Prestigious Hungarian university BME distributed degrees for 192 international students from 48 countries

192 students from 48 countries received their degrees from BME’s foreign language programme in the auditorium of the university’s K building, 35 of them with excellence. The ambassadors of some of the countries concerned were also present at the ceremony.

Representing BME, Rector Hassan Charaf, Vice Rector for International Affairs András Nemeslaki, Vice Dean Nauzika Kovács (Faculty of Civil Engineering), Dean Imre Norbert Orbulov (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), Dean György Alföldi (Faculty of Architecture), Vice Dean Alfréd Kállay-Menyhárd (Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology), Dean Sándor Imre (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics), Dean Péter Mándoki (Faculty of Transportation Engineering and Vehicle Engineering), Dean Attila Aszódi (Faculty of Natural Sciences), Dean Tamás Koltai (Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences), as well as Zsuzsanna Szabados, member of the BME International Mentor Team, and Kitti Varga, representative of the Students’ Union, were present.

András Nemeslaki greeted the international students, all dressed in gown, and reminded them that this heavy attire has its origins in middle-age Italy, the cradle of European higher education: it was a religous symbol and also a practical attire to keep scholars and students warm in the cold cloister-like hallways and chambers of universties.

“Today the gown reminds us of where we’ve come from. It ties us to a long, scholarly tradition. It says: You are now part of something bigger than yourself — a legacy of learning, discipline, and pursuit of truth”, said Mr Nemeslaki. He added that 

the gown hides distinctions, but not to make us forget who we are, but to draw our attention to education being the great equalizer.

So what is the message of Building K, the academic gown, the mortarboard and the tassle? It’s this: You belong to a tradition from now on, but you are also a builder of what comes next. You are ready not just to receive knowledge, but to carry it forward. To build, to teach, to question, to lead.”

The Vice-Rector encouraged the graduates to carry the spirit of BME with themselves, be curious, collaborative, and bold, because “the world needs engineers, scientists, managers, financial experts, who can not only solve problems but also envision new possibilities.”

The moderator, Eszter Mozsár, personal assistant to the rector, invited the guest of honor, the rector of BME himself, to give his speech. She introduced Hassan Charaf by saying that his journey from Lebanon was an excellent example of how international students with a BME degree can build a successful career in Hungary and of the value of the knowledge acquired here.

The rector addressed the graduates saying that they were now joining the community of the BME alumni, of which he was a proud member – and which had given the world four Nobel Prize winners. “The knowledge and skills you have acquired here will give you an excellent foundation for your future professional career,” he said. He reminded the new graduates that their degrees will serve as an excellent recommendation for them, regardless of whether they plan to pursue an academic career or continue their path as engineers.