History

The history of higher education in Debrecen dates back to the 16th century. The Reformed College of Debrecen, established in 1538, played a pivotal role in education, teaching in the native language and promoting Hungarian culture throughout the region and the country. The College soon became the most important cultural center in Hungary, educating numerous writers, scientists, and politicians.

In the 18th century, the schools of Law and Theology were founded. Although there was no separate School of Medicine at that time, physicians were trained within the College.

In 1908, the Calvinist Academy of Humanities was created, leading to the establishment of the Hungarian Royal University in 1912. The College served as a solid foundation for the Royal University, making the University of Debrecen the oldest higher education institution with a continuous history in Hungary.

The university incorporated the Theology, Law, and Arts faculties from the College and added a medical school. Teaching began in 1914 in the old Calvinist College buildings, and the University was officially inaugurated on October 23, 1918.

In 1921, the university was named after István Tisza, a former prime minister of Hungary. By 1932, the university's main building, designed in eclectic and neo-baroque style, was completed, becoming one of the largest buildings in the city.

In 1949-1950, the university was restructured under communist control, aiming to fragment it into smaller, less influential institutions and to suppress units that did not align with the political agenda.

The Faculty of Medicine became independent in 1951, supervised by the Ministry of Health until 2000. The Faculty of Theology returned to the Calvinist College, the Faculty of Law was discontinued, and many teaching staff were expelled. The departments of English, French, Italian, German, and Classical Philology were closed, while the Department of Russian expanded significantly. Western language teaching resumed after 1956, with Italian not being offered again until the 1990s.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences became independent in 1949 and moved into a new Chemistry Building in 1970. In 1952, the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Natural Sciences were renamed Lajos Kossuth University, a title they retained until 2000.

On January 1, 2000, the colleges and universities of Hajdú-Bihar county, including the University of Agriculture, Lajos Kossuth University, and the Medical University, were merged. The resulting University of Debrecen had five university and three college-level faculties with 20,000 students. The Conservatory of Debrecen and university campuses in Hajdúböszörmény and Nyíregyháza were added later.

Today, with a student body of about 28,000, including over 6,900 international students, the University of Debrecen is one of the largest higher education institutions in Hungary and the region. The cooperation of its 14 faculties ensures a multidisciplinary approach, securing the university's leading role as a center for research and education in Eastern Hungary.