Almost one hundred students in twenty-eight teams participated in the i-Days for Life Debrecen hackathon on healthcare organized at the Innovation Center of the University of Debrecen on 10 November, Monday, and 11 November, Tuesday.

The number of foreign students at the University of Debrecen has continued to grow, with almost 7,800 students studying at UD in the 2025/2026 academic year. Attila Jenei, Director of the Coordinating Center for International Education, advocates the continuous development of the English-language training system to maintain the popularity of the institution in the international student market and to increase competitiveness.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Debrecen awarded this year’s Debrecen Prize for Molecular Medicine to molecular geneticist Jeffrey M. Friedman, a medical researcher at the Rockefeller University of New York. The professor and his colleagues identified leptin, a hormone produced by adipose tissue, which plays a role in regulating body weight. Professor Jeffrey M. Friedman received the award at a ceremony held at the University of Debrecen on Tuesday, after which he gave a lecture on the causes and treatment options of obesity.

The University of Debrecen has become a full member of the Turkic Universities Union. The decision on the membership was passed recently at the 8th general assembly of the Union, held at Tashkent International University. The alliance creates opportunities for higher education cooperation, and from now consists of as many as 170 institutions, including the newly joined countries.

The University of Debrecen has published its new image film presenting the philosophy of the stronghold of Hungarian higher education. Commitments, aims, failures, successes, life stories.

Rector Zoltán Szilvássy has awarded a two-year research scholarship to the three foreign students who represented the University of Debrecen at this year's Hackatom world competition in nuclear medicine. After winning the Hungarian round, two of them took part in the world finals, where they achieved great success, finishing in third place.

Several Chinese partner institutions recently discussed research and development, educational cooperation, and mobility opportunities at the University of Debrecen. The planned ideas primarily concern the fields of medicine, health sciences, and engineering.

The Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies – CIHEAM) supports the internationalization of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food Sciences and Environmental Management at the University of Debrecen (MÉK), as well as the expansion and strengthening of their foreign partner networks, according to a statement made during a visit to the university by a delegation from the professional organization representing 13 Mediterranean countries. Experts from CIHEAM Bari learned about the educational portfolio of MÉK and the research results of AKIT.

The new 2,700 square meter Vehicle Laboratory, built in the Science, Technology and Innovation Park of the University of Debrecen, will primarily be used for training and research related to the automotive industry. As part of an investment of nearly five billion forints, the facility has been supplied with state-of-the-art equipment, and workshops, laboratories, classrooms, offices, and a test track have also been created.

The number of Vietnamese students at the University of Debrecen has increased significantly over the past two decades, with most of those arriving from the Far East choosing to study medicine. This was one of the revelations at a ceremony held at the University of Debrecen on Thursday to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Vietnam.

On Orientation Day, foreign students at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Debrecen had the opportunity to learn about Hungarian and Debrecen customs and culture on Wednesday. Presentations were given in English at the event, followed by informal discussions among the participants. Every year, more and more native Hungarian speakers study courses in English at the Faculty of Economics.

A special hand-woven silk carpet depicting the University of Debrecen was donated to the university by the Iranian Rouzbeh Scientific Institute, with which the university has maintained a partnership for over thirty-five years. The personal gift was received by Rector Zoltán Szilvássy and Attila Jenei, Director of the Coordinating Center for International Education, in a ceremonial setting. The gesture is a worthy symbol of the committed and successful cooperation between the two institutions.