The founding and maintenance rights of the University of Veterinary Science, the University of Miskolc, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art, the Neumann János University, the University of Sopron and the Széchenyi István University will be transferred to asset management foundations beginning on 1 August 2020. Thanks to the new form of financing, institutions will be able to react more flexibly and rapidly to economic requirements. The government’s goal is for the more modern and calculable operational environment to increase the competitiveness of higher education, and by doing so to enable young Hungarians to be the winners of the future.
Thanks to the change in model, as an engine of local social life, the training of intellectuals and economic development, universities will be able to provide the training, research, innovation, arts, sports and culture service background required for the competitiveness of their region and the Hungarian economy. The state will be establishing the basic financing principles in accordance with long-term framework agreements to be concluded with higher education institutions from 2022, which will guarantee stable and calculable operations. The change of model could also lead to an increase in institutions’ capabilities to generate their own income.
The new operational model will continue to afford all students the opportunity to acquire state scholarships to study at the universities in question. Lecturers and other employees will henceforth be employed within the framework of an employment agreement, meaning that in contrast to the rigid public servant pay scale there will in future be opportunities to acknowledge additional performance and outstanding professional work. The new regulations provide a one-year transition period, during which time certain conditions relating to people’s employment as public servants will remain in force, in addition to which they also guarantee the payment of the jubilee bonuses due in accordance with the previous regulations for a period of five years.
Thanks to the more flexible and calculable operational environment, universities that will in future be maintained by a foundation will be able to reinforce their international presence. The University of Theatre and Film Arts will also be switching to a new operational model from 1 September. In accordance with a recent decision, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the maintaining foundation will be university professor and General Director of the National Theatre Attila Vidnyánszky. The other members of the Board include Strategic Manging Director of MOL György Bacsa, cinematographer-producer Tamás Lajos, actor-director Zoltán Rátóti, and manager and CEO of SLOVNAFT Oszkár Világi. Modern, high-quality training affords students a much better chance of achieving success abroad in the world of film and theatre, having acquired valuable knowledge from acknowledged foreign professionals.