On June 29th, the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest and Talentis Agro Zrt. signed a cooperation agreement in Budapest. The document was ceremoniously signed by Dr. Péter Sótonyi, the rector of the University, and Szabolcs Makai, the CEO of Talentis Agro.
The mutual intention of the contracting parties is to strengthen the relationship between higher education and the economy. To achieve this, they will jointly utilize the expertise and experience of the university’s higher education experts and the qualified professionals of the company. Additionally, the company will provide high-level support for educational activities at the university and the establishment of practice-oriented training conditions. During the signing, both leaders expressed their conviction that the implementation of the agreement will contribute to the development and effective operation of both parties.
On this occasion, Dr. Péter Sótonyi highlighted that it is a great honour and joy for the university to sign a cooperation agreement with the country’s largest agricultural company. It is crucial for students to gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of economic livestock in addition to theoretical knowledge. Talentis Agro can provide significant support in this regard.
The rector emphasized the need to produce professionals who possess the competencies expected from them by employers from day one. This includes familiarizing students with the specific industry while they are still in their student years. The rector of the University highlighted the great importance of the commitment of professionals, which can be fostered through practical training or the processing of thesis topics with relevant enterprises.
Szabolcs Makai, the CEO of Talentis Agro, emphasized that they are fulfilling a debt by entering into the agreement, as it is inevitable for Talentis Agro, to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest. He found the university’s practice-oriented educational program very appealing.
Talentis Agro Zrt. manages agricultural operations on a land area of 42,000 hectares, including 35,000 hectares of arable land. The significance of the livestock sector is evident from their 8,500 dairy cows, 2,000 sows, and 300,000 laying hens. The CEO highlighted that through cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, they expect to gain professionals who can become long-term employees of the company. The agreement creates the opportunity for them to raise students themselves. However, this does not automatically mean that the students will be employed by them, but it helps to produce veterinarians who can contribute to production from day one.
The cooperation includes organizing professional lectures, demonstration days, and forums at the university to broaden the students’ knowledge. It also involves company visits and the representation of the relevant field by the company in the curriculum.
The university assists in identifying the most suitable interns for the company based on a preliminary competency list, in collaboration with the university lecturers of related subjects and the Career Office, which helps students with job placement.
The company participates in supervising thesis work and scientific student research papers related to its field. It provides the necessary infrastructure for carrying out thesis work, allowing the specialization of students in practical-oriented expertise to begin during their training period. To this end, support and development agreements can be concluded, and academic scholarships can be established and offered to the most talented students.