On Thursday, the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen said goodbye to its Chinese students who obtained their diplomas in the Hungarian language at the end of the academic year ceremony organized in the Main Building. The 15 graduating Chinese students started their studies in Debrecen three years ago thanks to international educational cooperation, writes unideb.hu.
The current year is already the second year, who graduated from the Hungarian department and obtained a diploma at the University of Debrecen. The Beijing International Studies University (BISU) launched its program in 2015, in which 20 high school students started the special course, within the framework of which they could learn the Hungarian language in three years while still in high school, and later pursue university studies in Hungary.
The greatest recognition goes to the graduating students, since they undertook the huge task of completing a university education in a foreign language, Hungarian, far from their homes and families
– said Péter Csatár in his greeting.
The deputy dean for strategy and economics of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen highlighted: the successful final exam is a great joy, and also the fact that many of the graduates now want to stay and embark on a higher level of training, completing the Hungarian master’s degree.
All of this proves that the training has fulfilled the expectations attached to it
– emphasized Péter Csatár.
Qu Xin, BISU’s director of studies, took part in the ceremony online and gave a greeting, with whom family members of the graduates could also be part of the end of the school year in the virtual space.
Foreign language students at BISU play an important role in strengthening communication between China and the wider world, in making the relationship between Chinese and other cultures even closer. We live in an age where there are as many challenges as there are opportunities, and we have to live with this
– said Qu Xin in his speech.
The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen, the Summer University of Debrecen and the Beijing University of International Studies participated in the program, and the Confucius Institute of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen also supported their work.
One of the important successes of the Chinese-Hungarian exchange programs and cooperation is that already the second year of Chinese students receive their Hungarian degree at the University of Debrecen, thereby helping to strengthen international relations
– pointed out Cui Xianjun, the Chinese director of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen Confucius Institute.
Pál Csontos, the Hungarian director of the Confucius Institute, expressed his hope that even after completing their studies, the students will be active in expanding Chinese-Hungarian cultural relations and promoting Beijing-Debrecen cooperation.
Péter Szaffkó, director of the Summer University of Debrecen – who has played a prominent role in the cooperation since the beginning of the program – congratulated the graduates, as he said: they were brave enough to take on the unknown, to get to know a completely foreign culture, of which they can become ambassadors from now on.
The teachers and doctoral students of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen Institute of Hungarian Literature and Cultural Studies and the Hungarian Institute of Linguistics took part in the education.
In the last 3 years, these 15 students have matured into responsible adults in front of our eyes, they stood firm despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. In cooperation with the lecturers of the departments, they did everything they could to receive their diplomas after completing their studies
– said Edit Dobi, coordinator of the program, and associate professor of the Department of Hungarian Linguistics of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Debrecen Hungarian Linguistics Institute.
On behalf of the graduates, Yang Xi – known as Tünde in Hungarian – thanked and said goodbye to his fellow students and the institution.
Now, entering a new phase of life, we are faced with a choice, as there are those among us who return to China, some who continue their studies in another country, and some who stay in Debrecen and continue their master’s degree. No matter which path you choose, the knowledge gained at the University of Debrecen will always be valuable.
After the ceremonial handing over of the diplomas, those Hungarian and foreign students who achieved good results in the Chinese language course launched within the framework of the Confucius Institute were awarded diplomas.
