On June 9, 2026, the certificate award ceremony of the Ede Egán Vocational Training Center was held in Vásárosnamény. During the event, graduating students formally received the certificates verifying the successful completion of their training.
The event began with the singing of our national prayer, the Himnusz, followed by a welcome address for the participants.
“A year-end ceremony is always a moment of arrival and summary. At such times, we pause for a moment, take stock of the struggles of the past months, and give thanks for the results achieved. This day has a particularly deep significance, because the past academic year was not only about endurance, but also about the will to act and a nation-preserving cooperation that transcends borders,”
emphasized Zoltán Csirpák, Director of the Ede Egán Vocational Training Center. He added that the certificates being awarded today do not merely verify the successful completion of a training program; behind them lies persistent hard work, diligence, learning, and development.
István Csernicskó, Rector of the University of Rakoczi, highlighted that a new vocational institution established by the University of Rakoczi has recently been created: the Ede Egán Vocational Training Center, registered in Ukraine, which now offers Ukrainian state-standard vocational qualifications and will issue Ukrainian diplomas.
“You have provided not only value and professional assistance, but literally a home, security, human attention, and hope to those students, instructors, and families who have found themselves on uncertain ground in a difficult situation. Hundreds of Hungarians from Transcarpathia have found a welcoming community among you and our partners,”
he said, thanking the Hungarian institutions for their cooperation.
Following this, the zither ensemble of the Tulipán Tanoda from Kisgejőc performed Bihari folk songs, prepared by their teacher, Marianna Györkené Csákány.
Sándor Filep, Mayor of Vásárosnamény, greeted the students with a proverb: “Always live in such a way that you are not noticed where you are, but you are always missed where you have left.” He added,
“Vásárosnamény is the heart of the Bereg region, but its center has always been Berehove. And I thank President Ildikó Orosz and Rector István Csernicskó that our city has been placed on a map that may turn us into a prominent location for university education.”
László Brenzovics, President of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association (KMKSZ), thanked the partner institutions, teachers, and staff for having done everything possible to help students eager to learn in this difficult situation.
“It is an uplifting thing to be here at such a ceremony. Not only because the students will receive their diplomas—allowing us to see what was behind this work, and that our labor was not in vain—but it is also uplifting because we see the heads of institutions and teachers who made it possible for students to acquire knowledge during these difficult times. But it is especially uplifting to be here because it demonstrates the will to live and the striving for knowledge of the Transcarpathian Hungarian community, which is in a remarkably difficult situation,”
he said.
He was followed by a performance by the accordion ensemble of the Tulipán Tanoda from Berehove, who presented slow and fast csardas dances from the Szatmár region, prepared by their teacher, Nikoletta Halász.
“Our training model, which seems unusual to many and is often difficult to replicate, is bringing not only the students closer to each other, but also the instructors and the institutions. Recalling and evaluating the joint work done so far, I believe we have chosen a good path by being able to provide young people in the Transcarpathian Hungarian community with the opportunity to acquire a profession in this way. We have schools where, through the learning taking place here, every student becomes a responsibly thinking adult,”
emphasized János Rostás, Chancellor of the Mátészalka Vocational Training Center, then reflecting on the past years.
Afterward, first-year vehicle mechatronics technician student Tamás Kiss greeted the participants with a poem.
“Dear students! This year, just like the past few years, has brought many, many challenges. Nevertheless, you studied and developed persistently, and today we can celebrate the moment of recognition for your professional knowledge. This knowledge and dedication will provide a secure foundation for you to further build your personal and professional development,”
said Imre Lévai, Director-General of the Northern Agricultural Vocational Training Center.
Subsequently, on behalf of the graduating students, Alex Pinte, a graduate in IT systems and applications operation, expressed his thanks for the past years.
Following this, the students received the fruits of their labor: the certificates verifying their qualifications, presented by the heads of the institutions—Director-General Attila Végh, Director Zoltán Csirpák, and János Balogh, Mária Pénzes, István Nagy, Henrietta Balog, Zsolt Kócsi, and László Nagy.
“When I look around this room today and see your faces, the first thought that forms in my mind is gratitude. Gratitude to the Creator who has sustained us, and gratitude to you, who did not give up despite the difficulties, uncertainties, and our daily struggles. Today’s ceremony at the Ede Egán Vocational Training Center is not simply a formal distribution of papers. This day is tangible proof of our Transcarpathian stubbornness, our remaining in our homeland, and our faith in the future. Many have often tried to tell us how to live, what language to speak, and what kind of future to imagine for ourselves. But we, Hungarians of Transcarpathia, have always known that the key to survival lies in knowledge, work, and faith,”
highlighted Ildikó Orosz, President of the University of Rakoczi.
The event concluded with the singing of the Szózat.
Anita Kurmay
