Featured

The Day of Higher Education in Gyula Held Again

2025-02-13

For the eighth time, the Day of Higher Education in Gyula was organized on Wednesday, once again hosted in the ceremonial hall of the local town hall. The Gál Ferenc College, now Gál Ferenc University, took over higher education in Gyula on January 31, 2017. This event, known as the Day of Higher Education in Gyula, was established to commemorate this occasion.

At the initiative of GFE, the Gyula municipality declared January 31 as the Day of Higher Education in Gyula to honor the takeover and highlight the social role of local higher education. Every year, a scientific conference is held in the ceremonial hall of the town hall, focusing on the academic fields and training programs available at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.

Thanks to the successful collaborations of previous years, the organizers have addressed current topics such as artificial intelligence, the relationship between science and religion, and the future of healthcare education.

This year, for the eighth time, the municipality of Gyula and Gál Ferenc University jointly organized the Day of Higher Education in Gyula. The event was titled “A Bridge Between the Past and the Future – From the Wenckheims to University Education.”

Speakers at this year’s conference included:

Barbara Bauer, writer
Prof. Dr. Ferenc Thúry, psychiatrist and psychotherapist
Dr. János Kothencz, Director General of Szent Ágota Child Protection Service and honorary university professor at Gál Ferenc University.

As part of the traditional conference, Gál Ferenc University and the Gyula municipality signed a cooperation agreement. The foundation of this agreement is the municipality’s international networking project, “Sustainable Cities – Sustainable Communities,” which organizes both in-person and online networking meetings.

Starting from the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, Gál Ferenc University will offer “Sustainable Cities – Sustainable Communities” as an elective course across its faculties (Faculty of Theology in Szeged, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences in Gyula, Faculty of Economics in Békéscsaba, and Faculty of Pedagogy in Szarvas). The municipality will support lecturers and students in participating as presenters and attendees, while also facilitating international connections through its sister city relationships. This initiative aims to explore new collaboration opportunities in partner cities.

The agreement was signed by László Dux, Rector of Gál Ferenc University, and Ernő Görgényi, Mayor of Gyula.

The Importance of a University in Gyula

Mayor Ernő Görgényi emphasized the significance of having a university in the city in a Facebook post:
“Gál Ferenc University offers attractive educational opportunities not only for local and regional students but also for applicants from across the country, as evidenced by the increasing number of applicants each year,” he stated. “I hope this trend will continue to grow, especially since the university has now launched a master’s program.”

He also highlighted that the university’s role extends beyond institutional boundaries. A great example of this is the Academy for Retirees, which has fostered strong collaboration between the university and the civil sector. The newly signed agreement will further integrate university members into an international network of municipal partnerships.

Establishment of a Department for Child and Youth Protection

According to Gyula TV, at the “A Bridge Between the Past and the Future – From the Wenckheims to University Education” event, Dr. László Kiss-Rigó, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád, announced the establishment of a Department for Child and Youth Protection. This new department will be unique in the country and aims to enhance the university’s social service efforts.

Opening remarks were delivered by: