Archive footage about the signing of the accession protocol 20 years ago, military shows, the missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, photos of the air space protection activities in the Baltic countries, as well as the screening of the short film produced by Zrínyi Military Film Studio titled “20 years of alliance - Hungary and the NATO” included some of the highlights at the opening of the travelling exhibition on 27 May, Monday, on the third-floor cloister of the Main Building of the University of Debrecen.
“The soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces, part of the NATO alliance for 20 years, contribute to Hungary’s security and the maintenance of global peace. Following the example set by the soldiers, it is very important to represent this patriotic commitment also in the ‘hinterland’, including at the universities”, emphasized Ákos Pintér in his speech delivered at the opening ceremony. In response to the question of hirek.unideb.hu, the vice rector of the University of Debrecen said that the institution is forging closer ties with the Hungarian Defence Forces.
“In the function of source of innovation and human resources, the University of Debrecen, as a knowledge base, is joining the ‘Zrínyi 2026’ military force development programme aimed at the updating of the Hungarian Defence Forces. This means that new types of medical, IT and technical solutions may find their way from civilian industries to military applications,” Pintér said.
In his welcoming address, Gergely Németh, minister of state at the Ministry of Defence responsible for defence policy, recalled that it is an unprecedented success story for Hungary that it was able to join the world’s best functioning military alliance.
“It is a great honour that the University of Debrecen and the city itself is hosting this exhibition, since it is here that the 5th “Bocskai István” Infantry Brigade of the Hungarian Defence Forces is stationed in the city. This unit has made extraordinary efforts in the peacekeeping missions, furthering the reputation of our country’s military force, as a result of which everyone in NATO is now aware that the Hungarian Defence Forces is a real value contributing factor in the North Atlantic alliance,” Németh declared.
Books on a range of topics related to the history and the present of military forces were on sale during the opening ceremony, and a recruitment point will also operate on site during the entire length of the exhibition. The exhibition can be seen until 30 May on the 3rd-floor cloister of the Main Building of the University of Debrecen.
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