As Prepared for Delivery

Minister Miklós Réthelyi,
Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Koulanakis,
Director Huba Brückner,
Professor Morse,
President Katalin Nagy,
Members of the Fulbright Commission
Dear Fulbrighters, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I warmly welcome you on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Fulbright Commission in Hungary. It is not by accident that we have gathered today to celebrate one of the world’s most prestigious educational exchange program in the building of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. As Minister János Martonyi said yesterday at the conference celebrating the 90 years of US-Hungarian relations: “…the Hungarian Fulbright Commission embodies a very important segment of the diverse institutional ties that have emerged between our two countries in the wake of Hungary’s transition… We Hungarians greatly appreciate the role the United States has played in support of our efforts aimed at reestablishing our place on the happy side of history.” Besides traditional foreign policy and military tools, the United States rightly recognized the importance of soft power. The more people in Hungary experienced freedom and democracy, the more the ancient regime became disintegrated. William Fulbright was right when he said that “… educational exchange (is)… probably the most important and potentially rewarding of our foreign policy activities."

However, anniversaries are not only about reflection over the past but also looking into the future. Hungary is a relatively small country, with a unique language and culture. It is for this reason that we, Hungarians need to take double efforts to be present and make ourselves heard in the international scene. We need to make good use of the fact that Hungary has always given many talented people to the world. I go further: we not only have to reach out relentlessly to the world but also to bring the world back to Hungary. As the Greatest Hungarian, Count István Széchenyi once said: “The number of educated minds are the real power of the nation.” Therefore, it is in our vital interest that the Fulbright Program continues to prosper in Hungary and remains committed to the future – as the title of this conference aptly puts it. Besides, in our rapidly changing world, where grand challenges arise, the significance of knowledge, new approaches, new ideas are a must for all of us. But let’s leave the discussion of this topic to our distinguished experts.  

Finally, I sincerely congratulate the Fulbright Commission, and also its Director, Mr. Huba Brückner for their relentless efforts to build up the Program and make it well-known and successful in Hungary. I hope we will celebrate many more anniversaries of the Commission in the decades to come.

I wish all of you a productive and forward-looking discussion and a blissful celebration!

Thank you.

(kormany.hu)