Intercultural exchange: Pécs Winter School has begun

In January, Pécs Winter School Program began at the University of Pécs, where forty Chinese students are participating in a three-week winter university program dedicated to European art and culture. Participants were welcomed with a ceremonial opening on January 19 in the Damján Vargha Hall of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, where Dr. Péter Várnagy, Vice Dean for External Relations, greeted the students.

The International Centre of the University of Pécs is once again organising its winter university programme, Pécs Winter School, to which two Chinese partner institutions, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Global College and Shandong University, are sending students this time. The aim of the programme is to provide international participants with a deeper understanding of European culture and art.

The academic course entitled "European Art and Culture – from the Perspective of a Central European City" is provided by lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, while the International Centre's Study Abroad and Summer University Office is responsible for the overall organisation of the program.

A total of 40 Chinese students will take part in educational and cultural activities as part of the three-week intensive programme. Education is not limited to lectures: participants will learn about the diversity of European art and culture through museum visits, library sessions, and other programs offered by cultural institutions in Pécs.

Dr. Gyöngyi Pozsgai, Head of Study Abroad and Summer University Office of PTE, introduced the university to the students, giving them an overview of its academic and cultural environment and welcoming them to Pécs as international scholars. Dr. Péter Várnagy—Vice Dean for External Relations of the University of Pécs—welcomed the students with a Hungarian folk song. Afterwards, in her welcoming address, Dr. Adrienne Gálosi—Associate Professor in the Department of Aesthetics and Cultural Studies—presented Pécs as a historic crossroads between East and West, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and its role as a welcoming academic home for international students. Furthermore, she introduced the Program’s student coordinators, Dorina Ugny, Viktória Jenik, and Gréta Szántó, who guarantee the Chinese students’ social experience during their stay.

The academic elements are complemented by a rich cultural and leisure program. Among other things, participants will visit Siklós Castle, explore the Villány wine region, and conclude the programme with a two-day study trip to Budapest.

The Shanghai partner institution is sending its students to the PTE Winter University for the fourth time, while students from Shandong University are participating in the programme for the very first time. The Pécs Winter School was launched in 2020 by the International Centre with the aim to organise several winter programmes at the university each year in addition to the summer schools. As a result of the successful programs, more and more international students are returning to PTE for longer courses.