Our university has wide international connections with veterinary schools of Europe and overseas. It is the single veterinary university of Hungary, so all the counterpart schools are abroad, that is why international connection has always been important for our faculty. The school was founded in 1787 by Prof. Sándor Tolnay, graduate of the Vienna Veterinary School, his personal connections served as the basis of the early internationalisation of the Budapest Veterinary School. Intensive cooperations with the veterinary school of Vienna were continuously important for our faculty.
The international connections of the university are shown by bilateral agreements with other veterinary schools, membership in international veterinary organisations, activity in international projects but there are several other indicators of international cooperations such as student and staff mobility, joint PhD training, involvement in international research projects, common research applications, joint publications etc. Internationalisation of the school is promoted by our university by providing framework to international activities.
Organisation of international cooperations at the university
The responsible person for international connections of the university is the Vice Rector for international cooperations nominated by the Rector. He is helped by an assistant and in strategic questions he is advised by the Committee of International Connections.
Membership in international bodies
Our university has membership in two international bodies, it is member of the European Association for Establishments of Veterinary Education (E.A.E.V.E.) and our school is a founding member of the Veterinary Network for Student and Staff Mobility (VetNEST), network of the veterinary schools of Central Europe formed by the veterinary faculties of Brno, Budapest, Kosice, Ljubljana, Vienna, Wroclaw and Zagreb. Our faculty in involved in projects organised by both international bodies, it was an active member of the ERASMUS Thematic Network Project VET2020 (Development of European educational strategies: Design of veterinary profiles identified by market needs for the year 2020) comprising 22 veterinary schools from 22 countries and our faculty was one of the four veterinary schools participating in the pilot study TEEP2002 (Trans-National European Evaluation Project) organised by the European Commission aiming evaluation and development of quality assurance in higher education. The membership in EAEVE is regarded by our school very important, since as a highly reputed forum of veterinary schools in Europe it can promote the development and the internationalisation of our establishment. Membership in VetNEST gives a solid background of regional curriculum development, student and staff mobility, joint courses and workshops and development of university management.
International research connections
Research connections of the scientists are based on own personal research projects, the faculty has no central role in managing them. These connections are based on more than 30 international research agreements, and the international activities of the scientists are shown by their membership in more than 70 international organisations.