PTE jubilee – University of Pécs celebrates 650th anniversary

The fall semester has started with a lot of excitement at University of Pécs (PTE), as the university celebrated its 650^th jubilee this year*. According to jubileum.pte.hu, the first university in Hungary was founded in Pécs by Louis the Great in 1367. The university has always taken pride in its long history. In 2017, University of Pécs has 10 faculties and offers a variety of BA, MA and PhD programmes to both Hungarian and international students.

The ceremony for the 650^th anniversary of the foundation of Hungary’s first university was held between 31 August and 2 September. The three-day-long celebration offered all kinds of activities to the visitors. The first day (31 August) was dedicated to the cultural events. The Magna Charta Observatory’s 29^th anniversary was celebrated, an exhibition about the history of University of Pécs could be visited and a ceremonial concert was held at Dome square.

On the second day (1 September), the ceremony for the Day of Hungarian Higher-Education was held at Kodály centre. Besides József Bódis (Rector of University of Pécs) and Zsolt Páva (Mayor of Pécs), the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán also gave a ceremonial speech for the special occasion. In honour of the event, a high mass was organised at the Cathedral, and the day closed with the Pannon Philharmonic’s concert.

The third day was the Jubilee 650 PTE Day (2 September), when students, teachers and other visitors celebrated the university together at Pécs’s central spot: Széchenyi square. At the open-air event, people could choose from a wide variety of activities. Visitors could watch the different dance, sport and musical groups from the university perform on stage.