The roundtable on higher education has been established and will begin work in three workgroups, Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog announced at a press conference after the Roundtable's first session on Thursday.
Representatives of the Government, students and teachers in higher education, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will discuss higher education financing and the rights and obligations of students, in addition to structural aspects of the system.
The Minister stated that the participants had agreed to set up three workgroups. The first is responsible for analysing current financing problems and preparing possible solutions, as well as agreeing on how to make use of an extra 47 billion forints allocated to the system. The second group is to survey student contracts, while the third will focus on changes in the structure of higher education including the issues of admissions, institutional autonomy and the election of rectors.
The groups will meet next week, with another plenary session to follow in a fortnight, Minister Balog said, adding that possible legal amendments would be submitted to the Government and Parliament during its spring session.
The Minister pointed out that after initial differences on the composition of the Roundtable, the parties agreed that every participant should have the opportunity to contribute opinions from their own side. He added the parties are in unison about the necessity of transparency and efficiency that regarding the system’s financing.
Speaking on behalf of the Hungarian Rectors' Conference (MRT), József Bódis welcomed the setting up of the Roundtable. He said he hoped the new forum would find "reassuring and sustainable" solutions to the financial problems of universities.
Dávid Kiss, a board member of student federation HÖOK, voiced support for an appeal by the trade union of higher education teachers (FDSZ) to be included in the roundtable.
László Parragh, head of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK), referred to the exceptionally high number of young, unemployed graduates in recent years, and welcomed that the need for changes based on social consensus has been recognised.
(MTI)
