On September 24, 1870, among the higher education institutions of Europe, for the first time in the Budapest University of Hungary the Department of Turkology was established. In this regard, on September 24 of this year an international videoconference under the motto "The Present and Future of Turkology" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the creation of this department was held.

Opening the conference, the chairman of the Georg Hazai Foundation, Cecilia Hazai, noted that well-known representatives of the Turkic World, international experts and scientists are taking part in the event. She emphasized the importance of the activities of the first department of Turkology in the preservation of the rich culture of the Turkic peoples. Cecilia Hazai spoke about the development of Turkology in various European countries, about the need to attract young people to this area on an international scale and also noted the importance of carrying out work to familiarize the peoples of Europe with the spiritual and cultural values of the Turkic World.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva addressed the conference.

In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva stressed that the creation of the first department of Turkology in Hungary is an important event that left a significant mark on the life and the development of science and culture of both Hungarians and Turkic-speaking peoples. She said that for 150 years the Department of Turkology at the University of Budapest has created research areas that have contributed to the development of the science in the international arena and has also nurtured famous Turkologists.

During the meeting, Afandiyeva spoke about the activities of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, conferences and seminars organized abroad, and also highlighted new events in the framework of the preservation and promotion of the heritage and culture of the Turkic-speaking peoples in the world.

Noting that Hungary is an observer country of the organization, the President of the Foundation spoke about the planned joint programs and projects for further development of relations.

In conclusion, Gunay Afandiyeva noted that the Hungarian and Turkic-speaking peoples have common roots, a rich cultural heritage and spoke about the importance of carrying out necessary work to preserve this rich heritage and pass it on to future generations.

The Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies and the head of the Department of Turkic Studies at Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest Benedek Pèri;

Professor of the Vienna University Claudia Römer; Professor of the University of Birmingham Rhoads Murphy; Professor of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Elisabetta Ragagnin; professor and chair of the Department of Kazakh Language and Turkic Studies at Nazarbayev University Uli Schamiloglu; teacher of the Department of Turkish Language and Literature of the University of Istanbul Mücahit Kacar, and many other scientists, who participated in the event, discussed prospect for further development of Turkology.