Graduation ceremony at the University of Rakoczi
The Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University held its graduation ceremony on June 30, 2026. The event was hosted at the Reformed Church in Berehove. This year, a total of 250 students earned their undergraduate degrees, while 60 students completed their master’s degrees. Degrees with honors were awarded to 16 undergraduate and 22 master’s students.
As is tradition, the event began with the procession of historical flags, followed by a welcome address from Ferenc Taracközi, senior pastor of the Reformed Congregation in Berehove. Subsequently, our national prayer and the anthem of the University of Rakoczi were performed.
In his welcoming remarks, István Csernicskó, Rector of the university, emphasized that there are academic years primarily characterized by statistical data, and then there are years in which history is written. The year we have left behind belongs to the latter.
“Dear graduates, over the past years, you have attended classes, prepared for exams, and written theses; you have experienced both successful and more challenging times. There were days when you perhaps felt it would be easier to give up, but you did not. That is why you are sitting here today. A university degree, however, is not merely a certificate, but proof that you have been capable of completing a long journey that began years ago,”
he emphasized.
Following this, certificates of recognition were awarded to the educational institutions that provide professional opportunities to the highest number of graduates: the Gabor Bethlen Lyceum in Berehove, the Peter Dobrai Secondary School of Velyki Berehy, the Anna Horvath Primary School in Berehove, the Ferenc Rakoczi II Lyceum of Vary, and the Lyceum in Velyka Dobron.
“University status is the highest level of recognition for the immense work that has been ongoing here in Berehove for nearly thirty years, since the college’s first opening ceremony in September 1996. And this status is also a firm message to the world: the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia has not settled for mere survival; it is building the future,”
emphasized László Vida, Consul General of Hungary in Berehove, adding that Hungary provides every possible assistance to the Hungarians of Transcarpathia.
Following this, on behalf of the graduating students, Dorina Bacskai, a full-time student majoring in Hungarian language and literature, expressed her gratitude. This was followed by the students’ pledge, which was led by Károly Glóger, a full-time graduating student majoring in history.
After a general overview of the degrees, the graduates received their well-deserved diplomas from Ildikó Orosz, President of the University of Rakoczi, and István Csernicskó, after which the student anthem was performed.
In her address, Ildikó Orosz drew attention to the fact that the past few years had been fraught with difficulties. The students had to persevere in an era and a country where not only the distant future, but often even the next day, was unpredictable.
“Dear students, the diploma you hold in your hands today is not merely a piece of paper that authorizes you to work. In Transcarpathia, this document also serves as a mission statement. A mission to stay here, or—even if life should carry you away—to never forget the bridges that connect you to your homeland,”
she said.
At the conclusion of the event, representatives of the historic churches asked for God’s blessing upon the lives of all those present. The ceremony closed with the singing of the Szózat.
Source: kme.org.ua
Photos: Kurmay Anita