Each year, the Zebegény gathering serves as a nonpolitical meeting and networking opportunity for those wanting to build a better future for Hungary and the region by helping younger generations through educational and business opportunities in both the US and Europe. The program was established in 2008 and builds into a broader multi-year program that engages a growing alumni and professional business community through alumni activities and other networking and cultural events. As a result, the scholarships are the foundation of CEI’s long-term overarching mission to foster relationships between the US and Hungary.
The most recent Zebegény Alumni Summit took place on June 1st, 2019 in Zebegeny, Hungary, and brought together alumni of the Quinnipiac HABL program, HIF’s graduate scholarship alumni, as well as HIF’s fellowship and internship alumni in order to provide a networking opportunity with Hungarian policy makers and an educational component for their further professional and personal advancement.
The guest of honor of the event was Wess Mitchell, Vice Chairman of the CEPA Board who held an alumni-only seminar for the participating alumni, followed by welcome remarks from Chris Ball, honorary consul of Hungary in Connecticut and Széchenyi Chair in Economics and Director of Quinnipiac University’s Central European Institute (CEI) and HIF Executive Director Anna Smith Lacey, as well as an Award Presentation for Vizi E Szilveszter, President of the Friends of Hungary Foundation. The event was followed by a poolside reception. Among the distinguished guests were members of HIF’s Board of Directors: Ambassador April H.Foley, The Hon.Tamas Fellegi, Edith Lauer, Janos Martonyi, Perenyi Zsigmond.
The Zebegény Alumni Summit was made possible by Christian Sauska.
