On Friday, September 16, 2011, Central European University held the 2011/2012 Academic Year Opening Ceremony, marking the official beginning of the University's 21st Academic Year. The event was held in the Ceremonial Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and was followed by a reception on the university campus for students, faculty, staff, and guests.
John Shattuck, President and Rector, CEU, delivered the opening remarks, and Leon Botstein, Chairman, CEU Board of Trustees, delivered greetings. Also speaking at the event were Wolfgang Reinicke, Founding Dean, School of Public Policy, CEU, who gave the keynote address; Nadia Al-Bagdadi, Head, Department of History, CEU, and two very important participants: Sejla Sehabovic, continuing PhD student, Department of Gender Studies, CEU, who welcomed the incoming students; and Rubeena Shamsudheen, incoming PhD student, Department of Cognitive Studies, CEU, who responded on behalf of the new student body. Katalin Farkas, Provost and Academic Pro-Rector, CEU, was the Master of Ceremonies, welcoming the audience and speakers, and delivering the closing remarks. Attached, is a transcript of John's Shattuck's speech.
CEU begins its twenty-first academic year with an intake of 622 new students from nearly 80 countries who join the doctoral, second-year Master’s, and undergraduate students already at the university. With this new cadre, CEU enrolls more than 1,600 students from nearly a hundred countries. The CEU community also includes some 10,000 alumni worldwide.
For the transcript of the opening remarks, delivered by President and Rector John Shattuck, see the attached document.
For the Opening Ceremony highlights, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBoFMpcK4Rs
If you would like to watch the Opening Ceremony in full-length, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhIBC-OcPf0
