Leading American and German diplomats, members of the Marshall Center’s Hungarian alumni network, as well as Hungarian and international security policy experts were welcomed by Dr. Ákos Péter Mernyei, Director General for International Affairs at the Ludovika University of Public Service. The Director General highlighted the importance of the role of the Marshall Center and the University of Public Service in providing training programs serving the public good, recalling that the cooperation between the two institutions can be traced back to 2013.
Brigadier General (Ret.) Rolf Wagner, German Deputy Director of the Marshall Center, added that members of the global alumni network should maintain their valuable relations with each other and the Marshall Center. Built on a German-American partnership, the Marshall Center celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, having provided professional programs to nearly 16,000 security policy officials from 162 countries since 1993.
Derek Westfall, Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the United States of America in Budapest, emphasized the U.S. commitment to George Marshall’s legacy in the 21st century. The Counselor reminded that 2024 will also have important milestones: next year marks the 75th anniversary of NATO’s foundation and the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s NATO membership.
Ambassador Julia Gross from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Budapest confirmed that NATO remains the cornerstone of Europe’s collective defense, highlighting the Marshall Center’s role in strengthening the transatlantic alliance. The Ambassador added that the cooperation between members of the alliance is still necessary today.
Members of the Marshall Center’s Hungarian alumni also discussed contemporary U.S. foreign policy challenges with Counselor Derek Westfall, Prof. Heinrich Kreft, Head of the Center for Diplomacy at Andrássy University Budapest, and Dr. Balázs Mártonffy, Director of the Institute for American Studies at the Ludovika University of Public Service.
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies offers wide-ranging security policy programs (including defense cooperation, counterterrorism, and cooperation in cyber security) to allied and partner countries of the United States and Germany. Program participants primarily include government officials who later become members of the Marshall Center’s global alumni network. Hungarian alumni members held their annual meetings for the third time in a row since 2021 at the Ludovika University of Public Service.
