A hundred years ago, Kuno Klebelsberg established Hungarian cultural institutes abroad during an extremely difficult period in Hungarian history. Since then, the Liszt Institutes and Collegium Hungaricums - a total of 26 such institutes worldwide - have proven that they are able to support Hungary's international aspirations in a meaningful way, and that they carry the good name of Hungarian culture and our most precious values around the world. Last May Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák appointed Gábor Csaba as Deputy State Secretary to lead these Hungarian cultural institutes.
From what we have heard you joined the Ministry from the field of diplomacy. What were your most valuable experiences in your career so far?
I had been preparing to be a diplomat since I was 16 years old. After graduating in international relations from the Budapest University of Economics, I studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. from 1992 to 1994. It was an amazing experience shortly after the fall of communism to be the first Hungarian student to participate in the Master of Science in Foreign Service programme, which has been consistently ranked among the top diplomatic trainings in the world in recent years. Former and future leading foreign policy makers and diplomats (including Madeleine Albright, later US Secretary of State) taught at the university, and I gained important knowledge and skills in diplomacy in an extremely select international company which included, for example, Prince Felipe, who is now the King of Spain. My career led me to the Hungarian foreign service from there. During my extensive career at the Foreign Ministry, I worked in Washington, Canberra and Seoul before being invited by Minister Csák to be in charge of cultural diplomacy in the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.
What has changed since an active diplomat took over the leadership of these cultural institutes?
The work of our cultural institutes has always been deeply influenced by diplomacy, our colleagues as cultural diplomats have been carrying out the important mission of promoting Hungarian national interests for decades. This change, to which you are alluding, did certainly not happen because of me only. In fact, János Csák, the head of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, responsible for managing cultural diplomacy, is also an ex-diplomat. He previously led our embassy in London, and thus has some significant experience in this area as well. What I would refer to as the essence of the change is that last year these Hungarian cultural institutes "returned home" to the cultural ministry, where they were “born” and where they naturally belong. At the same time, of course, I am pleased that I can contribute to the continuation of this important mission with my own diplomatic experience.
How can cultural diplomacy help and support Hungarian foreign policy goals?
An important objective is to showcase our national cultural values as widely as possible, making a significant contribution to shaping the image of Hungary and Hungarians in other nations. Our starting point is really favourable since we have an extremely rich and diverse cultural heritage. In addition to shaping our country's image, we also assist cooperation in the scientific or higher education fields. Moreover, in close coordination and partnership with Hungarian diplomacy, we strive to contribute to the achievement of our international goals through the use of "soft power" tools. Kuno Klebelsberg's creed remains relevant in this regard, as he assigned a defining role to cultural diplomacy after World War I and the trauma caused by the Trianon Treaty to help Hungary redefine its place in the world and improve its international position and foreign perception.
What programmes can we expect in the near future?
While our foreign cultural programmes for this year are ongoing, the planning and organization of larger events expected to take place in 2024 are already in full swing. One such event is the Hungarian-Turkish Cultural Season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The programme series, called "The Century of Friendship and Cooperation," will kick off with an opening event in Budapest this December, with the closing event set to take place in Turkiye at the end of next year. The plan is to hold one hundred programmes at various locations both in Turkiye and Hungary in 2024, including book launches, dance theatre performances, concerts and exhibitions. Our general cultural diplomacy goal, for which a highlighted season like this presents an excellent opportunity, is to organize spectacular, high-quality cultural programmes that are close together in time and occasionally intertwined in a given country, thus creating a lasting cultural presence and making a noticeable impact on the local people. In other words, we organize side events, literary and musical evenings, smaller exhibitions, and film screenings around one or more truly grand events.
Will you take advantage of the Hungarian EU presidency, which lasts for half a year from July 2024?
Of course! The EU presidency puts us in the spotlight, so during those six months we can use the increased attention towards Hungary to showcase our cultural values. We have a similar opportunity with the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, where - like in previous Olympics - we want to make Hungary's appearance at the global sporting event even more memorable with a spectacular cultural programme series in addition to the successes of our athletes. And we have another big event that we already foresee: the 2025 World Expo, which will be held in Osaka. Hungary performed extremely well in Dubai, and our intention is to repeat that success in Japan.
Besides these grand events, you also have many other tasks to fulfil. I believe you recently visited Ljubljana and Zagreb. What was the purpose of your trip?
The network of the Hungarian cultural institutes has a wide ranging mission that includes the support of Hungarian communities abroad and serving the needs of the Hungarian diaspora. Culture is also a natural tool to introduce our core values to the general public in the host countries. The success of these efforts requires good cooperation between the Hungarian cultural institutes and the leading institutions of the local cultural scene. As the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble performed "Ezararcú Délvidék," a show based on the multicultural dances of the historical southern regions of Hungary, at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb at the end of March, I timed my official programme around this highly anticipated event. I met with the State Secretary for Culture in Slovenia and was received by the Croatian Minister of Culture, the State Secretary for Higher Education, and the head of Cultural Diplomacy in the Foreign Ministry in Zagreb. Additionally, I met leaders of several cultural institutions in both capitals to discuss opportunities for collaboration and partnership. I would like to continue these working visits in the future, starting with our neighbouring countries and those geographically closer and of particular importance to Hungarian foreign policy. It is essential for us to have good relations with all neighbouring countries, the Visegrad Four, the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as to fulfil the important mission of cultural diplomacy towards our European and American allies or in the Far East. The conveyance of the diverse and rich Hungarian culture is of great value to us in all these regions.
source: Magyar Nemzet