Mistakes of the Hungarian higher education system – Ten points to solve common problems

It is a general phenomenon that Hungarian universities do not do their best when we talk about international rankings. For this reason, professors and students abroad do not find Hungarian universities to be attractive institutions. According to various statistics, universities have an important role in the development and success of a country’s economy and living standards.

According to index.hu, one of Hungary’s most important duties is to consider Hungarian universities more significant in the educational system and in the country’s economic situation. We need to recognise the fact that, in this sector, there is constant competition between countries for years, and every country is looking for the best professors, researchers, and students in each institution worldwide. Only internationally successful universities can give perfect experts to the labour market where these students can compete for different kinds of jobs in their home countries and abroad as well. Successful countries like Australia and Spain are perfect examples.

Taking these points into consideration, the question is inevitable. What is wrong with Hungarian universities? Besides our successes, there are a lot of drawbacks in the educational system which need to be corrected. For example, the decreasing number of students who apply to a university after grammar school, the low rate of language exams, the lack of teachers and professors, and the question of state-sponsored semesters, especially in the case of the Corvinus University of Budapest, need more attention.

It is important to start with smaller reforms to renew our higher education system and to broaden these reforms to the whole country. Experts believe that these reforms will make Hungarian universities attractive again and will make all kinds of doubts and negative comments about our education system fade away.

Experts recommend ten points which can make Hungarian universities better:

1. An internationally competitive salary needs to be provided to every university teacher and professor in the country. Furthermore, enough financial support needs to be given to the universities’ research centres to support and make successful and significant researches possible soon.
2. A widely successful and competitive infrastructural system needs to be developed.
3. First, we need to broaden these reforms among Hungarian teachers and professors, and after that, look for, and invite teachers from the international labour market. To achieve this, a stable and perfectly built English-language educational system needs to be developed for foreign professors and researchers. It is also important to find harmony in hiring Hungarian and foreign teachers. Finally, teachers and professors need to be told that their important role in the educational system makes Hungarian universities better and better.
4. The hardships of teachers and professors need to be decreased. This means that university professors are overwhelmed with different kinds of educational activities which is the biggest drawback the education system has today.
5. Professors and teachers should get more free time and holidays when they can focus on their international researches to make their institution popular on the international market.
6. International scientific researches need to be published in different kinds of newspapers and magazines.
7. Educational efficiency needs to be valued through international norms and practices.
8. Research projects need to be provided with enough financial and administrative support. A brand-new office system for administrative tasks needs to be established.
9. Universities need to avoid the constant power of the administrative field.
10. Every section of each university needs to be valued by involving respectable foreign professors and teachers. The reports of these values need to be available for everyone.

To achieve these changes, more effort from the current government is inevitable, to evaluate every kind of achievement and to establish an efficient and fluent communicational system for every university.

Featured image: www.facebook.com/semmelweisegyetem

Source: index.hu