The keys to success: do not panic, be a team player, and find balance in your life

More than 250 foreign students have commenced their studies in the English based programme in the academic year 2016/17.

"Ever since the university’s predecessor was founded in 1782, the faculty members have been striving to provide high quality education to you", stressed Károly Veszprémi, vice-rector for education delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the academic year, wishing the students commencing their English language studies a successful year. The vice-rector pointed out that knowledge gained while studying abroad, even though sometimes it is harder to come by than at home, in a familiar linguistic and cultural environment, gives the students skills that will prove useful in their professional careers and beyond.

Students from close on 50 countries are going to face the challenges of the new academic year at BME. China gave the most students, 30 in total, but a great number of them came from Azerbaijan, Iran, Algeria, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Jordan, too. The majority of the students applied online. Nearly a hundred of them are enrolled in MSc or PhD programmes.

The number of those admitted to regular BSc programmes has increased compared with previous years. Most of them applied individually, that is they did not do it under intergovernmental cooperations, which goes to show BME’s growing reputation and the success of the university’s promotion campaigns.

The number of Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holders has been growing from year to year, this year some 200 new scholarship holders arrived at the university.

The presiding chair of the opening ceremony of the academic year was György Ádám Horváth, assistant lecturer at the Department of Environmental Economics of BME GTK. The presidium, entering to the tune of Gaudeamus Igitur, was made up of Tamás  Lovas, vice-dean (ÉMK), Tibor Szalay, associate professor, head of department (GPK), Gábor Nemes, vice-dean (ÉPK), Zoltán Hórvölgyi, vice-dean (VBK), Károly Veszprémi, vice-rector for education, Eszter Udvary Gerhát, associate professor (VIK), András Szabó, vice-dean (KJK), István Prok, vice-dean (TTK), and Benedek Láng, vice-dean (GTK).

The text of the the solemn oath of the students was read out by Magdolna H. Pálinkás, assistant lecturer at the English Department of GTK.

"The three keys to success: do not panic, be a team player, and find balance in your life. If you keep these in mind you will spend great years at the university, and in this awesome city", Georg Jürgen Tepfenhart, MSc student in mechanical engineering advised the freshmen, sharing with them his personal experiences with the initial hardships.

Dániel Farkas, first-year student in mechanical engineering addressed the audience on behalf of the freshmen. "We may not seize all opportunities lying at our feet, but as the old saying goes, luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation. So we commit to studying at BME, and establishing lasting relationships with those we meet along the way”, he said.

Upon conferring the now traditionally awarded „In Memoriam Charles Polónyi Foundation” scholarship, Gábor Nemes, associate professor, vice-dean of the Faculty of Architecture lauded the lifetime achievement of Charles Polónyi. The faculty founded the scholarship, whose size corresponds to that of the tuition fee, to annually emphasize the significance of foreign language architect training in 2004. Last year’s awardee, Aryan Choroomi shared this year’s scholarship with his fellow countryman, the Iranian Mahnaz Valizadeh Farid. The certificates were conferred upon them by the widow of Charles Polónyi, Mrs. Anikó Polónyi.

Károly Polónyi (1928-2002), Ybl Award winning architect, a graduate of BME, was the lead architect of IPARTERV. In Hungary he was involved in, among others, architectural design for the Balaton region, and acted as head of the Department for Urban Planning and Architecture of Budapest. As an expert on urban planning he worked on major projects in Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria and Ethiopia for some 20 years beginning in 1960. He built Kumasi Technological University in Ghana, and started the faculty of architecture at the institution. He did urban planning for the city of Calabar, Nigeria, and development planning for Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. In the latter city the Revolution (now Meskel) Square was designed by him. Károly Polónyi was a visiting professor at several renowned universities abroad, and the sole Hungarian member of Team X bringing together modernist architects. He was passionate about training the new generation in Hungary and abroad alike. In 1980 he had founded the foreign language architect training programme of BME, which he was head of until 1998. He was the defining figure of the diverse professional, public, pedagogical, and diplomatic activities by which the university   established its extensive international relations.

The presiding chair of the opening ceremony, György Ádám Horváth inspired the students for the academic year with Stephen Hawking’s thoughts: "Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away."

HA - TJ

Photo: Philip János