International Culture Week in Pécs

International Culture Week in Pécs (ICWiP) is a thematic student festival held in Pécs, Hungary, every year in the end of July. The first festival was organized in 1997. By bringing together students from many different parts of the world, the students of Janus Pannonius University (now called the University of Pécs) wanted to create an event that would be both a conference and a festival, and at the same time a venue for intercultural communication. At the first festival in 1997, students from more than 20 countries participated.

ICWiP has grown to one of the largest thematic student festivals in the Central Eastern Europe and the Alps-Adriatic region. Each year festival has a certain theme, which also gives a guideline for seminars and lectures. The festival wants to be a venue for overcoming cultural, political and religious prejudice, in order to promote tolerance and understanding. In year 2008 ICWiP was chosen to be a part of the official Hungarian programme of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Festival is also part of the official programme of the Pécs European Capital of Culture in year 2010.

Themes

• 1997 - 1st International Culture Week in Pécs
• 1998 - “EUrAugust”
• 1999 - “In Search of Youth Culture”
• 2000 - “ Eutopia? Change through Exchange!”
• 2001 - “MediArt! Welcome to the real world!”
• 2002 - “W(H)Omen –Human Gender Topics!”
• 2003 - “Back to the Future: Europe in 2023–The golden Age of Democracy”
• 2004 - ”rEUnion”
• 2005 - ”Communicate & Co-operate!”
• 2006 - “Inherit 2 Innovate”
• 2007 - “edyYOUcate!”
• 2008 - “Naturally Youth!”

Notes

• Homepage of the Pécs, European Capital of Culture 2010
• ICWiP in the Intercultural Dialogue 2008
• History of ICWiP
• South Transdanubian Regional Marketing Directorate of Hungarian National Tourist Office: International Culture Week in Pécs, Pécsi Nemzetközi Kulturhet. 2006.
• Celeb Nations. Student Festivals Across the World. SIEN-quarterly vol.IV, No 2. SIEN-foundation 2006, Hungary.