CEU Celebrates the Beginning of Academic Year 2009/2010
CEU began its 19th Academic Year with an intake of 541 new students from nearly 70 countries. They join the doctoral, the second year Master’s and the undergraduates already at the university, to create a student body of more than 1600, from almost 100 countries. In due course they will join the alumni body of more than 8,500 in as many countries.
The Year Opening Ceremony took place in the Ceremonial Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on September 18th. CEU President and Rector, Professor John Shattuck gave the opening remarks and welcomed students, faculty and honored guests present. He expressed his delight in the fact that the 2009/2010 Academic Year has the largest and most diverse group of new students in CEU’s history, who joined the global CEU laboratory in the common pursuit of truth. President Shattuck reminded the audience of how CEU was created, during a time of historic transformation, out of a vision that a university could help build an open society. He outlined that under his leadership CEU would strive to become a new model for international education, a major convener on the international challenges of [our] time, and a source of support around the world for building open and democratic societies that respect human rights. (The transcript of his speech begins here and continues on p. 3. The full transcript is available on http://www.ceu.hu/news/2009-09-30/john-shattucks-welcome-address-ceu-opening-ceremony-2009).
The opening keynote address was delivered by Dr Andras Batta, Rector, Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest. In his introductory remarks President Shattuck emphasized to CEU students the vitality of Hungarian cultural life, and the central role that Budapest plays as the host city of CEU. Rector Batta’s speech highlighted the similarities between the two universities: one of the first shared values being the principle of learning and further education. Both institutions also had inspiring and important missions, excellent faculties, superb programs and international outreach, he went on to say. Rector Batta also noted that just as the knowledge gained during studies at CEU bring great economic and social benefit to the world, knowledge gained at the Liszt Academy, in the field of music, also has the potential to bring people together and provoke thoughtful change and development. In closing, he mentioned that the year 2011 will be an important date for both institutions: CEU will celebrate its 20th anniversary, while the Liszt Academy honors the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Liszt.
Following university tradition, CEU community members representing alumni, incoming students and faculty took part in the ceremony. Jennifer Lenhart, MESPOM Graduate (2007), Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, welcomed incoming students, while incoming Master’s student, Bakhtyar Lotfi, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, represented the new AY 2009/2010 students. Katalin Farkas, Head, Department of Philosophy, spoke on behalf of the faculty. Dr. Rositsa Bateson, Vice President of Student Services, acted as Master of Ceremonies for the event.
A reception and concert organized by the CEU Student Union and the CEU Center for Arts and Culture, and sponsored by the office of CEU President and Rector, followed the Year Opening Ceremony in Aranytiz Community Center, featuring the Eszter Biró Quintet. The evening provided a relaxed atmosphere for students and faculty to mingle and share their ideas and plans about the upcoming academic year.
