Following a brief technical discussion and the summary by Dr. Imre Hamar, we found ourselves in the middle of an amusing quiz game. Our Chinese teachers had to find out typical Chinese and Western persons, characteristics and objects. The festive atmosphere was further enhanced by our Chinese students of Hungarian, who regaled us with a performance of the well-known carol “Mennyből az angyal” in Hungarian.

The extraordinary conference concluded with a speech by Dr. Imre Hamar, in which he thanked all the teachers and the staff of the ELTE Confucius Institute for their efforts.

The expression soft power, which is well-known in international politics, essentially means influence, prestige and attraction, through which a country can impose its will in the world without using any economic or military power. In the course of his lecture, Dr. Salát analyzed in detail, and illustrated with examples, how China uses this invisible weapon in order to increase its influence. Thanks to the growing interest in themes connected with the Chinese economy, a substantial audience attended the lecture.

 Download - Salát Gergely: Kína puha ereje

From 9 to 12 December 2010, the 5th Conference of Confucius Institutes took place in Beijing, with ELTE represented by vice-rector Dr. Zoltán Horváth, Hanban advisor Dr. Ferenc Hudecz, Dr. Imre Hamar, director of the of ELTE Confucius Institute and Dr. Jiang Wenyan, deputy director of the ELTE Confucius Institute. In the opening speech it was revealed that 322 Confucius Institutes and 369 Confucius Classrooms are operational in 96 countries, and that altogether 360 thousand students studied the Chinese language around the world in 2010. In the evening, after the opening ceremony, students of Confucius Institutes provided a music and dance gala for the participants at the conference. Three students from ELTE, Hajnalka Fórián, Balázs Szigethy and Lajos Palásti, also took part in the performance. In the morning of 11th December the rectors’, and in the afternoon the directors’ forums were held. Dr. Zoltán Horváth spoke about the cooperation between Confucius Institutes and academic institutions, Dr. Ferenc Hudecz spoke of the evaluation methods of the work of the Confucius Institutes, and Dr. Imre Hamar gave a lecture on the links between the Confucius Institute and research in modern China. During the reception celebrations, the Hungarian delegation met with the director of Hanban, Xu Lin, who confirmed that the 3rd Conference of European Confucius Institutes, to be held in 2011, could be organized by the ELTE Confucius Institute. Before the conference, from 7th to 9th December, Beijing Foreign Language University held its annual conference on the work of the Confucius Institutes. With 17 foreign representatives of Confucius Institutes, they reviewed the work of Institutes in 2010 and discussed their plans for the future. Dr. Zoltán Horváth, Dr. Imre Hamar and Dr. Jiang Wenyan participated in this conference. The Hungarian director announced that 1500 students studied the Chinese language at the Confucius Institute and 36 cultural programs were organized in 2010.

 Hudecz Ferenc: Benchmarking and Evaluating Performance of Confucius Institutes
 Horváth Zoltán: Collaboration between the Confucius Institute ...
 Hamar Imre: Confucius Institutes and Contemporary China Studies

The presentation included the history of Tibetan medicine across the centuries, according to the written sources, consisting of the essential historical work on this theme, the “Four Tantra”. Based on this work, she analyzed the causes of disease and the possible remedies, which are radically different from their Western counterparts. The presentation was enlivened by extracts from the works of great Orientalists, who were all impressed by the hundreds of herbs found and used in the Tibetan Highlands.

 Download - Eisrich Zóra: Betekintés a hagyományos tibeti orvoslás tudományába

This year, candidates could demontrate their language knowledge in the new-style HSK: the main novelty of which lies in its structure, which is more similar to Western-style examinations – and the fact that, unlike in previous exams, this time the students could take oral tests as well. The most interesting feature of the oral exam is that candidates do not have to prove their knowledge in front of a live examiner: their answers are recorded digitally and then sent to China for evaluation by the teachers of Chinese Language Education Council (Hanban).

Next year, we will organize the HSK exam again, and we would recommend it to anybody (especially our students who have completed the Module 4 course), who wants to measure their knowledge, and would like to see the benefit of the energy they have invested.

Szentmártoni Lívia képei

During the competition, the students could demonstrate their knowledge of the history, the culture, the past and the future of China.
The questions for the exciting event were put together by Gergely Salát, director of the Modern Chinese Research Centre. The highlight of the competition was the quiz game called “Conquer China!”. The competition – after quite a tussle – was won by the previous champions, the students from Veres Péter Secondary School in Békásmegyer. They won a dinner for three at one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in Budapest. The students of Eötvös József High School finished second, and the group from Vasvári Pál Secondary School of Economics in Szeged came in third. No one left the quiz empty-handed: all the participants received special gifts. After the prize-giving ceremony, the Confucius Institute welcomed all the guests with tables laden with steamed dumplings and spring rolls. Our congratulations go to the winning schools!

- Were there periods when horses really sweated blood?
Szilvia Szabó, instructor at the Equi Globe Rider Training Center, looked for answers to these questions. The lecturer – in the light of Chinese history – analyzed the role played by the horse in the Celestial Empire. We learnt what a horse was worth to the Chinese emperor, where and from whom the Chinese obtained their knowledge of horse riding , and how they improved it. Through the lecture, we also could find an answer to the question of whether the noble animals really sweated blood or not. The mixed audience, both young and old, riders and non riders alike, listened to the exciting presentation with great interest.

...thus becoming acquainted with the real China.
The thousands of photos that they take clearly reflect their experiences. On November18, the photo exhibition named “China through the eyes of scholarship students” was inaugurated as a co-operative venture of the Confucius Institute and the Asia Center. The exhibition was located on the second floor of Asia Center, surrounded by glass walls. It was opened by Liang Caide, political councillor of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Hungary. Dr. Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Dr. Ferenc Pál, deputy dean for International Affairs of the Faculty of Humanities, gave welcoming speeches, after which, Gyula Krajczár, former journalist and correspondent from Beijing, was able to relive his experiences in China and share them with the audience.

The photographs in the exhibition were chosen from from a set of almost 200, by professional photographer Balázs Turay. We wish to thank him for his assistance.

On Saturday, nearly twenty students took the exam. They could demonstrate their language skills first in the written test, then in the oral part. The primary school children overcame all the obstacles, performing well in both components.

Szentmártoni Lívia képei

The fourth meeting of the Chinese-Hungarian Club, organized by the ELTE Confucius Institute, was a great success. It was attended by students and teachers of the Confucius Institute, the Chinese Department of the ELTE Far-Eastern Institute and students of the Beijing Foreign Languages University Department of Hungarian Language- currently at the Balassi Institute.
The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Imre Hamar, with a speech in which he emphasized the importance of learning and practicing both the Chinese and Hungarian languages, as the best way of understanding each other's cultures. After this came Professor Li Linping’s artistic calligraphy presentation: led by the guiding principle of Chinese melodies "海 内存 知己, 天涯 若 比邻" (If it is true friendship, there is no distance) written on silk paper. Chinese Department student Hajnalka Fórián had great success with the Tibetan Plateau’s Song. No less applause greeted performances by Katalin Muszka and Brúnó Újvári, who captivated the audience with two Chinese poems.
The closing event was a quiz competition, created by the Chinese students, and students could continue to “get to know each other” near tables laden with tasty Chinese steamed balls.

... in which Tőkei's former friends, colleagues and students took part with presentations on general social science and sinology.
The conference was opened by Imre Hamar, director of the Confucius Institute, with a personal account of his memories, closing with references to Tőkei's work on the Buddhist theme. The presentations included many themes, from personal memories, through sociological analysis to Chinese philosophical and religious analyses. Many of the presenters spoke with affection of Tőkei's character and of their friendly conversations with him. At the end of the conference, Tőkei's widow expressed her gratitude to the Confucius Institute, and to the substantial audience and the participants for their worthy commemoration.

Curriculum vitae

Ferenc Tőkei (1930-2000) was one of the greatest Hungarian sinologists of the 20th century. He started attending university classes while still at high school, and graduated from the Sino-Tibetan Department of ELTE University. He worked as a museologist at the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts, then at Europe Publishers, and later in the Institute of Philosophy of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He was the director of the latter institute in his last three years. From 1972, he was head of the Oriental Institute at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He taught at the Department of Philosophy of ELTE University between 1971-1990, and from 1990 at the Chinese Department. He led a busy public life and helped to organize academic events throughout his career.

He reconsidered certain aspects of Marxism as adopted in Hungary, by returning to Marx’s original, more complex ideas and rejecting the so-called doctrines of vulgar Marxism. His further thinking on Marx’s theory about the Asian mode of production was particularly influential. As for social science issues, Tőkei analyzed the origins of ancient Greek cities and the structure of Medieval Feudalism. He was deeply involved in contemporary cultural and political life, and was a friend of many representatives of art and science. His thinking and behavior were strongly influenced by left-wing ideas.

In his work in sinology, the translation of classical Chinese texts into Hungarian is particularly outstanding. He published a three-volume collection, which contains all of the most important works of the great ancient Chinese philosophers (Lunyu, Daodejing, Daxue, Zhongyong, Gongsun, Longzi), and the most important chapters of greater works (Mozi, Mengzi, Xunzi, Zhuangzi, Han Feizi, Chunqiu fanlu, Huainanzi) translated into Hungarian. He especially appreciated Lunheng by Wang Chong, who (in his opinion) was not sufficiently honoured in China.

Although he planned to publish a collection of translations of medieval Chinese philosophy, he was prevented from doing so by his death, but thanks to his preparations of these planned works, a number of works of early Chinese Buddhism could be published.

However, it was not only philosophical works that he translated: he rendered reverse oracle bones and signs on bronze-made pots, historical texts, Sunzi bingfa, ghost stories, some writings by Lu Xun, and even Chinese jokes as well.

He was particularly fond of the work of Pu Songling, whose strange stories he also translated. He participated in the translation of three great Chinese dramas (Wang Shifu's Xixiangji, Guan Hanqing's Dou E Yuan and Li Xingdao's Huilanji). He worked together with leading exponents of Hungarian poetry on the rhymed parts of these dramas.

We should not forget the very large amount of raw-translation that he performed, which was then reworked by the best Hungarian poets: thanks to him, the Hungarian audience can now read the Book of Songs, the most important pieces of Yuefu, and the poems of Cao Cao, Cao Zhi and Cao Pi, as well as many classic Chinese stories. He wrote the history of classic Chinese literature, as well as a detailed analysis of the main representatives of medieval Chinese aesthetic thinking, particularly Liu Xie Wenxin’s Dialong theories of work. The forms employed by the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, and linked to him Chuci, were particularly close to his heart. Ferenc Tőkei contributed not only by translating these into Hungarian, but with a number of studies, and then a whole separate volume devoted to Qu Yuan and the Chinese genre of elegy. Tőkei's studies were published in English, Russian, French and Japanese; his books were translated into Slovak, Japanese, Vietnamese and French. Between 2005 and 2009 his entire life's work of was re-issued in a nine-volume collection.

Visitors were welcomed by our Institute with an authentic tea-making exhibition. The occasion was a great success, and many contented participants left happily with enough tea to last the whole family for months.

...to learn the delicate touch of the paintbrush, and to take a look inside the wonderful world of Chinese calligraphy. The course was opened by Kristóf Végvári, assistant of the Confucius Institute.

... and Mongolia – gave a facinating lecture about his summer journey to Tibet. The lecture, which was illustrated with colour photos, received with a loud applause from the audience.

...emphasizing the importance of Chinese garden architecture. After the lecture, Zhang Yu gave a short concert, made up of unforgettable soft guzheng (traditional Chinese zither) melodies. To round off the program, Lívia Szentmártoni – Head of Cultural Programs at ECI – made delicious jasmine tea for the participants.

László György, assistant lecturer at BME University spoke about the development of the Chinese economy. He analyzed its rapid growth, emphasizing the importance of foreign direct invesrment (FDI), a cheap work-force and low taxation.

Visitors were greeted by Laura Do Dinh (ELTE University student of the Department of Chinese Language), who presented the history of Chinese silk production, after which Dr. Jiang Wenyan (deputy director of the Confucius Institute) gave us an artistic exhibition of calligraphy. The sweepstake that we organized on the same occasion was won by the lucky participant Vivien Szántó, who took home an original Chinese silk shawl.

This year, "Language Parade" was set up in one of the most important cultural centres of Budapest, the "Millenáris", indicating the popularity of the event. Of course, the ELTE Confucius Institute was also represented at the Parade. Our well-decorated stand symbolized the colourful culture of China, and offered a wide range of opportunities for people interested in learning the language or finding out about parts of this wonderful civilisation, for example by attending a spectacular tea ceremony, tasting several types of delicate teas, or listening to Chinese pop songs performed by Lajos Palásti, winner of the "Be a Star in China!" talent-spotting competition.
Our stand also offered opportunities to test the most popular items among our various multimedia study tools - this year the absolute favourite was the “speaking pen”. Our colourful brochures helped enquirers to get to know the wide range of activities of the Institute, and the most enthusiastic could join in a Chinese language lesson for free.
If now you feel disappointed that you missed this opportunity, don’t hesitate: just register for one of our free (!) Chinese languages courses, or let’s meet at our next cultural event!

Shandong is the home of Confucius: the temple of the "Great Teacher" is located in the province as well as his temple with its 28 stone pillars, and his tomb. The delegation held discussions with Dr. Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Confucius Institute, about the experiences of other Confucius Institutes located in different countries worldwide, and about the further expansion of cultural relations between Hungary and China. Furthermore, the Library of ELTE Confucius Institute has been enriched by several precious gifts from the Shandong Delegation, including films, cartoons and special publications about Confucius.

In accordance with the agreement between the two multinational companies and the ECI a special course for the employees was organized by the Institute. The first to speak at the event was Dr. Gergely Salát, leader of the ECI Modern China Research Department, who gave a brief introduction to the main events of Chinese history and culture, highlighting the economical development of China. After this Lívia Szentmártoni, Educational and Cultural Program Director of ECI, guided her audience into the world of business protocol issues and patterns of everyday behaviour in China. Altogether, the audience was offered a panoramic view of contemporary China and its cultural specialties, in order to narrow the culture-gap that can divide such distant countries as Hungary and China.

Pictures by Gergely Salát and Lívia Szentmártoni

Blanka Kovács (student of the ELTE University Department of East-Asian Studies and the Chinese Department) gave an illustrated talk about the history of Chinese fans. After the session, members of the audience could also make fans for themselves with the help of the associates of the Confucius Institute.

Prof. Dr. Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Far-East Institute, opened the first conference on common research by Hungarian tibetologists and the China Tibetology Research Center. The conference was greeted by Liu Wen Qing, Councillor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, whose speech, delivered in Hungarian, acknowledged the research carried out by Sándor Csoma Kőrösi and looked forward to shared future explorations. Guest speaker professor Zhou Wei – who is currently teaching for one year at the Confucius Institute – delineated his achievements in linguistic research. During his talk, he also referred to the work done by Hungarian tibetologists. Béla Kelényi, of the Ferenc Hopp Museum, introduced Hungarian memories of lamaist art. The Tibetan Section of the Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences was introduced by Gergely Orosz. Erzsébet Tóth, Alice Sárközi, Alexa Péter and Ágnes Birtalan, senior lecturer, outlined the progress of Tibetan research carried out at ELTE University in the Department of Inner-Asian Studies. Mónika Szegedi gave an account of Tibetan research at the Buddhist Academy. Géza Bethlenfalvy and József Terjék spoke about the memory of Sándor Csoma Kőrösi, while Norbert Németh delineated the activities of the Tibetan Association of Hungary.
For further information, go to: www.tibet-tarsasag.hu

The conference was opened by Prof Dr Ferenc Hudecz, rector of ELTE, Peng Long, deputy rector of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Wang Qingnian, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, Prof Zhang Xiaohui, head of the Beijing Foreign Studies University Confucius Institute and Prof Dr Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and the ELTE Institute of Far-Eastern Studies. In their ceremonial opening speeches the guests of honour emphasized the significance of the conference and wished it every success.
The 14 presentations, held in four sections, were followed with great interest. The speakers touched on the problems of language teaching methodology, revealed the typical grammatical and pronunciation errors made by Hungarian learners, and referred to the cultural differences which Hungarians face while learning the Chinese language.
The presentations held during the conference were intended to help practising teachers not only with theoretical ideas, but also practical advice. The conference was a milestone in ELTE Confucius Institute’s history and the presentations will be published in a book, which will aid future teachers and those who are interested in the topic.
We hope that during next year’s conference even more teachers will present their proposals in order to raise professional standards in Chinese language teaching.

‘Getting to know contemporary China’ - Lecture series by the Modern China Research Centre

The lecturer talked about the classical works which determine the basis of proper behaviour in that country, emphasising the lasting validity of Confucius’ teachings. Step by step, she outlined the main features of the manners of this faraway land to the audience, enlivening her lecture with anecdotes about her personal experiences and adventures.

(pictures by Kristóf Végvári)

The press conference was opened by Dr. Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and the ELTE Institute of Far-Eastern Studies. Dr. Hamar pointed out that the campaign was of historic significance, as this was the first, but hopefully not the last competition of its kind launched in the Institute’s lifetime.
Lívia Szentmártoni, director of cultural programmes at the ELTE Confucius Institute, briefly outlined the Institute’s past, present and future plans to the gathered representatives of the media, and described the particulars of the competition and the quiz (41 projects were received for the competition, and almost 100 people filled in the quiz), and announced the winner of the competition. The two tickets to Beijing, including a visit to Expo 2010 Shanghai, were won by Krisztina Sebők, a student of our institution. In her project, which was based on a survey that she carried out herself, she sketched the stereotypes, sometimes true, sometimes false, that we Hungarians hold about the Chinese and Chinese culture, and came up with a whole range of ideas about how the wider public could be made better acquainted with this unique language and culture.
Since the one-hundred question quiz ended in a draw, with two 98-point results, the winning entry was drawn by André Vásáry, opera singer and leading light of ‘A star is born’ (Csillag születik) in the presence of a public notary: Angéla Horváth took home an air ticket to Beijing. The splendid press reception was further enhanced by works of calligraphy painted on the spot by the renowned calligrapher and award-winning translator Yu Zemin. The tasty Chinese tid-bits were accompanied by aromatic Chinese tea.
We would like to express our special thanks for the success of the event to our devoted supporters: Asia Center, Hainan Airlines and the Darlington Tea Shop.

... of Eastern Asiatic Arts. Interested participants could gain insights into the secrets of Chinese knotting, and could learn the basics of the art of paper cutting. The new artists could take home the completed masterpieces as souvenirs.

The guests were greeted by Wang Qingnian, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy and Zsuzsa Erdélyi, director of the school. The ELTE Confucius Institute was represented by 3 youngsters: Dávid Szabó, 10th grade student of ELTE’s Trefort Ágoston Practice School, Dániel Molnár, graduating student of the ELTE Radnóti Miklós Practice School and Sebestyén Hompot, graduating student of the Trefort Practice School. The competitors came from the Bilingual Primary School and from the School of Oriental Studies. The first prize went to Khalid-Yousif Hind Sami of the Bilingual Primary School who will represent Hungary in the finals of the International Language Competition in Chongqing.
Congratulations to the competitors of their successes with the Chinese language so far, and best wishes for their future studies!

In connection with the Buddhist paintings of the Koryo period, which have so far been neglected and thus attract even greater interest now, Prof. Youngsook Pak drew attention to the practice of artistic patronage in the Koryo period by interpreting the inscriptions on the pictures, and described the possible prototypes and connections of the works themselves.
The theme of the talk, which was accompanied by projected images full of rich and expressive details, was continued by Prof. Roderick Whitfield Dunhuangi’s lively lecture on the art of cave temples, complemented with a rich selection of pictures and interesting cultural historical details, in which he also highlighted the role of medieval methods of reproduction.

(Pictures by Lívia Szentmártoni)

As of 2009 the ELTE Confucius Institute is the official Hungarian administrator of the exam. At the language exam, which was held in Hungary for the first time, 33 children under the age of 15 put their Chinese knowledge to the test. The Youth Learners Chinese Test consists of four levels. 12 candidates participated at Level 1, 7 candidates at Level 2, 10 candidates at Level 3 and 4 at Level 4. The examination papers will be corrrected in China, certificates will be received by students in a month’s time.

(Pictures by Anett Kozjek-Gulyás)

The 16 competitors arrived from various Hungarian institutes where the Chinese language is taught. Every institute could delegate 3 competitors, who put their language knowledge and performing ability to the test in three rounds. ELTE’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies was represented by Dániel Istvánffy, Zsuzsa Karsai and Júlia Steiner, while the ELTE Confucius Institute was represented by Katalin Muszka, Gergő Ágoston and Márk Gábriel. The two second-prize-winners were Katalin Muszka of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Valentin Pécsi of the School of Oriental Languages, who are also travelling to Changsha to cheer on the Hungarian participant in the finals. Three of the four third-prize-winners were Dániel Istvánffy and Zsuzsa Karsai of ELTE and Gergő Ágoston of the ELTE Confucius Institute. We would like to express our gratitude to the competitors for their successful participation and congratulate them on their results. We wish Juli Steiner, who is travelling to China, the best of luck for her participation in an international competition.

Like every year – in recognition of the Service’s previous devoted work in aid of East-German children - the press conference of the series of events in Városliget was held in the German Embassy in Budapest, where the participants of the Street of Nations, embassies and cultural institutions – including the ELTE Confucius Institute – set up their mini-stands. The assembled participants had a chance to walk around the mini-stands with German ambassador Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel, Péter Edvi, president of the International Children’s Safety Service and its vice-president Gábor Kuncze, and thus get an idea of what to expect in the tents on the last Sunday of May.

The young researcher briefly outlined the history of research on Tibet, and described research taking place in the world’s leading institutions of Tibetan studies. He put special emphasis on the activity of Sándor Kőrösi Csoma and the ongoing projects of the China Tibetology Research Center. The lecturer stressed the importance of cooperation between Chinese and Western universities and research centres, which will hopefully contribute many new results to research.

So far the school has offered Chinese language teaching within the framework of a special study circle, but from September on students can learn the Chinese language and get acquainted with Chinese culture in four lessons a week. Besides its orientation towards natural science subjects – in particular advanced-level Biology teaching – the school emphasises the teaching and acquisition of living foreign languages. By launching Chinese language teaching the Miklós Radnóti High School has enriched its educational programme with a unique profile, which will hopefully attract even more students to the high school of the city of Szeged.

(Pictures by K.I.)

After a kung-fu demonstration the concept of ‘Chinese stardom’ was discussed in the programme, as well as the advantages of knowing the Chinese language and the unique opportunity offered by ECI, by which one lucky winner can travel to Beijing with his/her partner, and can also visit the Shanghai expo.

Even after 20 years few people know that the International Children’s Safety Service originally started its mission by helping East-German and Transylvanian children. In the view of this – celebrating the round-number anniversary – director of cultural programmes Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Hungary, gave a private reception for the representatives of embassies and cultural institutions who are to participate in the children’s day on 27 April, 2010. The ambassador, together with Péter Edvi, president of the International Children’s Safety Service, expressed her gratitude to those present for their participation in the event, and for their sense of responsibility and the work they have done for children.
The ELTE Confucius Institute was represented by Lívia Szentmártoni, director of cultural programmes at ECI.

(Pictures by Eszter Gordon)

Szojka Szilvia: Taoizmus a mai Kínában

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion, which has exerted great influence on Chinese mentality and culture. The knowledge of its classical books was part of general erudition for two millennia, and its doctrines were tightly interwoven with fields such as martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui, astrology, alchemy, and Chinese cuisine. In the last few decades Taoism has gone through a period of revival: temples have been reopened, the number of monks is continuously increasing, while the number of followers can be estimated in the tens of millions – it is impossible to know the precise number as Taoism cannot be clearly distinguished from Chinese folk religion. The lecture outlines the historical events which lie behind contemporary Taoism, its main schools and teachings and the role it plays in China’s life.
Sinologist Éva Szilvia Szojka is a Phd student of the ELTE BTK Doctoral Programme in Sinology.

(Pictures by Kristóf Végvári)

3 candidates took the elementary, 3 the intermediate and 1 the advanced state oral language exam. As of 2010 the ELTE Confucius Institute is an official administrator of the Chinese state language exam. There are several reasons why the Origo state language exam is worth taking. Success in the exam counts towards the further education of students, and state employees receive a language exam bonus. The language exam is administered by the language teachers of the Confucius Institute, who have acquired the techniques of language testing through a programme of theoretical and practical training, after which they were licenced to administer the language examination.

The students enjoyed a series of Chinese dishes, each tastier than the last, in the company of Lívia Szentmártoni, director of cultural programmes, in return for their excellent performance within the framework of the Chinese cultural day. There could be no complaints about the atmosphere, and the youngsters happily ate everything, down to the last morsel.

(Pictures by Lívia Szentmártoni)

We were expecting applications for the competition from college and university students who study Chinese and are ready to put their knowledge of a given segment of the culture to the test. Enthusiastic students of the Institute for Far-Eastern Studies and the Budapest Business School applied for the competition.
The 5-member committee was chaired by Dr Imre Hamar, director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and the ELTE Institute of Far- Eastern Studies. The guest star on the committee was André Vásáry, opera singer and leading light of ‘A star is born’ (Csillag születik), who besides evaluating the individual productions dazzled the audience with the theme song from ‘Once upon a time in the West’ sung in his magical voice.
The other members of the committee were Geng Jie, co-owner of the Chinese language magazine ‘Új Szemle’, Zheng Weihong, representative of the Huawei company, and last but not least Adrienn Simon, interpreter and translator, a leading figure in university circles.
The winner of the talent contest and of the prize awarded by the audience was Alisza Korjukova, student of the Institute of Far- Eastern Studies, with her overwhelming performance of the song ‘Blues in my heart’. Alisza won a one-month scholarship in China and an exclusive dinner invitation for two. The second prize went to Lajos Erik Palásti who is known in Chinese as ‘the prince of love songs’. He captured both the committee and the audience with a hit called ‘Lonely song’; so much so that Adrienn Simon rewarded him with an extra dinner invitation. The winner of the third prize was steel-muscled hearththrob Balázs Szigethy, performing a shaolin kung-fu show.
We extend our thanks to the members of the committee and our congratulations to the winners.

At the mock exam 53 students put their language knowledge to the test at four levels (Level 1: 13 candidates, Level 2: 17 candidates, Level 3: 11 candidates, Level 4: 12 candidates), in preparation for the real exam on May 8.

Nikolett Németh, a student of ELTE BTK PhD School of Literary Studies, gave a lecture to the assembled audience entitled “Kosztolányi and the World of Chinese Poetry|, in which she analysed the personality and world of our famous poet-writer and how the atmosphere and nature of Chinese poems ‘translated’ by him relate to each other. The lecture broadened the knowledge of the audience with many charming anecdotes which made everybody smile.

(Pictures by Lívia Szentmártoni)

The Scholarship Committee of the Confucius Institute assembled on 13 April 2010. The applications received were evaluated by the Chair of the Committee, Prof. Dr. Ferenc Hudecz, Committee members Dean Tamás Dezső of ELTE Faculty of Arts, Wang Qingnian, Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, and Prof. Dr. Imre Hamar.

The relationships between nomadic people and China and between the Mongols and the Chinese stretch back several centuries. Relations between the two neighbouring countries, whose different lifestyles resulted in the development of markedly different cultures, was characterised by mistrust and often hostility even in the early centuries. This was obviously not brought to an end either by the Chinese conquest of the Mongols or by the Manchurian occupation of Mongolia, which lasted for several centuries, and was also made more complicated by a multitude of political events in the 20th century. Nowadays however, in spite of the unique historical background, relations between the two countries are continuously improving, and in this a significant role is played not only by the relationship which goes back centuries, but also by the fact that the Mongolian minority is one of the largest living in China. Today there are almost six million Mongolians living in the Inner-Mongolian Autonomous Region, who wish to preserve their nomadic culture and traditions alongside the settled Chinese majority. As the relationship between the two countries is explicitly friendly, and the scope for economic and cultural cooperation is continuously expanding, in many ways a new chapter has been started by the two neighbouring countries in the 21st century. The lecture aims to describe the historical background of this relationship, the events preceding the changes and their likely future direction.
Dr Zsolt Szilágyi historian – Mongolist, research worker at MTA NKI, instructor at the Department of Inner-Asian Studies, ELTE BTK

Conference programme

IN THE STREAM OF THE 21ST CENTURY: SOCIETY AND EDUCATION IN CHINA AND HUNGARY
CHINESE-HUNGARIAN EDUCATIONAL MINI-CONFERENCE
ELTE PPK (Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology), Faculty Senate 1075 Budapest, Kazincy u. 23-27
March 30, 2010

1. CHINA, SOCIETY, EDUCATION: TEACHING THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN HUNGARY

Chairman of the session: Nguyen Luu Lan Anh

Sándor Striker (ELTE PPK)
Opening by the Vice-Dean

Wang Qingnian (Hungarian Embassy of the People’s Republic of China)
Welcoming speech

Anett Kozjek-Gulyás (ELTE Confucius Institute)
On Chinese language teaching in the Confucius Institute

Szonja Andrea Buslig (Department of Chinese Studies, Institute of Far-Eastern Studies ELTE)
Teaching the Chinese language in present-day Hungary

Gergely Salát  (Chinese Department, ELTE BTK)
Traditions and modernisation in Chinese education

2. THE HUNGARIAN-CHINESE BILINGUAL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Chairman of session: Szonja Buslig
Zsuzsanna Erdélyi (Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School)
Characteristic features of education in the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School

Guo Jia Ming (Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School)
Teaching and educational methods in the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School-How it differs from other Hungarian schools

Ms Lindner Gusztáv (Saint Norbert of Prémontré Secondary School, Gödöllő)
Linguistic variability and alternative education in the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School

Ágnes Vámos (ELTE PPK Institute of Education)
Characteristics of enrolment rates in the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual Primary School

3. CHINESE-HUNGARIAN CULTURAL PEDAGOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

Chairman of session: Greeley Salad

Márta Fülöp (Research Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA, Professorat of Social History ELTE PPK)
Attitudes of young Chinese, Hungarian and French people towards competition

Nguyen Luu Lan Anh (Centre of Intercultural Psychology and Pedagogy ELTE PPK)
Social support for Chinese children in school

Nóra Sebestyén (Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE PPK)
The role of effort and kèkǔ in learning mathematics: Chinese-Hungarian comparative study

János Győri (Centre of Intercultural Psychology and Pedagogy ELTE PPK)
Looking after gifted students in China

Professor Dr. Imre Hamar opened the first professional forum for Chinese language teachers on the 26th of March, 2010. The language teachers of the ELTE Confucius Institute, of the ELTE Institute of Far-Eastern Studies and the Bilingual Primary School participated in the forum. At the forum all the practicing language teachers gave an account of the professional experience they have gained so far in primary, secondary and higher education.
The teachers working with different age groups shared their advice on methodology with their colleagues. During the next forum for language teachers, which will take place at the end of April, the exchange and transmission of professional experience, ideas and suggestions will continue. Professor Dr. Imre Hamar, closing the forum, informed those present that the Confucius Institute would organise a professional conference for Chinese language teachers in May to round off the 2009/2010 spring term.

In his speech, Dr Szász emphasised that with the ECI’s cooperation it had become possible for the university’s students too to find out about the Chinese language and to acquire it at an advanced level.
Continuing this line of thought Dr Imre Hamar, Director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Institute of Far-Eastern Studies, greeted the participants. The programme, filled with music, dancing, martial arts performances using swords and fans, and tai chi, impressed the Szeged audience too. Of course, the event would not have been complete without a raffle: the lucky winner was presented with a valuable mobile telephone, offered by one of the world’s leading telecommunication companies: China-based Huawei Technologies Hungary, by Vice-Dean Dr. Géza Szász.

(Pictures by Dorottya Dézsi)

The gala was attended by His Excellency Gao Jian, ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Hungary, who, following the ceremonial opening speech of ELTE’s rector, Dr Ferenc Hudecz, greeted the gathered participants in a few words. The colourful, exciting show, which was graced by the presence of many public figures, was a great success in Budapest too. The evening ended with a raffle. First the third prize was drawn: the lucky winner was presented with a gift-pack consisting of fine Chinese tea and accessories by Beáta Czinke, owner of the Darlington Tea Shop.
The second prize, a touch screen mobile telephone offered by one of the world’s leading telecommunication companies, China-based Huawei Technologies Hungary, was given to the winner in the name of the firm by Dr Imre Hamar, Director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Institute of Far-Eastern Studies. The first prize, two Budapest-Peking return tickets offered by Hainan Airlines, was handed over to the lucky winners by Zhao Kai, the regional managing director of the airline. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters for the valuable prizes.

The evening was opened by the Vice-Dean of Studies of the Debrecen University Faculty of Arts, Dr Sándor Maticsák. In his welcoming speech he emphasised the importance of learning the Chinese language, noting that with the help of a native speaker delegated to Debrecen by ECI, students of the university now have opportunities to acquire this fantastic language. Following this, Dr Imre Hamar, Director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Institute of Far-Eastern Studies, greeted the participants who had gathered in large numbers, speaking a few words about the emergence of the Institute and its plans for the future. The gala performance, filled with colourful, traditional Chinese dances, songs, and martial arts performances, was rewarded with thunderous applause by the audience. The evening ended with a raffle, during which the lucky winner took home a valuable mobile telephone, offered by one of the world’s leading telecommunication companies, China-based Huawei Technologies Hungary.

(Pictures by Dorottya Dézsi)

The gala was opened by Mrs Éva Főző, née Tímár, Headmistress of the school, then Dr Imre Hamar, Director of the ELTE Confucius Institute and Institute of Far-Eastern Studies, greeted the audience. The program, rich with music, dancing and martial arts performances, was enthusiastically received by the people of Kecskemét. The evening ended with a raffle, during which the lucky winner took home a valuable mobile telephone, offered by one of the world’s leading telecommunication companies, China-based Huawei Technologies Hungary.

(Pictures: 1-12: by Dorottya Dézsi; 13-16: by Sándor Sipiczki - "Kecskeméti Lapok")

The ELTE Confucius Institute held celebratory press conferences on the 18th of February in Debrecen, and on the 19th of February in Szeged. The occasion for the press conference was the Lunar New Year Gala Performance tour, during which the Arts Group of the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, with the cooperation of the University of Debrecen and the Discimus Business Academy, performed on stage in Debrecen on the 23rd of February, and on the 25th of February in Szeged, with the cooperation of the University of Szeged. Dr Imre Hamar, Director of the ELTE Confucius Institute gave a brief account of the origins of the Institute, its plans for the future and the opportunities for learning the Chinese language in the two above mentioned cities, then Lívia Szentmártoni gave details of the gala performance to the representatives of the press.
The press took a lively interest in the event, as was proved by the numerous reports, articles and short accounts published in different newspapers and news portals.

The participants were welcomed on behalf of the school Headmistress Mrs Éva Főző, née Tímár, and Deputy Headmaster Dr István Kovács. Following this, the Director of the Confucius Institute, Dr Imre Hamar, took up the word, speaking about the origins of ECI in 2006 and its aims for the future, and announcing that the Arts Group of the Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine would visit Kecskemét on Monday, the 22nd of February, as the first stop of the Lunar New Year Gala Performance tour. ECI’s director of cultural programmes, Lívia Szentmártoni, described in a few words the programme of the gala performance, and added that everybody in Kecskemét interested in Chinese culture would be welcome at the free (!) show.

Guo Xiaojing, having taken a degree in Hungarian, arrived in Hungary in 2005 in order to obtain her PhD at ELTE. In 2006 the Hanban, together with the Beijing Foreign Studies University, recommended Guo iaojing for the post of Deputy Director of the then emerging ELTE Confucius Institute. Her main task was to foster and maintain links between the Beijing centre and the Hungarian institution. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Vera for her devoted work.

The readers of the Chronicle already know that I particularly like talking to interesting, experienced people who are at home in different fields; I like to find out about their way of thinking, their world view. I like to store in my mind what I have heard and think about it for a few days, and finally to decide which ideas I can identify with, which I can store in the ‘how true’, ‘worth considering’, and ‘worth accepting’ compartments of my brain. Here in the Confucius Institute I quite often have the chance to meet and talk to exciting people. My latest ‘conquest’ is István Vágó, the famous quizmaster, who, as I can now reveal, prepared for this interview not as a master but as a learner, for a change: he has been an enthusiastic student of the Confucius Institute for three months already.
-We all know István Vágó the quizmaster, but who is this István Vágó, who, as soon as he gets out of the crazy treadmill of the media and can get a breath of air, starts learning Chinese?
- It is a characteristic feature of István Vágó that he is interested in many things, in languages also, to be precise. I confess I really love learning languages, I have passed advanced-level state exams in four languages, besides which I do interviews in several languages too, and I used to excel in courting in Polish (he smiles conspiratorially), and I’m especially intrigued by the structures of languages, and as a result by how people speaking the given languages think. As for the Chinese language, I was really interested in how a non-alphabetical writing system is constructed and how its grammatical structure forms a unit.
The next part of the interview can be read in the next issue of the Confucius Chronicle, to be published soon. Lívia Szentmártoni

During the Chinese cultural tea afternoon organised at Trefort High School (November 12, 2009), students could try on traditional Chinese silk “qipao” [chee-pow] dresses. The photo-montage taken of them was uploaded to the internet, so visitors to our website could decide who they considered the ‘prettiest Chinese girl’.
In the opinion of the voters, the most attractive girl wearing a qipao in the high school was Rozina Braghini. The special prize of the competition was given to Anna Lujza Honecz. They both won an exclusive dinner in one of the finest Chinese restaurants in Budapest. The winner of the valuable gift-pack, drawn from among the voters, was Réka Katona. Our congratulations go to all the winners.

(Pictures by Alfréd Schmidt)