25 Facts About Katalin Bogyay

Katalin Annamaria Bogyay was born on 20 August 1956 and is a Hungarian ambassador, diplomat, journalist and the President of the United Nations Association of Hungary since April 2021.

Katalin Bogyay has been a lecturer at the Corvinus University of Budapest since 2022, and teaching at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy since 2021.

Katalin Bogyay served as the 15th Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations in New York.

Katalin Bogyay is the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Delegate of Hungary to UNESCO and the President of the 36th session of UNESCO General Conference.

Katalin Bogyay graduated in Economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest and obtained a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Westminster with Chevening Scholarship.

Katalin Bogyay began her career as a theatre and music critic, later becoming a presenter, producer and senior editor of Music and the Arts at the Hungarian National Television.

Katalin Bogyay was the director of the Centre until 2006.

In 2007 Katalin Bogyay was selected by the London School of Economics as one of the Top 50 thinkers in the publication EU The Next Fifty Years.

Katalin Bogyay succeeded Davidson L Hepburn who presided the 35th session.

Katalin Bogyay was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the UN in New York and took office as head of the Hungarian Mission to the UN in New York on 1 January 2015.

Katalin Bogyay is a vocal advocate of women's empowerment, a Gender Champion and started a thematic meeting series of the Circle of Women Ambassador in the UN to cover issues such as implementation of the SDGs or preventive diplomacy.

Katalin Bogyay was appointed to the 'Nelson Mandela Prize 2020' Selection Committee.

Katalin Annamaria Bogyay will be member of the General Committee of the 75th UN General Assembly.

Katalin Bogyay is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and of the World Academy of Art and Science.

In 2013, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the International Fair Play Committee Katalin Bogyay was awarded the Special Trophy of Fair Play to her contribution in sports diplomacy.

Katalin Bogyay is an International Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and President of the Program The Arts and Cultural Diplomacy.

Ambassador Katalin Bogyay is an International Advisory Board Member of the Institute of Advanced Studies Koszeg.

In 2016 she received the Global Citizenship Award from the James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation for embodying the characteristics of honor, intelligence, benevolence, and integrity Ambassador Katalin Bogyay received an Honorary Professor distinction from the Utah Valley University in April 2016.

Katalin Bogyay is a member of the Athena 40 Global Committee.

In 2020, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, Ambassador Katalin Bogyay has received 'The Last Girl Leadership Award' raising the awareness and championing the global fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Katalin Bogyay is a founding member of the Women for Hungary Club, an organisation that was established with the aim of making the family and career complementary and not conflicting factors in Hungarian women's lives.

Katalin Bogyay is Honorary Citizen of the City of Mor In 2021, she received the Countess Antonia Zichy Award for her outstanding role in international diplomacy and community building.

Katalin Bogyay has become member of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO.

In 2025, Katalin Bogyay received the Athena40 Award in the UN SDGs Ambassador category in London, recognising her dedication and lifetime achievements in cultural diplomacy and her leadership in women's empowerment and gender equality.

Katalin Bogyay has published several books: a biography on Hungarian actress Margit Dajka as well as another biographical work on Janos Pilinszky, a Hungarian poet.