The University Is One of the Key Pillars for Building Our Future

In his speech, Viktor Orbán emphasized that 22 years have passed until the establishment of the National University of Public Service, although there are similar institutions in almost every country belonging to the same cultural domain as Hungary.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the government has been working at a stepped-up pace since 2010, which produced far-reaching changes. As a result of these, Hungary is now performing better than the Western European states in handling the crisis hitting Europe. This work, however, is far from being complete. The government is currently laying the foundations for ensuring the free life and decent living of the Hungarian people in the Carpathian Basin for the long term, and the establishment of the university is a perfect example of these state-building efforts, of these consciously planned, coherent set of changes which result in a well-running country.

In his speech, the premier stated that the renewal of the Ludovika Campus is one of the largest city development projects in Budapest after the change of regime. This is important because following an upturn in the period between 1998 and 2002, the condition of the capital began to deteriorate quite seriously, yet Hungary’s renewal cannot take place without the renewal of Budapest.

Viktor Orbán said that the National University of Public Service (NUPS) will provide the young people choosing the service of the homeland as their vocation with a strong sense of identity, up-to-date professional knowledge and motivation. Thus the university forms one of the key pillars for building our own future. Thanks to the interconnected careers ensuring mobility, those working in the field of public service will be able to pursue a stabile and at once flexible career path in a merit-based promotion system. This is a new 21st-century institution of higher education whose missions are the continuous renewal of the Hungarian statehood, the protection of the strong state and through it, the protection of Hungarian people and their interests.

“Only the nations with strong state organizations can have a strong homeland", the Prime Minister stated, and went on pointing out that the establishment of the university and the renewal of the Ludovika Campus demonstrate that Hungary looks to the future again and invests in it instead of using it up. Viktor Orbán thanked the students for having decided to pursue their careers in public service, and called them on to commit themselves to the service of national interests. “Lift Hungary up because it deserves that" – he said in closing his speech.

Before the Prime Minister’s speech, Dr. András Patyi, the rector of the NUPS opened the academic year 2012–2013. “Please be proud of having come here to study and to become adults, and be proud of your nation and homeland. We are proud of you" – he told the students.

Photos: Tünde Rácz