A total of twenty participants from ten countries are taking part in the in-person sessions of the first semester of the specialised postgraduate education programme for teachers of Hungarian language and culture in the diaspora, organised by Széchenyi István University. Supported by the State Secretariat for National Policy of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the programme introduces participants to teaching methodologies that can be effectively applied to support Hungarian communities living abroad.

Building on the decades-long tradition of summer education programmes, the Apáczai Csere János Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences of Széchenyi István University launched a two-semester specialised postgraduate programme in 2021 for educators teaching Hungarian language and culture in the diaspora. Since then, 74 participants have completed the programme. In the 2025/2026 academic year, a total of 20 dedicated teachers have come to Győr from Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Spain, and Serbia to participate.

Participants of the opening ceremony (Photo: Máté Dudás)

At the opening ceremony held on 7 July, Lőrinc Nacsa, State Secretary for National Policy at the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that in the face of the nation’s current challenges, turning to our culture, traditions and mother tongue provides a powerful response – one that requires well-prepared teachers not only in Hungary, but also across the Carpathian Basin and the wider diaspora. He added that the programme offered by Széchenyi University equips diaspora teachers of Hungarian language and culture with up-to-date knowledge and modern tools to convey values. He also noted that the State Secretariat for National Policy has achieved significant results in recent years: it is now connected with 260 weekend Hungarian schools worldwide and also support young people in the diaspora through dedicated camps. In addition, diaspora support programmes have been launched and the Diaspora Council has been established.

Dr Veronika Varga-Bajusz, State Secretary for Higher, Vocational and Adult Education and Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, in her welcome speech, recalled the words of astronaut Tibor Kapu during his first message from space: “Today, 15 million Hungarians lifted me to this point.” In this context, she emphasised that it is our mission and responsibility to pass on this sense of belonging, and to preserve and strengthen it continuously.

Dr Zsolt Kovács, Vice-President for General and Educational Affairs at Széchenyi University, highlighted that the preservation and transmission of the Hungarian language and culture is a key issue for the future of our nation – and that teachers in the diaspora play a crucial role in this effort. “Our university's goal is to support them in this mission and contribute to the social development of the Hungarian community,” he added.

Ferenc Ivanics, Vice-President of the General Assembly of Győr-Moson-Sopron County, drew attention to the fact that the world can only be enriched by the organic, ancient culture of the Hungarian people – and that this training helps to support and sustain that enrichment.

Dr Attila Pongrácz, Dean of the Apáczai Faculty, noted that during the programme, participants receive extensive professional support in areas such as drama pedagogy, folk traditions and handicrafts, the role of the arts in education and personality development, current issues in teaching the Hungarian language, environmental education, project-based teaching, and cooperative learning and teaching. Dr Viktória Kövecsesné Gősi, Director General of the Directorate General of Methodology, Digital and Teacher Training and the chief organiser of the programme, stressed the importance of responding to the challenges of the digital age. She emphasised that this requires the transmission of values, experience-based learning, community development, and the use of methodologies built on strong theoretical foundations – methods that participants can immediately integrate into their everyday teaching practice.