Educatio International Education Exhibition opened on Thursday at Hungexpo in Budapest. The three-day programme showcases Hungarian universities, mainly for secondary school students about to enter the university admissions process. One of the special themes of this year's event is the European University Games, which will take place from 12 to 24 July and will be organised jointly by the University of Debrecen and the University of Miskolc.
In his opening speech Balázs Hankó, Minister of State for Innovation and Higher Education of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (KIM), also touches on the Summer Games. In his opinion, EUG will help the two host institutions to become one of the TOP100 European universities.
At a press conference on the occasion of the Games, the Minister of State also highlighted the supportive role of the Ministry.
- The Ministry of Culture and Innovation supports the European University Games with HUF 22 billion and university sport with HUF 2.5 billion annually, because sport trengthens and shapes people, because sport is the formative element of Hungarian higher education and Hungarian national identity. So let this year also be the year of sport and exercise in Hungarian higher education," Balázs Hankó stressed.
At the press conference, Zoltán Bács, Chancellor of the University of Debrecen, reminded that currently 7,500 foreign students from 139 countries are studying at the University of Debrecen, and that organizing EUG will enable the university and Hungary to become more known in Europe.
We are expecting the largest number of athletes in the history of Hungary to participate in the Games and I think we will make sure they have an unforgettable experience. The opening ceremony will take place in Miskolc, while the closing ceremony will be held in Debrecen, on the opening day of Campus Festival. So we were already thinking seven years ago that an event of this magnitude, with more than five thousand athletes, should be a truly worthy event, at a time when Hungary is also holding the rotating presidency of the European Union," said UD’s Chancellor.
Zita Horváth, rector of the University of Miskolc, recalled that the two universities decided to bid for the 2024 European University Games in 2017, and she called the winning of the right to host the event a major success in the field of sport.
- We hope that the two universities and Hungary, can host an event which is a large-scale, beautiful sporting event and which has never taken place in our country before. We are also preparing accompanying programmes in both cities to make the event even more colourful for the athletes and their attendants ," Zita Horváth said.
Péter Juhász, Secretary General of the Hungarian University and College Sports Association, said that in the summer of 2024 - immediately after the European Football Championship and before the Paris Olympics - Hungarian sport and Hungarian university sport will be in the spotlight.
Our goal is to bring the best university athletes to Hungary and to show Europe the life and potential of university sport. Today is also an important milestone, as we have opened volunteer registration. We will need around 1,500 volunteers to organise this multi-sport event with 17 sports and two venues," the Secretary General described details.
Hungarian and international volunteers can register for the Games on the official EUG website.
Over 5,000 athletes from 450 universities in 40 countries are expected to compete in 17 popular sports at the 2024 European University Games in Debrecen and Miskolc, between 12 and 24 July.
Press Centre - PKZs
