The reason for finishing my mathematics courses at Debrecen University in 2013



I ended my courses in 2013 after 17 years of teaching at Debrecen University. It was based on a joint agreement with the University. I would have had the possibility to teach further, but I decided not to continue my work.

The reason for this decision was the way of settling the 2013 year rector election. When the term of the previous rector ran out an election with three candidates was held. In the first turn nobody won an absolute majority, so a new turn had to be organized. One of the candidates, the previous rector, withdrew his candidacy, and he said that he supported the person who had got most votes in the first turn. Some months later a new election was organized between the remaining two candidates. This time the candidate supported by the previous rector got two third of the votes, and the other candidate got the rector post. This was the point when I decided to give up my job at Debrecen University.

Formally the ministry had the right to propose the loser of the election for the rector post, and the president of Hungary had the right to accept it. But under normal circumstances this should not happen. Moreover, I think that the problem behind this election is much deeper than just a nomination for the post of the rector.

In the work of a university (just as in all larger communities) some dispute may occur. A dispute among the members of a group is not a serious problem if at the end the people taking part in it can find an appropriate compromise. But such a compromise is possible only if the people in the community have mutual respect for each other. The procedure of this rector election means for me the lack of this respect. It is questionable for me that under such circumstances meaningful work is possible. This was the reason for my decision to leave Debrecen University.

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