Opening the Academic Year in the Spirit of Noble Traditions

“Today the line has been drawn, so we are going to embark on a new phase, doing away with everything that is alien to the institution of military tertiary education. We have drawn the moral from the misguided practice of the recent period and intend to return to the time-honored traditions of military leadership training. The newly appointed top leaders of the Ministry of Defence have already launched the institutional transformation process", Administrative State Secretary Lajos Fodor stressed in his ceremonial speech delivered on the occasion of opening the academic year at the Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University on September 1.

After the university flag was brought in and the national anthem sung collectively, the State Secretary addressed the around 150 freshmen present at the event, telling them that they had chosen a special career path. Instead of merely entering a profession, the officer cadets at the Zrínyi University have undertaken the service of the homeland. “We need open-minded, intelligent, professionally excellent officers who are able to issue commands and make decisions", Lajos Fodor added. Talking about the education, he pointed to the importance of following the traditions of the Ludovika Military Academy, camaraderie and the act of drawing the sword which is the symbol of self-sacrifice for the homeland. The business world is quite alien to the military spirit of the institution. He said the MoD leadership expected the university lecturers to consider their jobs as positions of trust in which they must teach their students how to commit themselves to public service while imparting up-to-date professional knowledge to them. “We are firmly determined to run the institution in line with the MoD leadership’s and the Hungarian government’s directives", the State Secretary added.

Maj-Gen. László Lakatos, the Secretary-General of the university gave a ceremonial speech at the event, stressing that they must transform certain areas in order to fully comply with the new system of requirements and the Hungarian Defence Forces’ needs. The university must evolve into an institution of service, providing adequate living and working conditions that meet both the students’ and the lecturers’ expectations in all respects. In addition to the curriculum, syndicate work, examinations and strict standards, the Zrínyi University needs to develop personal student–teacher relationships alongside a sense of responsibility. Only highly trained teachers with the adequate level of self-consciousness and military skills can educate committed students who are dedicated to their vocation, Maj-Gen. László Lakatos added.

The Major-General went on talking about military education, a concept that brings to mind the associated notions of courage, morality, camaraderie, self-confidence, self-sacrifice and reliance on each other. At the opening ceremony of the academic year several officers and civil servants were promoted or awarded titles, while others received mementos.

Photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky