Remarks by Ambassador Colleen Bell
at the Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership 10th Anniversary Reception
October 20, 2016
Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you, Mr. Adorjan, for the kind introduction! I would like to welcome you all to the Chief of Mission Residence of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. It is an honor for me to host the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership. As some of you may know, this Partnership, first founded in 2005-2006, is the first of its kind and is designed to build and strengthen the relationships between the United States, Hungary, and Central Europe.
Over its 10-year history, the Partnership has continuously built and expanded its programs, including scholarship grants, internships and student/faculty exchange programs.
I would like to take a moment to extend a special welcome and recognize the rectors and representatives of the participating universities who are with us tonight. They include:
- From the United States:
- Saint Louis University
- University of Missouri – St. Louis
- Washington University
- Webster University
- From Hungary and Romania:
- Budapest University of Technology and Economics
- Corvinus University of Budapest
- University of Debrecen
- Pázmány Péter Catholic University
- University of Pécs; and,
- Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj
- Romanian Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Over the past 10 years, the Partnership has successfully expanded its participation with universities here in Hungary. But, most importantly, it has provided a life-changing opportunity for the young, deserving graduates of the program, many of whom are here with us today.
Investing in higher education and future leaders is crucial to building a better, more prosperous country. Programs like this Partnership contribute to this goal through providing a better global understanding and a unique life-changing opportunity for young people. The Partnership’s mission is much in line with what we at the State Department promote globally: enhancing mutual understanding through exchanges.
I would like to commend all representatives of the Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership for the excellent work that they do and wish them many more successful years to come! I hope you will all enjoy this evening and, in keeping with the Partnership’s goals, please take this unique opportunity to meet each other and build even more international connections! Thank you. Köszönöm szépen.
