Kevin Németh has taken over as president of the Student Union at the University of Debrecen (DEHÖK), succeeding István Csont after five years in the position. At DEHÖK’s ceremonial assembly held Tuesday in the Main Building’s Aula, awards and recognitions were also presented.
“The student representation at the University of Debrecen has always been at the forefront and has played an active role in establishing student self-governance. Our institution still places strong emphasis on developing student advocacy. Alongside our doctoral students, international students also have their own representative bodies. The University of Debrecen is, first and foremost, a school at the highest level. Of our more than 49,000 university citizens, 32,500 hold student status. That is the most important thing—everything else revolves around it. This is why it is crucial for students to feel good here and to enjoy being part of the university,” emphasized Chancellor Zoltán Bács in his ceremonial address.
Recalling the history of DEHÖK’s formation and development, Bács stated that the founding of DEHÖK did not come out of nowhere. The impact of student organization and youth-driven innovation is still visible today, as the late 1990s saw the emergence of major institutions and organizations like Lovarda and Campus Kft., alongside self-governance.
“Adrián Szilárd Nagy, László Mirki, Péter Körösparti, Ádám István Bognár, and the outgoing István Csont have all played key roles over the past 25–30 years in shaping the university’s student community. Strategic changes and developments can only be carried out with such stable and responsible student leadership,” Bács added.
Outgoing president István Csont reflected on how the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote learning significantly transformed student life and entertainment habits at the university.
“Our duties during that time went beyond organizing events. During the pandemic, we coordinated medical and health science students’ assignments and launched an emergency social scholarship program. After the outbreak of war, our donation campaign delivered 7.7 tons of aid to those in need. As part of our organizational reform, we eliminated redundancies, further developed international student representation, and put major energy into revitalizing student life,” Csont summarized the achievements of his presidency.
Incoming president Kevin Németh believes that student advocacy today must go beyond administrative and scholarship matters. It must take on a stronger role in addressing student social issues like housing, mental health, and livelihood support.
“We won’t get far by offering only routine responses to these challenges. We need to be proactive and continue collaborating with university leadership, as has been the practice in recent years,” stressed Németh.
The new president also aims to support the university’s recruitment activities, launch a leadership program within the Student Union, strengthen alumni relations, and revamp the DEHÖK website.
Kevin Németh’s mandate as president of the Student Union at the University of Debrecen lasts three years.
The new DEHÖK executive team includes:
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Péter Szatmári (Faculty of Economics) – Vice President
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Nikolett Kiss (Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences) – Vice President of the Böszörményi Road Campus
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Krisztián Varga (Faculty of Music) – Vice President of the Egyetem Square Campus
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Rebeka Szilágyi (Faculty of Law) – Vice President of the Kassai Road Campus
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Márk Tóth (Faculty of Pharmacy) – Vice President of the Nagyerdei Boulevard Campus
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Dávid Melis (Faculty of Medicine) – Vice President for Foreign Affairs and International Students
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Kristóf Jen (Faculty of Science and Technology) – Chief of Staff
During the DEHÖK ceremonial assembly, awards and recognitions were also presented. The list of awardees follows below.
(unideb.hu)
