Debrecen4U
September 5, 2025
Technical higher education in Debrecen is 60 years old
Started as a technical college, today the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Debrecen is the most prominent center of higher education in eastern Hungary.
The past, present, and future of technical specialist training: the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding this year. As stated at Thursday’s festive council meeting, the work carried out at the faculty and the professionals trained here have contributed to Debrecen becoming an automotive industry hub.
“The Faculty of Engineering has been around for sixty years, sixty very, very busy years. From a technical college, we have become the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen, educating students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs,” Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen Géza Husi said. The former Technical College became a faculty of the University of Debrecen 25 years ago, in 2000. Today, the Faculty of Engineering is one of the most popular training locations among young people interested in a career in engineering.
“A few decades ago, we said that the University of Debrecen—the Kossuth Lajos University—defines itself from its strong faculties: the University of Agriculture and the University of Medicine. Today it is clearly visible that the technical profile is also very strong. In recent years, a lot of developments have taken place in the technical faculty. This spring, the 3,200 square meter wing of the Ótemető Street campus, equipped with modern educational units and laboratories, was handed over,” Rector Zoltán Szilvássy said.
Chancellor Zoltán Bács stated that in order to get here, a lot of things were needed; in addition to awakening to self-awareness, a persistent desire to develop was also needed.
“60 years ago, the founders of the faculty saw clearly that the future of the city is difficult to imagine without a strong engineering education that flexibly adapts to economic development,” the mayor of Debrecen spoke about this at the anniversary celebration. Papp László added that some of the professionals trained here are also employed by BMW, and many people associate the future of the automotive industry with the company’s Debrecen plant here in Europe. “It is a tremendous feeling to experience and witness Debrecen becoming so influential and significant in one of the world’s most important industrial sectors. This would not have been possible without the University of Debrecen, without the leaders and teachers of the Faculty of Engineering,” Mayor László Papp said.
It was also stated at the ceremony that the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Debrecen has now become the most prominent technical higher education center in the Eastern Hungary region.
Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu
