests of Garden Wonder are Hungarians and 50% arrives from countries like Germany, France, and the United States, but there are always guests from new countries and interesting places. The concerts of Garden Wonder are not only visited by foreign people who live here but tourists who spend one or two weeks in Budapest.

How does a night with Garden Wonder look like?

Hanna arrives with the Wonder Crew at the location around 4.00–5.00 pm to prepare for the concert. They prepare the DIY stage for the performers, clean up the place and check the lights, cameras and technical equipment. The doors open at 7.30 pm. The Garden Wonder welcome team greets everyone personally with a name-list. Each arriving guest receives a sticker, a stamp on their hands and is then invited to take their seat on the floor – frequent and prepared guests usually return with their own pillows.

“The concert begins at 8.00 pm. It is important to emphasise that the crew, artists, and guests at Garden Wonder speak in English during the whole concert. I tell the audience the short story of Garden Wonder and inform them about the programme which is usually 20–30 minutes of music and 10-minute breaks. We always encourage the guests to enjoy the concert and fully be present during the music sets.”

In the breaks, people can talk with each other, with the musicians and there are special ‘social challenges’, for example, “high-five three people around you”, tell the person on the right that he/she looks smart and ask what their favourite book is, etc. It is a priority for Garden Wonder to make people get into interactions and to provide them with an exceptional and fun experience. After the concert, the merchandise of each musician can be bought, and Hanna always announces whether the invited performers will have other concerts in Hungary or abroad.

What kind of responses do you receive from the artists and guests?

After every Garden Wonder concert, Hanna and her team receive exemplary reviews. One of her favourites is from a Portuguese girl.

“This Portuguese girl first visited Garden Wonder last April and she could not believe that in Hungary this kind of community would exist. In fact, she wanted to return to her home country as she did not find that creative community she was looking for but thanks to Garden Wonder she found it and since then became a regular guest.”

A lot of Hungarian people who first met with house concerts through Garden Wonder have also become regular guests. The special and unique experience Garden Wonder gives to people is told by one friend to another every time and month by month more people come to these concerts.

The foreign artists are not only performers but guests as well and Hanna always finds time to spend with the musicians. She usually takes them for sightseeing in Budapest where she introduces the most famous sites of the Hungarian capital, for example, the Chain Bridge, Széchenyi Thermal Bath, and the Buda Castle, but excellent restaurants and cafés in the city centre are musts too. Every invited artist who once performed always say:

“We cannot wait to come back. Budapest is our favourite city!”

What are your plans for the future?

The aim of Garden Wonder is to become more popular in Hungary and to introduce its magnificent experience to more people. Another aim is to increase the number of concerts (two each month) because currently there is only one every month. Hanna’s biggest dream is to organise an indie folk festival in Hungary.

What does Garden Wonder mean to you?

“Music, chill, friends. Here everyone finds a friend and it is always good to see that the community of Garden Wonder is growing month by month without any limits.” – said Hanna.

After visiting Garden Wonder’s 18^th concert in Budapest I was amazed by the atmosphere and the energy the whole event had. Everyone was kind to each other and had the best time during the night. Guests did not just enjoy the music but did the night’s social challenges immediately they were told to do it. The music was great and unique, and the artists themselves interacted with the audience during the breaks, which was a rare opportunity for everyone to talk, take selfies, get an autograph, etc. Garden Wonder truly brings magic every month to people’s heart. It is an excellent programme if someone feels stressed after a long day and would like to chill out among good people with great music. To sum up the interview and my first ever Garden Wonder concert, I truly recommend everyone to visit it and experience its magic.

Follow Garden Wonder on Facebook, Instagram and watch the latest videos on its Youtube channel!

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/all-the-concerts-youll-want-to-attend-in-budapest-in-2019/” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] All the upcoming concerts in Budapest[/button]

Featured image: Garden Wonder by Nicky Burkert

April 1, 2019

Interview: How a Hungarian humanitarian group explores Africa with a Trabant

Zsolt Vadász, the founding member of the Geonauta Friendship Society, talks about the group’s purpose, their adventures in Africa, and what they are trying to achieve with everything they do, no matter how strange it might seem to others.

Daily News Hungary wrote about Zsolt Vadász and his expeditions before. He is known for travelling around the world with a 30-year-old Trabant, raising awareness of environmental protection and sustainability.

Crazy idea: Hungarian guys to cross the desert with a Trabant

What it is all about

Zsolt Vadász is a founding member of the Geonauta Friendship Society, which is basically a group of friends who, at first, went hiking and rock climbing together, and they slowly formed into this amazing humanitarian group, aiming to raise awareness of the harmful ways of today’s consumer society and emphasize the importance of protecting our environment. They organise hiking tours and regular trash pick-ups, and they even build artificial nests for endangered birds and ring them if necessary.

A few years ago the group decided to show the world that they do not need an expensive new car to reach any, and I mean literally any point of the world. They proved that a 30-year-old, very simple car with low fuel consumption could take you anywhere you want to go. What is this magical car? The Trabant.

“We do not believe in the “buy it, throw it away, buy a new one” philosophy of today’s consumer society. We use our 30-year-old Trabant which needs to be repaired constantly and requires a lot of work. And yet, we managed to visit, among others, the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) or the North Pole, and we attended the Budapest-Bamako rally three times.”

At the Budapest-Bamako rally, Zsolt’s team won the special prize for Team with the lowest budget two times. Apart from the Budapest-Bamako rally, Zsolt and his group visited Africa many times during their own organised tours to Tunisia and Caucasus.

Adventures in Western Africa

January this year, Zsolt and his friends decided to conquer West-Africa to explore the ways of nomad living in the Sahara Desert. In this expedition, Zsolt was accompanied by Nikolett Mitala, who later in February, gave a presentation about the Trabant expedition and the nomad ways of living in the West Sahara at Travel Expo Budapest.

As to why they decided to go West-Africa, Zsolt said:

„One of the most important parts of our expeditions is to provide humanitarian aid. All the equipment we buy for an expedition together (e.g. tents, polyfoams, etc.) usually gets donated after each tour.”

Even though there is very little space for stuff inside the Trabant, they collected a lot of things this time around as well to give away.

Zsolt and his group joined a humanitarian caravan from Budapest to Bamako. They were volunteer helpers who used their local connections and their knowledge of the place and the language to make sure that their aid gets exactly where it needs to. This precious cargo is called „Afrika másként” [Africa in another way].

During their tours around West Africa, Zsolt visited The Atlas Mountains (his friend András Nagy even climbed the Toub-cal, 4167m) and the sand dunes of South Morocco. Near Ouarzazate, Zsolt together with his colleague Zsolt Varga visited one of the world’s biggest solar power stations.

Trabant expedition on YouTube

Those interested can keep up with Zsolt and his expedition on YouTube. Zsolt regularly posts vlogs on the Trabant-expedició YouTube channel.

I asked Zsolt about the hardships of these tours and how can he on top of making the journey itself, make videos and vlog regularly for their YouTube channel.

“It is not easy to edit videos after driving hundreds of kilometres on the road in this extreme weather, but we really hope that it is worth it. In spite of the difficulties, we get to see amazing places, and we always try to save time for the arts and culture.”

Low cost above all else, a unique way of exploring the world

Zsolt said that they have a unique style of travelling. They always keep their budget as low as possible.

“My principles about low-cost travel sometimes push my partners out of their comfort zones, but if we stayed in hotels, we would never know what it is like to sleep on the sand in the middle of the desert. If we went to fancy restaurants, the glass walls would separate us from the locals. We rather find local places to try the locals’ food, eat with our bare hands, taste things that are so different from anything we have in our European culture. We talk with the locals; we learn their language, we listen to their music, we get to know their culture.”

I also asked him what car he drives when he is not on tour, to which he said:

“I drive a Trabant, I am not a fraud. I am what I show to the world. This is not a show, this is reality.”

Featured image: www.geonauta.hu

March 16, 2019

PM Orbán: “Hungary belongs to Europe. We are Europe”

In an interview in a book published this week by French politician and essayist Philippe de Villiers, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is quoted as saying that “Not even in our worst nightmares did we think that, twenty-nine years after our enchained nations gained freedom and the continent reunited, Europe would again be vulnerable to imperial ambitions – those which this time do not originate outside its borders, but within them.”

Philippe de Villiers was Secretary of State for Culture in the Chirac government in the 1980s, then a Member of the European Parliament, and later the founder of the sovereigntist party Movement for France and its candidate for president of the republic. This week he released his latest book, “I Pulled the Thread of Lies, and Everything Unravelled”. In one of the chapters he writes about his visit to Budapest last December and his interview with the Hungarian prime minister.

Regarding procedures launched against Hungary in Brussels and the political attacks on him personally, Mr. Orbán said “I am not concerned about the Brussels trials […] My grandmother taught me to be humble in adversity. I must put up with all of this. I can do nothing but place myself in God’s hands.” He went on to say: “What outrages our opponents the most is the fact that in our Constitution we have written that Hungary has Christian roots; that here there is no place for multiculturalism; that a child has the right to a mother and a father; and that our nation has the right to defend its borders – which are also the borders of the European Union.”

Mr. Orbán stated that the Hungarian people have long-standing traditions of resistance to “limited sovereignty”: first there were the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire; then the khans of the vast Mongol Empire, followed by the sultans of the Ottoman Empire; and then the Soviet comrades and their tanks.

All of them wanted to put an end to Hungary, he said, but mysteriously the Hungarian people have survived in a boundless sea of Germans and Slavs.

Asked if he is concerned today about the danger of national dissolution, Mr. Orbán said that he sees disintegration of the EU as a greater danger, with a line dividing Europe into two parts: one which is becoming Islamised; and one which does not want to become Islamised. He outlined the choices thus: “If they leave us alone and do not force Islamisation upon us, Europe can live on as a club of free nations. If, however, they force us to accept the UN’s migration compact or the decisions of the European Commission, thereby aligning us with their permissive Western policy, disintegration cannot be ruled out.”

The Prime Minister continued: “For us the accusation that we are not fully European is a cruel joke. When after half a century of Soviet occupation and communist oppression we finally regained our freedom, when the West opened its arms to embrace us, we thought we had returned to our own kind.

After all, Hungary has belonged to Europe for a thousand years. We are Europe. We have always remained European – even when we were sold down the river at Yalta, or let down in 1956.

After the withdrawal of the Soviets, we believed we could regain our place in Europe, in this family of free nations resting on the pillars of Christian culture, national identity and human dignity. Not even in our worst nightmares did we think that, twenty-nine years after our enchained nations gained freedom and the continent reunited, Europe would again be vulnerable to imperial ambitions – those which this time do not originate outside its borders, but within them.” He added that Europe is not a melting pot, but the home of nations.

Featured image: MTI

March 8, 2019

University of Pécs – Visibility, attention, integration

Interview the head of the Centre for Internationalization and Connections (CIC) at the University of Pécs, Dr. István Tarrósy.

CIC well may be one of the largest newly established organizations within the cabinet of the new rectoral management. What is its purpose?

Indeed, this new unit serves as an umbrella for the former Foreign Affairs Directorate, the Marketing Department, UnivTV, UnivPécs and the Career Office. In accordance with the rationalizing and dynamizing expectations of the rectoral programme, we are striving to bring those units closer which have operated separately but all worked on making the university more visible. I expect dynamic and sped up work from the new centre, improving the visibility of the university both at the national and the international scene. When we are speaking of international and national enrolment, it is worth to think about how these surfaces meet in the fields of visibility, campaigns and communication. The same expectations are true in case of the university media: the aim is a dynamic, integrated editorial board serving the purpose of visibility. We are also planning to renew the image of the university, however, we must not hurry, and we will need to elaborate on it thoroughly.

We are only at the beginning of the process, and there are plans to call for tenders internally, expecting the participation of innovative cross-disciplinary student teams.

You have mentioned enrolment: the number of active international students has increased to 4,100, and there are even more in the rectoral programme. What are the tendencies and further trends?

A quarter of our international students taking part in full programmes are on grants. The Hungarian government opened up a new dimension in internationalizing higher education in our country by launching the Stipendium Hungaricum programme. Besides programmes that already had been international – such as medical and healthcare education – all the other fields could start to catch up, especially by developing bachelor and master programmes in foreign languages. It is a great opportunity for the University of Pécs: the Medical School had 60% of the total number of foreign students until 2015, while now this rate has decreased by 10%, while the total number of international students has nearly doubled. That is, it is not the numbers of the Medical School dropping but the other faculties catching up or improving their already existing programmes. The Medical school still remains the flagship of internationalization, the one with the most experience in international education. The other faculties can develop internationally attractive and luring programmes based on the increasing amount of experience. And while the number of students on grants has increased more significantly, the total increase is not owing only to them.

We can see that there is a demand for the international programmes offered by UP in the market as well.

By the way, similar grant programmes were implemented for developing areas, including Africa, in the ‘70s and ‘80s: a minority of those students chose to settle and start a family here, they were integrated, but most of them returned home because they wanted to contribute to the development of their own countries. By obtaining a competitive degree in Hungary, they had an advantage in the employment market, which also have brought on connections and relationships that are still active. It is an advantage for us as well when an international student studies in Hungary: it can bring commercial agreements and investments later. An alumni network has serious potentials as well.

The main concern around Stipendium is what will happen if the resources are cut back.

We can certainly see that the government has doubled the national budget of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme! We are also familiar with the development plans, which have been outlined to receiving institutions by Tempus Foundation, the organization co-ordinating the programme at a national level. On the basis of all these, we can say that the programme is stably functioning and offers an opportunity to improve our international portfolio in a way that attracts and/or keeps foreign students in our fee-paying trainings.

Parallel to this direction, we have reinforced our efforts aimed at international enrolment, since we are present at several educations fairs worldwide, and we are building up networks with the help of secondary school advisors.

We also need to invite the representatives of headhunting and recruiting companies so that they can see where the students recruited by them will study. We also have launched our Student Ambassador Programme, based on our international students already studying here. They represent UP in their respective countries during their studies and after completing them: they are the ones who can convey their experience in their own cultures and in their own languages in the best way, and convince their peers that it is worth to come to study at UP.

The development of new devices is important, too. That is why we have introduced the use of DreamApply, which is used by each faculty of the UP, moreover, Tempus Public Foundation channels the applications of every Stipendium student in this system. It is a user-friendly, transparent system dynamizing not only application but everyday contact and communication with students, making the work of the colleagues handling their administration much easier. I think it has been a big step forward.

We also need to improve our international prestige; the best way of which is to move up in rankings. The regional director of Times Higher Education visited Pécs in December, engaging in serious negotiations with the heads of the faculties and management concerning ranking. We also can see the areas where we need to improve, launch campaigns, promotions and do research.

Our student population represents well over 110 countries, and we find that the over 60 Stipendium counties that have entered in a bilateral agreement with the Hungarian government and for which the government provides quotas, can constitute target markets for recruiting fee-paying students as well.

The rectoral programme includes the objective of obtaining 5,000 more Hungarian students as well. How do you think this target can be met, what innovations could be applied to reach this target? Increasing the number of Hungarian students seems to be an even bigger challenge than that of foreign ones.

Yes, especially with demographic tendencies, a decreasing number of births and an aging population in view. The University of Pécs will be able to recruit significantly more Hungarian students – mainly from its primary enrolment area, the Transdanubian region – if the town of Pécs and the region can offer good opportunities for employment after the completion of their studies here. As long as the industrial-commercial presence is not more prevalent and a determining factor in the town and in the region, we cannot really depend on their force to keep students here. Youth pondering on higher education consider several factors from living costs to the competitiveness of actual degrees, but they take job-market opportunities into account for sure. It is not easy for us. I think the university makes a huge effort to improve on this situation; it is enough to mention the dual training in the field of engineering. What is up to UP is to offer specific and quality study programmes that cannot be found anywhere. I think the management of the university represents this demand quite definitely.

On this basis, we also have started to co-operate with secondary schools; not only in Hungary, but in the international scene as well.

What new services can foreign students expect? We already have the Stipendium Gala and the International Spring which are unique in the country. What would the next step be?

International Spring had a number of antecedents which I think we have managed to bring together and strengthen. This program allows us to introduce the town to the cultures of our students, but it is also about facilitating integration of Hungarian and international students and making them more open to mobility. There is an increasing demand for gaining experience in foreign countries, and it is an important factor in the enrolment process as well.

By the way, student teams have already started working on preparing the three-month series of programmes taking place between March and May.

Concerning the Stipendium Programme, certain services already have been launched which even go beyond expectations of the Tempus Public Foundation: legal aid, mental hygiene and intercultural training. When we see some examples of best practice at a certain faculty, we apply it elsewhere, even at university level. This was how we elevated the mentoring network of the Stipendium programme on an institutional level, involving all our international students. It also serves the aim of integration.

To what degree do the citizens of UP utilize their opportunities for mobility?

It is a nationwide problem, affecting Pécs as well, that the number of students travelling abroad within the framework of the Erasmus programme stagnates or even decreases. One of the reasons is that a lot of students do some work besides their studies and they want to complete their studies and find a job as soon as possible, obviously. But the experience that can be obtained during a semester of Erasmus studies or internship is priceless, and we should make them understand this. The mobility of administrative employees has also increased, and we have a stable mobile circle of lecturers which we wish to expand. Now that the focus of the Erasmus programme is not limited to Europe, virtually any country in the world has become available.

We also have a new programme developed by our own, which is unique in the whole country: the Travelling Ambassadors Programme.

We partially subsidize participation in professional conferences, while the travelling persons commit themselves to engage in or deepen a relationship with the actual institutions, or even organizes guest lectures for UP. Of course, these are agreed upon in advance. There is a huge interest; a hundred of our lecturers from all the faculties have utilized this opportunity during the last one and a half years; thus this programme have opened up a number of new opportunities for UP as an institution as well. I think my colleagues have done a great job!

Prepared by: Éva HARKA

Featured image and photos: Szabolcs CSORTOS and József HUBAY

March 1, 2019

“See New Zealand and die” – Interview with the Hungarian Honorary Consul

Predictability is essential for developing diplomatic relations and achieving long-term goals. Rezső Sárdi has been representing New Zealand for 14 years in his honorary consular role in Hungary. He played a significant role in the bilateral relations between the two countries, strengthened New Zealand’s reputation in Hungary, and supported the establishment of trade and tourism connections. In addition, he handles the daily consular tasks.

An interview by Tropical Magazine.

-Which of the recent achievements do you consider most important?

For me, the real success is when I can help a citizen of New Zealand who is in trouble, by finding a comforting solution for his problem. By the way, this is the main task of honorary consuls, which ordinary people know little about. Of course, it is also very important to strengthen the country’s visibility. The deepening relations of recent years is indicated by the fact that both countries had witnessed state visits on the highest level. Recently, the President of Hungary, the President of the National Assembly as well as the Hungarian Foreign Minister also visited New Zealand. In terms of bilateral relations, the most significant diplomatic step took place when Hungary opened its embassy in Wellington. Similar high-level visits took place by New Zealand too, including the visit of the Foreign Minister and several other ministerial delegations from the island state whose beauty is unmatched.

-How does the trade connection between the two countries develop?

In terms of the volume of trade, Hungary is New Zealand’s 74th partner on the list of the top 100. We witnessed great progress in many areas.

Several Hungarian-New Zealand joint corporations have been established, and there is a New Zealand factory in Hungary which produces roofing material. At the Embassy in Wellington, there is an attaché for commercial affairs, whose activity is very promising. The task of the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Hamburg is supporting investments and export from New Zealand to Europe. The latest development is that a Hungarian family joined a restaurant where they promote Hungarian cuisine.

-What kind of joint educational exchange programs will support the cooperation between the two countries?

You have just asked me what I consider the greatest success of bilateral relations. Perhaps I should have started with the most important achievement, which is the success in educational mobility. The “Working Holiday Scheme” agreement was initialed, according to which hundreds of Hungarians aged between 18 and 36 can travel to New Zealand. They can stay there for one year. Meanwhile, they can study, work and travel, in accordance with their desires and financial framework. The success is indicated by the fact that all the places were taken in the first hour of the application period. The most welcoming fact is that the new generation can acquire experiences, language proficiency. Furthermore, they have the opportunity of building cross-cultural bridges. It can be said on a local level: New Zealand is a friendly country with great public security and tons of opportunities. Here, the creation of the human hand is overwritten by the all-powerful power of nature.

The saying “See Rome and die” can be very true of New Zealand too.

-As you mentioned, it is worth visiting New Zealand not only because of the special culture and the world of the Maori. When we think of New Zealand, the picture of silky green hills from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy is what comes to our mind first. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the number of nights spent at the island’s hotels broke a new record last year. For the first time in 8 years, the number of foreign tourists exceeded the number of domestic tourists. Please give us an imaginary tour on this magical island.

New Zealand is the land of contrast, arisen from the encounter of fire and ocean. The northern island is dominated by fire and volcanoes, while the southern island is affected by ice. The sea can be reached within 140 km from anywhere in the country. Tourism is characterized by diversity. In addition to active volcanoes, geysers, mud volcanoes, hot water lakes, glaciers, ancient forests, fjords, subtropical beaches and many national parks are also waiting to be explored. Due to the isolation, special biodiversity has evolved.

Many species of animals and plants, such as whales, seals, dolphins and kea parrots, can only be found here.

-New Zealand is a country known as “The land of the long white cloud”. How can Hungarians travel there?

Hungarian citizens traveling to New Zealand may stay in the island for 90 days as tourists if they meet the requirements for entry. The conditions cover the financial coverage for the travel costs and the cost of stay, including a return ticket and a valid passport.

-What are the most common problems at the New Zealand Consulate and how can you help?

People primarily contact me because of stolen or lost passports and different documents. In many cases, there is an accident, hospitalization due to illness, and rarely, but unfortunately, there is criminal activity. We are aware of their problems and – in accordance with professional standards, but without neglecting humanity – we do our best to help quickly and efficiently. We maintain regular contact with the Hungarian authorities and the police. Fortunately, the New Zealand authorities are not bureaucratic. They protect and help their citizens if they get into trouble.

By Gabriella GYÖRGY for Tropical Magazine

February 23, 2019

Get to know the University of Dunaújváros, where you can always find a place for comfortable study

The “Study in Hungary” (www.studyinhungary.eu) education service made an interview with Dr. Mónika Rajcsányi-Molnár, the Vice-Rector of Academic and General Affairs at the University of Dunaújváros.

Study in Hungary: Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Dr. Mónika Rajcsányi-Molnár: I would like to greet and welcome every reader in the name of the University of Dunaújváros, Hungary! My name is Dr. Mónika Rajcsányi-Molnár and I am the Vice-Rector of Academic and General Affairs at our university. Before I got the responsibilities of being a Vice Rector I worked as the Head of the International Relations Department of our university for many years, and ever since the internationalization of our university campus, the education of a growing number of courses of more and more study programs in English, the needs of our international students have always been at my heart.

Study in Hungary: Which programs does the University of Dunaújváros offer for foreign students and what are the languages of instruction?

We offer 6 first cycle degree programs and 2 second cycle degree programs taught completely in English language.

These are the:

Business Administration BA
Communication and Media BA
Computer Engineering BSc
Technical Management BSc (this one due to its educational content was known before as Engineering Business Management)
Material Engineering BSc (in Hungary we are one of the 3 schools that offers this program but we have the greatest tradition and experience)
Mechanical Engineering BSc
Mechanical Engineering MSc
Teacher of Engineering MA

For our English language programs we offer a 1 year preparatory program for those students whose English language level is under the requirements (below IELTS 5.5).

Due to their educational programs English is the language that our international students coming from many countries use to communicate with each other and with the teaching and administrative staff of the university, as well.

Study in Hungary: Could you give information about your campus, dormitory, facilities and life quality of the international students to us?

The University of Dunaújváros is a University of Applied Sciences with a modern, European level campus, with vivid student life and high quality educational programs. Our higher educational institution is focusing mainly on Engineering and offering (one of) the best Mechanical Engineering programs and Material Engineering programs in English language in Hungary! The total number of our international students is more than 170 international students, who come to study in our different English language programs from 32 countries, actually from all over the world.

We are not a big institution – with so many teachers and even more students – which means, our teachers know their students – especially the international students – personally!

As it is said at our university “The student is not only a Neptune code at our institution.” (Neptun code is an identification code for the official electronic study system in Hungary.)

In our school we have a view, that the professors and the students have a more personal relationship – students usually accepted as colleagues in different research projects – and they can solve their problems within a friendlier atmosphere. In this academic year two of the international students were involved by their teachers in the researches of the Institute of Engineering Sciences and another 2 international students in the research project of the Secudit IT security.

Talking about our student life: we are one of the four proud keepers of the Selmecbánya heritage in Hungary. Selmecbánya is a city now located in Slovakia however before the I. World War in the time of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy and even before it was the part Hungary for a thousand years. Selmecbánya was a famous and rich city with hundreds-year- old mining and metallurgy traditions. After the World Wars, Hungary lost Selmecbánya, however the teachers and professors from there moved to the new, small Hungary and they established new schools – one of them in Dunaújváros – on the base of the Selmecbánya traditions. The academic heritage of Selmecbánya is a living cultural tradition: our students have groups based on their study programs and every group has their official ceremonies, uniforms for celebrations, songs and poems, competitions, parties and life-long memberships.

Our foreign students can join these groups with the willingness of learning some basic Hungarian language.

It is also important to mention that we are really proud of the modern educational infrastructure of our campus. The University of Dunaújváros has great laboratories, as well, a part of which serves the practical needs of our education, and quite a few of them are devoted to research & development in cooperation with the significant industrial companies of our region. In collaboration with the Bosch Company, we have a life-term examination laboratory, one of the very few with the same function in whole Europe! Another laboratory of ours working with the NASA and the ESA creating and testing materials for spacecrafts. Some of our language laboratories equipped fully with Apple Macintosh computers and we have a fully equipped TV studio – an exact copy about second largest commercial TV company’s studio of Hungary – where our students can practice every aspects of the media profession.

We provide accommodation to every international student in our dormitory buildings at a reasonable price. We have got room for the students with 2 or 3 beds, each room has got a bathroom. And in the community rooms on every floor of the dormitory there are community rooms: a kitchen for cooking and a room for washing and drying the clothes.

Study in Hungary: What are the tuition fees, dormitory costs and other living expenses of your students?

The tuition fee for an undergraduate program is EUR 3.950,- for two semesters, for a complete academic year at our university. It is EUR 4.400,- for one academic year of a master program.

The 1-year-long preparatory program in English language also costs EUR 3.950,-. We offer the preparatory program of ours to those new international students, whose level of English language needs to be improved before they start a bachelor or a master degree program.

The accommodation fee in the dormitory is EUR 120,-/ month with the expenses of utilities (such as heating, hot and cold running water, electricity, etc.) included in that price. The average living costs for an international student in Dunaújváros is around EUR 200,- per month however it also varies depending on the living style and habits of the student.

Study in Hungary: Many foreign students choose their universities based on different factors, including the city where it is located. What are the advantages of Dunaújváros compared to the other Hungarian cities?

Dunaújváros is a middle-sized town in Hungary on the bank of the Danube, with so many peaceful and green places for relaxing and studying.

The campus is also located in the inner city of Dunaújváros, so from the campus it is easy-to-reach our contracted doctor’s office, the hospital and the polyclinic buildings, several banks, the swimming-pool complex, the central bus station, the post office, many shops, department stores with only a few-minute-long walk. Our town is situated 70 kms away from Budapest, the capital of Hungary to the South. It is easy, fast and comfortable to travel to Budapest from Dunaújváros by either the long-distance bus service or by train, which takes a little bit more than one hour.

In Budapest, you can always find a place for more party, in Dunaújváros you can always find a place for comfortable study – which does not mean that the student cannot find parties here – and when we are talking about fee paying educational programs, I think the second one is more important.

Study in Hungary: Could you share the basic statistics (total offered programs, percentage of the international students, foreign partner universities, etc.) and facts about your university?

Our higher educational institution was established in 1953 in Dunaújváros, more than 60 years ago. Our study program range has been gradually but continuously extended since that time. Now we offer 4 vocational higher educational programs, 8 undergraduate study programs, 2 master programs and 12 professional further educational study programs.

Now the 15% percent of our total student population are international students. Besides other inter-institutional collaborations we have got 59 international partner institutions just in the Erasmus program.

Study in Hungary: What are the current and new target countries for the University of Dunaújváros to recruit new students?

Students who want to come to Dunaújváros with the intention to continue higher educational studies are welcome from many countries all over the world. In our marketing communication recently, we are focusing stronger on the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc. China has always been one of the most important countries for our student recruitment, and we hope it will go on like that in the future, too. Many students of ours coming from P.R.C. graduated at our university since the start of our courses in English. Vietnam is also a very interesting new area from which we would like to attract new students to our study program.

New students’ arrival we expect from countries of the Near East, the Middle East and Africa, from which areas we already had both full-time and part-time students in the last few academic years.

Study in Hungary: What kind of support services (visa application, healthcare during studies, legal assistance, career advancing, etc.) do you provide to your international students?

After that we accept a student’s application, our international relations office provides effective support for the visa application of the new students by making the necessary letters and by giving information about the student application procedure.

Starting every academic year each student is obliged to make a student health insurance which makes medical services in our town available for the students.

The students can contact the customer service of the international relations office and the Study Administration Office on the work-days of the week in person, and have also got the opportunity to ask their questions via e-mail. We have got student mentors whose work support the adaption of the student to the life of the campus and also to the Hungarian environment.

Study in Hungary: Who are your notable alumni? Please, share a few outstanding stories from them.

We receive information from a significant number of our graduated international students who managed to get a good job and keep their position at due to the professional knowledge and the open-minded, eager-to learn-new-things attitude in their profession, which they developed/ acquired or improved in their university years in Dunaújváros.

Some of them work as managers on the level of intermediate leadership of enterprises and middle-sized or large companies.

Study in Hungary: What are the potential employment opportunities and where do most of your graduates work?

Dunaújváros is a middle-sized industrial town in Hungary, which has such formidable companies in its industrial areas, as the ISD Dunaferr Zrt, (the largest steel factory of our country) or Hankook Tyre company. Certainly Budapest offers a wider range of opportunities to our graduated students.

Nevertheless many graduated international students of ours travel back to their home country or find a job in their profession in European countries.

February 22, 2019

“Time justifies us” – Interview with Sándor Balogh

Sándor Balogh, President of the African-Hungarian Union, is a businessman, an entrepreneur and a sports event organiser. For him, a day could last from 26 to 28 hours and a week could include 9 days, because of his varied activities. He established the African-Hungarian Union more then ten years ago. The organisation is presently Hungary’s most prestigious civil organisation dealing with Africa. We asked the president about the achievements of this organisation.

The interview is brought to you by GLOBS Magazine:

In the past four years the world has changed a lot. Africa has got to the front-page, so to speak. It happened not only in Hungary, but also in other countries, and usually in a positive context. What was your experience in the African-Hungarian Union?

On one hand, we are concerned, just like everybody else in Hungary, about what has happened and is still happening in the world. Migration crisis has turned over many people’s lives and filled a lot with fear. On the other hand, the events of the past few years have justified us. At the time of the Union’s establishment, we issued a warning regarding political, economic or climate changes in Africa, that could upset the challenging balance there and would set off a crowd of millions. To tell the truth, in Europe, especially in her Eastern part, the basic opinion was that the situation could not affect us, because Africa is far away, and we have neither the tools nor the interest to solve the local problems of that continent. In summer 2015, all that changed overnight, when – as we might put it – reality knocked on the door of Central-Europe. An average Central-European viewer could see what happens when harvest is lost about 5,000 kilometres away. It could have an impact on our life.

Does it mean that more people have contacted you and asked for advice since then?

It does definitely.

Today, there is a proverb which we have always emphasised: “Assistance should be given where the problem is, before the problem comes to us.”

In reality, however, it is easier said that done, because Africa is not an easy place. In order to know what and where to do, so that it would mean real help and not only the image of charity, we need experts who have spent years in the field and are familiar with the local conditions as well as have personal connections. That is how we can help, and this is the area where our advice is required.

Yet, many criticize the approach of the West, because they try to solve Africa’s problems with humanitarian aid, in order to ease their feeling of guilt for the colonisation. That is why the introduction of other programs is urged. Have you realized any changes in the priorities?

We keep changing and reacting to the changes of the environment, and of course we learn in the meantime. The external environment changes rapidly. There are countries in Africa which expressed the opinion that they are not in need of aid. They would like us to take businesses and partnership there, which would create jobs. It is important to recognise that the retention power of Africa against migration would not be stronger if we gave them food. They deteriorate the migration situation within the continent.

They mean a danger for Europe by destroying whole regions.

Those who set off towards Europe, have some money and some information, but they have no proper jobs and long-term perspectives in their countries. Creating jobs, invigorating business life and training could help in this regard. These are the fields, which – in addition to the traditional, mostly medical and humanitarian work – play an increasing role in our activity.

Which are the regions where progress has been achieved in the past four years?

First of all, I would mention Uganda. We are running such complex pilot projects there. We are present in the communities with humanitarian aid – building hospitals, drilling wells, offering shelter to the orphans – and with job creating activity. Our model farm does not only provide work for many local families, but it also helps learn more modern agricultural technologies, which – when spread – would be able to increase the retention power of the region by setting the food security of the community. Even very small things are worth being analysed– for instance how sweet corn is sown. Minor changes might help to get better average yield for those who did the training, so they can grow more and sell their crops easier. Through the significant expansion of the network in Africa of the Hungarian Trade and Cultural Center (HTCC), such programs are available in more and more countries. In addition to Uganda, Morocco and Malawi, we work in countries less discovered by Hungarians, such as Botswana or Gabon. Our expansion coincides in a fortunate way with the strengthening of the Southern Opening Strategy, so we can cooperate with the newly opened Hungarian Embassies in several countries.

In the past few years you have filled up several important positions in organising Hungarian sports life. How can you manage to harmonise your work with your activity deriving from your devotion towards Africa?

I do not see any controversy. There are more sports achievements and successful sports events in Hungary, which enhance Hungary’s publicity and popularity in the world, regardless which continent is mentioned. Politics, or even economics can be divisive: one’s gain is in most cases the other’s loss. Although sport is the purest and most beautiful manifestation of human achievements, it could never be like that.

That is why sports are important in Africa as well. It is the way for the African youth, living in the poorest and hardest conditions to get into the world’s frontline if they are talented and persistent enough.

They can show that they can be exactly as successful as those who were born in more developed countries, and their individual performance is also valuable. However, it requires knowledge and preparation, and that is where Hungarians can help Africa. Some sports schools, which have already been launched to be built, could mean that dozens of African talents will be able to join the international sports life and win medals for their home countries, and in an indirect way for us.

By Tamás Szűcs, Journalist specialized in foreign politics

February 1, 2019

Indian education programme captivates Hungarian children – Interview

Who would have thought that the abacus would make such a return! You know, the noisy object with the beads that you learned to calculate on when you were a kid 🙂 Well, it is one of the key elements of Brainobrain, an award-winning educational method that is here to conquer Hungary after succeeding in many countries of the world.

Brainobrain is a skill development course based on the principles of abacus calculations. The course provides a solid learning foundation for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and works to improve problem-solving and logical reasoning abilities, sharpen concentration and listening skills and help develop confidence and self-esteem.

“We all know Darwin’s rule: in order to survive, we need to adapt. But this is very difficult in our ever-changing world. The changes call for new skills and competencies, and it is increasingly hard for parents to decide what their children should learn. What they can do is help them improve their skills, which is a good approach to entering real life” says Tamás Czeglédi, Co-owner of Brainobrain Hungary.

“Exactly. We embrace kids’ creativity, improve their focus and offer brain development in general, using both sides of the brain. The course is based on the so-called VAK methodology, meaning that children learn to visualise the abacus beads (Visual sense), use our special words (Auditory sense) while also touching the beads (Kinetic sense)” adds Panda Stojanovska, Managing director of Brainobrain Hungary.

The programme stimulates young minds using the abacus and mental arithmetic in a way that children find engaging and fun.

“Talent management is very important in all cases, let your children be ahead of the class or lagging a bit behind. If you want your child to develop at his/her own pace, you need to have some kind of special education or unique approach” highlights Tamás Czeglédi.

Furthermore, Brainobrain is the only programme for children which includes the principles of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). Mastering these techniques allows children to have more confidence, to understand themselves better and to communicate with others more easily.

“The approach is not ‘This is a phone’, but asking them ‘What is this?’ We encourage them to think and express their opinion” explains Panda Stojanovska.

The method actually comes from India and was chosen as the Best Kids Education Brand at the International Icon Awards in 2017. It also holds a Guinness World Record (Largest Abacus lesson with 873 students).

“Anybody can join our free trial lessons to get a better understanding of the programme. We are in partnership with Britannica International School and the International School of Budapest. We also have offices in both Buda and Pest. Moreover, we are looking for people who would like to work with us, either by learning about the method or opening their own schools.”

[box type=”info”] Brainobrain offers two different courses. Little Bobs is for kids between the ages of 4 and 6. This program has 4 levels, and each level lasts for 3 months. Meanwhile, the Brainobrain course targets the 7-14 age group, but the groups are made based on the age of the children. This programme has 10 levels, and each level lasts for 3 months. After each level, pupils have a test, and they get an internationally recognised certificate. The courses are taught in both English and Hungarian.[/box]

You can find Brainobrain on Facebook and all the details are available on their website www.brainobrain.hu.

Featured image: Brainobrain Hungary

January 18, 2019

Interview with H.E. Dr. Ms. Eniola Olaitan Ajay, Ambassador of Nigeria

Interview with H.E. Dr. Ms. Eniola Olaitan Ajay, Ambassador of Nigeria to Budapest.

GLOBS: I am very curious about how you feel in Hungary and what you think of our country.
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: I think Hungary is very beautiful, clean and peaceful. Culture here is very important, the landscapes are gorgeous and the countryside is very developed.

GLOBS: As Madam Ambassador know, Nigeria is also called the African giant, because it is a huge country with practically unlimited resources and a dynamic economy. What are the areas where we could cooperate?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: The country is Africa’s most populous country with the largest black population on the Earth. At present, the economy is really strong and we have many natural resources. There are numerous opportunities, such as oil, gas, mineral resources, agriculture and tourism. Agriculture is one of the areas where Nigeria can be a partner of Hungary. In the 1970s, there was an oil boom in the country. However, agriculture used to be one of the most important elements of the Nigerian economy. In recent years, we began to recognize the real value of the sector’s development. I have noticed that the Hungarians have well-developed tools for mechanized agriculture. For example, this is something I hope we can deepen our relationship with your country.

GLOBS: What do you think about the relationship between Hungary and Nigeria?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: Well, I think it could be better. If we pay more attention to one another and understand each other’s philosophy better, our relationship may be much better with a more positive and optimistic attitude.

GLOBS: Nigeria is one of the leaders of African countries south of Sahara. What is Nigeria’s message to other African countries? How can they solve their problems?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: It is true that Nigeria is one of the leading countries in Africa and the country has a leading role in many areas. Nevertheless, the people of Nigeria believe in sovereignty, and of course we can work together with others. We believe that every country can work independently and be able to stand on its own. What we are really trying to do is to gather information from everyone regarding the best ways to be competitive in every corner of the world. Therefore, this is my message to other African countries: everyone should find out what is the best way to be successful. So I think the Africans have to stand up and take their own fate in their own hands.

GLOBS: Nigeria has been in a long and tedious fight against Islamist extremist organizations in its own territory, but the results of the struggle are very promising. Regarding your experience, what is the best way to fight with this and how can we achieve religious peace with success?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: I have to say that in general not only religious fundamentalism is what Nigeria or any other country has to face. For example, there is a crisis in the Niger Delta, which we will soon have to deal with. Actually, at this moment, I would not say that Nigeria is fighting against religious fundamentalists. However, there are a few exceptions, such as Boko Haram. They are trying to build a different Nigeria, and this is what the real problem is. The current government now has three main goals: the security of people, the desire to free Nigeria from corruption, and the creation of an economic environment in which all Nigerians are doing well. We managed to eliminate the majority of the Boko Haram. In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected as president of Nigeria. After his inauguration, he sought help. The president’s activity was aimed at strengthening the army and being able to fight the rebellion. That is why we were successful.

GLOBS: As you know, migration is in the focus of the Hungarian diplomacy. In the perspective of Nigeria, what would be the best way to fight illegal immigration? What do you think?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: Firstly, I would like to point out that Nigeria does not support illegal immigration. We do not help people leave Nigerian territory without legit immigration documents. However, it should also be taken into account that actual circumstances, such as wars, climate change or natural disasters, force legal and illegal immigration as well. Whenever any country takes a stand on immigration – whether legal or illegal – or when making long-term decisions, the other side of the coin should also be looked at. Countries should consider what their decision means to the people to whom the decision is made. In case a country is in war and has neighbours, I think civilians, women and children need a place to go where they can get asylum. At the same time, I feel that nobody should go to a place where one is not welcomed. My father always told me that I should not visit any of my uncles, unless I am being invited. So my country’s position is not to support illegal immigration, but we will not turn our backs on those who need help.

GLOBS: There is an ever-growing and vibrant Nigerian community in Hungary. What is the relationship between them and the embassy? How can this help bridge the gap between Europe and Africa?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: I would say that our relationship is friendly. First of all, we aim to build connections and we follow the principle of open doors. We believe that every Nigerian should have the opportunity to belong somewhere. Some Nigerians have been living here for 20-30 years, yet they have only recently met each other for the first time. The local community is very good and friendly. In Hungary, our fellow-Nigerians perform well in their profession. There is a director in charge at a bank in the city, and many are working at a multinational company. Furthermore, there are consultants, etymologists, etc. They are all working to fit in well.

GLOBS: Let’s talk about culture a bit. What should we know about Nigeria if we want to travel there?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: First of all, Nigeria is a very beautiful and very diverse country. Nigerians are fashion enthusiasts, so their everyday outfit is like a party dress. I feel that Hungary is close to the party mentality that characterizes us. For instance, people have fun until late night. We enjoy music and dance a lot, this is why there are many popular Nigerian musicians. Our gastronomy is rich, and it is worth trying. Hungarians love paprika so they will not be shocked by the spiciness of Nigerian dishes. Moreover, what the visitor will feel immediately is friendliness. The Nigerians are very hospitable. Anyone who visited Nigeria wants to talk about the experiences. Nigeria is a place that makes everyone smile.

GLOBS: What did you know about Hungary before you came here?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: Not Much. When I came here, one of the first things I did was to take a sightseeing-bus to get more information about the city. Since then I have been learning continuously, trying to find out more.

GLOBS: What is your impression on Hungary today?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: What I like is that everything is beautiful, because trees are planted everywhere. The country is so eco-conscious that it impresses me completely. Everywhere I look, I see green. I like the way the country uses its natural waters and how these resources are being utilized. I like that everything is very clean, peaceful and calm.

GLOBS: Do you have any message to the Hungarian people?
Eniola Olaitan Ajay: All I would say is that they should be more open. More open towards everyone we meet because we do not know when we will meet that person again. No matter who we meet during our journey and human existence, we should see one another as human beings, before we consider each other’s color. We should see what people are inside and what their personality is, before we judge them.

December 30, 2018

Interview with director of the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade Márton Ugrósdy

ugrósdy Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade ifat Hungary

The Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (IFAT) is a separate legal entity under the Center for Democracy Public Foundation (DEMKK in Hungarian) operating as the leading Hungarian foreign policy think-tank. IFAT is carrying out active research in fields covering the priorities of the Hungarian foreign policy. Márton Ugrósdy is the director of the IIFAT in Budapest, and you can read here an interview with him about the institute and Hungarian foreign policy.

The interview made by GLOBS Magazine:

Globs: What got you started working in the economy, why did you choose this career?

Ugrósdy: To be honest, I started developing an interest in economy when I began reading newspapers during my high school years, when I began to make conscious effort to understand what was happening in the world around me. Ever since, I have been quite decidedly walking along this path. At university, I chose courses and wrote up topics that were relevant from this point if view. I wrote my thesis on Russian-American relations. Since then, I have been striving to work in foreign politics. From this perspective, it is logical that I ended up here, though it did take me several years and a lot of luck, too. I believe that now I have found my place, I work with a really great team here.

Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade ifat Hungary — The IFAT team. Photo: Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Globs: You have only recently become the director of the institute. What were your goals when you took the position?

Ugrósdy: I have not been working as a director for a long time. Naturally, I have goals I would like to realize. I would like to support the co-operation of the expert community much more actively. What we see is that there are a lot of efficient professionals in the country, who often function like islands without there being any sort of communication between the various research teams. We would like to provide them with opportunities of private, honest conversations the likes of which have perhaps not really taken place before. We have organized events like this before and will continue to do so in the future. We would like to move forward the professional discourse in the upcoming years at home.

Globs: In the past years, the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade has undergone several changes. What direction is it going in now, what are its priorities?

Ugrósdy: For many people, the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade has been more of an academic institute. The colleagues working here have dealt with somewhat historical, somewhat speculative things. This has changed greatly in the past years. Nowadays, we strive to deal with topics that are more current, more tangible, and more relevant to Hungarian foreign diplomacy. We also strive to shorten the amount of time between the occurrence of an event and the birth of the analysis thereof. Previously, this has not always been a goal. Or rather such papers were created but only for selected use. We aim to thematize this, to create current, shorter analyses that can, in certain situations, be available to the wide public as well.

Globs: How important is the so-called basic research for the Institute? How direct is the support of the administration in foreign decision-making?

Ugrósdy: We essentially have a dual function in this area. We try to help by providing ideas and suggestions where there is a need for it. This is a rather non-visible part of our job. Our other task, which is given considerably more attention, is the performance venue of the foreign guests visiting Hungary. The high-ranking foreign invitees can discuss their views on various subjects here. An important fact is that attendees can ask questions [during these events], we are an open Institute in this regard. One can only directly pose questions to these type of people in few other places in the world.

Globs: The Hungarian administration’s foreign politics preferences and topics have been common knowledge for the past few years. To research these, however, several other institutions have been founded, such as the Migration Research Institute. How much does their research interlap with yours? To what extent do you work together?

Ugrósdy: We are fortunate since we have the opportunity to work together with several institutes, but of course this is all topic-dependent. There are disciplines where immersing one’s self in these is necessary, to get a line on something from the research of other professionals. For example, at our institute, migration is a mere part of the Middle-Eastern problem set. Our colleagues deal with several other Middle-Eastern topics besides migration, which is why it would be justified to found an institute with migration as its main focus. Lots of times when organizing a conference, we contact partner-institutes to learn their perspectives too. We are able to cooperate with mostly everyone, and we would like to maintain our role as such.

Globs: What are the fields in which you think more developments are due, where the cross-section is narrow?

Ugrósdy: One of the areas like this is the West Balkan region, as currently only one of our colleagues is treating the topic. Naturally we strive to treat this as a topic of high priority, but one single person is insufficient for this work.

Globs: How fast can the Institute react when, for example, a crisis breaks out somewhere?

Ugrósdy: Naturally, we are prepared for every eventuality. If something happens somewhere, sometimes we get a call within half an hour to comment on it. Our colleagues are accostumed to this and can manage these situations well.

Globs: Excellent short summaries are penned by your colleagues. How do these researches come about, and how does one make time for them?

Ugrósdy: Our researchers are well-versed in this too. We have a rather wide variety of sources of information, be it the media, professional liens, Hungarian and foreign embassies, Hungarian missions abroad, etc. The most important is, of course, the researcher’s personal network of connections. The real value – and this is what we add – is putting all of this within a framework, a context. We do not just describe events but research the reasons for their occurrence. This is the type of thing one cannot learn from reading newspapers or the Internet. Accumulation years of experience are needed for this.

Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade Budapest Hungary — Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Globs: You are an expert in Hungarian-American relations. These ties have been put to the test in the past few months. What do you hope for?

Ugrósdy: What I see is that there is a positive expectation regarding the future. It was interesting to see that despite the political conflict of interest between the Hungarian and American administrations, American companies nevertheless invested in Hungary, increased their operational framework and contributed to economic growth. There are areas with great possibilities, like energetics and infrastructure-development.

Globs: Another favourite of your fields of expertise is energy security. What is your opinion on Hungary’s energy security?

Ugrósdy: What I see is that the strategy we have implemented is slowly coming full circle. We have well established connections gas-wise with every neighboring country; in regards to electricity, there are a few structures, but we are working on that by involving several sources. Energy security and renewable energy are largely dependent on natural resources, which means that in Hungary – most of the country being composed of lowlands – it is difficult to build up energy sources. In the area of solar energy, a lot of investments have been kicked off, for example. With all this, it is possible to maintain the country’s energy needs.

Globs: What do you do in your free time?

Ugrósdy: Besides teaching at Corvinus University, I strive to spend as much time with my family as possible.

Globs: If you weren’t a foreign policy expert, what would you be?

Ugrósdy: I would probably be a pilot.

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December 29, 2018