At the invitation of the Control Yuan (CY), Dr. Máté Szabó, former Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary and current guest lecturer at Soochow University, delivered a speech on “The Role of Ombudsman in European Countries in the Human Rights Issues” on June 9, 2015.
Dr. Szabó, who had served as Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary from 2007 through 2013, has comprehensive understanding of the European ombudsman institutions and networks. In his speech, he offered some valuable suggestions as to how to increase CY’s global presence and international participation. He thanked the CY for giving him the opportunity to meet with the Fifth CY members and exchange practical experience and research on handling maladministration and protecting human rights, before he returns to Hungary later this month.
This is Dr. Szabó’s third time visiting the CY, following two previous visits in March and November 2013. He has always been interested in the CY’s powers and functions.
Dr. Szabó is conducting a course on European human rights institutions and social movements at Soochow University. He has studied the Constitution of the Republic of China and the human rights status in the country. He was impressed by the high education level and global competitiveness of Taiwanese students, saying that this well demonstrates the country’s soft power. When he is not teaching, Dr. Szabó spends time touring Taiwan. He has visited Sun Moon Lake, Chiayi, Hualien, and Taitung, as well as Kinmen and Penghu. Dr. Szabó admires Taiwan’s democratic achievements, people and culture, as well as its efforts to promote international artistic exchanges.
Dr. Szabó received his doctoral degree in political science from the Hungarian Academy of Science in 1996, specializing in civil society, social movement, the law and political theory. He enjoyed a strong presence in many international organizations, including the International Ombudsman Institution and the European Network of Ombudsman when he was Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary from 2007 through 2013. It was during these overseas occasions when Dr. Szabó befriended some members of the Control Yuan.