Getting to know the transforming India 14. Oct. 2026

-  The relationship between the University of Debrecen and India is highly diverse, and has undergone particularly dynamic development over the past decade. We would like to extend on this relationship. We strive to reach a high-quality partnership based on direct relationships with the faculties and the institutions of the university. Based on the positive experience so far, we are looking forward to our collaboration with pleasure and optimism - said Jenei Attila during the negotiation with the ambassador.

The Vice-Rector for International Affairs noted: the Coordinating Centre for International Education is operating a South-Asia Regional Office for the recruitment of students from India and the surrounding regions. Owing to its efficient recruitment and marketing activity, the number of the Indian students multiplied during the previous years. While in 2014, the university had 20 Indian students, now their number exceeds 400.

According to Anshuman Gaur, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Hungary, it is necessary to widen on the current tight relationship between India and the university.

- For Europe, the level of transformation in my country is almost unknown. This is why I urge your university to exploit the partnership and to get to know the changes experienced in India, since they affect 1.5 billion people, the one sixth of people globally. India is one of the largest economies of the world, for which Fitch Ratings raised its GDP growth forecast for the fiscal year 2027 from 6.4 percent to 6.9 percent this September. Therefore, the extent of the transformation in India is enormous. This is the reason why we support every research, education and cultural project which really helps people get to know the modern India - said Anshuman Gaur. 

A significant number of Indian students at the University of Debrecen arrive through the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program, in addition to those enrolled in the English-language, fee-paying courses, and the engineering, IT, and medical and health sciences programs are the most popular among them. The University of Debrecen hosts the largest number of young Indians studying in Hungary.

- Our University has an active relationship currently with seven higher education institutions in India, and it signed research and education agreement in the field of engineering and science. Furthermore, Indian students arrive for a practice-oriented, intense professional agricultural training at the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Sciences of the University of Debrecen. The university has an Indian partner in the Erasmus+ programme as well, listed Jánosy Orsolya, the head of the Center for International Relations of the University of Debrecen.

On the occasion of his visit, Anshuman Gaur donated a significant book collection to the University and National Library of the University of Debrecen (DEENK), further enriching the library's extensive collection of books from India. On Tuesday, he opened the exhibition India Corner at DEENK in a ceremonial setting, which is waiting for the interested guests in October.

- We would like the Hungarian students to get to know the modern, dynamic and transforming India. By reading these books, you can fly to the bustling streets of Mumbai, the peaceful waters of Kerala, the snowy peaks of the Himalayas or the cutting-edge technology hubs of Bengaluru. You can read about the foreign policy, the economic reforms, the rich traditions of movies and the timeless literary classics of India. The books donated to the library cover small segments of Indian literature, history, philosophy, art, economics, and contemporary politics - said the diplomat. 

Bácskay Ildikó, the dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy emphasised in the opening ceremony of the exhibition that this Faculty boasts significant developments based on the Indian Ayurvedic tradition. Among others, this is the reason why the faculty was a distinguished supporter of this ceremony. In her speech, the dean was speaking about the dominant role of Indian medical traditions even today.

- With its holistic approach, Ayurveda puts people into the centre of healing. It interprets health in the wider context of the relationship between the body, the mind and the surrounding world. Even though state-of-the-art medical science is based on scientific proving, we believe in that the understanding of the traditional medical systems may offer valuable perspective. The rich history of India in the field of the use of natural materials also contributed to our knowledge about medications and their development. We believe that medicine and culture cannot be separated from each other, this is why the cultural exchange programmes are so important in a university environment, said the dean of the faculty in the opening ceremony held in the library.

During his visit, Anshuman Gaur met also the Indian students studying in the university.

Press Center - ÉE