Between 24 February and 1 October 2023, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its re-establishment after the change of regime. The events of the jubilee year include conferences, the publication of a jubilee volume, and various other programmes commemorating not only the past three decades, but also the preceding period of Reformed higher education as well as the spirit and mission leading up to the establishment of the university.
The opening date of the festive events remembers the February 24 meeting of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary which made the decision to establish Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, while the closing date – October 1 – commemorates the day on which the formal proposal of the Hungarian National Assembly to codify the establishment of the University was adopted in 1993.
The opening event of the jubilee year, the joint commemoration ceremony of the Reformed Church in Hungary and Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary was held in the banquet hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on 24 February 2023. The congratulatory speeches addressed the contribution of the University’s venerable founders and scholars, the achievements of the recent past and present, the place of the University in denominational education, the challenges of the future, and the tasks and goals of the current management in accordance with the university’s mission and spirituality.
On the occasion of the anniversary, Prof. Dr. László Trócsányi, Rector of the University, emphasized that “a Christian university can only meet the challenges and tasks ahead, if, based on its solid values and worldview, it is able to show a way to its students who are searching for their place and role in society in today’s globalized, digitalized and rapidly changing world.”
The joint commemoration ceremony was followed by the unveiling of the commemorative plaque of Dr. Lóránt Hegedűs, Reformed pastor and former Bishop of the Danubian Church District, at Reviczky street 6 (Reviczky campus). Dr. Lóránt Hegedűs played a decisive role in the establishment of the institution. The Reformed bishop, who passed away ten years ago, regarded the establishment and consolidation of Reformed educational institutions as his mission since he knew that the development of faith and the promotion of spiritual renewal require strongholds. Bishop Zoltán Balog, Ministerial President of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary suggested that “the task of a church-run institution is to be present in the world of science and higher education with the specific knowledge and approach that comes from the biblical Christian faith. To provide an opportunity for the educated minds of future Hungary to encounter this faith and world view.”
On 31 March, as part of the commemorative concert at the Academy of Music, the composition entitled Blessings for a four-voice mixed choir and organ will be performed. The piece was composed by composer, organist and honorary citizen of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Zsolt Gárdonyi for the 30th anniversary of the University. The work is framed by the Hungarian Reformed greeting “blessings and peace” and echoes the blessing words of the Károli Bible.
The jubilee volume describes in detail the roots of Reformed higher education in Hungary, provides comprehensive information on the establishment of the University and its spiritual background. In addition to the legal successors of the founding faculties of the institution, the Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Pedagogy, the volume provides readers with an insight into the history of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Law established in 1998, and the Faculty of Economics, Health Sciences and Social Studies established in 2022.
On the occasion of the jubilee year, a 52-minute documentary about the history of the institution will also be shown at a gala screening. Through the thirty-year history of Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, the documentary will talk about the importance of denominational higher education and its present and future role in society.
An initiative of Prof. Dr. László Trócsányi, Rector of the University, the first meeting of Carpathian Basin Colleges for Advanced Studies will be hosted by the University in July 2023.
Several major sporting events will also be organized for the students of the institution during the commemorative year, such as the Károli Sports Day to be held on April 20.
At the end of September 2023, during the University Day celebrations, awards of excellence will be distributed among the most dedicated members of KRE staff, just as the titles “Honorary Citizen of the University” and the “University Sponsorship Award” will be awarded. The commemorative year will close with an international conference to be held in October 2023.
In addition to the above, faculties will also organize their own commemorative events. Information on these and all other jubilee year-related events is available at the continuously updated www.kre.hu/emlekev website.
Ensuring the high-quality implementation of the commemorative events, the Media Services and Support Trust Fund (MTVA) has been our partner for the jubilee year.
Directorate for Public Relations and Communication
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