Maria Miguéns Pereira and Ron Cordova are the New Honorary Doctors of the University of Pécs

2023

Nov

22

Two new internationally renowned professors have been inaugurated as honorary doctors of the University of Pécs at the Ceremonial Senate Meeting held on 9 November in the Dr. Halasy-Nagy József Aula on the occasion of the Day of Hungarian Science.

"An award is recognition of a long-lasting activity, which is often earned as the result of individual effort, however, it can reflect shared efforts with our colleagues as well. The university has limited opportunities to express the appreciation it owes, for example, to those celebrated today. But the award is only a signal because

we count on everyone who receives recognition today in the future as well.

Today's celebration is also connected to the series of events organized in connection with the Day of Hungarian Science. In connection with this, we recently had a meeting at MTA PAB, where it was mentioned that not everything has gone as we would have liked recently. There have always been challenges, and compared to the most difficult periods, I think today's situation is not bad. We are extremely critical people, we like to list problems, but our activity in solving them is already decreasing.

Now we are here among those who, according to their talents and positions, contributed to solving the problems!"

– said rector Dr. Attila Miseta.

Based on the recommendation of the Talent Council, Pro Cura Ingenii awards were handed over by Dr. Attila Miseta, rector and Dr. Tamás Fedeles, vice-rector.

Pro Cura Ingenii award recipients are the following:

Faculty of Law:

Eszter Vörös
Csabáné Herger

Medical School:

Zsuzsanna Helyes

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Dávid Erát
Melinda Pohárnok

Faculty of Health Sciences

Péter Sándor Tardi
László Bence Raposa
Faculty of Pharmacy
Viktória Lilla Balázs
Sándor Kunsági-Máté

Faculty of Business and Economics

Alexandra Posza
Petra Rácz-Putzer

Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development

Viktória Renáta Kazinczy
Enikő Györkő

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Ágnes Borsos

Faculty of Music and Visual Arts

Ákos Gocsál
Faculty of Sciences
Kristóf Csepregi
Márk Váczi

The Pro Doctorandis Universitatis Quinquecclesiensis Award is awarded for outstanding contribution to the doctoral community of the University. The awards were handed over by Dr. Attila Miseta, rector and Márton Balogh, president of the Doctoral Student Council.

Pro Doctorandis Universitatis Quinquecclesiensis has been awarded to:

Gábor Szécsi, dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development
Körber Hungary (on behalf of Körber Hungary, Buda Zalay accepted the award)

The UP Publication Awards were also handed over at the festive event, by rector Attila Miseta, and vice-rector András Komócsi.

The UP Publication Award recipients based on their achievements in the year 2022:

Ágoston Csanád Mohay, vice-dean of the Faculty of Law (Ferenc Faluhelyi Award)
Balázs Gaszner, associate professor of the Medical School (Béla Entz Award)
András Zsidó, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (Tivadar Thienemann Award)
Viktória Prémusz, assistant professor of the Faculty of Health Sciences (Pál Heim Award)
Aleksandar Széchenyi, Faculty of Pharmacy (László Cholnoky Award)
László Szerb, professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics (István Hoóz Award)
Janka Teodóra Nagy, professor of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development (József Halasy-Nagy)
Zsolt Ercsey, associate professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (Zoltán Bachman Award)
Csanád Rédei, Faculty of Sciences (József Hámori Award)
László András Kovács, assistant lecturer of the Clinical Centre (János Ángyán Award)

The PTE Excellence Publication Award, the Mihály Pekár Award of 2022 goes to:

Gábor Kemenesi, assistant professor of the Faculty of Sciences

At the suggestion of faculties and independent organizations, the rector awards the UP Patronage Award to a domestic or foreign, natural or legal person who provides the highest amount of support or other donation to the University in a given year.

This year, the UP Patronage Award goes to:

Körber Hungary (on behalf of Körber Hungary, Buda Zalay accepted the award)

Following this section, members of the UP Faculty of Music and Visual Arts Clarinet Chamber Group (Zoltán Deim, Anna Babos, Roland György) performed excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite.

On the occasion of the Festival of Hungarian Science, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences awarded the Eötvös József Wreath Award to professor Sámuel Komoly, professor emeritus of the Neurology Clinic, in recognition of his scientific career and life's work.

Awards conferred by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation were handed over as well at the ceremony.

Teacher Service Medal award recipients:

Sándor Balogh, professor emeritus of the Medical School
István Gyurcsek, lecturer of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
Ildikó Perjésiné Hámori, associate professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
Endre Rugási, physical education teacher of the Medical School
Béla Schmidt, head of department at the Faculty of Health Sciences
Miklós Székely, professor emeritus of the Medical School

Recipients of the Ministerial Certificate of Appreciation:

Barnabás Péter Emődy, Faculty of Health Sciences
Judit Horváth, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Klára Hőnig, Faculty of Law
Béla Kajtár, Medical School
Edina Lempel, Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Éva Mikó, Clinical Centre
Bálint Molics, Faculty of Health Sciences
Péter Porvay, Chancellery
György Szabó, Clinical Centre

Tamás Vásáry scholarship recipient in the category "young musician":

Natália Gál, flute student of the Faculty of Music and Visual Arts

According to the decision of the Senate of the University of Pécs, the following received the title of honorary associate professor and a silver badge with the university's coat of arms:

Magdolna Sarolta Tóthné Grasselly, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs
Zoltán Varga, judge of Győr Court of Justice

According to the decision of the Senate of the University of Pécs, recipients of the title of honorary professor and a silver badge with the university's coat of arms:

Erich Zoltán Bretter, associate professor of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Gábor Forrai, Duna Medical Center
Áron Antal Szűcs, associate professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
Csaba Titkos, associate professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics

In recognition of her activities, the Senate of the University of Pécs awarded the title of Professor Emerita and the golden badge of the university to:

Mária Törőcsik, professor of the Faculty of Business and Economics.

The Senate of the University of Pécs awarded the title of Professor Emeritus and the golden badge of the university to:

János Mihály Boros, professor of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Development
Mihály Klincsik, professor of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.

Based on the decision of the faculty council of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, awarded the Decan Emeritus title and the golden memorial ring of the University of Pécs to professor György Heidl in recognition of his activities as dean between 2019 and 2023.

Honorary doctor title

Faculties, with the support of the Faculty Council, may submit proposals for one person per faculty per year to be inaugurated as "doctor honoris causa", if the domestic or foreign person to be awarded with the title maintains a close relationship with the University through his/her teaching and research activities at the University or has rendered serious service to the University in the performance of educational tasks and in raising the quality of education.

"Maria Miguéns Pereira received her PhD in 1992, since then she has been conducting extensive research in several fields, achieving outstanding results, she is the author of 200 publications published in the most outstanding professional journals, and her Hirsch's index is 55. She has significant industrial connections and is co-founder of the Luzitin spin-off company. She did a lot to help the UP Faculty of Sciences Institute of Chemistry to move forward. The most important indicators of her cooperation with the institute are the mutual exchange of researchers, students and doctoral students, as well as the many joint scientific publications" – highlighted Dr. László Kollár, professor at the Institute of Chemistry of the UP Faculty of Sciences, describing the professional work and public activities of professor Maria Miguéns Pereira. He also proudly added that one of their former joint doctoral students was also present at the ceremony, which is the only reason why she travelled to Pécs.

"Ron Cordova first arrived at the Faculty of Law in Pécs in the spring of 2010 as a guest lecturer after lecturing at every other law faculty in the country. It was then that he decided to return to Pécs every semester from that time on. He justified his decision with two reasons:

this city is the most beautiful city he has visited in Hungary, and the students are the most talented here.

Since then, he has really come every semester and teaches classes with 100% attendance, his students rate him highly. He was active in the review of U.S. criminal law in California from 1976–78, and has since worked as an attorney in Orange County, with numerous publications on U.S. criminal practice. He speaks German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish and a little Hungarian excellently, because his mother was forced to emigrate to America from Cluj-Napoca in 1940" – István László Gál, professor at the Faculty of Law described professor Ron Cordova's professional work and public activities.

"Thank you for the honour" – emphasized Maria Miguéns Pereira, recalling the beginning of the relationship with the University of Pécs: "in 1999, at the end of my PhD studies, I heard professor Kollár give a lecture in Tarragona, and since then it has become a fruitful relationship.

I think the relationship between the two institutions is a good example of how the field of science is not necessarily synonymous with academic competition."

The new honorary doctor of the University of Pécs also mentioned Katalin Karikó's success this year, having met the recent Nobel Prize winner in Paris last year – congratulating the entire Hungarian scientific community on the recognition. She also pointed out that just as Pécs is among the first universities with its foundation in 1367, the University of Coimbra is also among the first universities in the world, as it was founded in 1290 – this is also a link between the two institutions.

"There have always been challenges, but for my part I am optimistic and confident that the university spirit will prevail," she said. Finally, she thanked her family and close friends and concluded her speech with a quote from Pasteur: "Science knows no borders, because knowledge belongs to humanity itself, it shines like a torch on the world."

"I am very grateful for this recognition!" – said professor Ron Cordova in his speech and continued: "my Hungarian mentor, István László Gál, let me know 30 minutes ago that I needed to give a speech – thank you for the challenge. Indeed, since 2010 I have come to teach courses at the Faculty of Law in Pécs twice a year, with the exception of the pandemic that swept the world. I hope I can continue this practice so that I can come to Pécs, this beautiful city, to learn and teach, and to share my experiences. I confess that for my part

I almost feel part of the teaching community here, which is why this is an important moment in my life. To see my students develop, and even to witness that some of them have become faculty members and researchers in the meantime - words cannot express it - as well as honorary doctorate recognition,"

- accentuated Ron Cordova.

"We celebrate the Day of Hungarian Science and remember the centenary, let us remember the people who arrived in Pécs and started their lives here again with challenges. It is not people's daily difficulties or decisions related to appropriate actions, but overcoming them that made it possible to talk about university life in Pécs today.