The first Hungary-Taiwan academic conference, titled “The Current Issues of Economic and Social Integration—in Hungary and Taiwan,” organized by the Budapest Business School (BGE), wrapped up February 23, 2016 in the Hungarian capital.
The two-day conference saw 10 scholars from Taiwan and 15 Hungarian scholars presenting more than 20 papers on a variety of topics including Taiwan’s economic development, politics and democracy in Hungary and Taiwan, and comparison of social issues in the two countries.
“This event marks the first time that a conference held in Budapest, and in all European capitals, is attended by so many scholars from Taiwan,” Ambassador Tao Wen-lung of the Taipei Representative Office in Hungary said in his speech on the opening day of the conference. He thanked the BGE for their long-term endeavors, which made the event possible.
BGE Rector Eva Sandor-Kriszt stressed that her school has signed agreements with universities in Taiwan and expects to launch dual-degree programs. She also took the opportunity to welcome five Taiwanese students who are new to the school located in Budapest.
There are currently 73 Hungarian students studying in Taiwan and more than 100 Taiwanese students in Hungary, according to Peters Chen, section chief of international exchange at the ROC Ministry of Education (MOE), who is also in Hungary to attend the conference. He said the MOE hopes to see more such large-scale academic events about Hungary and Taiwan.
Levente Szekely, Hungary’s former representative to Taiwan, gave a warm, personal account of his own affection for Taiwan, and characterized his three-year posting in Taipei as the best of his diplomatic career. Taiwan’s greatest asset, Szekely pointed out, is its people, whom he always found to be friendly and ready to help others. He encouraged Hungary to build closer relations with Taiwan.
Presenters from Taiwan were Lin Ji-ping and Ko Chyong-fang of the Academia Sinica, Lin Chien-fu and Cheng Chia-ching of National Taiwan University, Kang Shih-hao of National Formosa University, Anthony Kuo and C.M. Liang of Fu Jen Catholic University, Liou To-hai and Dean Karalekas of National Cheng-chi University, and Chang Chia-wei of Soochow University.
Their 15 Hungarian counterparts included BGE professors Janos Vandor, Klara Falk-Bano, Csaba Moldicz, Tamas Novak, Miklos Szanyi and Mate Szabo of ELTE.
The Taiwan Representative Office in Hungary hosted a dinner at the conclusion of the conference to thank the scholars visiting from Taiwan and their Hungarian counterparts, and to further encourage networking between the academics from the two countries.
