Graduating students received their diplomas at a grand ceremony at the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics of Széchenyi István University. At the event, Veronika Varga-Bajusz, State Secretary for Higher Education, said that the success of young people is the success of the nation.

The University Hall hosted the graduation ceremony of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics of Széchenyi István University on 20 July. Veronika Varga-Bajusz, State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education and Youth at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, was the first to welcome the 400 graduates. In her speech, she stressed that the higher education model created in cooperation with universities and social and economic stakeholders is competitive, identity-preserving and community-building, the results of which are shown by the increasingly prominent position of Hungarian institutions in international higher education rankings. She stressed that Széchenyi István University is one of the most dynamically developing young universities, ranking in the world's top five percent since 2022.

In her speech, she also pointed out that performance funding has boosted the academic performance of universities by 30%, increased the number of active students by almost 6,000, improved dropout rates and helped 3,500 more students to stay in education. "The added value of a degree is steadily increasing; on average it takes 42 days to get a job for someone who graduates from a university, and a degree means an average wage multiplier of one and a half times," she said. The State Secretary also spoke about the continued provision of international exchange programmes and the strengthening of research cooperation. She highlighted the Pannonia Scholarship Programme, launched this year, which helps students to gain experience abroad, gain knowledge from the world's leading universities and then put it to use at home.

Róbert Balázs Simon, Member of Parliament for Győr, praised Széchenyi István University as a successful and leading institution of higher education in Hungary, which is the key to the development of Győr and the region. It trains young people with practical skills, who are in great demand in today's social and economic environment. "Economics is one of the most dynamically developing fields of education today, as shown by the fact that in recent years it has attracted the highest number of first-year undergraduate students in the country. The labour market value of an economics degree is high. Career tracking data show that students who have graduated in this field are among the highest earners in Hungary," he pointed out.

Dr Sándor Remsei, Dean of the Faculty, said that with globalization, the challenges have become more complex, and the knowledge of economic laws has become of paramount importance. He added that because of the dynamic changes, it is important for newly graduated professionals to continue their education in the future. "The ability to innovate is the basis for sustainable success. Bring with you the University's innovative research spirit, the courage to challenge the status quo and the commitment to contribute to the well-being of your country through your work," he said. 

"We are proud that the Gyula Kautz Faculty of Economics has the largest number of international students, a quarter of our community of nearly 1,000, 36 of whom are receiving their degrees today," said Dr Eszter Lukács, the institution's Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations. She underlined the commitment of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation to increase the global visibility of Hungarian universities, which has contributed significantly to the presence of Hungarian institutions in various international rankings. “Széchenyi István University also benefits from this support, as our institution has a prominent place in the seven lists of the two largest rating organisations, Quacquarelli Symonds and Times Higher Education," she pointed out.

On behalf of the graduates, James Samuel Oshiogame bid farewell to the institution, followed by a musical performance by the University's Faculty of Arts and the presentation of student awards. Hilda Biborka Bartha received the Pro Progressum Award diploma, while Zsófia Csiszár, Boglárka Rácz, Petra Schöll, Boldizsár Áron Tóth and Márton Várnai received the Pro Auditoribus Award plaque. Fanni Béndek and András Hidegh were awarded the Diploma of the latter award, while Fruzsina Szarka was awarded the Silver Diploma. The ceremony ended with the presentation of degree certificates to the new graduates and their taking of the oath.