The opening of the Ludovika Turkic Studies Research Workshop (LTSR), focusing on the cultural, political, and economic aspects of the Turkic world, was held on September 22 in the Saint Ladislaus Chapel at the Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS).
“At LUPS, we educate those who will serve the homeland in national security, diplomacy, or public administration,” emphasized Rector Gergely Deli in his opening address. “Our students need the broadest possible understanding of the world, which requires openness, international relations, and collaboration among researchers. The new research workshop provides a platform, a bridge between Hungary and the Turkic countries.”
Liliana Śmiech, Director General for International Affairs at LUPS, stressed that “young people shape the future, and the university must provide them with opportunities, tools, and connections, since their future work will serve all of us.”
In his keynote, Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary for International Communication at the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, recalled that LUPS was established in the service of the homeland and has never lost that exemplary focus. “The university must remain a meeting point where ideas and theories are transformed into political solutions. As the world changes, so does science: beyond theoretical thinking, there is an ever-growing need for applicable, practical answers.”
“Turkology is not only a linguistic field but also a cultural and historical discipline; not nostalgia, but heritage, tradition, and culture — the foundation of modern national identity,” underlined Shahin Mustafayev, President of the International Turkic Academy.
The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) represents the common interests of its member states, highlighted Turhan Dilmaç, Head of Department at the Center for Strategic Research of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the panel discussion Strategic Vision – Political and Diplomatic Perspectives. The session was moderated by Liliana Śmiech and featured Rusif Huseynov, Director of the Topchubashov Center (Azerbaijan), Sanjar Valiyev, Director of the Center for Foreign Policy Studies and International Initiatives (Uzbekistan), and László Vasa, Senior Advisor at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and LTSR.
“Decades ago, Turkic identity was perhaps weaker, but today people proudly embrace it alongside their Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, or Uzbek national identity,” noted participants in the panel Geopolitics of the Turkic World – Academic and Institutional Leadership, moderated by Noémi Pálfalvi, Senior Advisor at the Danube Institute. Panelists included Yaşar Sari, Director of the Haydar Aliyev Eurasian Studies Center at Ibn Haldun University (Turkey); Vasif Huseynov, Head of Department at the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center, Azerbaijan); Edil Osmonbetov, Director of Analysis at the Center for International Relations Analysis (CIRA, Kyrgyzstan); and Akram Umarov, First Vice-Rector of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Uzbekistan).
The official opening concluded with the panel Connectivity – Energy, Trade, and Transport, moderated by Dávid Bíró, Coordinator of LTSR. The discussion featured Vusala Jafarova, Head of the Turkic World Research Center at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (Azerbaijan); Aigul Kosherbayeva, Secretary for Academic and Research Affairs at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS); Blanka Kovács, Policy Advisor to the State Secretary for Circular Economy and Climate Policy at Hungary’s Ministry of Energy; and Erhan Turbedar, Chief Economic Advisor at the Turkic Investment Fund.
A more detailed report on the opening can be read in Hungarian on the university’s academic portal, ludovika.hu.
Text: Tibor Sarnyai
Photo: Dénes Szilágyi