HUNGARY
MAGYAR REKTORI KONFERENCIA
(Hungarian Rectors' Conference)
Address: Hungarian Rectors Conference (MRK)
The House of Professors
Ajtósi Dürer sor 19-21
H - 1146 BUDAPEST
Tel 36-1-344.03.10
Fax 36-1-251.30.03
E-mail secretary@fksz.huninet.hu
Introduction
The Hungarian Rectors' Conference was established after an initiative of four universities in 1987. Very soon all the other universities joined the initiative. Until 1991 the Rectors' Conference was an informal body without being a legal entity. On the initiative of the rector of ELTE, an Association of Hungarian Universities was created, whose major body, as a council became the Hungarian Rectors' Conference.
According to its Statutes the Rectors' Conference has the following competences :
- provide a forum for rectors to hold regular sessions and discussions;
- organise cooperation between universities, and between universities and other institutions;
- expand the international relations of the universities;
- develop the content of university education;
- coordinate and improve research, postgraduate training and awarding of degrees;
- coordinate the safeguarding of professional interests of universities;
- elaborate statements, proposals and recommendations, as preparations for decisions to be made by state authorities in charge of higher education;
- provide information of public interest on conditions and endeavours of universities;
- support universities financially in order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives by identifying and collecting domestic and foreign financial sources allocated for the development of higher education in Hungary.
The legal responsibilities of the rectors' conference are the following:
- to present proposals and opinions to public administrative and other bodies in charge of higher education;
- to advise the institutions' councils concerning the decisions and activities of the three conferences: the Rectors' Conference, the College Directors' Conference and the Chair of Art University Rectors;
- to appoint eight members of the Higher Education and Research Council (by the three conferences);
- to appoint half of the members on the National Accreditation Board, who must be representatives of the higher education institutions;
- to appoint the President of the rectors' conference to the Collegium for Science Policy, an advisory body for the Prime Minister; and to the Presidium of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences;
- to appoint the Vice-President and two other members to the Board of the National Scientific Fund;
- to appoint 9 members to the Hungarian UNESCO Committee.
The Conference has international cooperation with the Confederation of European Union Rectors' Conferences, CRE, OECD/IMHE, INQAAHE (International Network for Quality Assurance in HE), the Danube Rectors' Conference. The conference also takes part in all EU Programmes to which Hungary has access.
Structure
The Conference consists of the President, the Plenum (26 members), 4 Permanent Committees, and some ad hoc committees. All committees are joint committees with the College Directors' Conference and chaired by a rector in function. Sometimes there is a co-chair from the other Conference. There are also a number of specialised Collegiums and a National Council on Habilitation and of Doctoral Schools. The Plenum of the conference meets every month, the committees meet according to need. Decisions are prepared by the President and the Secretary General. Decisions are taken in the Plenum by consensus or a majority vote.
The Conference is financed by membership fees (100.000 HUF + 10 HUFx nr of students per university; and 50.000 HUF + 10 HUF x nr of students per college). Additional income is found through fund raising, services and other sources.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is a joint secretariat for the three conferences which represent 100 institutions. The secretariat, as a financial unit, is under the auspices of an umbrella organisation created by the three conferences, the Council of Hungarian Associations of Higher Education. .../cont
The main responsible for the running of the office as director is the Secretary General of the Rectors' Conference, and in financial affairs he is to report to the President of the Council. The budget of the three conferences is only separated for projects, for which the individual Presidents of the Conferences are responsible.
Within this general framework the Secretariat is responsible for all three conferences for the following:
- to prepare and organise the meetings of the conferences;
- to prepare and follow up the decisions made by the conferences;
- to prepare and organise the meetings of the committees;
- to follow up on the work done by the committees;
- to write minutes of all meetings;
- to dessiminate information to all members;
- to keep contact with government, parliament and other organisations;
- to represent the conferences in meetings by delegation from the chairman;
- to organise seminars, conferences;
- to run special projects of the three conferences;
- to keep contact with other national and international organisations.
Members (of the Hungarian Rectors' Conference)
Any higher education institution with residence in Hungary, accredited as a university and recognising the current statutes as compulsory can become a member of the Hungarian Rectors' Conference. A decision by the university council is necessary to create any Association membership. Decisions on requests for membership are made by the rectors' conference by a two-thirds majority.
The members of the Chair of Art University Rectors are honorary members of the conference and are invited to all meetings.
1. Loránd Eötvös University, Budapest
2. Janus Pannonius University, Szeged
3. Attila József University, Szeged
4. Lajos Kossuth University, Debrecen
5. Budapest University of Economic Science, Budapest
6. Technical University of Budapest, Budapest
7. University of Miskolc, Miskolc
8. University of Veszprém, Veszprém
9. Medical University of Debrecen, Debrecen
10. Medical University of Pécs, Pécs
11. Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest
12. Albert Szent-Györgyi University of Medicine, Szeged
13. Haynal Imre University of Medical Science, Budapest
14. University of Veterinary Science, Budapest
15. Gödöllö University of Agriculture, Gödöllö
16. Pannon University of Agriculture, Keszhely
17. University of Forestry and Wood Technology, Sopron
18. Debrecen University of Agriculture, Debrecen
19. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest
20. Miklós Zrinyi Military Academy, Budapest
21. Hungarian University of Physical Education, Budapest
22. Gáspár Károli Theological Academy of Reformed Church, Budapest
23. Debrecen Theological Academy of Reformed Church, Debrecen
24. Lutheran Theological Academy, Budapest
25. Jewish Theological Seminar, Budapest
26. Péter Pázmány Roman Catholic Theological Academy, Budapest
- Overall number of students in higher education (1994) :164.910
- Overal number of students covered by the Hungarian Rectors' Conference (1994) :98.098
- Overall staff number in higher education (1994)
permanent academic staff :15.119
temporary academic staff :1.559
administrative and technical staff: no data
- Overall staff members in institutions covered by the Hungarian Rectors' Conference
permanent academic staff :10.811
temporary academic staff :1.116
administrative and technical staff: :no data
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