Rector's Introduction

The beginning of the 21st century sees an optimistic, ambitious, hard-working university with positive prospects. The University of Miskolc started some decades ago the preparation for adjusting to the requirements of the new century.
Drawing on its 266 years' history, out of which Miskolc has hosted some 50 years, the University of Miskolc has always been committed to the spirit of permanent renewal, which has lead organically to the ever-expanding university of the present day. In addition to the technical faculties, which respond continuously to the ever-changing requirements of the modern times, the past two decades have seen the social sciences become established at the University. Thus today the university can boast of three technical faculties and three faculties of the humanities. Our three-year colleges also play a significant role. One of them is the Comenius Teacher Training College in Sárospatak, which has become our partner as a result of the national integration of universities. The other is the Bartók Béla Music School where the academic level training of music teachers is carried out. The School operates within the framework of an institute of the University of Miskolc. A new specialisation is represented by the college-level training of nurses for which the University of Debrecen has provided academic support. However, we strongly hope that in the next academic year the training will be run by our independent College of Health-Care Studies.
The Research Institute of Applied Chemistry is a major centre of both research and education.
The 85 hectare (210 acre) campus, which will be developed to European standards over the next ten years, provides a working space for 15,000 students, 800 lecturers and 1,200 other staff.
The development of the educational infrastructure will be financed by a grant of nearly 7 billion HUF from the Hungarian governmental fund for the development of higher education. Out of this 1.2-1.3 billion HUF is already being used for the modernisation of information technology. As a result of the programme new lecture halls, a library as well as a 10-15 computing and technical-research laboratories will be built. Nearly all the lecture halls and seminar rooms will be modernised and refurbished.
For the improvement of the living conditions within the campus a programme involving 7-10 billion HUF of private investment has been prepared under the title "Building the university of the 21st century together". In the next few years within the framework of the programme a conference hotel, residences for students and lecturers, a recreational centre, swimming pool and ice rink will be built along with a shopping centre and restaurants.
The University of Miskolc sees its missionary role in becoming the regional Academic centre of the socio-economic development of the North East of Hungary. This is an urgent matter of the immediate future; with the approaching Hungarian accession to the European Union. The role of the University then will be that of an intellectual-academic bridge between the East and the West.