The Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing Photo: IC

The Confucius Institute at the University of Debrecen was unveiled on Friday in Debrecen, Hungary's second largest city, reported the people.com.cn. Jointly established by Tianjin Foreign Studies University based in North China's Tianjin Municipality and the University of Debrecen, the Confucius Institute is the fifth Confucius Institute established in Hungary.

Zoltán Szilvássy, the rector of the University of Debrecen addressed the unveiling ceremony, saying that pragmatic cooperation between China and Hungary in all sectors has been constantly pushed to new levels by the Belt and Road Initiative. He said learning Chinese and understanding Chinese culture helps University Debrecen students with their future career development. The university attaches great importance to the establishment of Confucius Institutes, and will provide all convenient facilities to the development of the Confucius Institute at University of Debrecen, according to the report.

Duan Jielong, the Chinese Ambassador to Hungary said this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary, and bilateral relations have seen a healthy and steady development in recent years, highlighted by educational cooperation between the two sides. 

Duan said Confucius Institutes serves as a platform for people of all countries to know about Chinese culture, and he believes the Confucius Institute at University Debrecen will enhance mutual learning and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, as well as intensify friendship between the two peoples.

The other four Confucius Institutes in Hungary are respectively established at Eötvös Loránd University, the University of Szeged, the University of Pécs and the University of Miskolc.

At the ceremony, Zoltán conferred an honorary professorship to Chen Zhen, chairman of the Central and Eastern European Conventional Chinese Medicine Association, in recognition of his contributions to the scientific research and international outreach of University Debrecen over the last two decades.