Created: 2025.11.17. 14:09
On 15 November in Beijing, representatives of Széchenyi István University, Zhejiang Jiaxing University and the Chinese International Education Foundation signed the agreement establishing a joint Confucius Institute at the Győr-based institution. The initiative marks a new milestone in Hungarian–Chinese cultural, educational and economic cooperation, offering significant support in the fields of language teaching, research and academic mobility.
In recent years, Széchenyi István University’s relations with China have visibly strengthened. The community of students from the Asian country in Győr continues to grow, Chinese visiting professors arrive on a regular basis, and more than a dozen cooperation agreements now link the institution with partner universities in China. Language education has also become more dynamic: Chinese language courses are available for all age groups, while community programmes – such as celebrations of the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival – attract an ever-widening audience. Academic cooperation is likewise expanding: the Double Degree in Civil Engineering programme with Jiaxing University has been running successfully, with the first student graduating with distinction a few months ago. Meanwhile, Széchenyi University also maintains significant corporate relations; among its key partners is Huawei, a major global player in the development of cutting-edge technologies.
The establishment of the Confucius Institute at Széchenyi István University marks another important stage in this multifaceted development. The agreement on founding the joint institute was signed on 15 November in Beijing by Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations of Széchenyi István University; Mei Deqing, President of Zhejiang Jiaxing University; and Yang Wei, academic and President of the Chinese International Education Foundation. Under the agreement, the Confucius Institute in Győr will become the sixth in Hungary, providing comprehensive support to deepening educational, research, economic and cultural relations between the two universities – and, more broadly, between the two countries. The institute will contribute to the development of teaching Chinese language and culture, support joint scientific projects, and promote staff and student mobility.
“It is a tremendous honour for us that the next Confucius Institute in Hungary can be established at our University – this opens new doors for international educational, economic and cultural cooperation in the region,” emphasised Dr Eszter Lukács. She added that the foundation of the current step was created by several years of intensive joint work, providing a secure basis on which to build the future. The Vice-President expressed her special thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and to Minister Péter Szijjártó for helping bring the initiative to fruition. Dr Lukács underlined: “The establishment of the Confucius Institute is not only a major step forward for the University, but also for the city and the region, and it will strengthen relations between Hungary and China in the long term.”
Dr Zoltán Maruzsa, State Secretary for Public Education at the Ministry of Interior, also attended the event, emphasising that the aim of expanding the network of Confucius Institutes is to increase the opportunities for teaching the Chinese language.
