Seychelles, Hungary renew  partnership in education |01 December 2023

Ambassador Meszaros and Minister Valentin signing the MoU

By Patrick Joubert

Hungary will be offering ten scholarships every year for the next three years to Seychellois students wishing to further their studies in the central European country.

This follows the renewing of their partnership through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, which took place yesterday morning at the ministry’s headquarters, Mont Fleuri.

The 10 scholarships to be awarded to Seychellois students will be in any field of study, including the medical field at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The scholarships will be provided from the period of 2023-2026.

The MoU was signed by the Ambassador for Hungary to Seychelles, Zsolt Meszaros, and the Minister for Education, Dr Justin Valentin. Present were the principal secretary for Educational Services, Merna Eulentin and other senior education officials, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism.

The First MoU between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, under the Stipendium Hungaricum programme, was signed on October 21, 2020. Through this fruitful cooperation, Seychellois students have had the opportunity to follow training in fields such as social work, commerce, marketing, international relations, finance, veterinary science and agriculture. Yesterday’s signing was the second in line with this programme.

In his opening remarks, ahead of the signing, Ambassador Meszaros, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya, said  it was a pleasure to see so many young Seychellois students going to Hungary to study and coming back to help build Seychelles, the island nation, which is a strong and good friend of Hungary.

He noted that the ten scholarships given every year to Seychellois students will cover tuition fees, accommodation and allowance so they could also enjoy their time in Hungary.

“We are also expanding our horizon in the field of medical education and so we are looking forward for an MoU between our two largest universities and having cardiologists and other medical students and trainees come here and do an exchange of knowledge. I hope to welcome ten out of ten students every year, in the next three years, in Hungary,” Ambassador Meszaros said.

Currently, there are 25 students following their studies in Hungary and among them 14 are pursuing medical studies on Seychelles government scholarships, while the other 11 are under the Stipendium Hungaricum programme.

For her part, PS Eulentin said the signing of the second MoU is a testament of the excellent bilateral ties that exist between Hungary and the Seychelles for cooperation in higher education and building of the country’s human resources capacity.

“We would like to reassure you that we will do the necessary to allow deserving Seychellois students the opportunity to benefit from those scholarships,” said PS Eulentin.

In an interview with the media, Minister Valentin, who commended the partnership, called on Seychellois students willing to study in Hungary to apply and compete for a seat as part of their professional and academic journey.

Photos by Patrick Joubert