Boosting Higher Education in Transylvania: A Call from the Government
Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation, Balázs Hankó, emphasized the importance of maintaining the Hungarian model of higher education and vocational training throughout the Carpathian Basin, including Transylvania. In a panel discussion in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, he stressed the need for competitive universities with a Hungarian identity, vocational colleges, and a scholarship system to retain young people in their homeland.
Hankó highlighted the need for a skilled workforce in Transylvania and emphasized the importance of supporting young Transylvanian Hungarians studying in Romania to return to their homeland and contribute to their community. State Secretary for Higher Education, Veronika Varga-Bajusz, echoed the importance of strengthening higher education in the Carpathian Basin through programs like the Makovecz program.
Ödön Szabó, a Member of Parliament and Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee of the Romanian House of Representatives, discussed the challenges faced by the Hungarian community in Transylvania, emphasizing the need to address the disparity in university graduates between Romania and the rest of Europe. He also highlighted the importance of implementing the new education law in Romania, which includes provisions for positive discrimination for minority students.
Overall, the discussion emphasized the need to support Hungarian students in Transylvania through education and scholarship programs, with a focus on retaining talent in the region. By strengthening the higher education system and providing opportunities for young Hungarians to study and work in their homeland, the aim is to build a competitive and skilled workforce for the future.
