Hiller said Hungary aims to expand its educational connections with China and renew the popularity of Hungarian universities with Chinese students once again, especially in the fields of medicine, hotel management, economics, the natural sciences and music.
Zhou said it was important for Hungarian universities to become more frequent participants at Chinese educational fairs, adding that it was also important for more Hungarians to study in China. He noted that there is already a dual language Chinese-Hungarian secondary school in Budapest, in which a Hungarian-Chinese student exchange programme has proven extremely popular.
Zhou presented ELTE?s rector, Ferenc Hudecz, with the institute?s brass plaque after speaking about which degrees could be recognised in both countries.
Imre Hamar, the director of the Confucius Institute, said Chinese research and science would play a big role at the institute.
?China is one of the motors of modern development,? Hiller said. He also urged the Chinese to strengthen their connections with Hungary in the area of science and technology, and invited the country to set up a research centre in Hungary.
Deputy-Minister Yong Shang noted that China and Hungary have already demonstrated an academic cooperation in the form of a research laboratory shared by ELTE and Wuhan University. China wishes to expand this partnership, he added.
Shang proposed that China and Hungary together apply for research funding available from the EU.
Hiller also met with Xiaoyu Jiang , the head of the Beijing Olympic Committee, who told the minister that the Olympic Games to be held in the city would not be only a sports event, but an artistic event as well.
