Members of the Royal Advisory Council of Saudi Arabia, the Shura Council, visited Széchenyi István University. During the meeting, both sides agreed on the importance of strengthening relations, which could include training and research cooperation.

Today, students at Széchenyi István University come from seventy countries around the world, and the faculty and researchers are involved in international projects and research networks. For this reason alone, it is important for the institution to strengthen its international relations, and this was one of the objectives of the visit of a delegation from the Shura Council of Saudi Arabia to the Győr campus led by Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed A. Algannas, President of the Saudi-Hungarian Friendship Committee. The delegation also included Dr. Amirah Ahmed A. Aljafary, representative of the Council's Human Rights Committee responsible for Higher Education, and Ahmed Yahya A. Aldagreer, Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Hungary.

Members of the Saudi Arabian delegation with their Hungarian hosts (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Róbert Balázs Simon, Parliament member from Győr, Vice-Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Parliament, who is also the President of the Hungarian-Gulf Region Friendship Group, played a major role in the event. "I believe it is important to strengthen not only economic relations but also higher education partnerships with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia. The Széchenyi István University is extremely open to the development and strengthening of international cooperation, which was also demonstrated at the recent meeting, and this is also true for the Saudi side. I am confident that we will succeed in filling our ideas and plans with specific content, which will be beneficial for both countries", emphasized Balázs Simon Róbert.

Balázs Simon Róbert (centre), Member of Parliament from Győr, President of the Hungarian-Gulf-Region Friendship Group (Photo: Csaba Májer József Májer)

Róbert Balázs Simon, Parliament member from Győr, Vice-Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Parliament, who is also the President of the Hungarian-Gulf Region Friendship Group, played a major role in the event. "I believe it is important to strengthen not only economic relations but also higher education partnerships with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia. The Széchenyi István University is extremely open to the development and strengthening of international cooperation, which was also demonstrated at the recent meeting, and this is also true for the Saudi side. I am confident that we will succeed in filling our ideas and plans with specific content, which will be beneficial for both countries", emphasized Balázs Simon Róbert.

Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed A. Algannas, Chairman of the Saudi-Hungarian Friendship Committee (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr. Amirah Ahmed A. Aljafary (centre), representative of the Human Rights Committee of the Shura Council (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Ahmed Yahya A. Aldagreer (second from left), Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Hungary (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

In a very constructive meeting, the members of the Saudi Arabian delegation stressed that their country's strategic goal is to have their universities in the top 200 of the QS and THE world rankings. To this end, they intend to expand their international partnerships. The two sides agreed on the importance of closer cooperation, including dual training and joint research. Deputy Ambassador Ahmed Yahya A. Aldagreer underlined that the Embassy in Budapest is also doing its utmost to strengthen ties.

Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed A. Algannas, Dr. Eszter Lukács and Róbert Balázs Simon (Photo: Csaba József Májer)