2026-06-22 12:45
On June 19, 2026, the CAMPUS of John von Neumann University hosted an exceptional ceremony of historic significance. This was the first time the institution had held a doctoral graduation ceremony, which marked not only a milestone in the history of the Doctoral School of Management and Organizational Sciences but also a defining moment for the entire university community, the field of economics, and the city of Kecskemét.
The Doctoral School of Management and Organizational Sciences began operations three years ago. Obtaining accreditation, building the academic community, and developing educational and research programs required significant professional effort. At that time, the institution’s leadership set out to create an academic workshop that would provide a high-quality research environment for doctoral students conducting research in the fields of management and organizational sciences. The goals set three years ago have now become a reality: the university’s first doctoral candidates have successfully completed their studies and research.
At the ceremony, Sára Farkas, Helga Sárközy, Botond Benedek Semjén, and Gábor István Vajda were awarded their doctoral degrees; they were the first to earn their doctorates from the Doctoral School of Management and Organizational Sciences at John von Neumann University.
At the event, Dr. Ildikó Boross, chair of the board of trustees of the Foundation for John von Neumann University, emphasized that one of the foundation’s most important tasks is to support the university in all its strategic endeavors, both financially and through collaboration. In her speech, she highlighted that the Faculty of Economics, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, has followed a path of development over the past decade that is remarkable and exemplary even on a national level.
In his speech, Dr. habil. Tamás Fülöp, rector of János Neumann University, noted that with the establishment of the doctoral school, the university has now become comprehensive at all levels of the higher education system.
“With this doctoral school, our university has become comprehensive at every level of the higher education system and is now able to contribute to the training of graduate professionals both domestically and internationally by awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees,” the rector stated.
He added that doctoral education is not merely the pinnacle of the educational pyramid, but also a workshop for scientific creativity, the highest level of intellectual collaboration between the doctoral candidate and the advisor, a space where innovative solutions and new scientific findings are born, and a key institution for training the next generation of researchers. He emphasized that the conferral of the first doctoral degrees also symbolizes that John von Neumann University has entered a new era.
As the guest of honor at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Zoltán Lakner, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and member of the University’s Doctoral and Habilitation Council, shared his thoughts with the new doctoral graduates. In his speech, referring to the ideas of Zoltán Kodály, he emphasized that humility is one of the most important virtues of an academic career. As he put it, a true scientist is aware of the limits of his or her own knowledge, knows the extent of that knowledge, and it is precisely this realization that spurs further research and development. He encouraged the new doctoral graduates to always maintain this mindset in their academic work and to put their findings at the service of the community.
The conferral of the first doctoral degrees sends the message that John von Neumann University is now continuing its development as a full-fledged research university and a key player in research, innovation, and the training of the next generation of scientists.
