The year 2025 brought significant changes to the life of Obuda University, and overall the institution was able to further strengthen its position. In his traditional New Year’s address, Professor Dr. Levente Kovács summarized the most important developments of the past year and outlined the main objectives looking ahead to 2026.
Dear Colleagues,
Dear Students,
Dear Members of the University Community,
“Another year has passed away,
The morning of the new has now dawned,
The whole world is filled with hope.”
— Elek Benedek (Translated from Hungarian)
These thoughts encourage us to begin a new year with renewed momentum, as the start of every year represents a time of hope and renewal.
We have every reason to be optimistic, as Obuda University has entered a phase of exceptionally rapid development. In the history of our institution, 2025 was a year of transformation, major changes, and progress. Over the past twelve months, through persistent work and dedication, we have continued to shape our future, and I am pleased to report that our efforts have produced remarkable results.
As Rector, I set the goal of placing Obuda University on a new and sustainable development path aligned with the challenges of 21st-century industry, and of establishing it as one of the leading technical universities in Hungary, the Carpathian Basin, and the Central and Eastern European region in the fields of research and industrial development related to our educational profile. Step by step, we have been realizing this vision, and year by year we continue to grow stronger and achieve further successes.
Advancement on the International Stage
To mention just one example, our university’s international reputation has increased significantly over the past year. Previously, Obuda University did not appear on officially recognized international rankings (unofficially we were placed somewhere between 2100 and 2300), but through consistent work and structural reforms, over the past six and a half years we have advanced more than 1,500 positions and are now officially ranked in the 601–800 range of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In 2025, we stabilized our position within this range, improving by more than 70 places and reaching 719th position. This achievement has strengthened our prestigious second place among Hungarian higher education institutions included in the ranking.
Why are international rankings important? They increase our visibility and prestige, which is reflected in stronger student interest, scientific standing, and industrial and international partnerships. Using a financial market analogy, the “shares” of our university have significantly increased in value.
Reaching this point required extensive joint efforts and determination, preceded by a series of bold decisions. As Amelia Earhart, the pioneering aviator, once said: “The most difficult thing is the decision, the rest is merely tenacity. Fear is the paper tiger.” I firmly believe in this. Vision, faith, and perseverance move us forward. Our decisions and actions justify themselves. Drawing on a Far Eastern economic analogy, Obuda University has become a “Hungarian tiger” of our higher education area, signalling enormous development potential still ahead of us. From time to time, we are increasingly “showing our claws.”
Growing Scientific Performance
It is a great source of pride for me that since the beginning of my rectoral term, our scientific performance has undergone remarkable growth. As one of Hungary’s most outstanding technical universities, Obuda University has strengthened its position among the world’s most respected institutions in education, research, and development. Although we are not a traditional research university, we have built a strong academic portfolio. We have tripled the number of full professors, quintupled the number of PhD students, expanded our doctoral schools and research centres, and an increasing number of our researchers are included in Stanford University’s Top 2% Researchers list, rising from just two six years ago to nine in 2025. The number of high-quality D1–Q1–Q2 publications has increased more than three and a half times, surpassing even our record year of 2024. Our young institution has strengthened its leading position among technical universities in the V4 region in terms of research quality (THE Research Quality), and for the first time Obuda University has also become the regional leader in the THE Research Environment metric.
Our Distinguished Professor Program, modelled after European ERC grants, continues to operate successfully with multiple times oversubscription. Today, eight highly cited researchers from countries ranging from Australia and China to Switzerland and Italy contribute to our institution, integrating young colleagues and talented students into modern scientific workshops.
Joint Research with the Best
Our partnerships now span the globe, from the Far East to the United States. There is an increasing demand for establishing dual degree programs. Within the Hungarian government’s Hu-Rizont Program, we are conducting joint research with two top-ten universities such as Stanford University and the National University of Singapore in the fields of medical robotics and artificial intelligence. This collaboration is being further expanded with another highly regarded Hu-Rizont research projects, including space research in partnership with Rice University. We are also pleased to involve Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, reflecting our responsibility toward Hungarian communities beyond the borders.
Towards Space!
This progress is evidenced by the rapid development of our SpaceLab Research Center, launched on September 1, 2024, and by the strong interest shown by our students. Through strategic foundations, many researchers have chosen our institution, and we have entered into a unique partnership with the U.S.-based Voyager company. We initiated the Hungarian Space Lab Network, involving eight additional universities and HUN-REN SZTAKI, committing ourselves to coordinating national R&D activities within the HUNOR program.
Excellence and Talent Development
Through the Excellence Obuda talent management system, we are tripling scholarships for outstanding PhD students and launching postdoctoral fellowships for international researchers. These opportunities are made possible by our renewed institutional structure and predictable, performance-based state funding.
Our student admissions results reached new records in 2025, with entrance score thresholds increasing significantly, often by more than 100 points, and our national ranking among high-quality student segments improving from 9th to 6th place.
Innovation ON!
Innovation is advancing across all areas of the university. A key priority is the implementation of an internationally recognized, innovative, and sustainable investor-university model. We have created a unique innovation ecosystem, extending even to secondary schools under our supervision. The establishment of our Innovation Management Doctoral School, Obuda Uni Venture Capital, and Initium Zrt. completes this system, supporting idea mentorship, market realization, and social integration.
AI Embedded in Everything
Finally, I have saved this for the end, only for emphasis, like placing the proper punctuation mark at the end of an exclamatory sentence, that we are standing on the threshold of an explosive technological transformation. A new era has begun, one that will turn everything upside down. As a technical university, we must catch the wind stirred by the storm of artificial intelligence. Together with our experts, we have developed a lightning-fast, yet thorough and comprehensive strategy. Through our AI Campus program, we are reforming our curricula and strengthening AI awareness, while encouraging the development of creative artificial intelligence applications, thereby enhancing the scientific excellence of our university. As an active participant in both national and international AI innovation, Obuda University strives to become a leading domestic hub in this field. Our goal is to build a knowledge-based community that offers real opportunities to shape the technologies of the future. To this end, at the educational level, we are initiating new programs, such as the establishment of a Master’s program in Artificial Intelligence within engineering informatics in Hungary. In support of this, we have joined the international Digital Education Council, alongside partner institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, and Singapore Management University. We are firmly committed to advancing AI maturity in higher education, both in teaching and in research.
Dear Colleagues and Members of the University Community,
Overall, I am pleased to note that we have fully achieved the objectives we set for the past twelve months. This is particularly noteworthy given the significant organizational transformations we have undertaken. The Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs was renewed, and we welcomed a new Director General. The Directorate General for International Affairs was established, while our Communications Office, the Rector’s Cabinet, the Rector’s Office, and our talent management system were restructured. Further developments were also carried out within the Directorate General for Education, and the expanding scope of our activities made it necessary to introduce the positions of Vice-Rector General and Director General for Information Technology. Through these changes, we have succeeded in establishing an even more stable foundation from which we can gain renewed momentum and continue to grow and strengthen.
I firmly believe that building a university requires not only engineering precision, but also a bold vision for the future and a shared sense of purpose. I have great faith in the power of our community, as all members and employees of our university have contributed to these outstanding achievements. I believe that what we believe in together is what truly drives us forward. I count on every member of our university community, and I would like to thank everyone for their work and support over the past year.
At the beginning of 2026, I would like to quote British American motivational speaker Simon Sinek, who said: “Success is not accidental; it is the result of consistent effort.” What I can promise is that there will be no shortage of work in the year ahead, and if we continue to give our best together, we will be able to reap the rewards of our efforts just as successfully as we did in 2025.
I believe we are fully justified in viewing the new year as a fresh opportunity to aim even higher. My goal remains to stay the course set out in my rectoral program: to steer our university into the ranks of the world’s most respected higher education institutions and, through an investor-oriented university approach, to build a truly third-generation university.
Talent. Success. Community. This is Obuda University.
With these thoughts, I wish everyone a successful and healthy New Year.
January 1, 2026
Professor Dr. Levente Kovács
Rector
