Deputy State Secretary for Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Rural Development Katalin Tóth welcomed those foreign students who arrived in Hungary this autumn within the framework of the scholarship program organised by Hungarian Government and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Communiqué.

The program is one of the elements of the cooperation agreement concluded between Hungary and the FAO in 2007, and which provides scholarships for students fro countries with low incomes to take part in agricultural higher education training in Hungary. So far, the Government has provided scholarships for 140 students, including from two cross-border territories, Vojvodina and Lower Carpathia, to aid their higher education studies. Over 70 students have successfully received their diplomas so far within the framework of the Ministry of Rural Development's and the FAO's joint scholarship program. Based on experience so far, foreign students who complete their studies at Hungarian universities play an important role in agricultural, trade and foreign policy relations between Hungary and their country of origin, and so the program – in addition to contributing to the scientific and economic development of the countries in question – also contributes to the development of the Hungarian economy and diplomacy.

At the Professional Day organised at the Ministry of Rural Development, Deputy State Secretary for Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Rural Development Katalin Tóth stressed that it has become tradition for new students to meet with colleagues from the Ministry who work in related professional fields. She emphasised that these professional forums pose an opportunity to present the areas of competence of the Ministry, and provide and excellent platform for further cooperation with foreign students from abroad who receive scholarships.

Katalin Tóth stressed that the success of the join Government-FAO program may only be realised within the framework of cooperation with Hungarian partner universities. She emphasised that these higher education institutions take on a significant burden by launching new courses each year for students who arrive from varying educational systems and cultural backgrounds.

The Deputy State Secretary encourages the students to exploit every opportunity presented by the program during the upcoming eighteen months.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)