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More than 30,000 students are starting the new academic year at the University of Debrecen, of whom around 10,500 are first-year students. The institution of higher education, which has the broadest range of courses in the country, held it’s opening senate meeting on Sunday, where the freshmen were inducted, and awards were presented.
The students, led by the University of Debrecen’s faculty, marched into the opening senate meeting with gerunds symbolising the faculties of the University. On Monday, the university will start its 486th academic year. At the ceremony, Zoltán Szilvássy, Rector of the University of Debrecen, said that the University of Debrecen is now a brand backed by the spirit of the spirit that started almost 500 years ago.
Some 10,500 first-year students, 8,300 of them Hungarian, will start the academic year this year. In the history of modern university education in Debrecen, after the first year in 1914, this is the 110th group of students starting their university studies.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University’s foundation György Kossa, said that the opening of the academic year is a celebration in the university’s life.
“We are also celebrating that in 2021, our university switched to a new operating model, which strengthened the university’s autonomy, ensured the independence of science, education and management, the integration, present and future of the University of Debrecen,” he pointed out.
State Secretary for Higher Education Veronika Varga-Bajusz emphasised that the model change had brought a successful turnaround in higher education in recent years, and universities’ competitiveness, flexibility, predictability, and autonomy had changed fundamentally.
“The results of our universities speak for themselves; the institutions have nearly 6,000 more active students, the drop-out rate has improved, 3,500 more students have been able to continue their studies, and 1,200 more are progressing faster,” Veronika Varga-Bajus said.
One secret to the success of the city and the university is the collaborative use of knowledge, which drives not only individuals but also communities and municipalities. Mayor László Papp spoke about this at the opening of the university year.
”Together we have sought answers to the economic and environmental challenges, to the difficulties of foreign and security policy, to the tasks facing the development of industry, because only by joining forces and linking knowledge centres will we be able to respond to the challenges ahead in a well-founded way,” László Papp said.
The ceremony also included the presentation of the Cívis Honoris Causa award, which this year was given to Erik Bogsch, the former head of the pharmaceutical giant Richter.
“It is a great honour and a great pleasure for me because we have a very good relationship with the University of Debrecen and the city of Debrecen because we have our biotechnology plant here, which is perhaps the most important area for Richter in the future,” Erik Bogsch said.
An unusual graduation ceremony was also held at the opening of the academic year. Alexander Liu Shaolin and his brother Liu Shaoang just received their diplomas.
Source: debrecen.hu
