Hungarian Fulbright Association

04/07/2026

01/07/2026

On May 21, the General Assembly of the Hungarian Fulbright Alumni Association was successfully held, bringing together members of our remarkable Fulbright community in a spirit of continuity, friendship, and shared commitment to international academic cooperation. The report on the activities of the Hungarian Fulbright Association in previous years is available here:
https://fulbrightegyesulet.hu/docs/beszamolo_2025_EN.pdf

Following the completion of two presidential terms in accordance with the Association’s statutes, the General Assembly elected Professor Csanád Máté of Eötvös Loránd University as the new President of the Hungarian Fulbright Alumni Association.

Professor Csanád has long been one of the Association’s most active and dedicated board members, and we are confident that under his leadership the Association will continue to grow with renewed energy, vision, and international engagement.

The newly elected board reflects the diversity and excellence of the Hungarian Fulbright community, uniting distinguished scholars, professionals, and alumni committed to strengthening transatlantic dialogue, academic exchange, and public service: Judit Agnes Dr. Kadar, Anita Kéri, Zsofia Kovari, Enikő Maior, Zsofia Kugler, György Kovács. Honorary Board Members / Extended Board: Magdolna Lehmann, Szilvia N. Varagya, Jozsef Laczko, László Márkus, Zoltan NAGY, Supervisory Board: Zita Zoltay Paprika , Huba Bruckner, László Vass.

The Hungarian Fulbright Alumni Association expresses its sincere gratitude to outgoing President György Kovács LL.M., Ph.D. for six years of dedicated leadership and service, during which the Association significantly expanded its international partnerships, alumni activities, conferences, and European cooperation initiatives.

We warmly congratulate the newly elected President, Board, extended Board members, and Supervisory Committee, and look forward to continuing our shared mission of fostering academic excellence, international understanding, and lifelong Fulbright engagement.

01/07/2026

Great meeting a few weeks ago at the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) with an international group of Fulbrighters from the Hungarian Fulbright Alumni Association, German Fulbright Alumni Association Fulbright Association European Network of American Alumni Associations (ENAM). It was an absolute pleasure to meet with a fellow Fulbrighter, Gabriele Launhardt and Gabriella Nagy, who provided us with an incredibly deep and engaging look into the vital work this institution performs. From its historical foundations in the 1995 PIF Convention to becoming fully operational in 2021, it is clear that the EPPO represents a sophisticated new chapter in protecting the European Union's financial interests. Our discussions highlighted how the office tackles complex cross-border VAT fraud, corruption, and the misappropriation of EU funds, ensuring that the collective European budget is used exactly where it was intended: for the benefit of its citizens.
The scale of the EPPO’s operational activity is truly eye-opening, with billions of euros in estimated damages being investigated across expenditure and revenue fraud cases. We were particularly impressed by the modern, data-driven approach the office takes, utilizing advanced analysis of massive datasets and cross-checking information through their Case Management System to stay ahead of sophisticated financial crimes. The success of this model is evident in the hundreds of millions of euros in assets frozen and the significant number of convictions already achieved. It was fascinating to see how the central oversight of the Permanent Chambers works in harmony with 182 European Delegated Prosecutors active on the ground within Member States, blending local legal expertise with a unified European strategy.
For our Fulbright community, the visit offered a profound lesson in the power of professional integrity and international cooperation. As Hungary prepares to join the EPPO, there is a palpable sense of expectation for a new era of legal and financial transparency. This transition is about more than just administration; it is a shared commitment to common values and accountability. For those of us who believe in the impact of cross-border knowledge exchange, seeing such a high level of institutional synergy was incredibly inspiring. It serves as a reminder that when we align our standards and expertise, we create a more secure and transparent future for the entire community.
We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Gabriele Launhardt, Gabriella Nagy, and the entire team for their hospitality and the direct, high-level dialogue. These encounters reinforce the Fulbright mission of building bridges and fostering international excellence. We returned from the visit with fresh inspiration and a strengthened commitment to the professional partnerships that drive our collective progress forward.

03/05/2026

At the Hungarian Fulbright Association, we believe that moments of true intellectual significance arise when disciplines, generations, and experiences of historic weight meet in dialogue.

This spring, our Fulbright Club events brought together precisely such rare encounters.

In March, we had the privilege of hosting a high-level roundtable on the first year of the current U.S. administration and its transatlantic implications, featuring two of the most experienced and influential figures of Hungarian foreign policy: Géza Jeszenszky and Péter Balázs. Both served as Hungary’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs at pivotal historical junctures, shaping the country’s external relations during periods of systemic transformation.

Their reflections went far beyond day-to-day diplomacy. They offered a strategic and historically grounded analysis of transatlantic relations, European integration, and the evolving architecture of global governance—drawing on decades of first-hand experience at the highest levels of international decision-making. The discussion, expertly moderated by Emily Schulten Weekley, embodied the Fulbright spirit: rigorous, open, and deeply interdisciplinary.

In April, we continued this intellectual journey with a lecture by Gábor Hamza, one of Hungary’s most distinguished legal scholars, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Fulbright alumnus, and a highly esteemed member of our Association. Professor Hamza stands as one of the foremost international representatives of Hungarian legal science.

His lecture on the origins of the United States Constitution and its lessons for contemporary governance offered a masterful synthesis of legal history, comparative constitutional analysis, and political philosophy. By tracing the intellectual lineage from Roman law and European constitutional traditions to the American founding, he illuminated the structural logic of checks and balances, federalism, and the protection of fundamental rights—concepts that continue to define modern constitutional democracies.

Together, these two events demonstrated the unique capacity of the Fulbright community to convene voices that not only interpret history—but have shaped it.

From diplomacy to constitutional thought, from lived statecraft to scholarly reflection, these conversations reaffirmed a core conviction: that transatlantic dialogue, grounded in knowledge and mutual respect, remains indispensable in navigating the complexities of our time.

We are grateful to our distinguished speakers and to all members of the Fulbright community who continue to make these exchanges possible.

03/05/2026

Fulbright Lanzarote Study Trip

03/05/2026

The Hungarian Fulbright Association was honoured to participate in the recent Fulbright study visit in Lanzarote, organized by our Spanish counterparts, the Spanish Fulbright Alumni Association—an intellectually rich and inspiring gathering that once again demonstrated the enduring strength of the Fulbright community. Special thanks to Professor Agustin Guimera and Anjel Alvarez for the excellent organisation, Juan Diaz-andreu for the great conversations.

Our association was represented by Professor László Márkus and our President György Kovács at this distinguished event, which brought together Fulbright alumni from across Europe, including a strong delegation from the German Fulbright Alumni Association, with participants such as Wiltrud Hammelstein.

Beyond its exceptional cultural and academic program, the Lanzarote meeting reaffirmed the strategic importance of cross-border alumni cooperation. Initiatives spanning Europe—particularly those involving American Fulbright scholars and coordinated within the framework of the European Network of American Alumni Associations —play a crucial role in sustaining transatlantic dialogue, academic exchange, and policy-relevant collaboration.

In this context, joint study visits such as those organized in Brussels and Luxembourg together with our German partners, the German Fulbright Alumni Association are of particular significance. They create unique platforms for engagement with European institutions, foster interdisciplinary exchange, and strengthen a shared understanding of the evolving transatlantic relationship.

These initiatives reflect the core mission of the The Fulbright Program: to promote mutual understanding between nations through educational and cultural exchange. At a time of increasing global complexity, the value of such networks—grounded in trust, intellectual openness, and long-term cooperation—cannot be overstated.

We look forward to continuing this collaboration across Europe and beyond.

03/05/2026

Earlier this year, our President, György Kovács had the opportunity to participate in a long-standing Hungarian–American community event in New York: the annual Piarist Ball.

While rooted in tradition, the evening reflects something highly relevant to the mission of the Hungarian Fulbright Association and the broader The Fulbright Program: the enduring role of diaspora communities in building bridges between education, culture, and transatlantic cooperation.

In his opening remarks, he emphasized that these connections are not only about preserving heritage, but about actively shaping future collaboration between Hungary, the United States, and Europe — particularly through education, talent development, and intellectual exchange.

The event also brought together distinguished members of the Hungarian-American community, including Dr. Peter Forgach, whose work has impacted generations of students through the Calasantius Training Program.

Encounters like these remind us that beyond formal institutions, it is often committed individuals and communities who sustain and deepen the transatlantic dialogue that programs like Fulbright seek to foster.