The 2019/2020 academic year brought a lot of work, and beautiful but difficult tasks, too. It could end with the joy of completing them, for the benefit of our students and our communities, society.
According to our plans, we would have held the 89th central school year closing and graduation ceremony in Szeged on June 19 at the Gál Ferenc College. Unfortunately, in the distance education order due to the coronavirus epidemic, our traditional ceremony in the Klebelsberg Hall and the Thanksgiving Mass in the Duomo could not take place, but I would like to share the following thoughts with the citizens of our College, future University.
During the school year behind us, we faced a number of unforeseen obstacles, both for students, staff and faculty. Even in the spring semester, in the isolation caused by the coronavirus epidemic, everyone worked hard and dedicated, which was helped by the strengthened solidarity and trust during the period of interdependence. All this increased the efficiency of education and offices, brought about a methodological renewal, which accelerated the improvements aimed at efficiency. We are grateful to the Faculties and our public education institutions for their dedicated work!
We also achieved great things: the Hungarian Accreditation Committee accredited our College for another five years, and in the meantime we became a University. Both are significant milestones, and gaining the status of a university of applied sciences is already enshrined in the history of education. Operating as a university is a milestone from which we must move forward even faster, but even more stably, possessing all the achievements of knowledge and technology, saying all right.
On behalf of Gál Ferenc College and on my own behalf, I would like to express my gratitude for the 2019/2020. for the successful conclusion of the academic year, and at the same time congratulations to the graduates! This year we have nearly two thousand graduates, because our College was able to issue diplomas without a language exam to those who have graduated from the faculties of Szeged and Békés county in recent years. It is a pleasure that our Alumni circle is expanding in such a number, from then on we also welcome and are looking forward to them joining, and to their helpful cooperation, even to their further studies at our University.
Our next school year will be the 90th if we count from the foundation of Szeged in 1930, but it will be the 990th if we consider the operation of the chapter school established after the foundation of our maintaining Diocese in 1030 by our King St. Stephen.
In addition to the anniversaries, the most important thing is how effectively we fulfill the mission of our institution. In this, the indicator of efficiency is given by the degree of good service. To this end, I quote the words of our namesake, Professor Ferenc Gál, from his volume entitled On the Road to Completeness, symbolically understood as the path of our institution, the teaching-student community bearing its name. This refers to the words of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of John (Jn 15: 5), according to which, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit."
Ferenc Gál states: "So Christ wanted his efficiency to continue. With his help, we can achieve more and more. Studying his method also helps us not to confuse love with emotionality, powerlessness, and the abandonment of justice and by covering up sin. True love spreads the atmosphere of the kingdom of God. It exudes joy, gives impetus, heals wounds, straightens out crumbling footsteps, and cheers up discouraged faces. "
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Professor Ferenc Gál mentions efficiency in this and analyzes the method leading to more and more, when he gives a shockingly clear interpretation of the much-mentioned love, separating it from all the things we often encounter painfully today. And Ferenc Gál also says that true love gives joy, momentum, healing power, support and confidence.
