Dean’s Welcome

Dear Visitor!

Welcome to the website of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management at University of Debrecen.

Advanced-level agricultural education offered in Hungarian initially started at the predecessor of our faculty, in 1868. Its influence covered the entire territory of historical Hungary. Several educators from the institution gained international reputations. In addition to their own research, they drew experience from renowned international practices. Our current instructors continue to work in this tradition of excellence. In addition to applying for national research support, they successfully compete successfully for European resources.

Our training and degree programs cover the entire spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including doctoral and postgraduate specialized training programs. Learning is a lifelong venture and knowledge requires continuous renewal. We believe we have to know the past, in order to have an innovative approach to the future and to find solutions to problems.

Our faculty emphasizes the practical side of domestic relations and educational and research-related international relations. We have to know what foreign competitors teach and the competence professionals are expected to have to practice their professions, because Hungarian agricultural professionals not only compete with domestic experts, but with international professionals, as well.

Agriculture, with its biological and technological subsystems, is an environment we have to manage economically and successfully. The understanding of this context including its several variables and the interconnections of these variables provides students an opportunity that they can utilize in the wide-ranging fields of the economy.

Prof. Dr. habil István Komlósi

Mission of the faculty

The mission of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management is the multifunctional development of agriculture and rural development in the North Great Plain Region. Accordingly, the institution deals with regional, national and international research and consultancy, as well as the primary goal of training professionals. Our spectrum of educational, training and research areas have broadened, in compliance with the demands of sustainable agricultural and rural development. The interconnection between the branches of science is strengthening, which is desirable both in the long and the short terms. Our aspiration can be used as a motto, as well: “diverse training and mobility”.

Our Faculty provides all the personal and infrastructural conditions of linear training. The structure of our educational programs is flexible and provides students with diverse course contents.

Our accredited laboratories provide us with the opportunity to impact sectors of the economy in such a way that these can meet the ever-changing demands on markets. Our purpose is to create high-standard student and research laboratories and to provide the conditions for special high-value machines and measurement processes.

The doctoral schools and doctoral programs operating at the Faculty have an ever – widening base – providing talented young people with a suitable environment for scientific development.

History of the faculty

Agricultural higher education in Debrecen started in 1868 with the foundation of the National Higher Economic School of Debrecen. This date marks the beginning of agricultural higher education in Debrecen and East Hungary. Between 1876 and 1906 the institute’s official name was Secondary Economic School. Then it was run under the name Hungarian Royal Academy of Economy until 1944. Between 1944 and 1949 our institute went on with its work as the Debrecen Department of the Agricultural Sciences at the Hungarian Agricultural University. In 1953 tuition began again at the Agricultural Academy. Training of professionals reached University level between 1962 and 1970 at the Agricultural College. Between 1970 and 1999 the institute got its university title and as the Agricultural University of Debrecen it operated with two branch faculties (Szarvas, earlier Hódmezővásárhely, later Mezőtúr).

The University of Debrecen was established with 5 university-, three college faculties and three research institutes on 1st January, 2000. In 2002 the Faculty of Agriculture and Rural Development was established, and by 2006, the university had comprised 15 faculties.