Identity Constructions of the Elisabeth University

Abstract

The university, like any other institution, creates different narratives about its function, its relationship with the academic-scientific sphere, its local relations, etc., depending on its role, which can give it legitimacy, highlight its present excellence, and provide orientation for the future. However, the formation and shaping of institutional identity does not take place in a vacuum: because a university that wishes to be recognised in its wider or narrower environment must also take into account the current political, scientific, local, etc. frameworks and narratives that determine its operations. In addition, the narratives of the university's external and internal publicity, which usually aim to portray an uninterrupted and promising development, are also challenged by the various disruptions and disturbances of its operation (such as a forced change of location, a more or less significant loss of functions, the uncertainty resulting from an organisational change or the threat of closure). The self-image of the Elisabeth University during the Horthy era was that of a double-seated institution with a centuries-old intellectual heritage and a troubled fate. The various adjectives, rich metaphors and idioms expressing this were a constant element in the speeches at university ceremonies as well as in the visual representations of the institution. This paper presents the six most prominent identity narratives of the Elisabeth University.