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The Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) today solemnly opened the Hungarian Center, and ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan and Vice-Rector of Pázmány Péter Catholic University Krisztián Vincze had the honor of cutting the red ribbon.
Among those attending the exclusive event were Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, Chairperson of the ASPU Board of Trustees Zhanna Andreasyan; Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Hungary Ashot Smbatyan; Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Armenia Anna Maria Siko; the delegation of Pázmány Péter Catholic University; professors and students of the ASPU and guests.
ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan recalled that the exclusive agreement on establishment of the Center was ratified this year, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Hungary. Professor Gevorgyan touched upon the successful cooperation of the two universities, the completed scientific-educational programs, and considered the opening of the Center for History, Culture and Language of Hungary a unique event and a major start for the friendship between the Armenian and Hungarian peoples.
Armenia's Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan noted that this is the case when the opening of a center does not precede the main process, but follows it, serving as a result of normal evolution of the process.
Let us remind that the Head of the Hungarian Center operating at the ASPU is PhD student of the Department of Armenian Studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University Daniel Gadzik, at whose initiative 10 students are already learning Hungarian and exploring Hungary and Hungarian culture through courses.
Zhanna Andreasyan is certain that the already launched substantive process will foster the strengthening of cooperation between the Universities, as well as the deepening and development of the relations between Armenia and Hungary.
According to the Minister, the process of internationalization of higher education, which is one of the key pillars of the education strategy, may develop only through the establishment of similar centers and the partnership with foreign universities.
As a matter of fact, the event also featured a presentation of books, including books devoted to the Armenian-Hungarian relations and published in Armenia and Hungary. Among those books was the anthology of published articles edited by the Hungarian PhD students of the Department of Armenian Studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Zhanna Andreasyan attached importance to the joint research and publications, emphasizing that they will help introduce new contextual layers for the partnership.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Hungary to the Republic of Armenia Anna Maria Siko and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Hungary Ashot Smbatyan also contributed to the opening of the Hungarian Center.
Ambassador Anna Maria Siko attached importance to the opening of the Hungarian Center, talked about the need for the Center and assured that Armenia and Hungary, as centuries-old friendly countries, will continue to cooperate.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Hungary Ashot Smbatyan considered being at the Armenian State Pedagogical University a great honor and noted that even though short time has passed since the restoration of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary, in this period, a number of programs have been carried out, and they serve as nourishment for those relations. The Ambassador believes the political relations will be destitute without the relations between the two countries in the areas of science, education and culture, and considered the opening of the Center a great achievement for Hungary as well.
Members of the delegation of Pázmány Péter Catholic University, represented by Vice-Rector Krisztián Vincze, also attached importance to the opening of the Hungarian Center at the Armenian State Pedagogical University and the cooperation between the two Universities and countries.
Head of the Department of Armenian Studies at the Catholic University in Hungary, Dr. Bálint Kovács fully hopes the Center will help students get to know Hungarian culture, receive an education in Hungary, be actively involved in research and learn Hungarian, which is a language that is as complex as Armenian.
Dean of the ASPU Faculty of History and Social Science Edgar Hovhannisyan considered the day historical not only for the Armenian State Pedagogical University, but also for the Armenian-Hungarian relations; according to him, this is a new page, the first lines of which were written in 2016 when Pázmány Péter Catholic University opened the Department of Armenian Studies, even though the diplomatic relations between the two countries had not been restored yet.
Edgar Hovhannisyan highlighted the termendous contribution that the Armenian State Pedagogical University has made in the field of public diplomacy which, with new quality, is laying the foundation for a new start in the centuries-old relations between Armenia and Hungary.
