UzhNU celebrated Knowledge Day and inaugurated about 4,000 Freshmen
On Tuesday, September 1, Uzhhorod National University celebrated Knowledge Day. This year, about 4,000 freshmen joined the university community. The festivities brought together students, faculty, and guests of the university.
The celebration began near the UzhNU teaching and laboratory building. Students from the faculties, educational and research institutes, the College of Natural Sciences and Humanities, and the Department of Military Training lined up with the banners of their respective units.
This year, Knowledge Day holds special significance for the university community, as UzhNU is in the process of reorganizing together with Mukachevo State University. As part of this merger, a unified Uzhhorod University is being formed.
The acting rector of Uzhhorod University, Volodymyr Smolanka, congratulated the freshmen on the start of this new phase of their lives.
“Dear freshmen! Today marks the beginning of a new stage in your lives. For 11 years, you attended school; some of you continued your education at a college, and your parents bore a significant portion of the responsibility for you. Now you are entering adulthood, where you will have new mentors and professors who will help you gain knowledge and broaden your worldview.
I hope that right here you will find new friends, and perhaps some of you will find love. Enjoy life at the university, gain new knowledge, prepare yourselves for the future—and we will help you with that. Set high goals for yourselves and achieve them. Congratulations!”—Volodymyr Smolanka addressed the students.
The Chair of the Academic Council of UzhNU, Ivan Myroniuk, separately congratulated the freshmen on their choice of university.
“You’ll receive many congratulations today, so I want to focus on just one aspect. I want to congratulate you on your choice—the right choice of a place where you can fulfill your potential in the future. And most importantly, you’ve chosen the right university. We’re very glad that you’ve become part of our university family. Congratulations!” said Ivan Myroniuk.
The deputy chairman of the Zakarpattia Regional Council, Vasyl Demianchuk, and the chairman of the Uzhhorod City Council, Bohdan Andriyiv, also joined in congratulating the freshmen.
Vasyl Demianchuk wished the students strength, health, inspiration, perseverance, and a peaceful future in an independent Ukraine, and also thanked the defenders.
Bohdan Andriyiv encouraged the students to study diligently, acquire quality knowledge, set ambitious goals for themselves, and actively participate in the university’s civic, athletic, and cultural life. He also wished the students new friends, peaceful skies, and victory for Ukraine.
The musical greeting for the students was a performance by the vocalist of the People’s Artistic Ensemble “PADIYUN Production Center,” Oleksandr Kliap, who sang the song “Native Zakarpattia."
One of the main traditions of Knowledge Day at UzhNU is the ceremonial induction of first-year students. This year, the top-ranked incoming students from the faculties, educational and research institutes, and the Natural Sciences and Humanities Vocational College were invited onto the stage.
Among them were Daniela Kysil, a student in the Faculty of Foreign Philology; Anna Kapral, a student at the Educational and Research Institute of Chemistry and Ecology; Yulia Shykula, a student in the Faculty of Biology; Maksym Tanchynets, a student in the Faculty of Geography; Yana Kruchanytsia, a student at the Faculty of Economics; Yana-Anastasiia Romaniuk, a student at the Faculty of Health and Physical Education; Oleksandra Holovchak, a student at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology; Kyrylo Pidkhvatilin, a student at the Faculty of Information Technology; Daryna Hlyvlias, a student at the Faculty of History and International Relations; Mariia Tylishchak, a student in the Faculty of Mathematics and Digital Technologies; Viktoriia Dorohii, a student in the Faculty of Medicine; Anastasiia Mokrytska, a student in the Faculty of International Economic Relations; Kseniia Afanasieva, a student in the Faculty of Social Sciences; Kseniia Buletsa, a student at the Faculty of Tourism and International Communications; Ivan Ahoshton, a student at the Faculty of Physics; Iryna Matviiv, a student at the Faculty of Philology; Oleksandra Taistra, a student at the Faculty of Law; Dariia Subbotina, a student at the Educational and Research Institute of Dentistry and Laboratory Medicine; Anastasiia Tsubera, a student at the Ukrainian-Hungarian Educational and Research Institute; Oleksandra Andrus, a student at the College of Natural Sciences and Humanities.
The freshmen made a solemn pledge to study successfully, to respect and uphold the university’s traditions, to be active and engaged in the life of UzhNU, the city, and the country, to foster mutual understanding among people, and to obtain a European-level education.
The initiation ceremony symbolically concluded with the presentation of the “key to knowledge” and the student ID card. These items were presented to the freshmen by Volodymyr Smolanka, Acting Rector of Uzhhorod University; Ivan Myroniuk, Chair of the UzhNU Academic Council; Andriana Rehan, Chair of the UzhNU Student Trade Union Committee; and Anastasiia Sabov, Chair of the University Student Council.
Representatives of the student government also addressed the new students with words of welcome. They wished the students success in their studies, a fulfilling student life, exciting experiences, interesting events, and sincere people by their side, and invited them to participate in university events.
On the same day, other events were planned for UzhNU students to mark the start of the new academic year, including a charity concert.
