International Organizations of UP: Interview with Gyöngyi Pozsgai
There have been some changes in the structure of the University of Pécs’s international department. It was divided into International Relations and International Organizations Office.
A few weeks ago we talked to Mr. Gábor Czéh officer of the International Relations Office and now we asked Ms. Gyöngyi Pozsgai, head of the International Organizations Office to introduce us her work. Beside many other things, she also coordinates the activities related to the university's membership in international university organizations and networks, furthermore she is the general secretary of University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNEECC) and responsible for the university's international marketing activities and designated institutional events in Pécs.
UP: Can you tell us what exactly is your job now, here at the International Organizations Office?
Gy. P.: Well at first, my job is to handle all the administration related to every international organization in which our University has a membership. We are also responsible for the international marketing of the University; this includes both student recruitment and the University’s presence on the international higher education market. Beside this, we have undertaken a lot of activities preparing for the year of 2010. The International Organizations Office is responsible for one of the major international events in 2010 titled “Expanding Europe” which will take place between 12th and 15th of October. In addition to that, I am the secretary of the International Relations Committee of the university, which is the Forum of the colleagues who work for the University’s faculties to make decisions related to international relations of the University.
UP: Can you tell us about the events that will take place in 2010?
Gy. P.: The most significant event organized by us will be a Jubilee Rector’s Conference. It is jubilee because the European Capital of Culture project will celebrate its 25th anniversary and we thought that it would be an excellent opportunity to invite the rectors of our partner universities, but we would like to extend it – not only for our partner universities, but to a South-East-Middle European conference. And because it is titled Expanding Europe we would like to invite Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish universities, too. Our aim is definitely to encourage universities from the Balkan region to build co-operations, form partnerships with one another. It is going to be the first part of a series of events. It is also the preparatory event for Hungary’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We will invite Spain’s and Belgium’s Ministers of Education and Culture to share their experiences with us.
Finally, the third part will be an event connected to the fact that the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNeECC) was founded upon the initiative of the University of Pécs in 2006 and it was obvious for us that the annual conference in 2010 should be held at our University. Actually it is going to be a Joint Conference of two major networks of Europe, the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture and the Compostela Group of Universities. As for the students, we are going to organize a Pécs-Novi Sad-Zagreb cultural festival. We intend to invite students’ cultural groups from our partner universities and organize a common performance for them. The aim is on the one hand to introduce themselves and on the other to give them an opportunity to also become part of the Pécs 2010 European Capital of Culture programme.
UP: In your experience how open are other universities for joint events, conferences and relations with the University of Pécs?
Gy. P.: I think that in the era of globalization every higher education institute has recognized the importance and necessity to increase emphasis on “internationalization”. I see that each university lays serious emphasis on this issue and there has been great power mobilized for making, creating cross-border relations. It is noticeable that universities carry out this activity upon serious strategies. The University of Pécs has reached to be an internationally recognized and respected university. We often receive requests from partner and potential partner universities to carry out common international activities.
UP: With which universities from which networks do we have the best relationships?
Gy. P.: It depends on from what aspect we approach the question. The University of Pécs is a member of various organizations and takes actions very seriously. First there is the DRC, the Danube Rector's Conference; we have very strong relationships with all of the fellow universities and the cross-border universities also. Talking about the regional networks I also have to mention the Alps-Adriatic Rectors’ Conference in which we also play an important role. László Komlósi, the Rector’s representative responsible for international relations is a very active member of the Scientific Committee of the association. We also have excellent relations with these universities, scientific co-operations as well as regular student mobility.
We can say that we have very active relationship with the main universities of our region but we also put emphasis on different forms of co-operations with other significant universities inside and outside of Europe, too. A very interesting and developing network in which we have membership in for many years is the Compostela Group of Universities which has 72 member universities not only in Europe but in America, too. We have actively participated in its staff mobility programme. The previously mentioned University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNeECC) also provides us with excellent partnership opportunities. Through this network not only our lectures and researchers have developed new international contacts but we have organized an International Student Network with the aim of fostering student contact making.
This spring we are going to organize a UNeECC Erasmus meeting in order to stimulate mobility among the member institutions. Talking about the European Capital of Culture programme, with the help of this new network we have built excellent partnerships with the chief commissioners of the Education and Culture DG in Brussels, with the MPs of the European Parliament and with universities located in former and future European Capitals of Cultures. With regards to our running ECoC year, we have 6 partner universities in Istanbul and 2 in the Essen area. We will organize a student festival in Istanbul this summer and a joint scientific night with Essen in autumn. Beside these networks we also have a membership in the International Institute of Education, which is focusing on building partnerships of the universities of the United States with other countries.
There are two major European university organizations whose events we also regularly attend, namely the European Association of International Education (EAIE) and the European University Association (EUA). The aim of EAIE is to promote the internationalisation of higher education institutions and to broaden the knowledge of administrative staff of the international relations offices in the field of international higher education. This organization has annual major conferences in which we always participate. The University Association (EUA) is for the leaders of the universities. It is the main voice of the European higher education community and the management of our University is always represented on EUA’s events.
Concluding all these I can say that we continuously try to use our membership in the different university associations to stimulate forming new partnerships as well as deepening existing ones.
Címkék: university of pécs european capital culture international gyöngyi pecs organizations gyongyi pozsgai
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