Washington, DC – The Hungarian American Coalition (Coalition) approved a grant of $30,000 for the Bolyai Society (Bolyai Társaság), Babeş-Bolyai University’s foundation in Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár), Romania. The grant is made possible by a donation to the Coalition from the Cultural Foundation for Transylvania (CFT).

The Bolyai Society foundation is one of the background institutions of Hungarian higher education in Romania. Its goal is to support and represent a legitimate and well-founded community demand for the establishment of an autonomous Hungarian higher education institution system, including a state-funded university. Bolyai Society, which was founded in 1990 in Cluj Napoca, currently operates a university publisher (Egyetemi Műhely Kiadó); offers grants; hosts a guest teacher program; organizes conferences; and runs a library.

The grant will contribute to modernizing the foundation’s website and online appearance; publication of manuscripts and re-release of previously issued publications; the implementation of research programs and events; and certain infrastructure investments.

In the summer of 2017, the Coalition signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Cultural Foundation for Transylvania (CFT), whereby the Coalition agreed to implement cultural projects in Transylvania in accordance with decisions made by the Board of Directors of both organizations.

The Coalition has begun disbursing grants for cultural and educational purposes. In December 2017, the first approved project was to accept the extensive specialized library of Mr. Daniel Lövy, a DC-based Holocaust researcher originally from Cluj, and to cover the costs of transporting it to the Jewish Community in Cluj, a non-profit organization; and in March 2018, the Coalition also approved a grant of $45,000 for Korunk, a well-known Hungarian literary magazine in Cluj.

In 2018, the Coalition’s leadership will continue to work with CFT to select further grantees and disburse all remaining funds.