Balázs Hankó, the minister of culture and innovation, said Hungary's interest lies in the success of its university students "because the success of young people is the success of the nation".
Speaking at a press conference on the results and future plans of the Pannonia Scholarship Program launched one year ago, Balazs Hankó said 3,042 students participated in the program in the first semester. They studied at leading universities in the United States, Japan, China and the United Kingdom. With the number of participants set to reach 5,000 in the second semester, at least 8,000 students, instructors, and researchers a year will gain experience thanks to the programme, he added.
Hankó said "Brussels failed to exclude Hungarian students from international relations without any moral and legal basis" because "we are successful, and we came up with something better, something new". This is the Pannonia Program, which "showcases the excellence of Hungarian higher education and Hungarian students", he said.
Because the government wants to provide every opportunity for university students, it will spend 10 billion forints (EUR 25.1m) on the program this year, just as in 2024, the minister said.