While continuing to develop its educational and research infrastructure in general, the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management will also launch some new programs in 2019.
In addition to the already existing BSc majors in Food Engineering, Horticultural Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Wildlife Engineering and Environmental Protection Engineering, the University of Debrecen will launch new programs as of September 2019 in Horse Breeding and in Equitation Management. Excellent conditions for the new majors will be provided by the fully renovated Lovasakadémia [Horseback Riding Academy] of the institution.
“Our MSc programs, which are built on our BSc programs, together with further training courses, higher education special courses and the doctoral programs offered by us, cover the entire spectrum of education in the fields of agriculture. This year, with substantial support from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, we will be able to offer an MSc program in Agricultural Water Management Engineering in English, too, while we also intend to launch several other training courses for those who have already graduated before and hold a degree now in agriculture. These latter include, for example, programs in precision agricultural engineering and in domestic pigeon breeding, beyond which we also plan a program in permaculture for ecological farmers,” said Professor István Komlósi, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen.
For a number of years, student enrolment from abroad has steadily increased at the faculty, which is listed by QS among the best 250 locations offering programs in agriculture worldwide. Out of more than 1700 students altogether, 140 are involved in the English-language BSc and MSc programs. These international students come from as many as 60 different countries, quite a few them on a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. Among the regional relations of the institute, agricultural faculties operating in Nitra and Kosice (Slovakia), in Oradea, Timisoara and Suceava (Romania), in Novi Sad (Serbia) and in Bila Tserkva (Ukraine) play the most important part, while external programs are also offered in the cities of Kisvárda and Oradea.
“We offer a range of possibilities for our students to participate in competitions or to present themselves internationally. In 2019, we also plan to send a student team to the international food-innovation competition Ecotrophelia. In addition, it is a great honor for us this year to act as the host for the Agricultural Section of the National Scientific Students’ Association Conference (OTDK), where we expect young talents to present more than 300 papers in as many as 29 different sub-sections,” said the Dean.
In order to support educational and research activities, the faculty will be further expanding its infrastructural background this year. Following the investments of recent years (including the establishment of Halbiológiai Laboratórium [Fish Biology Laboratory] and Élelmiszer Innovációs Központ [Food Innovation Center]), there will be a sertés és baromfi állatház [pig and poultry experimental unit], a szaporító üvegház [propagation greenhouse] and a mintafeldolgozó üzem [plant sample processing unit] built at the Böszörményi úti campus and the tangazdasági [experimental station] sites. All these efforts will contribute to a more and more significant emphasis on microbiology in addition to the former key areas of research at this faculty, which included food safety and water management.
A comfortable accommodation with all mod cons is ensured for more than 500 students by the dormitory Veres Péter Kollégium, shared with the Faculty of Economics and Business on Böszörményi úti campus, where the students can even cultivate their own vegetable garden. Apart from the currently available impressive range of sports facilities, the construction of a new tennis center is expected to be completed in a few months. In addition to all these advantages, students of agriculture in Debrecen will surely enjoy the academic rituals of sárgulás [a traditional farewell ceremony for graduating students] and korsóavatás [verbatim: mug initiation; a drinking and singing event for students and faculty], as well as the general atmosphere, advertised also by the motto of the faculty: “Az Agrár egy család, egy csapat [The Faculty of Agriculture is one big family, pulling together as a team].”
University Press Office
