Following last year’s “Student-Friendly” victory and the Chancellor’s Special Award, the University of Debrecen (DE) once again finished among the top contenders this year. In the competition, which expanded to ten categories, the institution was a finalist in four areas, and in two of them—sports and career development—the professional jury deemed the university in Debrecen the best.
The victory in the Sports University category is a testament to the University of Debrecen’s more than century-old sporting traditions, DEAC—which comprises 33 sports clubs—and its unique dual-career program. Chancellor Zoltán Bács, who accepted the award, emphasized that at the university, sports are not merely a physical activity but a fundamental measure of value.
- What the University of Debrecen does is use sports and culture as a force for community building. Every day, we strive to overcome ourselves, our limitations, and sometimes others as well. We know that we cannot compete alone; we need partners. We work to be influential yet collaborative members of Hungarian higher education, and together with everyone, we can move Hungary forward- said the chancellor.
The university also triumphed in the "Student Career-Building University" category. This recognition validates the deliberate ecosystem that supports student employment through the Business Innovation Club, extensive industry connections, and practice-oriented training programs.
Upon receiving the second award, the chancellor also praised the strength of the university community and expressed his gratitude to all athletes, coaches, instructors, and staff members whose dedicated work has contributed to the university remaining one of the most successful players in Hungarian higher education in 2026 as well.
At the gala, Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, noted in his speech that the renewal of Hungarian higher education is a shared success story built on the triad of sovereignty, performance, and innovation, which has made the institutional system resilient.
- Today’s Hungarian university community is vibrant, dynamic, and self-reliant; it not only champions the nation’s cause across borders but also shapes its future. We have made the system so impressive that eight out of ten university students now recommend their own university to their friends, and we offer every recent graduate a stable job, a competitive salary, and the security to start a family. We haven’t arrived; we’ve set off at a good pace: we Hungarians belong at the forefront of the world, so the sky is the limit- the minister said.
Balázs Hankó also noted that more students applied to higher education this year than at any time in the past decade and a half, and that universities, taking advantage of the autonomy they have been granted, can now make responsible decisions about their own future with a focus on actual performance.
Press Center – TB