Debrecen4U
May 19, 2026
University of Debrecen’s Leadership, Staff, and Student Representatives Discuss Model Change
In recent weeks, in light of manifestos and statements concerning Hungarian universities, newly appointed Rector Zoltán Bács, as well as former university leaders István Fábián, János Nagy and György Bazsa and representatives of employees and students, were asked about the situation in Debrecen, the success of the foundation-based model so far, what advantages and potential disadvantages it has, and what improvements may still be needed.
According to the university’s website, Rector Zoltán Bács has held numerous academic, economic, operational and elected leadership positions at the university since 2000 (including company director, head of department, institute director, vice-president of a centre, chief financial officer and chancellor) while also serving for nearly 25 years as a faculty council and later senate member. Throughout this period, he closely followed the institution’s economic development and became thoroughly familiar with the Debrecen model.
“From as early as the 1990s, Hungarian universities faced serious difficulties because, as budgetary institutions, they were subject to extremely bureaucratic regulations that prioritised administrative procedures over operational flexibility. Annual state budget uncertainties and four-year national election cycles made institutional strategies and long-term planning even less predictable. This created a major disadvantage for higher education, research and innovation on the international market, where Hungarian institutions could not compete due to salary structures based on public employee wages that ignored performance incentives, cumbersome cooperation with companies, and limitations on asset management. In contrast, the long-term framework agreement and the six-year financing contract now provide a much more predictable environment,” pointed out Zoltán Bács.
The current rector, who is also a professor at the Institute of Accounting and Finance of the Faculty of Economics and who oversaw the model change as chancellor, recalled that the senate vote at the University of Debrecen took place on 21 January 2021 following consultations with preparatory bodies, faculty councils, the Student Union and trade unions. With 98 per cent attendance, the senate supported the model change with 65 votes in favour, none against and three abstentions, according to unideb.hu.
With the model change, the University of Debrecen only received the assets in which it had already been operating previously. As the largest Hungarian university among those adopting the new model, and with the broadest educational portfolio, it took over substantial property and equipment assets already underpinning its operations. At the time of the model change, the book value of these assets according to the Hungarian National Asset Management Inc. amounted to HUF 121 billion, while the value of real estate assets transferred directly to the foundation was HUF 0. Other assets provided to the foundation included a 50 per cent ownership stake in Nagyerdei Stadion Rekonstrukciós Kft. worth HUF 715.4 million, which has in fact served as an operational space for the university since 2014 across 7,000 square metres. Representation of this ownership stake was also entrusted back to the university by the foundation.
Regarding the operation of the University of Debrecen, Zoltán Bács highlighted that since the model change, the institution’s balance sheet total and equity have increased two-and-a-half-fold, while lecturers’ minimum salaries and performance-related benefits have risen significantly, well above inflation, especially in the previously most disadvantaged assistant lecturer and adjunct lecturer categories.
“This significant economic progress has been greatly supported by the long-term framework agreement with the state, which enables autonomous planning based on a predictable future outlook. The six-year public service financing cycles, secured by contracts and capped inflation indexation (with revaluation up to a maximum of 8.5 per cent), support medium-term planning, performance objectives and the strengthening of merit-based operation through financing linked to performance indicators. Financing that rewards performance encourages the institution to continuously compare plans with actual results and to provide even greater recognition to employees working under the Labour Code,” the university leader underlined.
Former rectors of the University of Debrecen also frequently encountered the limitations of operating as a budgetary institution during their leadership careers and largely agree with the current management regarding the usefulness of foundation-based governance, while highlighting the dynamic development and achievements of the past five years.
Professor István Fábián, who led the university between 2010 and 2013, initially had serious reservations about the 2021 model change because the safeguards present at German, British or American foundation universities were missing. However, even at that time, he believed that foundation-based operation was not inherently problematic and that improving the competitiveness of higher education institutions, which greatly depends on economic autonomy, was essential.
Professor János Nagy, who served as rector during two separate terms (2002–2003 and 2004–2007), sees effective cooperation and shared thinking as the main reasons behind the success of the Debrecen model.
“In my opinion, the long-term strategic plans established after the model change have successfully been implemented over the past five years, achieving high-level educational and scientific results alongside efficient and economical operation. The university leadership and the maintaining foundation made good use of the opportunities, and their cooperation enabled the university’s development and autonomous operation. As a result, the university has become successful in asset management, innovation and the practical application of scientific achievements alike,” said Professor János Nagy.
Professor György Bazsa, who served as rector of the predecessor Kossuth Lajos University between 1995 and 1999, believes one of the greatest problems of the current system is the significant disparity between different foundation universities, particularly regarding their assets and the composition, outlook and practices of their boards of trustees, which play an extremely decisive role in institutional success.
“Examining the performance indicators of Hungarian universities that underwent the model change clearly shows that the model itself does not guarantee strong performance for everyone. If the process is not pursued ambitiously enough, if insufficient resources are invested, or if the board of trustees is unstable, the system cannot function effectively. In this regard, it is important to note that several board member replacements were necessary because of the European Union, but the very process of appointing the boards was also problematic. A perception developed in society that these are politically determined bodies. The fact that Debrecen appears different in this respect is another, albeit important, matter. In any case, it would have been much more elegant to specify, for example, that three members be delegated by the government, one by the local authority and one by the university senate,” Professor György Bazsa argued.
The Debrecen university branch of the Trade Union of Higher Education Employees also regards respect for institutional autonomy and the protection of employees’ interests as key objectives.
“The 2021 model change at the University of Debrecen brought about a fundamental transformation in the university’s operation. We are now facing further significant changes, which make the development of a new structure necessary, and the Debrecen branch of the Trade Union of Higher Education Employees wishes to contribute its expertise and experience to this process. According to the union, a new system should be created that respects university autonomy, employees’ rights and interests in education, science and financial management alike, while fully taking local characteristics into account. We believe that competitive salaries, social benefits, equal opportunities and good working conditions can best be guaranteed through sectoral or local collective agreements that ensure stable long-term operation and development. In order to promote common objectives and transparent processes, we also consider trade union participation in decision-making essential,” said Levente László Balogh to hirek.unideb.hu.
Kevin Németh, President of the Student Union of the University of Debrecen, stated that students primarily experienced development in their everyday lives as a result of the model change. Since the introduction of the new management structure, the university has made significant progress in areas such as infrastructure, services and international opportunities, and these developments have been directly visible to students.
“It is also important to emphasise that the role and influence of student representation have not diminished within the institution. The university senate remains the most important decision-making body, with student representation guaranteed in accordance with the Higher Education Act, and the number of student delegates has even increased. During the operation of the system, we have not experienced senate-supported decisions being overridden. At the same time, we consider it extremely important for Hungarian universities to once again participate fully in the Erasmus and Horizon programmes, as these provide major international opportunities for students and researchers. At the same time, however, we also see the preservation of the Pannónia Scholarship Programme as relevant, since in many cases it offers favourable and broader international mobility opportunities for students. In the long term, a solution is needed that meets European Union expectations while preserving the advantages students have experienced in recent years,” said Kevin Németh.
Speaking about the future, Rector Zoltán Bács said the direction is clear: both the university leadership and the wider university community agree that the performance-based governance model operating outside the state budgetary system should be improved by addressing the shortcomings identified by the European Union and by establishing clear regulations, so that university autonomy does not depend solely on the self-restraint or overreach of individual boards of trustees.
Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)
