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The University of the Future initiative is a key focus this year, aimed at MOME’s comprehensive revitalisation. Thanks to persistent efforts over recent months, working groups have developed a detailed implementation plan for the University of the Future programme, a.k.a. the “Three Schools model”, which was unanimously accepted in December 2023. The process has now reached a new milestone: on 18 July, the Senate has pledged its support for the plan, paving the way for continued collaborative work to implement the new structure by next winter and to transform MOME into one of Europe's leading design higher education institutions.

Our University has been invited to exhibit at one of the world's most prestigious digital art festivals, the Ars Electronica 2024. Each year, the Campus series of the long-standing festival presents an art university. This year's exhibition is organised in collaboration with the University of Linz, and will feature outstanding student diploma works from recent years in Linz's main square selected by curators Judit Eszter Kárpáti, Esteban de la Torre, and Ágoston Nagy.

A new symbol has been added to the range of memorabilia that members of the MOME community can receive as they reach various milestones in their university careers. This new emblem, which reinforces a sense of belonging, is a turned and machined bronze item with a polished surface based on the letter ‘O’ in MOME’s logo. Designed by MOME MA teacher Krisztián Ádám at the initiative of Rector József Fülöp, this symbol will be awarded to all graduates at all levels along with the diplomas starting in 2024.

The Frigyes Pogány Terrace has been inaugurated at the MOME Campus, providing a new home for the bust of former distinguished rector of the University of Applied Arts. Ybl Miklós Prize and State Prize-winning architect, art historian, city planner, aesthete, set designer, and organiser of monument protection and registry in Budapest Frigyes Pogány served as a notable rector of the University of Applied Arts between 1964 and 1974.

Each year, 10 billion plastic pens are discarded worldwide, contributing to non-biodegradable waste that contains harmful chemicals, which can cause health issues if not processed properly. Despite this, coloured markers are indispensable for both schoolchildren and professionals in the creative industries. The pHen, an eco-friendly pen that won the Outstanding Art Award at the 2024 Biodesign Challenge in New York was developed by a student team from the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) to address this issue. In addition to this accolade, the pHen team also secured a scholarship and an opportunity for an independent exhibition next year.

How will space research change the world 20 years from now? How and what can the universe teach us? These are some of the questions The Jump into the Future! 2024 creative competition of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design asked. Once again, the students presented innovative and exciting ideas for the fourth edition of the competition launched by the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. The winning projects feature concepts such as the Floating Garden, which supports future food production, a space base focused on mining, a terraforming project, and the LifeBubble space habitat.

MOME is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, rethinking the challenges of future design education while building on its 144-year legacy. The University of the Future model aims to develop a sustainable, future-proof, and resilient strategy. We spoke with two key figures driving this change: landscape architect, sustainability expert, Vice Rector for Strategy, and professional lead of the University of the Future project Dániel Barcza, and strategist and organisational psychologist leading the implementation Lili Érmezei. They discussed the development process, major challenges, and the requirements to ensure the sustainability of the university’s vision in the long run.

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) continues its tradition of providing inspiration to its graduating students by inviting internationally renowned creative industry experts to address the new graduates each year. This year’s guest speaker, Israeli-born American author and behavioural researcher of Hungarian descent Nir Eyal will be speaking at both the Bachelor’s and Master's graduation ceremonies. Understanding and raising awareness of the importance of habits is crucial for the future, as they drive not only our lives but also the economy.

This year's diploma exhibition at MOME features a variety of innovative projects including a bed for lifelong use, revitalised buildings, self-exploratory photography projects, and an eye-friendly typeface. How do today's university students think? Where do they see the intersection of art, design, and the creative industry in 2024? What local and global influences shape their work? Spanning the spaces of the Zugligeti Road campus, the 2024 diploma exhibition displays the final projects of the twelve Master's programmes of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) and is open to the public until 21 June. To quote the university's namesake, László Moholy-Nagy, “Designing is not a profession but an attitude”, a proactive attempt to improve the world. The diploma exhibition is a reflection of this idea, showcasing the attitudes of graduates who are capable, sensitive, and professionally mature. We most certainly expect to hear more of many of them in the future.

The Engage4BIO team demonstrated the impact of circular economy on soil at the Pápa Expo and Agricultural Picnic with an interactive data visualisation board in a collaboration with the National Chamber of Agriculture. The aim was to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining and improving soil quality and the significance of circular sustainable bioeconomy.

Starting out as a geometric model, it evolved into one of the world's most widely known spatial puzzle games. Generations have grown up twisting the sides of the Rubik's Cube, and even today, there are competitions to see who can solve it faster by arranging nine smaller cubes of the same colour on each side without taking it apart. Created by Ernő Rubik at MOME’s predecessor, the Hungarian University of Applied Arts, the Rubik's Cube is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, while its designer is also celebrating a milestone birthday as he is turning 80 this year.

MOME students triumphed at the Red Dot Design Awards, often referred to as the "Oscars of the design world" with revolutionary concepts including a hybrid tram, a modular pram, an innovative VR headset for home workouts, and a stretcher designed for rough terrains. These award-winning projects were developed under the new preparatory programme of the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, whose success is demonstrated by five out of twelve submissions receiving accolades.