We bid farewell to the year 2024, which brought significant and undeniable successes to the life of Obuda University. In 2025, the primary task will be to preserve these achievements and rise to the challenges ahead. New Year’s greeting from Rector Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács.
Dear Colleagues,
Dear Students,
Dear Members of the University Community,
The year-end holiday season and the first days of the new year, as always, prompt us to re-flect upon what we have accomplished, and what lies ahead. For Obuda University, 2024 was a year of positive changes and significant progress. Before turning to the present, let us re-flect on our past and recall the historical, well-established predecessor institutions upon which we have built, as this heritage imposes an obligation on all of us.
Today marks the beginning of our university’s triple jubilee year, commemorating three sig-nificant milestones: 630 years ago, Pope Boniface IX issued the first founding charter of Obuda University; our university, the successor to the Budapest Polytech, has a 145-year history, and 15 years ago, we officially gained university status. In the papal bull of 1410, we read: “We gladly extend our support for the acquisition of knowledge… for through this, the respect for justice, the effective management of public affairs, and the flourishing growth of human existence are advanced.” It also emphasizes that humanity, through continuous learn-ing, can attain the invaluable gift of the enlightenment of knowledge, which guides us to-ward a righteous and fulfilling life. “By this present document, we decree that henceforth there shall be a university in Obuda, and that it shall flourish for all eternity in every per-mitted branch of science.”
Our university, together with its predecessor institutions, has endured so much: wars, pandemics, and the overcoming of seemingly impossible goals. At the predecessor of theKandó Faculty, the Royal Hungarian State Mechanical and Watchmaking Vocational School, only 20 students applied in 1879 from across the territory of the entire Kingdom of Hungary. Adapting to the needs of the time, as the School of Mechanics and Electrical Industry, the number of students exceeded 200 just a few decades later, even as the world was shaken by World War I. From today’s perspective, the student numbers may not seem high, but had the institution’s operators not believed in its potential, its successor might not exist today. Likely thanks to our predecessors, even then, many things ran smoothly—like clockwork: predictably, reliably, and with unwavering faith. This was, and remains, the key to survival and growth!
Traditions and achievements form a foundation upon which we can confidently build. Over time, our university has continuously evolved and transformed, with this process accelerating in recent years. In both national and regional contexts, Obuda University has become one of the most prominent technical higher education institutions over the past five years. Before my rectoral term, Obuda University was unofficially ranked below 2000th place, but it has now advanced to the 601–800 range in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, representing an approximate leap of 1400 places. Furthermore, in terms of research quality indicators, Obuda University is recognized as the best technical university in the V4 region. We have achieved this through consistent, step-by-step effort. Overall, our university is ranked among the top two higher education institutions in Hungary across all technical disciplines!
Dear Colleagues,
It is telling that today, one in every three newly graduated engineers in Hungary earns their degree from Obuda University. Among the many indicators of our university’s rising standards is the consistent increase in the number of applicants and enrolled students since 2022, despite stricter requirements. This academic year, over 4,300 students have joined us—the highest number in our history. A significant milestone is the over 30% growth in the number of students admitted to our master’s programs, and the tripling of full-time PhD enrolments compared to five years ago. Our researchers now publish twice as many high-quality D1-Q1-Q2 scientific articles annually as they did five years ago. We are proud to say that more and more of our researchers are featured on the Stanford list each year. While there were only two five years ago, there are now nine, and including our distinguished professors, the total rises to fifteen. The increase in quality is also reflected in the tripling of our university professors since 2019. Our distinguished professor program is thriving, with multiple times the number of applicants than available spots. In addition to Australian, Italian, and Swiss professors, we have welcomed Chinese and Canadian academics to our ranks. Today, seven Highly Cited Researchers work at Obuda University, forming scientific workshops and mentoring young colleagues and students, further enhancing our academic excellence.
As I outlined in my rectoral strategy, strengthening the doctoral schools has been a key priority. We have achieved significant progress in this area as well. In addition to the three existing schools, under my initiative, two new doctoral schools have been established. In 2023, the Innovation and Management Doctoral School was founded, and recently, our Architecture, Design, and Technology Doctoral School received accreditation and commenced operations. In 2024, we conferred more doctoral and habilitated degrees than ever before in a single year. But we are not stopping here! As the next step, we aim to place unprecedented emphasis on our cooperative doctoral program, quadrupling the resources allocated to it. This will ultimately ensure the immediate application of our latest scientific research results.
Dear Colleagues,
To quote Hungarian writer László Benkő: “If you have no goals, you have no vision for the future, and time holds no significance for you.” As you can see from what has been shared so far, we certainly have no shortage of goals. Our primary objective is to establish an internationally recognized, innovative, and sustainable investor university. To achieve this, we are building a globally unique innovation ecosystem to turn ideas into business successes. Managing our innovative ideas is crucial for this, which is why we established a much-needed doctoral school, founded our own venture capital company, Obuda Uni Venture Capital, and launched our knowledge transfer company, Initium Ltd., in 2024. As part of this ecosystem, we are developing a Science and Innovation Park system at three locations, creating new dimensions for university-industry collaboration. Additionally, we are establishing a fourth park in Uzbekistan, which will be the country’s first science park. Meanwhile, our University Research and Innovation Center has also grown, with the addition of five new research centers, further strengthening our commitment to innovation and scientific advancement.
We strive to operate as a classical universitas, pursuing both education and science with equal efficiency—this is the lifeblood of our university! At the same time, we must prepare for the new challenges ahead, among which we count the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in our lives. When used effectively, AI can significantly support our work in education, curriculum development, research, and administration. Those who know me well understand that I am an optimist, and I have great hopes that we can take even greater strides forward. Time and progress cannot be stopped, so it is wise to think ahead and integrate generative AI into the everyday life of our university. At the educational level, we are pioneering new programs, such as establishing Hungary’s first MSc program in Artificial Intelligence Engineering Informatics. As part of this initiative, we recently joined the international Digital Education Council, an organization uniting 44 universities worldwide. The Council’s mission is to enhance university AI readiness at both educational and research levels, further aligning us with global advancements in this transformative field.
Dear Colleagues,
Dear University Citizens,
I will continue to devote all my energy to ensure that the Obuda University brand means more and more to students, teachers, and staff. Students should be proud of the knowledge they acquire here, and the teachers, administrative colleagues, and all citizens of our university should be surrounded by a work environment that is inspiring, has a good atmosphere, fosters mutual support, and provides a sense of security.
My belief in a successful future motivates me to continue drawing from our shared past, just as before, relying on all citizens of our university, because only in this way, as a community of people who are determined to act, can we achieve our goals!
As time binds us together, the spirit of community at our university clearly strengthens. Henry Ford once said: “Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” In some areas of our operations, there are delays, but I believe we are on the right path to reduce the time-delays and achieve the reliability and precision of a Swiss watch. Five years from now, we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Obuda University, which today is a young teenager. Our goal is to make our university more attractive to talented young people and to stay on the course set by my rectorial program, steering Obuda University into the ranks of the world’s most respected higher education institutions, becoming a stable part of this fleet!
Finally, with Anna Jókai’s poem Újesztendőre (Good wishes for the New Year), I wish everyone a successful, healthy, and happy New Year.
‘May we never be disappointed in our peaceful dreams
May the smiles of angels protect us
May peace and love blossom in our hearts
And may anger and deceit not sadden us…
May our paths lead us toward our true goal
And may the work of our future not become a cross to bear…
Let us make this world more beautiful together
Let us already taste heavenly happiness
May every secret, beautiful dream come true
Blessed be every hour spent together
May we be able to laugh and truly rejoice
And may we avoid the biting teeth of time
I will say little in the end, but something beautiful: I wish you a Happy New Year!'”
