Associate professor emeritus elected vice president of International Association for Hungarian Studies

University of Tartu Faculty of Arts and Humanities Associate Professor Tõnu Seilenthal has been a member of the association since 1977. In August this year he was named vice president of the association. The new position highlights Seilenthal’s contribution to developing Hungarian studies in Tartu and Estonia.

According to Tõnu Seilenthal, being elected vice president shows that the word has noticed and recognised the work done at the University of Tartu with teaching and studying the Hungarian language for more than 20 years. “The strengthening of Tartu’s position in the community of Hungarian studies enables to successfully continue and initiate several international joint projects,” said the new vice president.

Tõnu Seilenthal has been an active member of the International Association for Hungarian Studies since 1977. In 2006–2016 he was a member of the board. In 2011 the association awarded him for his services in developing Hungarian studies in Tartu and Estonia with the highest prize of the association—the János Lotz Medallion.

Seilenthal is the Head of Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples, Head of the Department of Finno-Ugric Studies, Research Fellow in Hungarian Lexicography and Associate Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

The International Association for Hungarian studies was founded in 1977 and it brings together researchers and lecturers of the Hungarian language, culture and society from 68 education or research institutions of 29 countries, from Japan and South Korea and nearly all European countries to Canada and the US. 

The association currently has 734 members. It is a central body which mediates information about activities related to Hungarian studies in Hungary and abroad and shares the information with the members as a well as with everyone interested on their website (http://www.nmtt.hu). The association is a member of the UNESCO Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes.

Tõnu Seilenthal was elected vice president of the association on 26 August 2016 at the VIII Congress of Hungarian Studies in Hungary. The general meeting of the International Association of Hungarian Studies took place at the congress and new managing bodies were elected.