On Monday, three new laboratories equipped with world-class technology were inaugurated at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Debrecen. Nearly 600 million HUF was invested in the state-of-the-art equipment for these facilities, located in the newly opened building wing on the Ótemető street campus, funded by state, university, and corporate sources.
This development marks another milestone in the continuous expansion at the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Engineering (DE MK). Recently, a machine design room sponsored by a company was completed, followed by the opening of a new building wing on Virág Street. On April 7, three newly established laboratories were inaugurated, developed in cooperation with Emerson/NI, Rohde & Schwarz, and Festo.
At the opening ceremony, the university’s chancellor emphasized that the Faculty of Engineering is well-positioned to meet the challenges associated with Debrecen’s industrial revival. The university is supported by companies that contribute infrastructure and knowledge to enhance education and contribute to the lab equipment.
Zoltán Bács, the university’s chancellor, noted that the quality of education is continuously improving, as evidenced by the increasing international rankings and growing number of scientific publications associated with the faculty.
“The strategic plans previously formulated by the city and university leadership, focusing on the development of Debrecen’s industry and education, have been proven correct over time. I am grateful to the companies for their cooperation, and I can promise that we will continue to move forward together,” said the chancellor.
Dean Géza Husi reminded the attendees that the Faculty of Engineering in Debrecen is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. He highlighted that the most successful period began after the turn of the millennium, when the University of Debrecen was established, coinciding with the city’s decision to reindustrialize Debrecen.
“We managed to seize this opportunity, and the number of students, which was around 2,000 in the early 2000s, has now risen to 3,200, with one-third of them being international students. Currently, seven bachelor’s and 12 master’s programs are available at our faculty. Our success is greatly supported by the companies that back us,” said Husi.
The faculty leader also pointed out that the three laboratories in question have been operational at the institution for 15 years, but thanks to the support from the state, university, and companies, they have now moved to new locations and have been equipped with world-class devices. A total of 2,500 students will use these newly developed facilities.
“Debrecen is now the economic engine of the country. Ten years ago, we changed our economic policy direction, resulting in more than 12 billion euros of investment and the creation of 21,000 new jobs. The University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Engineering has been able to keep pace with this transformation, ensuring a bright future,” emphasized Lajos Barcsa, Deputy Mayor, during the opening ceremony.
Barcsa also highlighted that investors have come to Debrecen in large numbers because of the outstanding quality of education, with the Faculty of Engineering being a key pillar. He assured companies that the investments in the laboratories will prove to be profitable.
The CEO of Emerson/NI shared that the company has been present in Debrecen for 24 years, with their collaboration with the university being a major driver of their continuous growth.
“For us, the best partner in education is the University of Debrecen. With this lab inauguration, we are tangibly demonstrating how important this partnership is to us. Our investments are being placed in a location where exceptional talent is available,” said Róbert Hosszu.
The CEO of Rohde & Schwarz recalled that they have supported the Mechatronics Department at the Faculty of Engineering for over ten years.
“We have brought cutting-edge technology to the University of Debrecen that no other Hungarian higher education institution has. We decided to do this because we see continuous development here, with progress that is unparalleled elsewhere,” said Zoltán Herczeg.
The CEO of Festo Hungary also discussed the company’s recent support for a student at the Faculty of Engineering who successfully competed in the World Skills – Euro Skills competition.
“Our new business strategy focuses heavily on innovation and digitalization. The laboratory we are inaugurating today incorporates industrial 4.0 solutions, which we also use in our factories on a daily basis,” added Márton Szövényi-Lux.
The Emerson | NI Embedded Systems and Measurement Technology Laboratory, with its European-level equipment, will offer students access to both basic and advanced measurement technology knowledge, supported by computers. The 125-square-meter room features 15 workstations, 10 of which are suitable for bachelor’s level courses, and 5 are high-tech and suitable for master’s level education. Nearly 300 students, both Hungarian and international, will be able to develop their skills each semester, with 30 students able to perform measurements simultaneously.
The Rohde & Schwarz Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory is equipped with the most modern measuring instruments, allowing students and researchers to gain deeper knowledge about the operation of electrical and electronic systems. In this 125-square-meter room, 10 basic, BSc-level and 5 MSc-level measuring systems, along with 5 RF (radio frequency) measuring systems, are available. Since the facility is exclusively equipped with world-class products from Rohde & Schwarz, it has been designated as a reference laboratory.
The Festo-Rexroth laboratory, optimized for process automation, aims to cover the modern engineering challenges of teaching pneumatics, hydraulics, electro-pneumatics, and electro-hydraulics. The 101-square-meter facility provides an opportunity to design and implement modern automation processes and acquire the necessary competencies.
The total value of the equipment in these three laboratories approaches 600 million HUF, with a significant portion of the funding coming from the three companies involved.
(unideb.hu)
