2014/II. szám - A rendszerváltó magyar felsőoktatás
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Foreword
A human span has passed since the democratic changes in Hungarian higher education. University leaders, active HE citizens, politicians specialized to the field have departed then with various plans of transformation at hand. Common denominators of opposing parties are better recognized now for debates were louder then as they always are. Although initiatives came from HE institutions fundamental changes occurred in regulations including the radically enlarged number of admission to HE, the integration of institutions, the introduction of PhD degrees, and the accreditation of all study programs. Hungarian higher education has moved along with the social demands with opening its gates wide to applicants. By introducing the means to ensure the freedom in HE studies, it did not only mean more choices for students but greatly increased the flexibility of study programs. Pokorni Zoltán not only witnessed but actively shaped these changes as Minister for Education and leading politician of the field. In our interview he gives a thorough analysis of political strategy behind the scenes and helps readers to establish order in changes and refresh their views in still debated issues.
The style of the focus articles may be special in this present issue but they are based both on the attitude of the roundtable discussions and our major contributions in the format of a scientific paper. The idea of this issue was first formulated by a distinguished member of our editoral board, György Bazsa. In his paper he examines the realization of HE autonomy, ponders the different influences shaping quality HE institutions while making an inventory of the major changes in HE and its social-political contexts. György Hunyady recalls the achievements of a handful significant individuals in the structural reform of art faculties. This provides us good examples of conceptually elaborated systemic reforms. Then in a more recent example of the teachers training reform he manages to show us their constraints and the perhaps unavoidable backlashes following any changes. Károly Barakonyi compares the expressed goals and achieved results to the changing international context and the challenges that the Hungarian Higher Education have faced. He is not satisfied with the transformation that often is stopped and deflected, he primarily misses strategic planning behind the changes. Pál Veres reports on the past decades of Hungarian HE from a regulative perspective, shows how educational structure, financing, relationship to market has changed preceding or going parallel with international changes. György Fábri recalls the role of past student movements and organizations that may be used as an example for students to get involved in initiating changes in HE.
Two papers analyse the changes of these decades by quantitative indicators. László Kiss shows how the transition from bachelor and masters levels have been influenced by Bologna goals and practices, focusing on the differences in the position of colleges and universities. Gergely Kováts shows another exciting perspective to institutional changes, that of faculties.
These papers were written throughout 2014 that has been a year for national and local elections, and a time for setting up a new government strategy for HE. It is our hope that these contributions will be useful in formulating new plans in the sector.
Paszkál Kiss
editor-in-chief
- 1. Előszó, tartalom
- 2. Foreword
