Periodization in Hungarian Studies – International Doctoral Conference in Nitra

The 8th International Conference on Hungarian Studies for Doctoral Schools was held between August 26 and 28, 2025. It was jointly organized by International Association for Hungarian Studies (IAHS) and the Faculty of Central European Studies at the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra. This year, it was the turn of our faculty to host this prestigious academic meeting, focusing on the topic of "Periodization in Hungarian Studies." During the three-day event, doctoral students from fourteen universities in five countries presented their latest research findings.

The conference started with the opening speeches of Zsófia Bárczi, member of the IAHS board and lecturer at our faculty, Andrea Seidler, president of the International Association for Hungarian Studies, and Ildikó Vančo, vice president of the International Association for Hungarian Studies and one of the main organizers of the conference. The conference sought to answer the question of how the various subdisciplines of Hungarian studies have developed their own concepts of eras, and what boundary concepts characterize historical and cultural self-interpretation. The diversity of the presentations in Hungarian and English reflected the richness of the questions raised: the spectrum ranged from the significance of historical era boundaries to the politics of memory in literary anniversaries and to ethnographic and anthropological identity attestations.

The first day was started by presentations of the Literary studies section. The professional exchange was followed by a lively discussion, and the evening ended with a formal reception, which gave participants the opportunity for informal conversation and networking.

On the morning of the second day, the presentations were held in three sections: Literary studies, History, and Music and theatre studies. In the afternoon, participants attended a small excursion to Banská Štiavnica, where the role of the tour guide was claimed by our colleague, Anikó N. Tóth. Thanks to her, the attendees gained an insight into the rich past and present of the picturesque mining town.

On the final day of the conference, we learned about the research of the speakers in the Linguistics and the Ethnography and cultural anthropology sections. The demonstrations focused on methodological and data collection issues, as well as the presentation of empirical research results, combining the practical and theoretical aspects of various disciplines.

In their closing speeches, Ildikó Vančo and Sándor Bene, General Secretary of the IAHS, emphasized the importance of doctoral research and reflected on the topics and questions raised during the conference. They highlighted that the work of doctoral students not only enriches academic discourse, but also ensures the next generation of Hungarian intellectuals. With this responsibility in mind, the conference served as an opportunity for young researchers to introduce themselves, engage in professional workshops, and build community.