The news in Hungarian
A MOME egyetem jelenleg problémákkal néz szembe Magyarországon. A rektor kinevezése és az egyetemi szervezet átalakítása miatt tüntetések vannak. A végrehajtó bizottság néhány diák kérését elfogadta és változásokat ígértek. A rektor , Koós Pál, szavazást kért, hogy bíznak-e benne. A diákok új vezetést akarnak.
Translation
The MOME University is currently facing challenges in Hungary. Protests have arisen due to the appointment of the rector and the restructuring of the university's organisation. The executive committee has accepted some student requests and has promised changes. The rector, Koós Pál, has called for a vote of confidence. The students are demanding new leadership.
Exercise: Text comprehension
Question 1: Why are there protests at MOME university?
The protests are due to the appointment of the rector and changes in the university's organization.
Question 2: What did the rector, Koós Pál, request to show his standing at the university?
Koós Pál requested a confidence vote to show whether people trust him.
Exercise: Vocabulary
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▌08/02/2025
The Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) in Hungary is currently experiencing significant turmoil, as tensions between the university's leadership and its students have escalated into widespread protests. The conflict centers around the appointment of the university's rector and changes in its organizational structure.
The governing board, which oversees MOME, recently agreed to accept some of the students' demands, leading to hopes that the ongoing protests might abate. Among the board's concessions is a decision that changes to the university's organizational and operational framework must now be made with the mutual consent of the board and the university senate. Furthermore, the senate has been granted sole authority over the university's employment and student requirement systems.
Previously, controversy arose when the board installed Koós Pál as rector, overriding the senate's preferred candidate, Vargha Balázs. This decision sparked concerns over the autonomy of the university and has been a focal point of student unrest.
The discord has also been fueled by the restructuring plan, called the "University of the Future," which replaced traditional institutes with new knowledge centers. Some faculty and students expressed dissatisfaction with these changes, feeling that they do not adequately accommodate the interconnected nature of disciplines. Key positions in these centers were filled controversially, with candidates backed by the senate being overlooked.
MOME Rector Faces Confidence Vote Amid Student Protest (Illustration)
In response to the unrest, Rector Koós Pál has requested a confidence vote against himself, scheduled for 11 February. This move indicates the fragile nature of his position within the 31-member senate, which is divided on his leadership.
Student protestors, organizing under the MOME Front banner, have firmly called for the resignation of the rector and his deputies, claiming that the current leadership does not genuinely represent the university community. They have collected signatures from over half of the student body, emphasizing strong dissatisfaction.
The situation at MOME is further complicated by the way leaders of various knowledge centers were appointed. Allegations have been made that the rector bypassed the senate's decisions, choosing candidates who lacked the body's endorsement.
The governing board has sought to quell the discontent by outlining a new strategy wherein knowledge center directors are appointed for a probationary year with a view to moving towards a more community-driven selection process.
The events at MOME illuminate broader debates around the governance of higher education institutions in Hungary, especially after recent legislative changes that have affected university autonomy. As these tensions continue, the future of MOME's leadership and structure remains uncertain, pending the outcomes of both internal votes and external negotiations.
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