Rector's message to our graduate students

Dear Graduating Students,

A chapter of your life has come to an end. I intend to express my gratitude to everyone who helped you in your studies: your teachers, your parents, your supporters. And again, thank you for choosing the University of Pécs.

I believe we can say that your studies have finished under the most extraordinary circumstances. Thank you for adapting to the situation caused by the pandemic. You have proven yourselves well also in this regard. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over yet. So, I ask you to keep on taking care of yourself and the people around you.

Your next important challenge will be to find a workplace that suits you the best. I advise you to value your colleagues and your subordinates because you will certainly benefit from this mindset in the long-term. This way, you will learn the delicate tricks of your chosen profession much faster, have better relations with your colleagues, and manage conflicts as smooth as silk. There are enough struggles in life to handle, do not make your job one of them.

Know your merits but remain humble, do not become pretentious. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Trust and respect: these should be your guiding values. A tree may have many leaves but it has only one root - just like that, there are many different professions and people to work with but the goal is one: to serve the community.

Be anywhere in the world, a graduate must always represent the best of society. It is not easy to live up to this task all the time. As Paul Tillich, the famous German theologian and philosopher put it, it requires a great deal of courage to live. Being a graduate also requires courage. I suggest respecting those who are ahead of you in terms of age and experience, nevertheless, follow your conscience and stand up for yourselves!

Everybody coped with the recent situation differently. Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote that: “what matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it”. I hope that in five, ten, or forty years you will only remember the good things and the challenges you overcame. Also, I believe that when you think back to your alma mater, the University of Pécs, you will see that you truly opened the door to your future here.

Sadly, I cannot greet you with the Rector’s Handshake in this situation, nonetheless, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your accomplishment!

Dr. Attila Miseta
Rector
University of Pécs