Former rector Gábor Kopek addresses the MOME community in an open letter

Date: 2025.02.07

"We cannot interpret our arguments as if they only exist in the present. In times of crisis, we must look further ahead. Preserving the university, maintaining stability, and strengthening its reputation must extend beyond daily struggles, fostering a sense of cohesion within the community – because as a community, our true impact lies in the sum of our everyday actions.” – Former Rector and university professor Gábor Kopek

Dear MOME Citizens,

Our university is experiencing a period of unrest, even though all those involved are presumably committed to MOME’s shared vision and its nearly 150-year legacy. And yet, at this moment, the pieces do not seem to fit together. In such a situation, we can only rely on one another – and we must also allow room for trust.

Differences in opinion and approach have never been the problem. The real issue arises when there is no dialogue, when we fail to listen to each other’s reasoning. And we do have something to lose. Every moment of the past 150 years matters, and we must avoid the mistake of seeing only our own perspective. Our great predecessors – whether Gusztáv Kelety or Lajos Kozma – worked to keep alive an initiative launched by Ödön Lechner and his peers, in step with progress in Europe.

We cannot interpret our arguments as if they only exist in the present. In times of crisis, we must look further ahead. Preserving the university, maintaining stability, and strengthening its reputation must extend beyond daily struggles, fostering a sense of cohesion within the community – because as a community, our true impact lies in the sum of our everyday actions.

When we make demands or push for change, we must also think about tomorrow and the consequences of our actions.

Professional vision and human dignity must be at the heart of this process. To move forward, we must recognise the full scope of our shared, everyday reality and ensure we remain accountable for the past 150 years. Instead of focusing on who is at the forefront or who speaks the loudest, we should seek the opportunities that allow us to move forward and restore balance in the present situation. I ask every member of the university – whether actively involved or observing from the sidelines – to support the core values of MOME: dialogue, transparency, and openness to consensus-building.

“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and the more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above and the moral law within.” – Immanuel Kant

Gábor Kopek

University professor

Former MOME rector

Member of the MOME Foundation

More news

Hungarian and Dutch applicants for the role of rector at MOME

With the application period for the position of rector at MOME now closed, two Hungarian and one Dutch professional have submitted valid applications to the maintainer for the university’s top leadership role.

MOME to host curator Krzysztof Pijarski of the 2026 Krakow Photomonth

Under the title Unreal Estate, this year’s Krakow Photo Month explores the political, social, and historical entanglements of Central Europe, with particular focus on the relationship between Poland and Germany, as well as the spatial and mnemonic fault lines and questions of identity that continue to shape the region’s history. As a guest of MOME, curator Krzysztof Pijarski will give a talk on how this year’s festival concept came together.

MOME listed in QS global art and design higher education rankings

The Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design is included in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Art & Design for the first time, placed in the 101–150 band. The result both reinforces the progress made in recent years and signals the start of a new phase, with MOME set to consolidate its international reputation, visibility, and position with greater intent.

All News