Indo-Hungarian
Cultural & Educational Relations
Historical
Perspective
Hungary’s interest
in the Orient assumed particular importance at the end of
the 18th century – early century 19th when Hungary and the
Hungarian people, entering into an epoch of national renewal, sought to
explore
their ancient history and origin through scholarly means. In Hungary, where the
awareness of oriental origin never fell into oblivion, questions
regarding the
history of the people and the language focused the attention of
scholars toward Asia as a
matter
of course. Indo-Hungarian scholarly and cultural contacts look back on
a long
past, in fact to the 15th and 16th centuries. Several centuries of Indian
philosophy, religion and literature have enriched Hungarian
intellectual life.
The first
Hungarian known to have visited India, Gyorgy
Huszti, was not
motivated by academic
ambitions. He reached the western coast of the sub-continent in 1538
as a slave in the army of the Turkish sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent.
Huszti
was however a learned man and wrote an account of his
experiences,
which unfortunately is still unpublished. Hungarians had their first
contacts
with Indian culture through intermediaries. The first verifiable
influences
date back to the 15th century when a Latin work by a
Franciscan monk Pelbart Temesvari makes
mention of an Indian mythology book called the Kilil which in all
probability
was a reference to the story of Kalila and Dimna in Panchatantra.
Some of
Indian literature was published in translation in Hungary even
before
Indology became a field of academic study. An unidentified author
translated
the Latin version of Barlaam and Josaphat - originating from the Buddha
legend
- into Hungarian in the Kazinczy codex in the 16th century. By the 17th
and
18th centuries as many as three Hungarian translations - from Latin,
Turkish
and Persian mediating languages - of the Panchatantra were in
existence,
including David Rozsnyai’s Horologium Turcicum, which contains the
first
Hungarian version of the Panchatantra from a version in Turkish.
Several other
18th century Hungarian translations are likewise not directly from Sanskrit. Sanskrit itself has been taught in Hungary since the
18th century. In about 1750 Istvan Valyi, a Hungarian studying in Leiden, met some
Indian
students there; his paper commenting on the relationship between
Sanskrit and
other Indo-European languages preceded better-known works by other
scholars
such as Coeurdoux and William Jones.
Role of
Alexander Csoma Korosi
The
life-work of legendary and world-famous
Hungarian orientalist Alexander Csoma Korosi (1784-1842) is still a
landmark in
the history of Indology in Hungary.
Determined
to identify and explore the ancient homeland of the nomadic peoples,
who
eventually came to be known as the Hungarians, he mastered the Turkish,
Arabic,
Persian and Bengali languages. Travelling as a poor student from 1819
onwards,
he reached India through Iran and Afghanistan and,
largely avoiding the company of the English colonisers, tried to
adapt himself to the way of life of the inhabitants. Encouraged by the
English
traveller and scholar W. Moorcroft, he began studying
Tibetan language and culture in the Himalayan
monasteries under extremely harsh conditions. He spent more than ten
years in Tibet and
discovered many ancient texts of fundamental importance concerning
Indian
history, literature, philosophy, religion and medical science.
Most
important, he discovered that the holy
scriptures of Buddhism had not been irretrievably lost, as had been
thought
earlier on, but had been retained in Tibetan translations. Csoma Korosi
was the
first to outline in 1836-39 the content of the 325-volume Tibet
Buddhist canon,
Kandjur which described the life of Buddha and the religious tenets
that Buddha
had expounded. He was the first scholar to publish and comment on the
Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary, the Mahavyutpatti. In 1834 he published
his
Tibetan-English dictionary and also the first grammar of the Tibetan
language
in Calcutta, thus
accomplishing a deed of pioneering significance. After a decade
of work at Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata, Csoma Korosi again set
off
toward Tibet in 1842 in
quest of the predecessors and relatives of Hungarians.
However, he was never to attain his goal, falling ill from malaria
during his
travels. He died in Darjeeling, his
original quest still unfulfilled; his tomb there is now a place of
pilgrimage for all Hungarian visitors. Csoma Korosi was sharply
distinguished
from other European oriental scholars of the age in that oriental
research to
him served national studies, and that he approached the people he
studied as
friends, stressing common human values. Without any doubt it can be
said that
Alexander Csoma Korosi is a great founding father of Tibetan and
Buddhist
studies as well.
What is
known about Alexander Csoma Korosi is
mainly due to another prominent Hungarian scholar, Tivadar Duka
(1825-1908) who
after the crushing of the War of Independence in
1949 was rushed by the Austrian monarchy went
to India to serve Britain and with painstaking efforts collected the
forgotten
studies, reports and letters by Csoma Korosi and wrote a biography of
this
great "Szekler-Hungarian".
Sir Aurel
Stein
Next to
Alexander Csoma Korosi, the best known Hungarian
researcher of India was Sir
Aurel Stein (1862 -1943) who in 1898 was professor of Sanskrit language
and
literature at the Punjab University in Lahore. His most
important philological work was his critical-text edition of
Kalhana's Rajatarangini. He dedicated several books to the religions
and cultural
conditions of Indian history and Indo-Scythian rule as well as
Indo-Iranian
ancient geography, and organised three memorable expeditions to Central Asia (Eastern
Turkestan, Afghanistan and Iran) between
1900 and 1916. Stein, who was knighted by the British for his
contribution to
Oriental Studies, held the post of general director at the Indian
Archaeological Directorate from 1910. His valuable library,
manuscripts,
letters and collection of photos was bequeathed to the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences where
they form part of the Academy’s Oriental Collection.
Translation
Work
In the
field of translation, pioneering work was
done by Karoly Fiok (1857-1915), who as
a school teacher, translated from the
original Sanskrit the drama Abhijnannasakuntalam of Kalidasa (1887),
two
episodes from the Mahabharata (1885, 1889) and the Hitopadesa (1905).
The
celebrated Hungarian poet, Janos Arany, was inspired by this first
translation
and he produced his own version of the fourth act of the drama.
Transylvanian Saxon
born doctor Janos Marton Honigberger (1795-1869) and painter Agoston
Schoefft
(1809-1888) spent years in the court of Maharajah Ranjit Singh in Lahore. In his
travelogue
on India (35 Years
in the Orient) Honigberger presents a dramatic picture of
life in the Lahore court and
about the personality of the Maharajah. Vilmos Leitner
(1840-1899) also spent a long period in India, where he
pursued anthropological and sociological research. He was among the
first to
note the significance of Gandhara art. He wrote a book about the
educational
system of the Punjab and the
Urdu language. He was one of the founders of the Punjab University. Gabor
Balint Szentkatolnai (1844-1913) arrived in India with the
expedition of Count Bela Szechenyi before leaving the team and spending
a
longer time in South India. He
studied the Tamil language and grammar and edited a dictionary.
In the
first decades of the 20th century many
translations from Sanskrit by other authors were published, including
several
versions of the Bhagavadgita. Dr. Jozsef Vekerdi produced celebrated
translations of a large number of classic Sanskrit works, amongst which
are the
Kathasaritsagara, the Vetalpanchavimsatika hymns from the Rigveda and
works of
Kalidasa. He has collaborated with several Hungarian poets, amongst
them, Gyula
Teller and Istvan Lakatos. His work produced with Sandor Weores has
been
particularly acclaimed; their version of Jayadeva's Gitagovinda has
been
praised by Indian poets. He is also a distinguished scholar, with a
special interest
in the language of the Gypsy people. Dr. Vekredi was awarded the
“Dayawati Modi
Vishwa Sanskriti Samman 2000” by Modi Kala Bharati, Bombay in
recognition of
his contribution to the strengthening of cultural relations between India and Hungary. In his
scholarship,
erudition and sustained work, Dr. Vekredi ranks as a successor to great
Hungarian Indologists – Korosi Csomo Sandor, Sir Aural Stein and Erwin
Baktay.
Other Indologists who contributed to the work of the Department of
Indo-European Studies in ELTE University include
Oszvald Szemerenyi, Laszlo Gaal, Dr. Arpad Debreczeni, Dr. Puskas
Ildiko, Dr.
Eva Aradi, Dr. Gyorgy Karsai and Dr. Maria Negyesi.
Gurudev
Rabindranath Tagore’s Hungarian connection
Also in the
early 20th century, Hungarian interest
in India was
fuelled by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Hungarian translators and
the general public were quick in reacting to the Nobel prize the
Bengali poet
was awarded in 1913, with some of his poems being published in the
famous
Hungarian literary journal Nyugat, in translation by Mihaly Babits, in
the very
same year. More than 20 of his works were soon published in Hungarian
translation and several went through several editions. Gurudev visited
and
stayed at Balatonfured in 1926 for heart treatment
at the world renowned cardiac
hospital. He left a lasting impression in the minds of the people in
Balatonfured. In order to immortalize his stay and out of their love
and regard
for him, they erected a statue and also named a long waterfront
promenade along the Balaton lake after his
name. This
area is a great attraction for tourists
and other visitors to this place. All the important dignitaries from India visit
Balatonfured
to pay respect to Gurudev and plant saplings around the statue in the
garden.
The cardiac hospital maintains the room used by Gurudev in its original
condition.
Gurudev
invited a number of Hungarian scholars and
writers to Santiniketan. Gyula Germanus
(1884-1979) lived and gave classes there from 1929 to 1932. He also
recorded
his Indian experiences in picturesque travelogues (Allah Akbar! 1936,
Towards
the Lights of the Orient, 1966). A chronicle of the years spent in
Santiniketan
was recorded by his wife Rozsa G. Hajnoczi in her popular book the Fire
of
Bengal.
Artistic
Links
Erzebet
Sass-Brunner
(1889-1950), a painter and disciple of Simon Hollosy, arrived in India in 1930 at
the invitation of Rabindranath Tagore. India's
spiritual
and religious traditions had a deep influence on her. Her art - chiefly
her
landscapes and spiritual paintings - blossomed in India where shed
later died,(Nainital 1950). Her grave is located in Nainital and it is
proposed
to build a memorial on the site. Her daughter, Erzsebet Brunner
(1910 - 2001), who passed away in Delhi in May
2001, was
the holder of many Indian and Hungarian awards. She painted portraits
of
all major Indian personalities. These
two Hungarian artists are respected figures of Indian artistic life.
Karoly
Fabri known in India as Charles
Fabi (1899-1968), an art historian, also travelled to India in 1933 at
the invitation of Tagore. He later published many books on the history
of
Indian art.
Amrita
Sher-gil
(1913-1941), who was Hungarian on her mother's side and whose father
was Indian, represents another link between the two countries. She was
the
niece of the famous Indologist - Ervin
Baktay. Sher-gil is recognised as one of the pioneers of modern Indian
painting. In her works the old traditions of India are
coupled
with the best modern endeavours. Amrita Sher-gil is considered as one
of the
seven great masters of modern Indian art. Her paintings are national
treasures
of India and are
preserved in the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. The
first-ever
exhibition of her selected paintings brought from India was held
in Budapest at the
prestigious Ernst Museum from 6
Sept. to Oct. 3, 2001. The
exhibition featured 25 of Amrita’s representative works from her
Ecole de Beaux Arts phase – portraits, still lives, nudes and studio
pictures,
plein-air paintings from the Hungarian phase, her later paintings
inspired by
Mughal and Basohli miniatures, Ajanta frescoes
and the Mattancheri palace murals and her intense
woman-oriented paintings. The biography of Amrita Sher-gil by Yasodhara
Dalmia
was released at the Ernst Museum in
September 2006
Ms. Rozalia
Hummel is not
only a leading Indologist, but also an accomplished artist
specialised in Indian Miniature and Nathdwara style of paintings. Her
love of
the Krishna legend and
the Kavyas associated with it – Geeta Govinda, Madurashtrakam and
Yamunastakam
have inspired a series of paintings by her. Her paintings are in
permanent
exhibition at the West Zone Cultural Centre in Udaipur. She
brought out a
hard-bound art book titled “Charming Krishna – Madurastrakam” with
English
Hindi and Sanskrit calligraphy and 48 miniature paintings.
Ferenc Hopp Museum
Yet another
centre of Indian research in Hungary was
established in 1919, with the setting up of the Ferenc Hopp Museum of
East Asia
Art. The first director of the collection, art historian Zoltan
Felvinczi-Takats
(1900-1964) did much to enrich the Indian collection at the museum. His
book
entitled ‘The Art of the Orient’ is the first Hungarian language
summary of the
Indian arts. During his visit to India -
described
in his travelogue On Buddha's Trail in the Far East - he
established contact with
local Hungarians, encouraging them to give donations for the museum.
Thanks to
Felvinczi-Takats, Hungarian art dealer Imre Schwaiger (1864-1940) who
lived in India donated a
number of sculptures and small scale statuary.The present
Director of the Museum is Dr Zsuzsanna
Renner, an Indologist.
Ervin Baktay
A
significant period in the life of Ervin Baktay
(1890-1963) who played a seminal role in popularising Indian culture in
Hungary is linked
to the Ferenc Hopp Museum. Baktay
began his career as an artist, before devoting his life to
studying Indian culture. He was the most versatile authority on India of his
day.
Drawing on experiences gained during his travels to India he wrote
works that still rank as basic reference books .These include India (1931) and
The Art of India (1958). His versions of the epics Ramayana and
Mahabharata,
and his books on Indian philosophy, astronomy, and yoga were also great
successes. His biography on Alexander Csoma Korosi was published in
several
editions. With his high quality literary translations he popularised
Indian
literature in Hungary. After
1946 he worked at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Art,
and also gave lectures on Indian art at the University.
Cinematic
connections
Apart from
traditional Indian culture, a major
break-through was made in establishing linkages in popular culture and
cinematic connection with Hungary. Half of
the popular Hindi film “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” was shot in Hungary. It was
screened in the prestigious Puskin Theatre in Budapest in
February 2000
in the presence of the then President of Hungary – Arpad Goncz. ‘Aks’
another
well known Hindi film and some Tamil films were also shot in
Hungary.Some
Indian and Hungarian film directors and production companies have
established
links. Films on Korosi Csoma and Amrita Sher-gil are under
co-production between Romesh
Sharma and Sandor Sara and are being
partially supported by the Hungarian government. Istvan Gaal, noted
Hungarian
film director is a Visiting Faculty Member at the Film Institute in
Pune. He
was selected by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of I&B,
GoI, as
a member of the jury for the 34th International Film Festival of India
2003
held in New Delhi from 9-19
October 2003.
Study of
Indology In Hungary
Apart from
the varied contacts and linkages with
India described above, there were many Hungarians who delved deep into
various
aspects of Indian culture.Sanskrit was formally included as a regular
subject
of study in the university in 1873 with the establishment of the
Indo-European
Linguistics Institute in the Faculty of Philosophy of Budapest's Peter
Pazmany
University (today’s Department of Indo-European Studies at ELTE
university).
Indology has always formed a major part of the work of the Department
of
Indo-European Studies at ELTE University, whose
first professor was Aurel Mayr (1846-1915) who taught in the Department
until
1905. His special field was the history of Ancient Indian Law, and his
published works in this field (in German) are still of scientific value.
The
lectures of his successor, Jozsef Schmidt
(1868-1933) on comparative linguistics were renowned for their
erudition and
for the lively presentation of his own researchers. Besides
Sanskritology,
Schmidt’s other research fields were Iranian Studies and Indo-European
Comparative Linguistics. His popular works, published during the 1920's
include: "Life and Works of Kalidasa", "The Light of Asia: the
Life and Doctrines of the Buddha", “Old Indian Epic Poetry”, "The
History of Sanskrit Literature", and "Indian Philosophy". He
published several translations including the Malavikagnimitra ("The
King
and the Courtesan") of Kalidasa, the Mricchakatika ("The Little Clay
Cart") of Sudraka, and the Panchatantra. Unfortunately, many of his
unpublished manuscripts were later destroyed by fire.
There was a
hiatus in the work of the Department of
Indo-European Studies from 1920, till it was formally re-established in
1952,
when Professor Janos Harmatta was appointed as its head. At that time
the
principal activity of the Department was the teaching of the
linguistics of
classical languages, Sanskrit being taught as an optional subject.
Indology was
introduced as a formal university subject in the Department in 1956.
This was the
first time that such a course had been offered in Hungary and it
remains the only such course in the country today. All Indologists
currently
working in Hungary have been
trained in this Department.
Since 1981
Dr. Maria Negyesi has been teaching in
the Department. Her special field is Hindi linguistics and literature.
Formerly
she taught Latin and Ancient Greek, and studied aspects of Sanskrit
lyrical
poetry. She re-organised the Hindi syllabus, and introduced new
teaching
methods which have proved very successful. In collaboration with then
ICCR
Visiting Professor Dr. Asghar Wajahat, she prepared a new textbook for
university students of Hindi. She has been honoured with Dr. George
Grierson
Hindi Sewi Puraskar for the service of Hindi. She received Rs.1 lakh
cash, one
shawl and a commendation letter at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati
Bhawan in
February 2005.
Under the
auspices of the bilateral Cultural
Exchange Programme between India and Hungary, ICCR has been deputing a
Visiting
Professor in Hindi to the Department since 1992, beginning with Dr.
Asghar
Wajahat of the Jamia Millia University, Delhi who was followed in
1997-2000 by
Dr. Laxman Singh Bisht of Kumaon University, Nainital, and in 2000-2003
(August) by Prof. Ravi Prakash Gupta. Dr. Umashankar Upadhayay has been
the
present Visiting Professor of Hindi at the ELTE University since
February 2005. He is from Pune University.
With the
help of funds made available by Hindi
Section of Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, the
Indian
Embassy conducts a weekly course to teach Hindi Language and various
aspects of
Indian culture to Hungarian students.
Some of the
Department’s distinguished graduates
include Jozsef Vekerdi, celebrated translator and Gypsy scholar; Geza
Bethlenfalvy, former Director of the Hungarian Information and Cultural
Centre
in Delhi; Dr. Ildiko Puskas, Head of the Department of Ancient History,
at ELTE
whose research field is the pre-Aryan history of India and has
published a
bilingual (English-Hungarian) bibliography of Hungarian works on India;
Dr.
Balint Rozsinyai, Head of the Department of English at Jozsef Attila
University, Szeged (JATE) who has translated many English-language
works of
modern Indian writers, e.g. U.R. Anathamurthy's "A Rite for a Dead
Man"; Dr. Gyula Wojtilla, Head of the Department of Ancient History at
Jozsef Attila University, Szeged (JATE); Dr. Eszter Banffy, renowned
archaeologist; Zsuzsanna Renner, specialist in Indian art at the Frence
Hopp
Museum; Panni Somi, Bharatanatyam dancer trained in the Kala Kendra in
Madras;
Ference Ruzsa, Dr. Judit Feher, Imre Bangha, Deszo Csaba, Judit
Torszok, Tibor
Kortvalyesi and many others. Many works of Indian writers in English
are also
being translated regularly.
Currently, ELTE University, in common
with the country as a whole, is passing through a period of
re-organisation and
uncertainty. Severe financial constraints are in operation, but despite
this
the Indo-European Studies Department is optimistic about the future. A
talented
generation of young Indologists is already in place to build on the
previous
work and explore new areas of research in this sphere.
Tagore
Research
Fellowship
In order to
strengthen the Indo-European Studies Department,
India has established a Tagore Research Fellowship on Indology and
Indian
Studies at Department of Indo-European Studies, ELTE University, Budapest with
effect from
the academic year beginning in 2007. The Fellowship is financed by the
Indian
Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), India. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding
between the ICCR and the ELTE University, Budapest was signed
on February
16, 2007 at ELTE University, Budapest.
Under the
scheme of “Propagation of Hindi Abroad”,
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India awards two
scholarship slots every year to Hungarian nationals to learn Hindi for
one
academic year at the Central Institute of Hindi, Agra.
Indian
Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), India has
allotted two scholarship slots for Hungarian Nationals for pursuing
Ph.D.
Degrees in Indology/Indian Studies at Indian Universities with effect
from the
academic session 2007-08.
A Memoradum
of Understanding between ELTE University, Budapest and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi was signed
in
November 2006 to promote better understanding between the faculty and
students
of both the Universities.
Indo-Hungarian
Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP)
A Indo-Hungarian Cultural Exchange Programme
(CEP) valid for
the years
2007-10 was signed in October 2006 during the official visit of Mrs.
Ambilka Soni, Minister of Tourism & Culture of India to Hungary. Under the
CEP, there are regular exchanges of cultural troupes;
participation in Book Fairs; exchange of handicrafts exhibitions;
exchanges of
experts in Music, Theatre, Fine Arts, Dance, etc. Film Festivals in
each
other’s country are also organized under the CEP. Department of Culture
(GOI)
and ICCR play a prominent role in the implementation of the provisions
of CEP.
Under the
CEP, with the help of scholarships
offered by ICCR, two major music groups in Hungary, namely, “Calcutta
Trio”
(specialized in Sitar ) and “Sound of Worlds” (Sarod players) were
trained in
India in Indian music. “Calcutta Trio” which has been in existence
for more than 22 years, was
established with the aim of making Indian classical music
popular outside India. Since
1979, Trio has been extensively performing in Thailand, Singapore, Germany, France, Switzerland, Romania, Italy, The
Netherlands, Austria, England, etc. They
established the first RIMPA (Ravi Shankar Institute for Music and
Performing
Arts) branch in Budapest where they
teach and spread classical Indian music in the region.
The Third
Indian Film Festival was successfully
held in Hungary from June 15-29,
2005. It was
inaugurated by Hungarian Minister of National Cultural Heritage on June 15,
2005 with the
screening of coloured version of Hindi film “Mughal-e-Azam”.
A new bust
of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was presented to Balatonfured city by
the then
External Affairs Minister Mr Natwar Singh It
was unveiled by EAM in Balatonfured on June 25,
2005.
A Gujarati
Folk Dance Group “Samanvay” was in Hungary from 23rd
to 27th August
2005 under the
cultural exchange programme. The Group gave three well
attended performances in Budapest, Pecs and Gyor.
Pandit Hari
Prasad Chaurasia gave a Bansuri
recital at TRAFO in Budapest in March
2006.
A
Bharatnatyam Dance Group of Ms Alarmel Valli & Ms Madhavi Mudgal
visited Hungary from October
19-26, 2006. The Group
performed in Budapest, Veszprem, Eger and Miskolc during the
visit.
A 5-member
Indian Violinist Group led by Dr. N. Rajam visited Hungary from
December 8-12, 2006 and performed in Budapest and Kaposvar.
The Embassy
supported the Ayurveda Conference organised by OTP Travels in Budapest
in December 2006.
The Embassy
of India & the Hungarian National Film Archive jointly organised
screening of four Indian movies at Orokmozgo Theatre, Budapest from
March 10-12, 2007. The Embassy & the Hungary National Film
Archive is again organising Indian Film
Days in Pecs (May 7-9), Szeged (May 10-16), Debercen (May 21-26) and
Budapest (June 1-13, 2007).
The
Embassy of India supported the Holi function organised by the
Indian community in Budapest in March 2007.
The Embassy has also been encouraging local Hungarians
to organize Indian cultural programmes
in differenct parts of Hungary. We have supported organisation of India Days
as well as dance performances of
Hungarian artists such as Somi Panni, Dora Bittner, Beata Barkoczy;
exhibition
of photographs from India by Gyorgy Konkoly-Thege in Pecs .
Indo-Hungarian
Educational Exchange Programme (EEP)
The
Indo-Hungarian Educational Exchange Programme
(EEP) valid for the years 2003-08 was signed in November 2003 during
the
official visit of the then Prime
Minister Dr Peter Medgyessy to India. Under the EEP, there are regular
exchanges of scholars/researchers and
students
by both sides. Under the EEP the following activities
are envisaged under the EEP:
i) exchange of research materials, publications, educational
literature,
teaching aids, demonstration material and information;
ii) organization of joint conferences, exhibitions and seminars;
iii) organization of joint research programmes and publications;
iv) organization of training programmes for educational administrators
and
teachers;
v) exchange of academic and other administrative staff;
vi) exchange of scholars, teachers, experts and students;
vii) twinning arrangements between institutions of higher learning;
viii) setting up of educational/training institutions and to further
develop
bilateral programmes between institutions of educational excellence in
technical, vocational and higher education;
ix) examine the possibility of mutual recognition of educational
qualifications;
x) setting up of chairs on contemporary studies;
xi) providing scholarships for further education in recognized
institutions of
higher learning;
xii) providing mutual assistance in the fields of Information
Technology,
Computer Science, mathematics & science;
xiii) any other activity as agreed by both Parties.
A Joint
Working Group oversees the implementation of
the Educational Exchange Programme of the
Ministry of Education & Culture of Hungary and the
Ministry of Human Resource Development of India.
The first Meeting of the JWG was held in November
2004 in Budapest, the
second JWG
was held in New Delhi in
November 2005 and the third meeting of the JWG is likely to be held
in Budapest shortly.
Under the
‘Civilian Training’ component of ITEC
Programme, MEA allots two (2) slots every year for candidates hailing
from Hungary. Under
this
programme, expenses on tuition fee, living allowance, book allowance,
study
tours, emergency medical assistance, as well as return international
air fare
from Budapest to New Delhi and back
are borne by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of
India.
As on April
2007
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