Culture ministry signs agreement with Times Higher Education

The partnership was designed to promote the government’s higher education-related goals and increase the global presence of Hungarian universities, the ministry said in a statement.

Under the agreement, THE will make a detailed analysis of Hungarian universities in terms of their performance in comparison with regional and global peers. “This will give an accent to Hungary’s higher education excellence at an international level,” the statement said.

State secretary Balazs Hanko, who oversees higher education, said currently 11 Hungarian universities were listed in THE’s World University Rankings, adding that the goal was to have a Hungarian university among the world’s 100 best by 2030, and at least three among Europe’s top 100.

The statement quoted Phil Baty, THE director for global affairs, as saying that Hungary’s higher education aspirations were impressive, and expressed his organisation’s readiness to provide its Hungarian partner with reliable information, global comparative data and background material.

The ministry will have access to THE’s material on universities in over 100 countries worldwide, in terms of their education, research, financial sustainability, international activities, social impact and scientific reputation with the aim of supporting Hungarian universities, Baty added.

The ministry added that the government’s goal was to more than double the number of foreign students at Hungarian universities.