The infrastructure development was primarily motivated by the steady increase in the number of students at the University of Debrecen's Faculty of Technology: when the educational portfolio was expanded in 2006, the institution had 2,000 students, and now it has more than 3,000. The aim of the investment is to provide UD with the highest level of infrastructure for the practical and theoretical training of technical engineers, in line with the city's leading role in the automotive industry.
György Kossa, President of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the University of Debrecen (GTIDEA), which maintains the University of Debrecen, said that this year the UD MK celebrates its 60th anniversary, during which time it has played a significant role in the industrial development of our country in the training of generations of engineers.
- The University of Debrecen has always been committed to promoting continuous development, raising the quality of education, supporting research and development, and strengthening the economic and social position of the region. With the inauguration of the new and renewed Faculty of Engineering building, we have reached another milestone in this mission. This building is not just brick and concrete; it is a house of knowledge, where generations of engineers are preparing to shape the world," said György Kossa.
According to the chairman of the Board of Trustees, this is a centre that will give young people in the region the opportunity to learn the latest technologies and the foundations of future industries in a modern, 21st century environment, thus strengthening not only the education of students but also the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy.
- Due to the investment, the Faculty has become one of the country's leading technical education institutions. The figures speak for themselves: while the national employment rate of students with technical qualifications is 87 percent, the rate for graduates of the University of Debrecen's Faculty of Technology is 93 percent, and many of them are employed in leading positions in domestic or international companies," said György Kossa.
Zoltán Bács, Chancellor of UD, said that the HUF 4 billion investment is part of a huge HUF 29.5 billion development programme at the university, which is called the Debrecen Automotive Centre. The elements of this programme include the modernisation and expansion of the MK's Ótemető Street Campus, which is being carried out in four phases with a budget of 12 billion euros, the construction of the Vehicle Laboratory in the Vezér Street Industrial Park and the renewal of the Chemistry Building on the Egyetem tér campus.
- The industrial development in Debrecen, including the arrival of the BMW car plant, requires education to keep pace with the needs of these companies. A process has begun in which the city and the industrial players will forge even closer links, and the university will also carry out social research in the coming years that will determine the direction of development in these areas," said Zoltán Bács.
The chancellor thanked the companies that have helped equip the 10 laboratories in the new building and that now are involved in teaching at the faculty. Finally, he described as exemplary the cooperation between the local government, the state administration, the university, industry and social actors in Debrecen.
Zoltán Szilvássy, Rector of UD, recalled that when the Lobby of this building was inaugurated in a similar setting to today's after the 2013 opening ceremony, it was clear that something very special was about to begin.
- It was envisaged that the Faculty of Technology would develop as rapidly and reach the same international level as, for example, the Faculty of Sciences (TTK), the Faculty of Humanities (BTK), the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management or the Faculty of Medicine. This has happened. Today, the Faculty of Technology has excellent equipment and technologies, and its qualified lecturers and students have achieved outstanding results in numerous international competitions. For example, in nuclear energetics, our students have been in the top three or four places for years. The faculty has a very good reputation," said the Rector.
According to Zoltán Szilvássy, the basis of success is the cooperation between Debrecen, the university and industrial companies.
- Without enterprise culture, the economy would simply be profit maximisation, but with culture it is a wonderful entity. The alliance between BMW, the university and the city is also accompanied by intercontinental cooperation, as the Debrecen Automotive Cluster Association has members from China, Germany and Hungary," said the DE rector.
László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen, said that despite all the difficulties, this city is able to seize opportunities, work and develop. Today the new part of the MK is a symbol of this ambition.
- This impressive new building is an excellent representation of our city's modern-day development strategy. Education must go hand in hand with the economy," explained the Mayor.
He stressed that while in 2015 there were 72,000 students studying in Debrecen from kindergarten to university, now there are more than 82,000.
- Here, the new building is a synthesis of the efforts of the government, the city of Debrecen, the University of Debrecen, local companies and the needs of students. Large companies are cooperating with the Faculty of Technology, separate classrooms are being set up with state-of-the-art equipment, and more and more students from home and abroad are choosing the institution, while the city and the government are working to ensure that more and more students imagine their lives and their future here after graduation. Without the university's training we would not be able to serve and support the industry's labour needs, and without state support we would not have been able to build this high-quality training centre, said László Papp.
Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, emphasized that Hungarian higher education has been renewed and is successful, of which the University of Debrecen is an outstanding example. One of the keys to success, he said, is that universities must be managed locally, not in Budapest, but locally, to decide on the issues that characterise universities' teaching, research and cooperation with the economy.
- Universities are not for themselves, but work together with local economic actors. Twelve of our universities are in the top five per cent of the world, and the University of Debrecen is in the top two per cent. And in the field of technical engineering, it has been in the top ranking for years," the Minister boasted.
The Minister stressed that more and more people are choosing the renewed Hungarian higher education, with this year's admissions breaking records, with almost 130,000 people applying to the renewed universities. The University of Debrecen was the silver medalist in this ranking. What's more, since the start of the renewal in 2022, the number of applicants in the fields of engineering, natural sciences and engineering informatics, which are clearly important for the Hungarian economy, has increased by 45 percent.
- In Debrecen, due to a joint commitment with BMW, technical and engineering training is being renewed. And this requires renewal not only in terms of minds, but also in terms of infrastructure. Not less than HUF 12 billion forints will be spent to achieve this," said Balázs Hankó.
The Minister of Culture and Innovation added that 150-200 thousand people in and around Debrecen are in direct contact with UD. Most of the workers in the region work here. UD is not just a university; it is one of the largest companies. 11 years ago it had a budget of HUF 80 billion, and today it has no less than HUF 260 billion, of which HUF 100 billion is used here in the county. The institution is in contact with 5200 businesses, making UD the driving force of the county and the region.
The new part of the building was presented to the guests by Géza Husi, Dean of MK.
At the inauguration ceremony of the new building, it was also revealed that the modernisation of the Faculty of Technology of UD, which is 60 years old this year, will be carried out in four phases. The construction of the new wing was the first phase. The second phase, which is currently underway, will involve a bridge structure connecting the faculty's U-shaped "A" building and a separate facility housing the Department of Mechatronics Engineering. The latter will be completely renovated and a floor will be added. In the third phase, Building A will be renovated, and the final phase of the modernisation will include a complete refurbishment of the wing in Ótemető Street.
Press Centre - OCs
