Balassi Institute
Founded | 1927[1] |
---|---|
Founder | Government of Hungary |
Type | Cultural institution |
Location |
|
Area served | Worldwide (21 countries) |
Product | Hungarian cultural and language education |
Key people | Judit Hammerstein |
Employees | 266 |
Website | www.balassiintezet.hu |
The Balassi Institute (
It is named after the Hungarian Renaissance lyric poet Bálint Balassi.
Bálint Balassi
Bálint Balassi (1554–1594) was a Renaissance lyric poet and regarded as a Hungarian in the deepest sense, the first to write the words "my sweet homeland" in reference to Hungary, a phrase which became a renowned canon of patriotism in Hungarian literature throughout the centuries that followed. Born into a wealthy and powerful noble family with strong ties to the House of Habsburg, Balassi was educated by the Hungarian Lutheran bishop Péter Bornemisza and was already writing notable verse at a young age. Balassi's short life was marked by financial ruin and a series of social failures: an unhappy marriage, unrequited love, slander, legal troubles, and a lackluster military career. He died early on in the war against the Ottoman occupation of Hungary during the siege of Esztergom-Víziváros, the same year as the result of a severe leg wound caused by a cannonball.[3]
Balassi was a true Renaissance figure, a child of his age, a noble writer who was reckless in romance and hot-tempered, but also a
The more we know about
History
- 1895 – Hungarian Historical Institute of Rome founded (abolished 1913)
- 1917 – Hungarian Scientific Institute of Constantinople founded (abolished 1918)
- 1920 – Hungarian Historical Institute of Vienna founded
- 1923 – Hungarian Historical Institute of Rome reestablished
- 1924 – Collegium Hungaricum Vienna and Collegium Hungaricum Berlin founded
- 1927
- Act 13. of 1927 on Hungarian Institutes abroad and on scholarships for the purpose of high literacy
- Collegium Hungaricum Rome founded at the Palazzo Falconieri.
- Hungaro-French university informing office founded (from 1933 onward, it has been called the Hungarian Study Centre of France)
- 1948 – Institutes opened in Sofia and Warsaw
- 1949 – Institute of Cultural Relations founded
- 1953 – Institute opened in Prague
- 1973 – Institute opened in East-Berlin(House of Hungarian Culture)
- 1974 – Institute opened in Cairo
- 1978 – Institute opened in Delhi
- 1980 – Institute opened in Helsinki
- 1990 – Institutes opened in Stuttgart and Moscow
- 1991 – Institute opened in Bratislava
- 1992 – Institutes opened in Bucharest and Tallinn
- 1999 – Institute opened in London
- 2001 – Institute opened in New York City
- 2002 – Renamed from Hungarian Cultural Institute to Balassi Institute
- 2004 – Institute opened in Brussels
- 2006 – Institute opened in Sfantu Gheorghe
- 2013 – Institutes opened in Beijing and Istanbul
- 2014 – Institute opened in Zagreb
- 2016 – Institute opened in Ljubljana
Activities
Since 2002 the headquarters of the Balassi Institute is located at Somlói út 51, Budapest.
Cultural diplomacy
Hungarian cultural institutes
The first Hungarian institutes abroad, the so-called Collegium Hungaricum, were established by Kunó Klebelsberg (minister of culture at the time) in the 1920s in order to build relations with the international scientific community (in Vienna and Berlin in 1924, in Rome and Paris in 1927). Organising scientific life and education make up a fundamental part of the institutes’ activity even today. Apart from differences shaped by history, there are also variations in the scope of activities, services and equipment of the institutes. Some of them maintain libraries, Hungarian language teaching centers and galleries in addition to their primary work in culture, education and organising science.[5]
The Balassi Institute has 26 branches in 24 countries around the world:
- Hungarian Cultural Centre Beijing
- Hungarian Institute Belgrade (Serbia)
- Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (.CHB), Berlin (Germany)
- Hungarian Institute Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Balassi Institute Brussels, Cultural Service of the Hungarian Embassy Brussels (Belgium)
- Hungarian Cultural Centre Bucharest (Romania)
- Office of the Hungarian Cultural Counsellor, Cairo (Egypt)
- Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, Delhi (India)
- Hungarian Cultural and Scientific Centre, Helsinki (Finland)
- Hungarian Cultural Centre Istanbul
- Balassi Institute Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- Hungarian Cultural Centre London (Great Britain)
- Hungarian Cultural, Scientific and Information Centre, Moscow (Russia)
- Hungarian Cultural Center, New York City (USA)
- Hungarian Institute Paris (France)
- Hungarian Institute, Prague (Czech Republic)
- Hungarian Academy Rome (Italy)
- Hungarian Cultural Center Seoul (South Korea)
- Sfantu GheorgheBranch Office (Romania)
- Hungarian Cultural Centre Sofia (Bulgaria)
- Hungarian Cultural and Information Centre, Stuttgart (Germany)
- Hungarian Institute Tallinn (Estonia)
- Hungarian Cultural Center Tokyo (Japan)
- Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna (Austria)
- Hungarian Cultural Institute Warsaw (Poland)
- Hungarian Cultural Institute Zagreb (Croatia)
The network of the diplomats for culture and education
Diplomats specialised in education and culture promote Hungarian culture and education in countries where no such institutional representation is ensured.[6]
Diplomats operate at the following foreign representations:
Joint institutes
Joint institutes are independently functioning institutions abroad promoting Hungarian culture, involved in broadly defined Hungarian cultural diplomacy via partnership and joint institutional agreements with the Balassi Institute.
The aim of establishing the network was to enhance cooperation between coexisting institutions and the Balassi Institute in order to reach their shared strategic goals. Henceforth, the Balassi Institute supports certain programs of member institutes as well as their cultural, scientific and educational projects and helps them build relations with private and public institutions in Hungary.[7]
Members of the network:
Education
The institute, as a center for education and scientific cooperation, fulfills a supporting, coordinating and funding function in the international network of Hungarian Studies institutions and in the teaching of Hungarian as a foreign language.
Methodology center for teaching Hungarian as a second language
The institute not only provides support for Hungarian language training abroad, it also offers a wide range of language programs within Hungary. At the institute's central branch located in Budapest, those wishing to learn Hungarian can choose from a unique selection of in-depth courses geared toward various levels. Thanks to its highly trained, experienced staff of language teachers, the Balassi Institute is a leader in the methodology of teaching Hungarian as a Second Language. Its foremost task is not only to develop teaching materials for non-native speakers, but also to provide appropriate educational resources to teachers of Hungarian as a heritage language abroad. Other than the organization of seminars, conferences and training sessions, the publication of professional journals, e-textbooks and e-books also forms a vital part of the institute's mission.[8]
Learning opportunities for foreign citizens
Programs either 10 months or 2–4 weeks in duration can be attended by scholarship or payment of tuition. Year-by-year, nearly 350 foreign students receive scholarships to participate in courses offered in Budapest. Students—who arrive from all around the globe—have the opportunity to experience life in Hungary first-hand, benefit from intense language training in the classroom and forge lifelong friendships. Our recently established Balassi Alumni Program seeks to keep the network of former students alive.[8]
Program in Hungarian Language and Hungarian Studies
This course is open to foreign university students not of Hungarian descent; the purpose is to supplement language skills and cultural knowledge acquired at foreign universities. Completion of the internationally recognized ECL language exam is a requirement at the end of this intense language course. Hungarian Studies courses provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary examination of Hungary's cultural heritage as well as of Hungarian society today.[8]
Program in Hungarian Language and Culture
The purpose of this course is to strengthen the cultural identities of Hungarians living in diaspora communities. Young people of Hungarian descent—from outside the Carpathian Basin—are eligible for scholarships to this program. This specialized course focuses on increasing language competencies of speakers lacking formal education in Hungarian; the ECL language exam is a requirement for course completion. Participants receive a comprehensive, interdisciplinary examination of Hungary's cultural heritage and Hungarian society today.[8]
Literary Translation Program
Non-Hungarian, foreign citizens can apply to this program, intended for those university graduates who have chosen the translation of Hungarian literature and the promotion of Hungarian culture abroad as the focus of their careers. While a practical introduction to literary translation forms the backbone of this program, in-depth instruction in Hungarian language and literature is also provided. The number of translations published throughout the years attests to the ability of the institute's literary translation alumni.[8]
Preparatory Program for University Entry
Thanks to a series of bilateral cultural agreements, many non-Hungarian, citizens are able to attend this program on a scholarship; while the Scholarship Board for Minority Hungarians provides financial support to students of Hungarian descent. This preparatory program enables foreign students to acquire the kind of technical vocabulary and language proficiency demanded by the advanced-level, university entrance exam. Students who successfully complete the final exam may gain entry to those B.A.-level courses listed in the call for grant applications.[8]
The guest lecturer network
The institute's network of guest instructors provides support for the teaching of Hungarian studies and language at over 30 foreign universities.
Lecturers are sent from Hungary to participate in programs at nearly 30 universities throughout Europe, thereby establishing close relations between Hungary's universities and the rest of the continent, while also laying the groundwork for future cultural and scholarly programs in the field of Hungarian Studies. Regularly held conferences, meetings and training sessions continue to further and deepen close professional exchanges.
Facilitating the teaching of Hungarology – also called Hungarian Studies- at foreign universities is at the forefront of the institute's international activity. Throughout the world more than fifty universities offer Hungarian language classes and an opportunity to meet Hungarian culture at lectorates, Hungarian departments and specialised Hungarian courses included in other majors.
The Balassi Institute as a legal successor of the International Hungarology Center sends visiting professors to more than thirty universities, with an average of 1500-2000 students attending their courses annually. Visiting professors’ tasks, in addition to classroom teaching, involve joining research projects, encouraging building relations with Hungarian universities and colleges, urging students to go on study tours in Hungary, taking an active part in introducing Hungarian culture to foreigners and organising local cultural events.[9]
Scholarships
Hungarian Scholarship Board
The Hungarian Scholarship Board (HSB) Office provides scholarships for studying and to research, based on bilateral agreements. Therefore, Hungarian students and researchers can apply to a foreign country, and foreigners can apply to Hungary.
Since January 2007 the Hungarian Scholarship Board Office operates under the auspices of the Balassi Institute.[10][11]
Campus Hungary
The Campus Hungary program aims to enhance international student
The Campus Hungary program is executed with the
Márton Áron College
Publishing Hungary
The Publishing Hungary Program was established by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.
The main purpose of the program is to bring Hungarian
The National Cultural Fund (NKA) will endow 100 million forints per year for participating on international book fairs between 2012 and 2014.[14]
Publications
Books
- Szabó, Eszter, ed. (2013). Inspired by Hungarian Poetry - British Poets in Conversation with Attila József. London, UK: Balassi Institute Hungarian Cultural Centre London. p. 110.
- Hatos, Pál; Novák, Attila, eds. (2013). Between Minority and Majority: Hungarian and Jewish/Israeli ethnical and cultural experiences in recent centuries. Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. p. 262. ISBN 978-963-89583-8-9.
- Gremsperger, László; Nádor, Orsolya, eds. (2003). A magyar mint idegen nyelv és a hungarológia oktatása az Európai Uniós csatlakozás jegyében - Konferencia a Balassi Bálint Intézetben, 2003. március 13-14 [Teaching Hungarian as a second language and hungarology in the spirit of the accession to the European Union - Conference in the Balassi Bálint Institute] (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Bálint Institute. p. 155. ISSN 1589-8083.
- Gordos, Katalin; Varga, Virág (2011). Miénk a vár! [The castle is Ours!]. Balassi exercise book series (in Hungarian). Vol. 1. Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. ISSN 1589-8083.
- Gordos, Katalin; Varga, Virág (2012). Ünnepeljünk együtt! [Let's Celebrate Together!]. Balassi exercise book series (in Hungarian). Vol. 2. Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. ISSN 1589-8083.
- Gordos, Katalin (2013). Kalandra fel! [Adventure ahead!]. Balassi exercise book series (in Hungarian). Vol. 3. Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. ISSN 1589-8083.
Journals
- "Nemzeti évfordulóink" [National jubilees]. Nemzeti Évfordulóink (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. ISSN 1785-6167.
- "THL2 - A magyar nyelv és kultúra tanításának szakfolyóirata" [THL2 - Journal of Teaching Hungarian as a 2nd Language and Hungarian Culture]. THL 2: A Magyar Nyelv És Kultúra Tanításának Szakfolyóirata (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute. ISSN 1787-1417.
- "Lymbus - Magyarságtudományi forráskozlemények". Lymbus: Művelődéstörténeti Tár (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Balassi Institute, National Archives of Hungary, International Association for Hungarian Studies, National Széchényi Library. ISSN 0865-0632.
References
- ^ "July 5. Open day at the Balassi Institute (Július 5. Nyílt Nap a Balassi Intézetben)" (in Hungarian). www.balassiintezet.hu. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ "Bálint Institute - About us". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
- ^ Lóránt Czigány: A History of Hungarian Literature / Bálint Balassi
- ^ "Bálint Balassi". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ "International Directorate". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ "The network of the diplomats for culture and education". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ "The network of Joint Institutes". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hungarian Studies". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "The Guest Lecturer Network". www.balassiintezet.hu. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "Balassi Institute - Hungarian Scholarship Board Office". www.scholarship.hu. Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "HSB - General information". www.scholarship.hu. Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "About the Campus Hungary Program". www.campushungary.hu. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "Publishiung Hungary". www.balassiintezet.hu. Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "Nemzeteket összehozó könyvvásárok" (in Hungarian). www.publishinghungary.hu. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.