University of Pécs

University of Pécs

Pécsi Tudományegyetem
Latin: Universitas Quinqueecclesiensis
Type	Public
Established	1367 / 1912
Rector	József Bódis
Academic staff	1854
Students	22000
Location	Pécs , Hungary
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	Compostela Group of Universities
Website	http://english.pte.hu/

The University of Pécs (PTE; Hungarian: Pécsi Tudományegyetem) is the first university in Hungary and one of the major higher education institutes of the country, with 10 faculties, 32 clinics and a winery research facility. Hungarian, English and German programs are used in education.

History

University of Pécs, main building of the sciences and humanities faculties

The first university of Hungary was established in Pécs by Louis I of Hungary in 1367, the letters patent issued by pope Urban V, similar to that of the University of Vienna. The university existed for a few decades, then split into two schools, one of jurisprudence and one of theology in the course of the 15th century. The university was completely discontinued during Ottoman occupation, then restarted in 1785 by Joseph II moving the Royal Academy from Győr to Pecs. In 1802 the Royal Academy was moved back to Győr by the order of Francis I, and higher education was discontinued in Pecs until 1833, when the bishop of Pecs in conjunction with the city senate founded the Pecs Academy, comprising a legal and a philosophical faculty.

The modern University of Pécs was founded in 1912, and was originally located in Pozsony (now Bratislava, Slovakia). Since after the World War I Pozsony too came to be cut off from Hungary, in 1921 the university moved to Pécs, where it remained to this day. In 1951 the medical faculty was separated from the university, and till 2000 was a separate institution. The university was renamed Janus Pannnonius University in 1982. The present University of Pécs was created on January 1, 2000, via the merger of Janus Pannonius University, the Medical University of Pécs and the Illyés Gyula Teacher Training College of Szekszárd.

Current structure

With its ten faculties, the University of Pécs offers a broad range of training and degree programmes, with more than 25,000 students and nearly 2,000 teaching and research staff.

In September 2006, a modern higher educational training system initiated by the European Union was introduced in Hungary too, known as the Bologna process, which offers students an opportunity to pursue their studies in a dynamically developing, convertible European higher educational system. The traditional college and university level training programmes were replaced by a three-tier system consisting of a basic training programme (BA, BSc), a master level programme (MA, MSc), and doctoral level (PhD, DLA) programme.

In order to meet the demands and the needs of the surrounding community for continuing education, the University of Pécs has started to develop its programmes within the area of lifelong learning. In addition, the university attaches great importance to training in the colleges for advanced studies. Nearly every Faculty offers training in the framework of this organisation that encourages students to pursue their own research.

Due to the credit system, first introduced in Hungary here in Pécs, an increasing number of Hungarian students participate in international study programmes as an integral part of their education, and likewise, an increasing number of international students and researchers come to the University of Pécs to study and conduct research every year. Therefore, the university continuously works on expanding and improving its co-operation with other universities and international research institutions and is already part of a large network at different levels.

Pécs Medical University founded a CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) campus on October 14, 2008.

Faculties

Faculty of Business and Economics

University-level courses in Economics were introduced in Pécs in 1970, which makes it the second oldest Faculty of Economics in Hungary. Since then the Faculty has been a leading and proactive participant in Higher Education in the Hungarian business sphere.

• Bachelor-level programmes: Applied Economics, Business Administration (in both Hungarian and English, Commerce and Marketing, Finance and Accounting
• Master-level programmes: Applied Management (in English), Marketing, Economic Analysis, Leadership Management, Regional and Environmental Economics, Finance, Master of Business Administration (MBA, in English)
• PhD programmes: Regional Studies, Business Administration (in English)
• Short training programmes: in various fields for companies (since the Faculty believes that its mission is also to fulfil the demands of the corporate sphere in the context of lifelong learning.

International links are active through:

• EU programmes (such as ERASMUS and CEEPUS)
• Various bilateral relations with European, North American and Asian universities

The Faculty of Business and Economics is very popular regarding its rich student life. There is a wide range of opportunities for students such as joining different kind of student organizations or just participate on their events.

Student organizations:

• Fészek is the student newspaper of the Faculty of Business and Economics which is run by a group of creative, enthusiastic editorial students. Fészek has been nominated as one of the best student newspapers in the country many times which is given by the National Association of Student Journalists (DUE).
• Janus Pannonius College of Economics provides several additional classes for its members. A high number of their members participate on professional competitions and achieve outstanding places.
• Kappa Tau Beta is the first fraternity in Hungary.
• AIESEC
• AEGEE
• Entrepreneurship Clup of Pécs which is run by young enthusiastic, motivated students and professionals from all walks of life. We are proud of our interdisciplinary background, our entrepreneurial spirit that helps us to think out of the box and to have unconventional problem solving skills.
• Karton Network is a group of enthusiastic students who love photography, take photos and make videos about our university's life. It alloys their profession and hobby.
• Tehetségért Mozgalom which is a group of students who provide preparation classes for other students and high school students.

Faculty of Culture, Education and Regional Development

• The Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Education and Regional Developmentwas established in 2015 with the integration of two faculties of the University of Pécs (Faculty of Adult Education and Human Resources Development and the Illyés Gyula Faculty, Szekszárd). The newest faculty of the first university of Hungary preserves and transmits all the intellectual and cultural values and traditions created by its predecessors. • The new faculty offers university courses (BA and MA programs, vocational training and specialized advanced training programs) in the fields of pedagogy, social politics, economics, humanities, social and agricultural science. As an important cultural, scientific, and training center of the region, with training locations in Pécs and Szekszárd, the faculty is permanently improving and developing its educational programs that meet the needs of students and the social and economic challenges. The faculty is also developing unique education programs (e-learning, Senior Academy), involving new target groups and contributes to the assistance of talented people, re-training of professionals, education of adults, and also plays an active role in local and international research activities. • other students and high school students.

Faculty of Health Sciences

The Faculty of Health Sciences is one of the youngest faculties of the university where teaching began in 1990. Since the integration on 1 January 2000, it has been a faculty of the University of Pécs.

The Faculty has four regional training centres in the following towns: Kaposvár, Pécs, Szombathely and Zalaegerszeg. In all these towns there is a good working relationship between the Faculty and hospitals or social institutions. The Faculty of Health Sciences is the largest institution of its kind in the country in terms of the number of majors offered, the number of teaching staff and the number of campuses.

The Faculty also plays a pioneering role in developing health and social training programmes, which is shown by the fact that university level degree programmes, such as the post-graduate MSc major in Nursing and in Health Visiting, were the first ones in the country.

Graduates of the Faculty of Health Sciences have a level of competence in their own field that is fully compatible with EU standards. They are fully capable to work as competent team members in areas of health care provision and social care systems. In the EU, there are seven automatically acknowledged special fields. Students may obtain a degree in two of these fields (midwifery, nursing).

The faculty offers English and German language courses focusing on general and special purposes. The Faculty of Health Sciences is also a language examination centre where students can take examinations at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels in medical English and German. An increasing number of the students join the Student Researchers’ Association established in 1993 and achieve outstanding results at regional and national conferences.

The housing is possible in dormitories with a sauna (Pécs), a kitchen, a gym and a library.

Faculty of Humanities

The history of the Faculty of Humanities dates back to 1833, when Bishop Ignác Szepessy established the Academy of Pécs for law and the humanities, with a view of continuing the tradition of the medieval university. However, the Faculty of Humanities in its present form was established in 1992. The Faculty of Humanities has already introduced the credit system. In 2006 the Faculty started undergraduate programmes structured according to the Bologna system, which makes European higher education more compatible and comparable. As a result, foreign students can also start Bachelor programmes at the Faculty and obtain a master's degree in their home countries.

The Faculty itself is located at several different places in Pécs: its main campus includes a botanic garden, and the arched main entrance leads into the main building where the library shared with the Faculty of Sciences can be found.

The Faculty is the only institution of its kind in the region of South Transdanubia, offering courses both in traditional disciplines and modern social sciences. It offers academic programmes leading to a university diploma in traditional areas of liberal arts and social sciences. In most of the fields students may also choose to obtain a teacher's diploma in their selected major, since in 2003 the Teacher Training Institute has also been integrated into the Faculty. Degree programmes are offered to students in the form of single and double majors. In addition to full-time undergraduate training the Faculty also offers undergraduate correspondent training, second degree programmes, doctoral programmes and further training programmes. The language of the academic programmes is Hungarian, except for the foreign language majors: Croatian, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

Some unique training programmes offered at the Faculty include Hungarian as a foreign language, Croatian and German as an ethnic minority programme, Roma (Gipsy) studies, Roman provincial archaeology, theatrical studies and several specialist programmes that emphasize the international aspects of the liberal arts, such as European studies, American studies, English studies, Francophone studies, Russian translation and interpretation, Polish cultural studies.

The Faculty has developed a wide range of international relations with practically all European countries and several universities in the US. Thanks to the various cooperation programmes, several new resource centres have been introduced, such as the Swiss Documentation Centre and the Austrian Specialized Library, together with other specialized libraries in linguistics, philosophy, political sciences and social sciences, English and German studies.

Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law is the oldest faculty of the University of Pécs, that after its foundation in 1367 – after long breaks – started operating again nearly 90 years ago. Legal studies have always been an important component of the academic programs at the University of Pécs. In the period between 1950- 1971, it was the only faculty that secured the continuity of the university after World War II. In 2003 the faculty celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Modern Law School in Pécs. The academic eminence of the Faculty is well illustrated by the fact that the Constitutional Court of Hungary has two members from the university.

The departments of the faculty currently reside in 3 buildings, the Centre for European Research and Education, the Centre for European Documentation, and the faculty library operate in the Knowledge Centre since 2010.

The Faculty of Law provides a high level of education in the law and administrational fields of training, at all educational levels: vocational training (Legal Assistant), Legal Administrator Programme (BA) (6 semesters), MA in Law (10 semesters)and several postgraduate courses for practitioners. There are popular specialised legal trainings in the field of insolvency law, labour law, wine law and ICT. Moreover, the Doctoral School has already granted for more than 100 graduated an extensive scientific preparation to obtain their PhD degree. In addition, the faculty also hosts an accredited professional language exam center. For those interested in the scientific research, the Student Scientific Circle (TDK) provides an opportunity to prepare for the future scientific work.

The teaching staff consists of nearly 80 instructors with experience as professor and associate professors, as well as teaching assistants.

The Faculty has long standing international relations, mainly with German speaking countries, e.g. with the universities of Marburg, Bayreuth, Vienna, and the law faculty at the University of Graz. A more dynamic development started in 1992, when the financial support granted by the World Bank enabled study tours abroad and also the invitation of visiting professors. At present the Erasmus partner institutions of the Faculty are: the Universities of Aalborg, Babes-Bólyai Cluj, Bayreuth, Berlin, Bordeaux, Cergy-Pontoise, Extremadura, Graz, Groningen, Köln, Marburg, Regensburg, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Tilburg, Trier, Tours, Vilnius. The first CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies) network in the field of Law was created in 2005, coordinated by the Faculty of Law, University of Pécs, and with the participation of the following Universities: Karl Franzens University Graz, Babes-Bólyai University Cluj, University of Maribor, University of Novi Sad. Interest in learning English has increased and the number of courses offered in foreign languages is also growing. The post-graduate and PhD courses offered at the Faculty of Law enjoy increasing popularity.

Faculty of Music and Visual Arts

Holdbeli csonakos theatrical performance by JESZ.

The Faculty of Music and Visual Arts in Pécs is the only centre of higher education in Hungary that integrates training in music and fine arts. The Faculty was established in 1996 from various art departments of its legal predecessors. Its establishment was facilitated by the traditionally strong, nationally outstanding artistic life of Pécs.

The main body of the Faculty's artist teachers is constituted by fine artists and musicians who have settled down in Pécs. The private and public collections of the city - offering a uniquely comprehensive introduction to 20th century Hungarian art - the many concerts, the city’s symphonic orchestra and opera company, the long tradition of choral music and several other internationally renowned artistic groups, all provide a strong foundation for the Faculty as a higher educational centre in the arts. The intellectual background of teaching and research is ensured by an exceptionally strong, highly qualified staff, while everyday work is supported by a well-developed infrastructure, including several well-equipped labs, a sound studio, special workshops, practice rooms, an exhibition hall, two special libraries and a media library. The Faculty attaches great importance to international relations and to the organisation of student and staff exchange programmes and artistic events.

Training and research in the arts are run by four independent units: The Institute of Visual Arts, the Institute of Musical Arts, the Institute of Media Arts and the Master School of Fine Arts (Doctoral School).

Training at the Faculty of Music and Visual Arts includes, in addition to traditional academic programmes in the arts, contemporary trends in music and fine art, Media techniques that have a strong impact on a given era, and research in information technology related to music and visual arts.

The Janus Egyetemi Színház (Janus University Theater) JESZ is a theater at the Faculty of Music and Visual Arts. The performances are free for everybody, and mostly played by students from the whole university.

Faculty of Pharmacy

Pharmacy students in Pécs can start studies from 2016 in the youngest faculty of the University. Educational activity of the Faculty covers each level of the Pharmacy profession: degree programs at undergraduate (pharmacist), postgraduate (pharmacist with special expertise) and Ph.D. levels as well as training of Pharmacy technicians and technicians with special expertise. The subjects of the entrance exam are Biology and Chemistry or Physics. Completing the 10 semester educational program students are taking Board Exam and awarded a degree Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharmacist, Dr. Pharm.). Most of the Pharmacy graduates start their professional carrier in community pharmacies, however, there are also possibilities to find employment in hospital pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies or academia. Graduated pharmacists can get specialization on the Community Pharmacy, Hospital-Clinical Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy fields. Students also have the possibility to continue their studies as Ph.D. students. Pharmacy professional are in demand nowadays. Pharmacists can pursue a challenging and generally acknowledged profession with prosperous professional and financial carrier possibilities.

Faculty of Sciences

Researchers Night at the PTE Faculty of Sciences is a part of an annual event in Hungary for promoting high education. This time of year the Universities of the country present their activity to the public with interesting lectures and interactive programs.

Natural sciences were taught as early as 1948 at the Teacher Training College, the predecessor of the present Faculty of Sciences. When the College was transformed into the Faculty of Teacher Training in 1982, some natural science courses became available at the university level too. The present Faculty of Sciences was established on January 1, 1992.

The seven institutes constituting the Faculty of Sciences are engaged in teaching and research in classical natural sciences as well as in sport sciences. After the period of university-level education, bachelor-level education (BSc) was launched in 2006, while master programs started in 2009 belonging to the fields of natural science, information technology, physical education and sports. High number of students are enrolled in the four doctoral schools offered by the faculty (Biology, Chemistry, Geography and Physics DS) too.

The Faculty currently offers the following English language programmes:

• Chemistry BSc
• Chemistry MSc
• Biology BSc
• Physics BSc
• Doctoral Programme in Biology
• Doctoral Programme in Chemistry
• Doctoral Programme in Earth Sciences
• Doctoral Programme in Physics

The Faculty has its own library, computer centre and several computer and GIS labs. The public procurement procedure of PTE-NIIF supercomputer has been successfully closed in 2010. With its conference hall, lecture auditoria, session rooms, central hall, spacious dining facility and modern technical background, the faculty is a perfect site for prestigious scientific events. In the framework of a nearly 7 billion forints project the new Szentágothai János Research Centre was finished in the summer of 2012, which equipments can not only used by researchers and academics, but also the students of the Faculty.

The Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences is responsible for the operation of the Recreation Centre and the management of sporting life at the university. The new Sports Centre comprising the sports hall, gymnasium and modern swimming pool was opened in 1997. Alongside this recreational centre, the outdoor facilities in the campus park and Botanical Garden provide an inspirative setting for the Faculty of Sciences.

Built on a long tradition, the Faculty of Sciences maintains close relations with foreign universities. Several bilateral agreements of cooperation ensure faculty and student exchanges, studies and research abroad. Co-operation schemes offered by EU Structural Funds are utilised effectively in the form of a variety of projects.

Medical School

After World War I, when Hungary lost most of its territory, the university was re-established in 1923 from Elisabeth (Erzsébet) University which escaped from the city of Pozsony (Bratislava, presently the capital city of Slovakia). The Elisabeth University of Sciences had four faculties (Arts, Law, Medicine and Theology) with several outstanding professors teaching in the Medical School (Pál Heim, Béla Entz, Géza Mansfeld, just to mention a few of them). In 1951 the Medical School became a separate, independent institution under the name of the Medical University of Pécs. It underwent substantial infrastructural development in the 1960s and 1970s: the new clinical and basic science blocks were built during this period. Besides the general medicine program, training in dentistry and pharmacy were launched in 1973 and 2001. Meanwhile, the English Program in General Medicine was implemented in 1984, the first medical education program of its kind in Central Europe. A similar German Program was initiated in 2004.

Today the Medical School offers three programmes each academic year:

• General Medicine (12 semesters, M.D.) in Hungarian, English and German

In the Basic module the students become familiar with the structure and functions of the healthy human body. In the Preclinical module the formation and features of the pathological processes will be studied and the students will be acquainted with the basic patient examination skills. In the Clinical module the specific diseases will be taught and diagnostic and therapeutical skill of the students will be developed. Most of these studies will be practical in nature mostly in the wards. At the end of the training there is a full practical year, where the students carry out mostly medical activity under control of the teachers.

• Dentistry (10 semesters, D.M.D) in Hungarian, English and German

In the Basic module the students become familiar with the structure and functions of the healthy human body. In the Preclinical module the formation and features of the pathological processes will be studied and the students will be acquainted with the basic patient examination skills. In the Clinical module the specific diseases will be taught and diagnostic and therapeutical skill of the students will be developed. At the end of the training there is a full practical year, where the students carry out mostly medical activity under control of the teachers.

• Pharmacy (10 semesters, Pharm.D.) in Hungarian and English

This program extends over a period of five years, itt begins with an introduction to the basic sciences providing a basis for further pharmaceutical studies. In the second part of the program, students take part in general and special pharmaceutical education at the university departments, teaching pharmacies, institutes, laboratories and pharmaceutical works. In the 9th semester students must submit a written Thesis, and in the 10th semester they are engaged for 4 months in a practical training program in public and hospital pharmacies. The training ends with examinations in the presence of the State Board. The pharmaceutical diploma entitles the bearer to work in public and hospital pharmacies, laboratories, pharmaceutical works, pharmaceutical research institutes, international commercial trade of pharmaceuticals, and management of pharmaceutical materials.

• Medical Biotechnology MSc (4 semesters, MSc) in English

The MSc training aims to educate biotechnologists, who possess high-level theoretical and practical knowledge in medically oriented biotechnology. The programme is practice oriented providing the necessary skills for all the graduates to start working immediately after graduation in the biotech or pharma industry or enroll into PhD programmes. The programme is in English for both Hungarian and foreign students; as the English language is essential to succeed in any aspects of biotechnology. The programme provides opportunities for students to get involved in research activities in various departments of the Faculties of Medicine and Science or to prepare diploma work in biotechnology oriented small or medium enterprises or in the pharmaceutical industry (in Sanofi-Chinoin-Aventis). The university is a member of the European Biotechnology Network which association actively supports the programme.

In addition to being UP's training and research centre in the medical sciences, the School is also the most important health care centre in the region. It is an intellectual workshop, where research and daily practice, teaching and the provision of health care services enhance each other's efficiency. This is also the origin of the School's mission: to create a bridge between theoretical sciences and practice through training highly qualified specialists; a bridge with two pillars, scientific research of an international level on the one hand, and the provision of medical treatment as the most important duty. The two pillars are connected by teaching, where the main goal is to train the best possible specialists who can extend the School's influence over to the broader region, the entire Transdanubian area, and even beyond the borders of the country. The Medical School integrates 21 basic science and preclinical departments, and 31 clinical departments equipped with educational and research tools of the highest European standards. The central educational building houses a large Assembly Hall, four auditoriums, several seminar rooms and student laboratories. The Central Library subscribes to more than 400 journals and periodicals. Its reading room can seat 200 students. Free internet access is provided, both in the library and in the computer room.

The teaching staff is a healthy mixture of highly regarded, experienced senior and ambitious, talented young clinicians, researchers and educators. Four seniors hold membership in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 143 faculty members possess the title Doctor of Sciences, while more than 500 physicians and researchers have a Ph.D. degree.

The institution trains general practitioners, dentists and pharmacists, while it gains its dynamism from recognising the complexity of teaching, research and medical treatment. The School works in close co-operation with the Clinical Centre and the Faculty of Health Sciences under the aegis of the Co-ordination Centre of Medicine and Health Sciences. 25 clinics, 23 theoretical institutes and over 500 physicians, research workers and theoretical scientists participate in the training work. The School's library has several thousand publications, and provides access to online databases too. Accredited exams in foreign languages for medical specialists, developed by the staff of the School, can also be taken here.

The School's central building and its Rohmányi György Assembly Hall - accommodating an audience of 800 - is a popular venue not only for special exhibitions but also for high quality regional artistic events. Confabula, a student newspaper, and Vox Medicata, a mixed choir often touring abroad, offer students an opportunity to conduct extracurricular activities. The Pécs section of the Hungarian Association of Medical Students organises nationally renowned preventive and charity programs, such unique initiatives as the Teddy Bear Hospital for children, the International Evening or the Cocktails for a cause event. With the highest number of international students among the 10 faculties, the Medical School has the most diverse student population at the University of Pécs.

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, the University of Pécs is one of the biggest, most multi-faceted institutions of Hungarian technical higher education and the centre of South-Transdanubian engineering education with thousands of students and 40 years of experience.

Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology was founded in Pécs in 1970. The College was first integrated into the organization of Janus Pannonius University in 1995, later into that of the University of Pécs. It has been operating as a University-level Faculty since 2004. The Faculty was named after Mihály Pollack, the noted architect, who won world-wide reputation by designing several public buildings, churches and mansions in the 1800s. In 2012 it took the name Pollack Mihály Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.

The Faculty offers a wide variety of bachelor courses, master's degree programmes, PhD and DLA programmes. Students can choose from a wide range of higher vocational and specialized training options.

Since the beginning of the 1980s the Faculty has established many relationships with foreign institutions. Within the frame of these partnerships professors, researchers, PhD students, graduate- and undergraduate students are offered the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of exchange- and study abroad programs. These institutions, among others, include: Fachhochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Fachhochschule Dortmund, Universität Dortmund, École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble, Universiti Degli Studi di Cagliari, FH Joanneum, and Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

Besides the regular teaching programs and internships, a prominent event of the cooperation between our Faculty and leading industrial experts is the Pollack Expo organized every year. The Faculty regularly organises professional scientific meetings and conferences in the framework of the Student Research Circle. Since 2005 the Faculty has been hosting an International PhD Symposium every autumn.

In 2006 the Pollack Periodica, an international journal for engineering and information services has been founded at the Faculty, which provides an international forum for students and lecturers to present their scientific results. The Faculty has a very diverse and vigorous student life to which the Juhász Jenő College for Advanced Students has also highly contributes.

The present of the Faculty is all about innovations; - not only the Campus and the legendary student residence has been renovated and modernized lately, but the introduction of the Summer University, new trainings and courses definitely open new horizons for the current and prospective students.

International relations

Photograph from the 2011 International Evening at the University of Pécs

Japanese students collecting funds for the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami at the Faculty of Sciences

One of the strategic goals of the University of Pécs is to intensify its international activities in order to offer more opportunities for its students, teachers and researchers to measure their knowledge in international environments and also to attract more international students to its campuses.

The University of Pécs keeps expanding and improving its cooperation with other universities worldwide. The University of Pécs currently has 50 bilateral agreements in 24 countries in 3 continents (Europe, Asia, The Americas). These agreements provide the framework for mutual visits, short term student, teacher or staff mobility, and joint research projects. The university continuously works on expanding and improving its co-operations with universities and research institutes in and outside Europe.

The University of Pécs actively participates in the Central European mobility programme called CEEPUS.

The university has been offering full study programmes with English medium for three decades and with German for seven years. An increasing number of international students and researchers have been coming from over 80 countries to the University of Pécs to study and conduct research year by year.

The university plays an active role in the different international university associations (EAIE, EUA, Danube Rectors’ Conference, Alps-Adriatic Rectors’ Conference, Compostela Group of Universities). Moreover, the University of Pécs operates the Secretariats of two distinguished university associations, the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture (UNEECC) and the Alliance of Universities for Democracy (AUDEM). The University of Pécs continuously works on internationalizing the university in order to meet the demands of a modern, 21st century higher education.

The University of Pécs (UP) has participated in the ERASMUS programme since 1998 with increasing intensity. The main aim is to provide specific academic and teaching opportunities to our students and professors to help them deepen their knowledge at partner institutions and confront it in an international environment. One of the aims of the institution is the integration of courses taught in foreign languages into the undergraduate studies. The UP proposes agreements which realize the mobility in the student and teacher exchange in both directions. Our main strategy is to explore new possibilities and to extend co-operation to more areas with the existing partners. The University plans to receive more and more students from the countries which recently became eligible. The most important benefit of the practical training is that the academic knowledge gained by the student at their home institutions can be realized in practice in an international environment with a positive impact on their future employment. In staff mobility UP intends to include new university units.

Science, research and innovation

The promotion of innovation in the member states of the European Union plays a distinguished role in improving competitiveness, which can be promoted mainly by spreading effective research and development (R&D) activities as broadly as possible and by giving priority to innovation (especially the practical utilization of the results of R&D).

The university knowledge base can be interpreted along three dimensions with respect to the innovative activities pursued at the University of Pécs. One concerns research results which are produced in the university environment, that is, in labs and in the heads of researchers. The second one involves teaching, whereby a highly qualified labour force is trained that can succeed in the knowledge industry. The third one is the service dimension, which can ensure several important services that support the utilization of innovations for economic players surrounding the university.

As one of the six designated research universities of the country, the University of Pécs acts as a knowledge centre for innovation in the South Transdanubian Region. In accordance with the proper interpretation of innovation, the task of the university also covers, beside basic research, the training of experts that have competence for innovation and enterprise management, including the provision of several services that support innovative projects.

The professional background is provided by a wide range of teachers and research workers affiliated with the university. The teaching and research staff members participate in research projects at ten faculties; altogether twenty doctoral schools offer doctoral degrees that cover a wide spectrum of science, scholarship and art, ranging from classical humanities through social sciences to medical and natural sciences. It deserves special attention that UP is the only university in Hungary that confers an artistic doctoral degree (DLA) in the fine, musical and the architectural arts.

The Szentágothai Research Centre of the University of Pécs is a new research institute established on the basis of modern international science organizational and management normatives. It covers all aspects of education, research and innovation in the fields of biomedical, natural and environmental sciences. The infrastructure, instrumentation and expertise of the 22 research groups operating on the premises provide an excellent basis to become a well-known, leading research facility in Hungary as well as in Middle-Europe with an extensive and fruitful collaboration network.

Scholastic honor societies

A student preparing his self-constructed robot during a robot race held by the Szentágothai János Szakkollégium

Szakkollégium is a special type of society in the Hungarian higher education, mostly resembles to the scholastic honor societies of the US academic world. A student organization must be a grassroots movement to achieve the title of szakkollégium.

School shooting

A shooting occurred at the University of Pécs in November 2009. A student died in the shooting and three were wounded. The perpetrator was a first year pharmacy student. He was quickly apprehended by the police.

See also

• List of medieval universities

Bibliography

• Pécsi Tudományegyetem: University of Pécs, 1367. Eds.: Harka, Glass. Pécs: UP, 2007.
• Fényes, Miklós. Középkori egyetemek Magyarországon, A Pécsi Egyetem története. In: Bibliographie internationale l'histoire des Universités II. Genève: Librairie Droz, 1976.
• Petrovics, István. A középkori pécsi egyetem és alapítója. Aetas, 2005-04. 2.
• Kéri, Katalin, dr. A pécsi egyetem a középkorban. (In: Napi Magyarország, 1998. március 7., 16. o.)
• Az orvosi kar története. http://aok.pte.hu/index.php?page=html&h=tortenet_hosszu

External links

• Official website of the University of Pécs (in English)]