The University of Debrecen (UD) could soon establish cooperation with the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), focusing on research partnerships as well as faculty and student exchanges. The discussions took place during a visit by the EdUHK delegation to UD.
Thanks to this successful initial contact, the two institutions’ leaders are expected to sign an official agreement on the collaboration as early as this spring, according to hirek.unideb.hu.
The delegation, led by Chetwyn Chan, Vice President for Research, Development, and Innovation at EdUHK, was welcomed by Endre Harsányi, UD’s Vice-Rector for Sectoral Development in Agricultural and Food Sciences. Okszana Kiszil, Head of the Coordination and Strategic Directorate of the Rector-Chancellery Cabinet, introduced the delegation—which included Deputy Vice President for Research Michelle Gu—to the university’s history, academic and research achievements, and international network.
Founded in 1994, EdUHK has quickly risen to international prominence: it ranks among the top 200 universities globally and 12th in the QS World University Rankings in the Education category. The university is recognized for leading research in education and teacher training, while also hosting world-class researchers across a wide range of disciplines, Chan highlighted in her presentation.
The visit continued on January 16 at UD’s Faculty of Humanities, where Péter Csatár, Deputy Dean for Strategy and Economics, presented the faculty’s programs. He emphasized that teacher training is a key development focus for the faculty, aiming to establish a partnership with EdUHK that could be particularly fruitful in the application of artificial intelligence in schools and universities.
Orsolya Jánosy, Head of UD’s International Office, explained the possibilities for student and faculty mobility with foreign universities. She noted that UD doctoral students can participate in 1–6 month research or training programs in Hong Kong under the Pannonia Excellence Scholarship program, and UD students could also be hosted under the Pannonia Scholarship program.
EdUHK representatives additionally offered the possibility for doctoral students to be co-supervised through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship program. The delegation also gained insight into ongoing research at the Faculty of Humanities.
Gabriella Pusztai, Director of the Institute of Education and Cultural Sciences at UD Faculty of Humanities, presented the interconnected activities of three institutional units she leads: the Higher Education Research and Development Center, the Doctoral Program in Education, and the Central European Journal of Educational Research. She highlighted overlapping research interests with EdUHK.
Ilona Dabney-Fekete, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education and Cultural Sciences, outlined the composition of the international doctoral community, admission processes, and integration of students into UD. Finally, Gabriella Hegedűs, a recent doctoral graduate at the English-American Institute, presented her international research—including collaborations with Hong Kong—on extracurricular “shadow education.”
Several cooperation opportunities were identified in the fields of humanities and pedagogy, including joint research, publications, and scholarship programs, allowing UD students to continue studies in Hong Kong.
Following this successful visit, the two universities’ leaders are expected to sign the cooperation agreement soon, potentially making UD the first official Hungarian partner of the Education University of Hong Kong.
