Author:

Teenager Mihály Viktor-Kacskovics

There has been a virtual stalemate at the University of Theater and Motion Picture Arts, which the institution’s students have kept behind the cordon since Monday night. The students promise not to return home until they comply with their demands, but at the moment there is no possibility that this will be the case from the new board headed by Attila Vidnyánszky. Vidnyánszky expects frankness from teachers and students and promises not to send teachers. On Wednesday he summoned the resigned vice-rector, László Upor, to a meeting.

Pizza, mineral water, paper towels, pastries – one after another, the packed packages arrived in front of the University of Theater and Cinematic Arts (SZFE) on Tuesday morning, where a group of students cordoned off the entrance to protest against the total autonomy of the institution. However, bystanders were only allowed to deliver their gifts through red and white ribbons, and no one was allowed into the building except students and teachers, not even journalists and donors.

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However, the restriction did not stop the followers, who had become more and more on Tuesday afternoon. A large tray of fresh coffee was brought from a nearby location, and an old woman handed over a phone number to the students.

“If you need food, drink, let me know!” – message.

Until the publication of our article on Vas Street, only those with whom the students wanted to talk did not appear: President Attila Vidnyánszky and the members of the board of directors he presides over. SZFE’s new management was also requested by hvg.hu to ask them to assess the situation, but we have not yet received any response to our questions. Members of the board of directors asked for our understanding and declined to comment, and we were unable to reach Vidnyansky due to his busy schedule.

However, in the afternoon they would have had something to react, the Student Self-Government of the SZFE read their demands to the journalists gathered in front of the building, which practically demanded the guarantee of the autonomy of the university and the resignation of the new Senate and Board of Trustees.

MTI, for its part, received a notice from the Board of the Foundation, according to which

The resignation of the leaders of the University of Theater and Cinematographic Arts is considered unacceptable and irresponsible.

According to them, the autonomy of the university has not been violated, the legal situation is clear and unequivocal, the foundation is working in accordance with current legislation, and university staff and students have been summoned to do so.

University leaders must ensure the start of education, the safe operation of buildings, infrastructure and, especially in the current epidemic situation, the health of students and workers. It is the duty and responsibility of the leaders of the SZFE to continue their work and ensure the legal and safe operation of the university.

Attila Vidnyánszky made it clear on ATV’s Straight Talk, that he does not give up on the protests, he feels that the university leadership rejected everything that would be important for change from the first moment. He said he doesn’t want to get rid of existing things, he wants to build something else in parallel. “The university is very disconnected from part of the profession”, would change that, in his words. He promised that there would be no retaliation against the protesters, that everyone could carry it out in class, that the students would get every teacher they were admitted to, “unless the teachers stand up.” He also said that he had not yet officially received the resignation of the university senate, and on Wednesday he initiated an official meeting with the resigned deputy rector, László Upor.

When asked how he would keep order at the university, Vidnyánszky said that now both parties had to show them that they were thinking professionally and the other side that they were open and receptive to them.

“They left no room for maneuver”: a video chronicle of the last two days

The students were also made with sleeping bags.

The fact that the board of directors will not have a good time with students was also conceivable from an earlier survey conducted by the HÖK. The research can in no way be considered representative, a 444.hu According to their report, 210 out of 353 full-time students responded to the online questionnaire – according to this one, only 40 percent turn down a private university on its own, but the way it’s done is already 100 percent. Furthermore, almost 70 percent of the students agree with the statement that “the real goal of the model change is the long-term ideological and political occupation of the institution.”

Mihály Csernai, president of the HÖK, told hvg.hu earlier at the venue that they are planning a longer-term resistance, they want to prevent Attila Vidnyánszky, the new chairman of the board of directors, from entering the building. This is also indicated by the fact that tents and sleeping bags were also brought into the corridor. Until then, they promise to keep the press informed of developments, although no specific questions have been answered.

The students also ask the parties to stay away from their cause.

This will not be easy, since the complete change of model of the Performing Arts in a few months was also clearly a political decision. Although it was officially revealed at the end of July that Attila Vidnyánszky had become the chairman of the SZFE board of directors, it was already suspected in professional circles that this would be the end. György Bacsa, strategic CEO of Mol, director of photography and producer Tamás Lajos, Zoltán Rátóti, actor and director, and Oszkár Világi, president and CEO of Slovnaft, joined the board of directors.

The university has learned from the press about the composition of the panel, which does not include any of its nominees. The same happened with the Supervisory Board, which included Károly Nemcsák, director of the József Attila Theater, a member of the Hungarian Theater Society directed by Attila Vidnyánszky, a regular participant in Fidesz events, György Szapáry, former adviser to Viktor Orbán, former Ambassador to Washington, Head of the Hungarian National Bank László Windisch, head of department of the second Orbán government, former vice president of Magyar Nemzeti Bank, was selected by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology.

The candidates nominated in vain by the SZFE – among others József Csóti, economic director general of the Constitutional Court, former economic director of several theaters and Ágnes Havas, general director of the Vajna Film Fund – were not taken into account.

Cancellation line

The government was also not impressed by the fact that many actors protested against Vidnyánszky’s appointment, and one after another he was resigned by the institution’s faculty. After more than 40 years, Gábor Zsámbéki terminated his contract with the Performing Arts, but Gábor Székely and Máté Gáspár, director of the Institute for Art Theory and Mediation, also resigned. On August 28, Ildikó Enyedi also joined the renouncers, and Andrea Fullajtár said in an earlier interview that she would continue to teach at the university just so that the students would not be left without a teacher overnight. Director Tamás Ascher also terminated his contract with SZFE. Réka Pelsőczy announced on her Facebook afternoon on Tuesday afternoon that she will not accept any jobs at the University of Theater and Film Arts until the restoration of autonomy.

The wave reached its peak on August 30, when the entire leadership of the university and the Senate resigned, which was announced at a press conference by László Upor, the vice-rector. The decision was based on the fact that the new founding document deprived the university leadership and the Senate of all powers.

Left Upor with effect from September 1

  • Eszter Novák Vice-Rector for Education,
  • Rector Gábor Németh Councilor,
  • László Bagossy, Institute of Theater Arts,
  • Gábor Balázs, director of the Institute of Cinema and Media,
  • and all elected members of the Senate.

László Upor spoke on Monday about the fact that they could only maintain the appearance of leadership at the cost of unacceptable compromises. “They control the running of the university over our heads.” According to the deputy rector, it is not possible to cooperate with the newly appointed board of directors, as

he accompanied his participant with varied contempt and carried out the model change process without consulting him. “

The Senate is willing to work again if it is granted at least the same rights as its state universities.

Attila Vidnyánszky on Monday to Hungarian nationHe said he found it regrettable and unhappy that the university leadership had resigned. He believes that he had a particular intention of trying to think and work together to “elevate the university to another degree, to another level.”

“We had many plans, we came up with a positive change plan in our bag, but from the first moment we felt that there was no real intention of a real dialogue,” he said at the time, calling it important for the university to function. It is not yet known who will be replaced by the resigned university leadership.



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Several acting students chanted the university, Vidnyánszky is not allowed


hvg.hu
At home

The students put up a barricade even after the Monday night demonstration. One of them said that students decide which leaders and instructors to admit.

The interim students read thirteen exact lists of claims.


hvg.hu
Cold

Students of the University of Performing Arts reject the new administration council and the supervisory council of the institution and also demand its resignation. Until then, no one other than students and teachers will be allowed into the building.