Dhaka:Hungary has expressed a strong interest in expanding academic and research collaboration with the University of Dhaka (DU), alongside broadening higher education and scholarship opportunities for Bangladeshi students.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a Hungarian delegation expressed this interest during a courtesy call on DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr. Abdus Salam. The meeting took place at the university campus, where Professor Salam is currently performing the routine duties of the Vice-Chancellor.
The two-member delegation included Dr. Diana Daczi, counsellor for Science and Technology at the Embassy of Hungary in New Delhi, and Mohammed Sultanul Arefin, chief of staff at the Consulate of Hungary in Chittagong. Discussions focused on various avenues for academic cooperation, such as increasing scholarship quotas, introducing faculty and student exchange programmes, and launching joint research initiatives.
Dr. Diana Daczi highlighted that the Hungarian government currently offers 140 scholarships annually for Bangladeshi students at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. These fully funded scholarships cover tuition fees, accommodation, healthcare, and living allowances across more than 660 study programmes at Hungarian universities. She emphasized the importance of maximizing these opportunities and encouraged more Bangladeshi scholars to pursue higher studies in Hungary.
Prof Dr. Abdus Salam highlighted DU's diverse academic disciplines, particularly in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, and Computer Science. He noted that academic ties could be strengthened through joint research, co-authored publications, and international conferences. Dr. Daczi assured full support in facilitating partnerships between DU and Hungarian universities to identify concrete collaboration areas. University of Dhaka officials were present during the meeting.