“In future, foreign higher education institutions that offer graduation certificates will only be able to operate in Hungary if their operations are supported, in principle, by an intergovernmental agreement”, Minister of State for Education László Palkovics said at a press conference.

“We review the operation of universities every five years and the latest survey of foreign higher education institutions by the Education Authority indicates that several higher education institutions are operating unlawfully in Hungary”, he said.

Typical problems include the fact that institutions have no campus or Hungarian partner, some courses lack the required accreditation, or the diploma issued is not a state-approved degree here in Hungary, or the institution itself is not a state-approved higher education institution in its native country, and in some cases institutions failed to provide the required information for the public registry, he explained.

“The Act on Higher Education will be amended in view of the results of the review, and will include the fact that foreign higher education institutions must also qualify as a state-approved higher education institutions in their country of origin”, he continued. The latter will be applicable to all countries, while the requirement of an intergovernmental agreement will only be applicable to countries outside Europe.

A further stipulation will be the fact that the course(s) and diplomas that foreign higher education institutions wish to offer in Hungary must qualify as state-approved higher education degrees, he added.

According to Mr. Palkovics, the lack of an intergovernmental agreement represents a problem in the case of a Thai, a Malaysian, a Chinese and four American institutions.

“All institutions must conform to Hungarian law”, the Minister of State for Education stressed.

Mr. Palkovics replied no to a question concerning whether the Government’s intention was to make life difficult for the Central European University (CEU), or to make it exit Hungary. He indicated that the Ministry would be sitting down for talks with the University’s Rector on Wednesday evening and that several anomalies had been uncovered with relation to the institution’s operations.

“If we receive a request for the conclusion of an intergovernmental agreement, the Hungarian Cabinet will support it”, he added in reply to another question, mentioning the Andrássy University as an example.

Mr. Palkovics also said that the new requirements will have to be met by February 2018, and that institutions that fail to do so will be unable to begin new courses from September 2018; courses already underway may be completed. The Minster of State said that in his opinion the requirements can be met.

In reply to a question concerning the Pető Institute for the handicapped, the Minister of State for Education said the Institute came under state maintenance in 2014 and since then its operations have been consolidated, it is receiving significantly more funding and is operating well. With relation to the situation of the seven conductors, he said that in his view developing children’s’ skills is a public education task, and people who develop them are teachers.

“The problem is caused by the fact that there are activities that do not belong under the umbrella of public education, and people who do not work with children and are not teachers can be reclassified. The University’s directors acted according to the law, but the case has shed light on the fact that the Institute’s situation may have to be rethought. Negotiations are underway with Semmelweis University on possible cooperation, but that will be decided on by the senates of the two institutions”, he said.

(MTI)