News

On May 17, an official MATE delegation traveled to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The delegation was led by Dr. Dávid Bencsik, International Director, and was joined by Viktória Marosi-Marczell, Deputy Head of Centre of International Strategy and Coordination, Dr. István Temesi, Associate Professor, Deputy Director of the Institute of Education, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, and Dr. Bernadett Kovács, Deputy Director, Institute for Rural Development and Sustainable Economy.

​​​​Our delegates were further accompanied by agricultural firms; József Zsiborás, Director of Sales at Vitafort Zrt, Dr. István Pomozi, Executive Director of Drem Kft, Kavalli, Jenő Helembai, Exports Director at Vitafort Zrt, and Attila Bencsik and Krisztina Tarina, Executive Directors at Albitech Kft and Glia, respectively. Our delegation - which was also part of the Agricultural Minister, Dr. István Nagy’s delegation - was also joined by Lilla Egri, Head of Department, and Judit Íjgyártó, Deputy Head of Department, both from the Ministry of Agriculture. The expatriates were warmly welcomed in Tbilisi by Ambassador Anna Mária Sikó - who provided a significant contribution to the composition of the program - as well as the First Deputy Gábor Mikecz.

​​​​​​The official program began on the 18th of May at the Tbilisi Innovation and Technology Agency with a laboratorium tour and an exploration of synergies with the agency’s management, along with several meetings with interested startup companies.
This was followed by a consultation which concerned inter-university cooperation as its primary focus, at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). At the conference, in addition to discussions on scientific cooperation, mobility and scholarship programs and opportunities, the involved parties also signed a memorandum which provided an institutional framework for the further development of relations between the universities.
The agreement was signed by International Directors Dr. Dávid Bencsik and Nikoloz Bakradze. In order to augment the collaboration between GIPA and MATE, Deputy Director Dr. István Temesi, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics and Deputy Director Dr. Bernadett Kovács, Institute of Rural Development and Sustainable Economics visited several departments and laboratories.

  
​​​​​​​​​​In the organisation of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the MATE delegation successfully presented an offer suitable for international markets, B2B meetings were organized for our delegation by Deputy Executive Director Magda Bolotashvili. The aim was to promote increased trading relations between the two countries.

​​​​​Rector Shalva Tchkadua and International Director Dr. Dávid Bencsik signed a cooperation agreement between the Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University of Georgia and MATE in the presence of Anna Mária Sikó, the Hungarian ambassador to Georgia, on May 19.
Following the embassy signing, the Head of the Georgian Farmers’ Association, General Director Tamar Toria, welcomed our delegation at the institution’s headquarters and provided extensive information on agricultural developments in Georgia. The Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA) was founded in 2012 as a non-commercial, non-profit legal entity. The organisation currently unites around 4,000 farmers throughout Georgia.

​​​​​​​The Association supports the dialogue between the government and farmers. GFA cooperates effectively with government organizations, contributed to the preparation of the Agricultural Development Strategy and participates in policy decision-making processes. The Association is a member of several governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Georgia Association of Agricultural and Rural Development (GAARD). In 2013, it became a partner of COPA-COGECA, the agricultural association of European farmers and cooperatives.

The Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia also received our delegation. First Deputy Minister Nino Tandilashvili and his colleagues held discussions with the MATE delegation. In this context, we presented the role and determination of MATE in the agricultural foreign market and our agricultural companies were also able to present themselves. The topics of the discussion were: capacity development, knowledge transfer, waste management, organic products and state-supported agricultural programs, potential joint project opportunities.

​​​​​​International Director Dr. Dávid Bencsik, Deputy Head of Center Viktória Marosi-Marczell, Dr. István Temesi, Associate Professor, Deputy Director of the Institute of Education, Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, Dr. Bernadett Kovács, Deputy Director, Institute for Rural Development and Sustainable Economy participated in a working dinner on May 19 with the leaders of the Georgia University of Public Service (GIPA).

On May 20, our delegation visited the center of the Iakob Gogebashvili Telavi State University in the Kaheti region, where Shalva Tchkadua, the Rector of the University, and Tamar Aslanishvili, the International Director, introduced the institution and initiated project-level relationship building.
After the university meeting, our delegation visited the WonderNut hazelnut farm and drying/storage plant. Our delegation was led by co-owner Sandro Nozadze. The facility has a size of 100 hectares and is currently preparing the development of a shell-crushing and processing factory.

On May 21, Viktória Marosi-Marczell, Deputy Head of Strategic and Coordination Center, and Jenő Helembai, Export Director representing Vitafort Kft., visited the TaoFood fish farm. The meeting provides an opportunity for MATE and Vitafort to cooperate, to launch a joint project with the Georgian partner.

​​​​​​​Minister of Agriculture Dr. István Nagy and Deputy State Secretary Oszkár Ökrös arrived in Tbilisi on May 22, and our MATE delegation joined the Minister of Agriculture in visiting the Jighaura State Plant Research Institute, which in 2021 visited by Rector Csaba Gyuricza Dr. and Campus Director Dr. Diána Nyitrainé. Levan Ujmajuridze, the Head of the Institute, presented the viticulture and winemaking development work, taking place on nearly 100 hectares. Afterwards, the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture and his delegation got to know the development of a regional fruit processing factory.