The development of international relations is key to competitiveness for the University of Debrecen
The University of Debrecen (UD) is on the threshold of a pivotal period from the perspective of its international competitiveness, institutional reputation and future sustainable development. According to Attila Jenei, international trends and the transformation of the global higher education environment have created new challenges and opportunities, and the competition among universities for students, research funding and international visibility is becoming more and more fierce.
- The transformation of the international structure of higher education and the growing expectations regarding research performance demand a shift in mindset in the fields of both education and research. This global restructuring process fundamentally challenges the sustainability of the traditional modus operandi for universities. These institutions of higher education must now meet scientific, educational, economic and social expectations while, at the same time, also face pressures related to funding and the labor market. This is exactly why developing the network of international relationships is a fundamental prerequisite for any university for the sake of increasing its competitiveness, the quality of its education and research, and the enhancement of its institutional prestige- said Attila Jenei to hirek.unideb.hu.
Based upon the international network of contacts and professional experience that he has acquired over thirty years of organizing and coordinating educational activities, the Vice Rector for International Affairs believes that our institution’s international visibility can ensure its success in the global higher education market, attracting talented students and researchers, and helping it to advance in international rankings.
- What we need in the area of our institution’s external relations is not simply a shift in focus, but rather the expansion and qualitative transformation of these relationships to establish partnerships that are grounded in academic programs. Among our existing collaborations, including those in Asia, China continues to be an important partner, particularly through our off-campus educational programs. Furthermore, involving major international corporations operating in Debrecen in research and development collaborations remains a key objective for us. In addition, as a regional center of higher education, our university management intends to put greater emphasis on enabling Hungarian students to gain international experience in all academic fields. For this reason, apart from mobility programs such as the Pannonia Scholarship Program, ERASMUS+ and CEEPUS, we also wish to provide our students with access to short- and long-term mobility opportunities in Western Europe. Compared to the size and the currently available opportunities offered by the university, the proportion of students who choose to study abroad for one or two semesters is still relatively low- said Attila Jenei.
The vice rector also underlined that supporting faculty members in their efforts to gain international experience and increasing the number of international researchers and guest professors are both endeavors aiming at strengthening the faculty.
- During the course of the past two to three decades, there has been a significant decrease in the number of young researchers who, upon earning their academic degrees, moved abroad in order to gain professional experience and build their international academic careers. That is exactly why we intend to revive the tradition of the formerly successful postdoctoral program, the essence of which is that gaining experience abroad for a period ranging from six months to two years after earning a degree would be virtually mandatory. This requires a long-term program, for which we could start laying the foundations and developing the criteria and incentive system right now- said Attila Jenei.
The vice rector noted that the international visibility and success of our institution could also be boosted by advancing in higher education rankings, together with more effective academic communication that features the most comprehensive academic portfolio possible. This would be important because international students tend to assess and rate educational institutions based on their position in international rankings before making a choice.
- We must improve the performance of the University of Debrecen in key ranking indicators, including publications, citations and citation impact. Our Publication Research Support Program also serves this purpose. Moreover, it is equally necessary to map out international research experiences and join research networks. We must also involve and encourage the major companies, SMEs, institutions and employers in our region to use their feedback in order to enhance the reputation of the University of Debrecen and the favorable perception of its graduates in the labor market at the international level as well- added Attila Jenei.
At present, the University of Debrecen has the largest international student community in Central and Eastern Europe, with almost 7,800 international students from as many as 139 countries pursuing their studies here. The international popularity of our institution is clearly demonstrated by the fact that, in recent years, the number of young people choosing the University of Debrecen for study abroad has been on the increase. Nevertheless, the head of the Coordinating Center for International Education still believes that the international visibility, prestige and recruitment opportunities of our university in the global higher education market could be further improved by developing an international alumni system and, in addition to tracking graduates’ careers, by devising a unified PR strategy that goes beyond academic performance possibilities and a program portfolio.
- Our institution must be present on the international stage through a clear identity and consistent communication. We must be able to precisely demonstrate what values we represent, how we position ourselves in the fields of education and research, and what vision we offer to our students, faculty and partners. We must give a convincing answer to the question “Why UD?” We must also be able to convey a specific experience, a salient identity, and a strong sense of community- said he, as the co-founder of UD’s International Food Day, an event held annually with great success and boasting a two-decade-long background of traditions.
Attila Jenei believes that a comprehensive and multifaceted international development plan will produce tangible results in terms of the educational quality, research performance, and international visibility of the University of Debrecen. He noted, however, that achieving these goals requires coordinated cooperation among the university’s organizational units and, in many respects, a radical shift in mindset. The efforts of the Vice Rector for International Affairs to this effect are supported by the Coordinating Center for International Education, the Center for International Higher Education Rankings, the Center for International PR and Marketing, the Center for International Relations and the International R&D Center, which also assists the activities of the President for Research and Innovation.
Attila Jenei graduated from Lajos Kossuth University with a degree in natural sciences in 1991, earned his PhD in medicine/science from the University of Debrecen in 1997, and completed his habilitation in 2012. He started working in 1991 as an assistant research fellow at the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Biology at the University of Debrecen. Since 1996, he has been involved in organizing English-language programs and recruiting international students. During this time, he has participated in launching nearly all of the foreign-language programs with the exception of those in medical education. Between 1995 and 1998, he worked as an assistant lecturer, while from 1999 to 2005, he was a senior lecturer at the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Biology within the Center for Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Debrecen. In 2005, he was appointed associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry. In 2016, he joined the Primer Medical Knowledge Institute at the Faculty of Dentistry as acting department chair and then as a full professor, serving as its director since 2017. Upon his appointment as vice rector, he resigned from this latter position. Attila Jenei was appointed deputy director of what was called the International Education Center in 2005 and acted as the director of that institution from 2008 to 2014. Since the name change of the institution in 2014, he has been the director of the Coordinating Center for International Education, a position he intends to continue holding in the future.
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