Ambassador Katalin Bogyay (FRSA, FWAAS)

Biography

Ambassador Katalin Bogyay is an internationally acclaimed diplomat, author, university lecturer, and public speaker. She is the President of the United Nations Association - Hungary, the founder of ‘Women4Diplomacy’ international circle, founding member of the ‘Club of Women4Hungary’ and member of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO.  She served as Hungary’s 15th Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 2015-2020, as Hungary’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO (2009-2014) and was elected to President of UNESCO General Conference (2011-2013) in Paris. She was State Secretary for cultural diplomacy and international relations in education and science for Hungary between 2006-2009.  Katalin is the founding Director of the Hungarian Cultural Center in London Covent Garden (1999-2006) and the mastermind behind ‘Magyar Magic’, celebrated cultural season in the United Kingdom in 2003-2004. 

Prior her diplomatic career she worked as a television broadcaster, film maker, music and theatre critic in Budapest and London. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in the UK, and a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Science in the US, an International Advisory Board member of the World Science Forum and the  Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) and the President of The Arts and Cultural Diplomacy program at ICD.  She is an Honorary member of the London-based Imago-International Psychoanalytical Society and a Board member of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. Decorated by many Hungarian and international high-level awards inter alia in 2012, Glasgow University awarded her an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters for promoting globally cultural diversity and cultural diplomacy, and in 2016 she was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by Pannon University for her work in multilateral and cultural diplomacy.

Ambassador Bogyay was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit for her achievements in cultural diplomacy in 2014, and was awarded 2017 Women of Distinction-Global Leadership Award by international women rights organization ‘Celebrating Women International’, and Last Girl Leadership Award in 2020 by Apne Aap Women Worldwide women rights organization and the 2021 Countess Antonia Zichy Award for her outstanding role in international diplomacy and community building by the Hungarian Batthyany Foundation. She is an Honorary Citizen of Mór, her Hungarian hometown.