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Working Group with Slovakia to Exchange Experience on Higher Education

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.01.29.

The creation of a joint Hungarian-Slovak working group on education was  agreed in Komárno (Révkomárom), Slovakia, at a meeting on Tuesday between Veronika Varga-Bajusz, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, and Róbert Zsembera, Slovak State Secretary for Education.

At the meeting, held at the J. Selye University in Komárno, the participants discussed closer cooperation in the field of Hungarian-Slovak higher education, exchange of experience at professional level and topical issues in the field of education, including the implementation of the universities’ funding model based on performance.

Veronika Varga-Bajusz presented at a joint press conference that during their discussion, she detailed the performance funding model to which Hungarian universities switched to a few years ago, as well as the strategic partnership model that was presented to other EU member states during Hungary’s EU presidency. She said that they also exchanged relevant experience and jurisprudence with a view to strengthening bilateral relations  in education.

Fact

In 2021, the government adopted a proposal to change the model of higher education institutions. This meant that the majority of universities were removed from the scope of direct state-run institutions, and the rights of founders and maintainers were transferred to trusts established specifically for this purpose. The government’s aim was to ensure the country’s competitiveness and efficiency of its universities, while expanding “academic freedom.”

She announced that there were also plans to set up a joint Hungarian-Slovak working group on education. “We will set up a mixed Hungarian-Slovak working group on education.

We think it is important to create a platform for our universities, accreditation agencies and quality assurance experts to also be able to consult, exchange experience and work together in the future,”

said Veronika Varga-Bajusz.

She added that they also discussed research and innovation issues and reviewed educational issues at EU level. In the latter, they agreed that the issue of the European university degree needs further examination for both countries, as the topic currently raises more questions than answers. At the press conference, Slovak State Secretary for Education Róbert Zsembera said he was convinced that Slovak-Hungarian relations in higher education were at an exceptional level.

He confirmed the agreement on the creation of a joint working group on education, that is expected to be set up as early as February and whose members are expected to meet at least every six months.

He added that it was also agreed that further meetings would take place with experts from academies of sciences, accreditation agencies and other academic institutions in both countries.

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Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay


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