How has the legacy of the Battle of Mohács shaped Hungarian cultural memory? What role can history education play in strengthening international cooperation? These were among the questions explored at the closing conference and book launch of Mohács 500 Dialogue project, held on July 30 at MCC's Budapest headquarters.
The event was opened by Dr. Milán Constantinovits, MCC's Director of Professional and Educational Affairs, Ahmet Cem Durak, Lecturer at TEV İnanç and the project's Turkish coordinator, and Dr. János Setényi, Director of the Learning Institute.
The professional program began with a keynote lecture by Dr. Kristóf Szuromi, Assistant Professor at the Institute of History of Pázmány Péter Catholic University, who explored how the Battle of Mohács has evolved in Hungarian historical memory from a military defeat into a defining national symbol.
The conference also featured the presentation of the English language volume Mohács 500 Dialogue: Centuries of Conflict and Connections by Dr. Richárd Fodor, Head of Research at the Learning Institute and the project's academic lead. The publication is the outcome of a twelve month Hungarian-Turkish collaboration involving four international student groups and sixteen secondary school students, supported by teachers, mentors, historians, and experts in history education.
Rather than promoting a single historical narrative, the project encouraged Hungarian and Turkish students to compare sources, exchange perspectives, and examine how cultural and national backgrounds influence historical memory. During the conference, the four teams presented their research in English, covering topics ranging from the Battle of Mohács and the 1683 Siege of Vienna to early Turkish Hungarian cultural relations and the history of Hungarian political émigrés in the Ottoman Empire.
The event concluded with a panel discussion on the project's achievements and the role of international cooperation in history education. Participants highlighted meaningful cross border dialogue and collaborative research as the initiative's greatest strengths, demonstrating how talented secondary school students can produce high quality academic work with expert guidance.
The Mohács 500 Dialogue project was implemented through the cooperation of MCC's Learning Institute, MCC's High School Program, and TEV İnanç Türkeş Özel Lisesi.
