The Hungarian Government supports the development of the technical education of the University of Debrecen with close to 20 billion forints. According to plans, vehicle engineering training can start by September 2020, with aviation engineering as a major included.

Education development related to investments in vehicle engineering in Debrecen is funded by the Hungarian Government to the amount of 35 billion HUF, and the proposal for this is expected to land on the government’s table in the coming days, said the Minister for Innovation and Technology in Debrecen on June 14. László Palkovics explained that close to 20 billion forints is planned to be spent on developing the technical and related training areas of the University of Debrecen (UD).

- At present there is no vehicle engineering training at the university yet, that is why we are planning to create one. The above amount includes funds for the necessary capacity and knowledge expansion as well as costs of infrastructure development. The effect of the investment by BMW is already felt in the number of students applying to the technology training programme, which has doubled already. In reaction to this demand, we create the conditions for technological training at UD. This also includes strengthening vehicle engineering and-related trainings, said the Minister for Innovation and Technology. He added that the aim is to launch vehicle engineeering training at the university by September 2020.

- Within the vehicle engineering training one specialisation will be aviation engineeer training. In addition, we wish to strengthen the already existing pilot training. A key role in all this will be played by Professor Piroska Ailer, the only accredited researcher and teacher of aviation technology in Hungary and has a doctorate in controlling gas turbine engines, who will make her debute at the University of Debrecen at the beginning of August. I think that all conditions exist for success, László Palkovics announced.

In his information campaign held at the town hall Debrecen mayor László Papp said: at present 72 thousand students are studying in Debrecen, and there are plans that by 2040 their number should reach 100 000, which is the way for securing well-trained labour supply in the city.

Zoltán Szilvássy, rector of UD, stressed: the vehicle engineering training that has a strong natural science background to it at the university will cover motoring, railway and avaiation engineering trainig as well but a space research programme will also be launched.

- In the wake of the development of railway, aviation and motor engineering space exploration has also appeared at the university, which, through using the applied technologies, greatly contributes to the teaching, research and development of the traditional industrial branches, Zoltán Szilvássy stressed.

In connection with the university’s space research activity the leader of the university noticed that in the former solar physics observatory in the botanical garden, in which the Hungarian Academy of Science terminated research activitiy in 2017, after 59 years, of its own accord, a so–called radiation detector station will be set up to measure and analyse different types of radiation from space.

MTI/Press Office