Ladies and gentlemen, faculty leaders, staff employees and colleagues,
it was not a simple selection
process and you were the best before the challenging Commission and therefore I
have the honour today to deliver the appointing decrees to the
challenging and difficult positions of our faculty for
the next term. Currently during the next four
years you will decide on the welfare and progress of our institution, you
decide with your personal example about the quality of teaching or research.
The social climate of the faculty in the student and employee part of
the academic community will depend on your attitudes and decisions.
May I take this opportunity to urge the observance of correct relations, whether to our students or each other, not to mention a few ideas of perhaps the most famous speech in the last century, known as "The immortal words of John D. Rockefeller Jr. of 1941,
"I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every
possession, a duty.
I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the
servant of the people and not their master.
I believe in the dignity of labour, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a
living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.
I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs.
I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order.
I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man's word should be as good as his bond; that
character - not wealth or power or position - is of supreme worth.
I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in
Ladies and gentlemen, let us try to follow these principles every day, and we will certainly have more time for our mission as university teachers. May we open our eyes and finally look towards our students as younger colleagues - let's be tough but fair and persevere with dignity and without humiliation or ridicule. These are the attributes of teacher surveys in which students identified as being unacceptable. Motivate them to work independently and so that they can rely on their own strength. Management leadership and employee personnel administrative departments, please continue your constant efforts to increase both the professionalism and empathy for students, teachers and researchers, to guarantee the smooth operation of our institutions to the high standard of the European Union.
Let me finally express the belief that the next four years will be successful for our faculty, staff and also for you personally. I wish you good health, enthusiasm and a proverbial dose of luck.
