In September, the Department of Spanish will begin operations under the aegis of the Institute of Mediterranean Languages and Cultures at the Faculty of Humanities (BTK) at the University of Debrecen (DE). The new undergraduate program primarily targets students from secondary schools in the region that teach Spanish.
Until now, students had opportunities to learn Spanish at the university through various courses offered by the Foreign Language Center and through the Mediterranean Romance Language Specialization within the Institute of Mediterranean Languages and Cultures. This specialization catered to complete beginners, providing instruction in French, Italian, and Spanish. Building on this program, master’s-level translator and interpreter training was also introduced in Spanish.
Due to the continued popularity of Spanish education, launching an undergraduate program became a logical next step. After extensive preparatory work, the Department of Spanish was officially established on August 1, 2024.
- “The fortunate combination of will, intention, and demand made it possible for the already existing Departments of French and Italian to be complemented by the Department of Spanish within the Institute of Mediterranean Languages and Cultures. This enables us to cover most of the Romance languages and cultures in education,” stated Pete László to the university’s news portal, hirek.unideb.hu.
The growing demand for Spanish education is evident not only among university students but also among secondary school students in Debrecen and the wider region.
- “In Debrecen, Fazekas Mihály High School offers bilingual education, and students also learn Spanish at Ady, Kossuth, and Tóth Árpád High Schools. On a regional level, Spanish is taught in Eger, Miskolc, and Nyíregyháza. We expect applications from across the country but primarily from the region, given that DE is the leading higher education institution in Eastern and Northeastern Hungary,” explained the institute director.
Dóra Bakucz, an associate professor with degrees in Hungarian and Spanish language and literature, was appointed to lead the new department. She has extensive teaching experience at bilingual high schools and higher education institutions and is an accomplished translator of Spanish and Catalan literature.
- “Establishing a department and launching a program is both a significant challenge and a beautiful task. It holds almost historical value, as both students and faculty can work together as pioneers to achieve success,” Bakucz emphasized.
The department officially began operations last September with the involvement of Bakucz Dóra, recognized translator Kürthy Ádám András, who played a key role in the accreditation process, and native Spanish lecturer Miguel García Viñolo.
- “Our prior work experience as a team has made this transition smooth. All of us bring years of teaching expertise from both Hungarian and Spanish universities, which we can now apply at the University of Debrecen,” said Bakucz Dóra.
The department’s faculty has developed a three-year curriculum that includes courses in language development, Spanish linguistics, Spanish literature, contemporary Spain and Spanish America, and Spanish civilization. Students will need to earn both practical and examination grades to fulfill the program requirements.
In addition to regular classes, students will have opportunities to gain cultural insights and network with Spanish students enrolled in English-language programs at DE.
Although the education officially begins in the 2025/26 academic year, the institute and department management are already planning to expand the offerings, with a Spanish teacher training program expected by September 2026. The long-term goal is to launch a disciplinary Spanish master’s program.
Applications for the undergraduate program starting this September are open until February 15 on the website felvi.hu.
(unideb.hu)
