Smart materials, the development nanometre-scale alloys, examining the social life of shorebirds, analysing the stress responses of fungi, studying the Eurasian steppic woods, observing the changes of the riverbed of the Sajó River – these just a few of the major research projects conducted at the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Debrecen with the participation of young researchers studying in the faculty’s programmes in natural sciences.
“High-quality programmes in natural sciences constitute the foundations of our educational offering. In case of these degree programmes, in addition to providing a thorough knowledge of the given discipline, it is also our aim to help students acquire a scientific way of thinking, which means significant competitive advantages not only for those pursuing careers as researchers, but in the corporate sector and many other areas of life, too,” Ferenc Kun, dean of the faculty emphasised. He added that the guarantee for the high quality of the education provided is the academic staff of 230 teachers, including 10 members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and 34 full professors.
The engineering programmes, the majority of which are also available in a dual education format, have their foundations in the degree programmes in natural sciences as well.
“As a result of a large number of industrial companies that recently establishing themselves in Debrecen, the demand for highly trained electrical engineers has grown significantly, a tendency which can clearly be observed in the increasing popularity of this degree programme, too. Students who, in addition to the high-quality theoretical education, also would like to acquire familiarity with the practical applications and corporate environments can choose from seven different partner companies offering dual education programmes. The bioengineering and chemical engineering programmes continue to be very popular, as they provide a high level of job security thanks to the presence of pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies in the city. Students who chose the geography or hydrobiology master’s programme offered since last autumn also in dual education format will not have to worry about finding jobs either, since it was due to the high demands from industry partners that these programmes were launched. Furthermore, in response to the large number of inquiries received from companies, we plan to launch the biology MSc programme in dual education format in February as well,” said the dean.
In connection with teacher training, playing a major role at the Faculty of Science and Technology, the dean mentioned that an increasing number of students choose teaching as a career, which indicates the success of the undivided teacher training programme.
“Many students choose to combine the teaching of a natural science subject with the teaching of physical education: biology, geography and mathematics are currently the most popular, but there is also increasing interest in the teaching of foreign languages, which is often combined with a subject of natural science due to the spreading of bilingual secondary school programmes,” Ferenc Kun added.
State-of-the-art technological background is an indispensable condition of high-quality engineering education. Students in the chemical and bioengineering programmes can master the technological know-how in the pilot plant located in the Chemistry Building, in what practically constitutes among industrial conditions. In addition, an increasing number of modern laboratories also contribute to effective education: in recent years, the infrastructure of instruments at the engineering departments underwent significant development and some of the laboratories used in teaching chemistry were also renovated, which process will continue this year with the renovation of the electrical engineering labs.
With 25 departments, almost a hundred degree programmes offered, and approximately three thousand students enrolled, the Faculty of Science and Technology is the largest faculty of the University of Debrecen, preparing for its 70th birthday later this year. The anniversary will be celebrated with a large-scale event encompassing all areas of sciences and showcasing the entire scope of educational and research activities at the faculty.
Press Office
The Faculty of Science and Technology, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, awaits prospective students with engineering programmes presenting state-of-the-art technologies and programmes in natural sciences providing high-quality knowledge.
