Budapest, August 22 (MTI) – The 8th International Hungarology Congress opened in Pécs, in southern Hungary on Monday.
The six-day conference will focus on interculturality, interaction among different fields of study and Hungarian studies in the 21st century.
In a written message to the conference, President János Áder, the event’s chief patron, said Hungary needs scholars to help spread knowledge about Hungarian history and culture across the world. While globalisation creates new values, it also destines others for destruction, the president wrote. But the world’s diversity must be preserved for future generations, which makes every language, culture and tradition important, he said.
D János Mekis, the head of the conference’s organising committee, said in his opening address that this year’s congress would be the most diverse yet. He expressed hope that the conference would set an example for other disciplines to follow.
The conference will have a total of 493 speakers representing 128 institutes from 24 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The International Hungarology Congress is held every five years.
Photo: MTI