New rector of MOME Pál Koós comes from the field of product design
He has worked for many years as general vice-rector and head of the professional workshop developing MOME's programmes. He is also credited with integrating business-oriented training into design courses and initiating the collaborative, teamwork-based admission process introduced in the undergraduate programme in 2014.
He has been teaching at MOME for twenty-three years and has held several leadership roles, including Deputy Head and Head of the Product Design Department, Deputy Director and Director of the Design Institute, Vice-Rector, core member of the Doctoral School, member of the professional committee for the “Tomorrow Belongs to You – For the Creative Talents of the Future" programme, and head of the Design MA programme. His professional support has helped MOME students win numerous Hungarian and international awards, and he has played a significant role in developing incubation programmes at the university.
Koós began his professional journey by obtaining a degree in product design from MOME, and many of his designs have progressed to mass production. His work in acoustic design and speaker systems has earned him the Hungarian Design Award and several European recognitions. In 2010, he received the Ferenczy Noémi Award for his outstanding achievements in design, marked by numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Hungary and abroad.
“I believe it's essential for whatever you do to have a personal, inner ars poetica that guides your thoughts and actions. Mine is rooted in my views on design. Design is a creative process seeking to find a common ground between emotion and reason, instinct and consciousness, spirit and matter, beauty and goodness, tradition and innovation, individuality and collectivity, analysis and synthesis. It is the art of striking a balance”, explained Koós, summarising his professional credo.
Beyond his personal successes as a designer, the new rector has made substantial contributions to the post-regime change development of Hungarian design, helping it find its unique contemporary style. He has done so not only through his academic work but also through significant roles in the Hungarian Design Council, as chair of the Hungarian Design Award jury, as a member of the Arts and Design Section of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and as a member of the Applied Arts Section of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary.
Koós will officially take office on 1 August 2024. One of the key tasks of his term as a rector will be implementing the University of the Future programme, involving an extensive transformation of MOME's entire education system. The goal is to help MOME's education remain timeless and relevant, and its graduates grow into empowered artists and designers, who, staying one step ahead of the present, are able to give relevant responses to the challenges of the complex world around us.
“It is important for MOME to remain an institution open to the world, ready to embrace new knowledge, methods, perspectives, and people. The ability to continuously reinvent itself is key to its long-term sustainability, and this is something we must keep alive. This applies not only to the institution but also to the people who work for it and within its walls, including myself... At the same time, we must not forget our core values. We should preserve the knowledge accumulated over 144 years, without turning ourselves into a museum and instead remain a vibrant, forward-looking intellectual hub capable of creating value", he emphasised.
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