The Ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, Désirée Bonis, praised the significant development of Széchenyi István University during her visit to the institution. The diplomat was delighted to hear that Széchenyi University is also working closely with the Dutch NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences as part of a consortium.

Széchenyi István University considers it extremely important to strengthen its international relations, thus contributing to the development of the region. Contributing to this endeavour, Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, was introduced to the institution’s developments by Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations, Dr László Knapp, Vice Dean for Education at the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, and Tamás Kolossváry, Head of the Innovation and Training Centre in Zalaegerszeg.

It was highlighted that Széchenyi István University, which has nine faculties, nine competence centres and four doctoral schools, has undergone significant development in recent years. This is evidenced by the fact that it is ranked QS, one of the two largest global higher education rating organisations at position 801-1000 in the latest world rankings and is also included in the Times Higher Education Sustainable Development Goals ranking, where in the category "sustainable cities and communities", it is placed among the world's top 300 universities. Of the institution's student community of almost 14,000, some 900 are international students originating from 70 countries around the world. The University's regional impact has also increased significantly in recent years, as shown by the fact that, in addition to its Győr and Mosonmagyaróvár campuses, it also operates an innovation and training centre in Budapest and at the ZalaZONE automotive test track in Zalaegerszeg. Further development will be facilitated by the Science and Innovation Parks under construction in Győr and Zalaegerszeg, and the Győr Health Technology Campus.

Ambassador Désirée Bonis (centre) with staff of the Dutch Embassy and Széchenyi István University (Photo: Márton Horváth)

At the meeting, Désirée Bonis praised the enormous infrastructural, academic and educational development of Széchenyi István University accomplished in a short period of time, as well as the internationally elite student teams. She also congratulated the University on the recent programme organized at ZalaZONE for the embassies of EU Member States, where the test track and related R&D activities were presented. The Dutch Embassy was represented at the event by Deputy Head of Mission Efstathios Andreou.

The Ambassador said that it was particularly important that Széchenyi University was part of the Regional University Network - European University (RUN-EU) consortium, in which the Dutch NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences is also a partner. The two institutions will collaborate in the areas of double degrees, research and short advanced programmes (SAPs).

At the end of the Ambassador’s visit, she was invited by Dr Csaba Hontvári, Dean of the Faculty of Performance Arts, to attend a Holy Week concert of the Győr University Orchestra in the University Concert Hall.