As regards tertiary education, non-state institutions of tertiary education have the same functions as state institutions.
The
conditions required to ensure tertiary education must be put in place
by the maintainer of the institution, or the institution itself from
its revenues. Development is the task of the maintaining organisation,
and the state may secure financial support.
Non-state
institutions of tertiary education operate basically in accordance with
the language of the Act on Higher Education. Any differences between
the operation of private and church institution from state institution
is specifically provided by the Act.
Non-state institutions of
education determine their own tasks within the framework of the
articles of association prepared by the maintainer. As regards the
training of graduate professionals the state may secure funding on the
basis of a separate agreement.
Non-state institutions of
tertiary education may obtain recognition by the sate with the approval
of Parliament. When establishing the institution, the founder must have
the pro ratastaffing and infrastructure required to operate the university (
egyetem) or
főiskola, and the management and funding to ensure unbroken operation.
Parliament
may revoke state recognition of a non-state institution of tertiary
education if operating requirements are no longer being complied with.
A
higher education institution may be established either individually or
jointly with other entities authorised to do so. A tertiary education
can be established by the Hungarian state, a local government or a
national minority government; by a religious legal entity registered in
the Republic of Hungary,including its organisational unit with legal
personality by an economic organisation with registered seat in the
territory of the Republic of Hungary by a foundation or public
foundation registered in the Republic of Hungary.
The Act has
also overseen the economic orders of non-state higher education
institutions. According to their founder there are church maintained
religious/denominational and private higher education institutions.
Private higher education institutions may operate as non-budgetary
organization, as an enterprise or a public benefit organization.
Religious
higher education institutions may operate as public benefit
organizations if they meet the requirements set by the 1997 Act of CLVI
on Public benefit organizations, and they register as prescribed by the
2005 Act on Higher Education.
It is not a common practise in Hungary that an institution of tertiary education operates without state recognition.
According
to the 2005 Act on Higher Education the registration procedure of the
institution is separate from the procedures through which institutions
recieive permission for operation. However, institutions may perform
higher education activities on condition of obtaining operational
permissions, the recognition given by Parliament.
The authority
responsible, the registration centre of the Educational Office operates
under control of the Minister of Education and Culture. The Hungarian
Accreditation Committee of Higher Education participates in the
procedure by providing expert’s opinion required according to
legislation by the registration centre of the Educational Authority.
Non-university private education
At present there is no tertiary education in the framework of non-university private education in Hungary.
Church operated institutions of tertiary education
The Act IV of 1997 regulates freedom of conscience and religion, and matters related to churches.
Hungarian
churches, congregations, religious communities are guardians of
traditional values and formers of communities. In addition to their
religious work they play an important role through their cultural,
educational, social, and medical activates, and through nurturing a
sense of national identity in society.
Formerly the party state,
subscriber to an exclusively materialistic and atheist ideology,
narrowed down the religious activities, and the social role of churches
by confiscating their property, and closing down most of their
organisations.
Following the political changes, the Republic of
Hungary implemented the rule of law, and churches were again allowed to
play their due social role without limitations. Ecclesiastical legal
entities may pursue all sorts of educational, cultural, social,
medical, sports activities and may work to protect children and youth
that are not relegated in the exclusive competency of the state.
In
an attempt to ensure the required financial conditions for the
activities of the churches, Parliament created legislation aiming at
settling the ownership conditions of some formerly church-owned
institutions.
In the course of the settling process, churches –
following specific request – were given back the property needed for
teaching and education. Churches were returned even 4 former
church-owned főiskola.
The
church is allowed to establish and maintain institutions of legal
personality. There are presently 27 church-operated institutions of
tertiary education, of which 5 are universities ( egyetem), and 22
főiskola.
Church-operated
főiskola teach exclusively religion-related subjects in one or two courses.
Some Reformist and Catholic universities (
egyetem)
provide, besides religious training, also non-religiousstudy
programmes, more exactly legal courses, humanities, and teacher
training.
An agreement has been concluded between the
Republic of Hungary and the Holy See concerning the funding of the
public and religious activities of the Catholic Church, and some
additional property related issues. The agreement, following conclusion
on 20 June 1997, was passed in Parliament as the Act LXX of 1999.. The
content of that agreement was extended to other churches, too, in order
to ensure equal legislative standing.
Ecclesiastical
institutions providing theological education may depart from the letter
of law regarding the rules of operation of universities ( egyetem) and
főiskola
in recognition of the special features of ecclesiastical education
(e.g. period of training, number of courses launched in a particular
branch of science, appointment of főiskola teachers).
In non-religious training there is no difference between ecclesiastical and state provided education.
The state, when recognising universities (
egyetem),
főiskola,
faculties or courses of theology, may not investigate the content of
subjects or knowledge associated to religious life. As regards
religious training, training and output requirements ([“képzési és
kimeneti feltételek”]) are determined by the ecclesiastical
institutions of tertiary education based on the ecclesiastical
regulations that apply to them. Church universities ( egyetem) also joined the accreditation process of doctoral schools. All church universities (
egyetem) recognised by the state have an accredited doctoral school.
In 2006, church-operated higher educational institutions have also introduced the multi-cycle training. Institutions of tertiary education owned by individuals, or foundations
Privately owned institutions of tertiary education were first allowed in 1993. They operate as
főiskola, and consequently provide training in 2-5
főiskola level courses.
The
14 institutions – in line with economic demand – provide training
essentially in sociology, and economics. The maintainer initially
launched higher vocational training based on érettségi vizsga,
and their tertiary education activities followed from that. These
institutions may provide state funded training in harmony with the
admission level approved by the Minister of Education and Culture, and
the agreement concluded between the Minister and the institution.
Conditions of operation and development are ensured by the maintainer.
The general training requirements in private
institutions of tertiary education and state maintained ones are
identical. State funded studies are possible even in private
institutions.
The Hungarian Accreditation Committee
accredits the operation and training programmes of private institutions
of tertiary education in accordance with criteria identical to those of
state institutions.
The Act on Higher Education enables departures from the operating rules of universities (
egyetem) and
főiskola
by passing separate legislation in the case of institutions of tertiary
education providing training in a foreign language, established on the
basis of a state or intergovernmental cooperation agreement signed on
behalf of the Hungarian state. This is how the Gyula Andrássy German
Language University of Budapest was created based on an
intergovernmental declaration issued on 22 February 2001 on the
promotion of common tertiary education in Central Europe by the
Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, the Prime Minister of the Free
State of Bayern, the Prime Minister of province of Baden-Würtenberg of
the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Prime Minister of the Republic
of Hungary.
The institution provides post-graduate training in German, it is based on separate legislation.