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

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