Széchenyi István University organised a special programme on 31 January to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. The event offered participants a glimpse into the culture of the Far East and provided an opportunity to learn about the educational and economic collaborations between the Győr-based institution and its Chinese partners.

The University’s growing ties with China were highlighted at the event, held in Győr's Innovation Park. Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations, emphasised that the student community from the Far East is continuously expanding, several visiting professors have been welcomed in recent years and cooperation agreements have been signed with 15 Chinese universities so far. She added that in 2022, the University launched a joint civil engineering dual degree programme with Jiaxing University, with which it also established a micro-certificate programme last year titled Introduction to Civil Engineering. Additionally, unique educational programmes in food engineering and logistics engineering are being launched in collaboration with Xuzhou University of Technology. The Vice-President also stressed that the University maintains important corporate partnerships, including Huawei, a major global player in cutting-edge technology development.

Representatives of Széchenyi István University and the Chinese Embassy in Budapest discussed the further strengthening of relations during the event (Photo: András Adorján)

"In addition to academic and corporate collaborations, our institution places great emphasis on cultural support. We offer Chinese language learning opportunities with both Hungarian and Chinese native-speaking instructors, not only for our colleagues and students but also for primary and secondary school students interested in Chinese culture," said Dr Eszter Lukács. She noted that the goal is to elevate language education and expand higher education cooperation with China further. To this end, a proposal has been submitted for establishing a Confucius Institute. "This initiative will contribute to language teaching and examination opportunities in Győr, enhance cultural exchanges, support teaching material development, strengthen research, foster dialogue and build further corporate partnerships," she emphasised.

At the ceremony, Han Dongsheng, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, expressed his pleasure at Széchenyi István University’s strong ties with Chinese higher education institutions and companies. "This is my first visit here, and I really like Győr—I can feel the energy of the city and the University. There is great potential for further Hungarian-Chinese cooperation," he said. The Counsellor praised Széchenyi István University as a dynamically developing institution that has made significant achievements in education and research, excels in engineering and fosters a diverse environment through its rapidly advancing internationalisation. He concluded his speech by wishing everyone good health, academic and professional success, and happiness in the Year of the Snake—a symbol of wisdom, resilience, health, and longevity in Chinese culture.

The programme was hosted by the Győr Innovation Park of Széchenyi István University (Photo: András Adorján)

The event also provided participants with an immersive experience of Chinese culture, featuring lectures on Chinese customs, traditional attire, and the Lunar New Year. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in playful Chinese language activities, paint Chinese fortune characters using ink and brushes, try a traditional Chinese badminton game and even sample authentic Chinese cuisine.

Former student of Széchenyi István University, Guo Shaofeng, who recently received the  institution’s "International Alumni of the Year 2024" award, also gave a lecture at the event (Photo: András Adorján)

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At the event, the participants were introduced to the many characteristics of Chinese culture (Photos: Máté Dudás)