Almost 80 people registered for the first Nations on Stage. The aim of the event was to encourage the foreign students of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen to celebrate diversity, talent and the different cultures of the world on one stage, as a community.
“This is the Drawing Week at the Faculty of Engineering, which means that there are no lectures, everyone is preparing or correcting their semester assignments. We have found that at this time our foreign students are left a little alone, so we thought of holding a day for them where they can present their national characteristics and cultural values to the others. We would like to make them feel that they are at home with us,” said Dean Géza Husi.
The event began with a taste of Hungarian folk music by the four-member Szatmár Banda, with the dean of the faculty playing the clarinet on the stage set up in the Aula of the faculty.
The students of various nationalities mostly presented musical and dance exhibitions. Ana Cristina Marcial Pimentel performed Mexican dances, followed by Hena Ramchandani from India. She presented Indian dances whose movements told stories without words. Abdelrahman Islam Azmi Thabet from Egypt shared his thoughts on culture, identity, and understanding between nations in his short presentation. He was followed by Catherine Mbinya Mula from Kenya, who enchanted the audience with her singing; and in the finale, two dancers of Szatmár Banda took the stage.
Several participants were wearing folk costumes and brought food and objects typical of their homeland and presented their countries with photos.
Dean Géza Husi has already indicated that the Faculty of Engineering plans to hold the Nations on Stage in future years too.
Currently, there are 2,548 Hungarian and 820 foreign students at the faculty.
Press Centre - OCs
