Information about the College

According to approximate estimates, 151,000 ethnic Hungarians reside in the Transcarpathian region, which constitutes around 12.1% of the region’s total population.  Instruction is conducted in the Hungarian language in 107 comprehensive schools of the region. In 1993 an idea of establishing a higher educational institution for the Hungarian minority was first considered. At the request of public organizations, namely the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical Association, as well as the Transcarpathian Reformed Church and the City Council of Beregszász, a charitable foundation “In support of the Transcarpathian Hungarian College” was set up with an ultimate aim at establishing a tertiary level pedagogical institution.

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education is a nationally recognized Ukrainian private higher education establishment of the 3rd accreditation level located in Transcarpathia, which was established by the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association. The College has been operating since as early as 1996 aligned with and licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Formerly, it was named Transcarpathian Hungarian Teacher Training College (KMTF) providing teacher education qualifications. In 2003 following structural and profile enhancements and taking up the name of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education its aspirations extended through teacher education to a number of additional non-pedagogic specializations. Currently, training is conducted at the full-time and extra-mural courses at the qualification levels of “junior specialist”, “bachelor”, “master”, as well as short-term, intensive and vocational courses in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”.

According to the MES license:

• “Preschool Education”, “Social Work”, “Accounting and Taxation”, “Tourism” and “Applied Mathematics” programmes provide training of junior specialists. Of these, 4 courses have been accredited, while the accreditation of “Applied Mathematics” is scheduled for the current academic year.
• the following bachelor’s degree courses are currently on offer : “Preschool education”, “Primary education”, “Secondary education (History)”, “Secondary education (Ukrainian language and literature)”, “Secondary education (Hungarian language and literature)”, “Secondary education (Language and Literature English)”, “Biology”, “Geography”, “Chemistry”, “Mathematics”, “Accounting and taxation”, “Tourism”. Of these, 9 obtained accreditation, while the accreditation of “Chemistry”, “Accounting and taxation” and “Tourism” courses is planned for the 2018/2019 academic year.
• the following master’s degree courses are run: “Secondary education (Mathematics)”, “History and archeology”, “Philology (Hungarian language and literature)”, “Philology (Ukrainian language and literature)”, “Biology”. Of these, 1 course is accredited, while the accreditation of “History and Archeology”, “Philology (Hungarian language and literature)”, “Philology (Ukrainian language and literature)”, and “Biology” are scheduled for 2018/2019 academic year.

Instruction on delegated degree courses is conducted according to educational programmes developed on the basis of cooperation agreements between Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education and the following universities: Szent István University of Gödöllő (courses: Gardener-engineer, Agricultural Engineer), University of Nyíregyháza (courses: Economics and Management), Sarospatak Reformed Theological College (courses: Catechist – Priest’s assistant), Karoly Gaspar Reformed University (courses: Hungarian as a Foreign Language, Mental Health Specialist), The University of Debrecen (courses: Nursing, Medical Practice, Social Pedagogy).

The College has not obtained any federal government funds from the state budget of Ukraine. Its founder is the Charitable Foundation of Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical College, which provides its finance. The institution’s expenses are largely covered with the support of Hungary, augmented through grant projects. Professional authorization and supervision over the educational activity of the institution is placed on the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Education at all qualification levels is carried out on a free-of-charge basis. Full-time students are eligible for scholarships in accordance with Ukrainian state standards. More than 100 students receive a social scholarship, which testifies to the fact that children with poor family background are offered an opportunity to receive higher education.

As oulined in the Charter of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education, the language of instruction is Ukrainian, Hungarian and English. The free choice of the language of instruction is alligned with paragraph 3 of Article 48 of the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”, which states that “… Ukraine’s higher education establishments of a private form of ownership have the right to choose a language of instruction provided that the official language is taught as a separate discipline to all persons enrolled in such institutions”.

Along with this, the Institute fully complies with the aforementioned point of Article 48, since Ukrainian as an academic discipline is taught to students of all faculties at the bachelor qualification level. In light of the decision of the College’s Academic Council an in-depth study of the state language was introduced into the curriculum. The Ukrainian language is on the curriculum for 7 semesters:

• a practical course of the Ukrainian language is taught at the first and second years (2 hours per week);
• in the third year a course in professional Ukrainian language relevant to the degree programme is delivered (4 hours per week);
• the discipline “Ukrainian language for professional communication” is delivered in the first semester of the fourth year (4 hours per week).

All students are offered an additional opportunity to study the Ukrainian language (as well as other languages including English, German, Hungarian, etc.) at courses organized by the College and are free for both students and teachers. Moreover, the possibility of optional study of Hungarian as a foreign language is provided for students whose mother tongue is Ukrainian, as well as the opportunity to participate in the summer academies of intensive study of the Hungarian language and culture at the University of Debrecen and Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest). As outlined by the agreements between the institutions, all programmes are free of charge.

Students whose native language is Ukrainian enjoy the right to do tests, examination papers, coursework, bachelor’s and master’s theses in the language they choose independently (usually in Ukrainian, English or Hungarian) throughout the entire course of study. They also have the right to take examinations and tests in their native language. Also at practical, seminar or laboratory classes students are permitted to do assignments or reports in their native language.

Owing to the fact that a vast majority of enrolled students left schools with the Ukrainian language as a medium of instruction (including Ukraine’s other regions), specialized groups for studying general disciplines in Ukrainian are organized at the College (for example, “Pedagogy”, “Psychology”, etc.). The following system of conducting classes is practised: if lectures are delivered in one language, then practical classes are held in the other, and vice versa. This system enhances students’ deeper acquisition of the material, as well as mastery of the relevant terminology in the official, Hungarian or English languages.

Basic Activities of the College

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education:

• in accordance with the current qualification requirements provides full time and correspondence training at “bachelor”, “specialist” and “master” qualification levels at the licensed specializations. Additionally, it organizes and conducts various educational courses and refresher courses at different levels and issues diplomas, degrees and certificates in these forms of specialization;
• is the place of delegated training in certain areas of the Hungarian universities;
• it maintains venues for field work or uses them on a contractual basis to guarantee practical training;
• it carries out research and is involved in scientific organizing activities;
• by transmitting national and world culture, it enhances the command of the native language; (Hungarian), the language of the state (Ukrainian) and foreign languages, thus preparing its students to intellectual life;

• establishes and promotes national (Ukrainian), as well as international relations conducive to providing quality education and research possibilities;
• publishes course    books and lecture notes, and assists in improving material and technical foundations;
• supplies students with course books and lecture notes, as well as offers library and laboratory resources, provides dormitory accommodation alongside with cultural and sport facilities for students;
• according to current legislation fulfills obligations to its employees;
• ensures the activity and sustainable development of the infrastructure of the institution;
• manages the work of administrative, financial, economic and technical structural divisions in order to ensure the full-fledged activity of the institution;

Supplementary Activities of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education: 

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education:

• provides educational and other services not directly related to qualification requirements and syllabus;
• organizes college preparatory courses alongside with other courses;
• runs general postgraduate programmes;
• carries out research, organizing and counselling activities in the fields related to the areas of training;

Population of Students

In the 2015/2016 academic year, the number of full-time students constituted 556 persons,  extra-mural -194, and 343 students of non-accredited programmes. Thus, in the 2015/2016 school year, the total of 1093 students were enrolled.

In the 2016/2017 academic year, 629 students were enrolled in full-time education, 176 in correspondence, and 269 in non-accredited courses. Thus, in the 2016/2017 academic year, 1074 students were enrolled.

In the 2017/2018 academic year, the total number of enrolled students constitutes 1210 persons: 728 students receive education on a full-time basis, 210 persons – by correspondence, and 272 – at non-accredited programmes. According to the admission rules, 84 students were admitted to the 2nd year in the current academic year. Among the College’s students, 158 persons attended schools with Ukrainian language as a medium of instruction in Transcarpathian, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Khmelnytsky, and Vinnytsia regions. At the request of the Education Departments, 47 full-time students received a permit for free attendance of classes in order to provide a learning process in region’s secondary schools due to insufficiency of the teaching staff and other professionals.

In 2017/2018 academic year, 4498 students are currently attending language courses (Ukrainian, Hungarian, English, German, Russian), which are held by the Training and Consultation Center of the College. Courses are held in 45 points of Transcarpathia.

Graduates

The first graduates of the College obtained degrees in 2001 with 36 young specialists gaining higher education qualification on a full-time basis. Graduates of the extra-mural courses were first issued with degree certificates in 2008.
As many as 2794 graduates were awarded state-level degree certificates of higher education from 2001 to 2017. Of these 1010 were awarded  “Diplom Specialist” (corresponding to a university degree), 1732 – a bachelor’s degree, 6 – a master’s degree, 46 certificates of a junior specialist.

Most of the College graduates preferred to stay and work at home as teachers in the local comprehensive educational institutions. In the current academic year, according to the information of the Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical Association’s website, 731 College alumni work in the region’s educational institutions with Hungarian as a language of instruction, and many graduates work in schools with the Ukrainian language as an instructional medium. Over the past three years, instigated by complicated socio-economic situation in the country, about 300 teachers of schools with Hungarian as a language of instruction of Transcarpathia have found work abroad related to their qualification predominantly in Hungary. A certain part of the College graduates work in federal agencies as deputies of different levels, chairmen of village councils, media workers, and entrepreneurs. 112 graduates work in their native institution occupying different positions.

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education plays a key role in preserving the Transcarpathian Hungarian ethnic minority, improving its living conditions, and also contributes to the rearing of a new generation of local Hungarian academic elite. The  College helps to fill the “human resources gap” of local educational institutions with the Hungarian as a language of instruction.

Structural Unit of the College of Higher Education: Ferenc Rákóczi II Vocational School

Ferenc Rákóczi II Vocational School was established in 2012 and is currently a separate structural subdivision of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education without the right of an independent legal entity.
The main area of activity of  Ferenc Rákóczi II Vocational School is training of specialists in the licensed areas of the “junior specialist” qualification level in the fields of “Preschool education”, “Social work”, “Applied mathematics”, “Tourism”, “Accounting and taxation”.

The first admission of students to Ferenc Rákóczi II Vocational School  took place in 2014. As of September 1, 100 students from 4 districts of the Transcarpathian region studied in the 1^st year. Instruction was provided by 19 teachers, among whom were such highly qualified teaching professionals as teacher-methodist – 5 pedagogues, senior teacher – 3, teachers of the highest category – 4. Comprehensive educational cycle disciplines were delivered by teachers with the relevant education and qualification background.

In the 2015-2016 academic year, already 198 students from 7 districts of the Transcarpathian region attended the 1st and 2nd years of the Vocational School, while 32 teachers were on pedagogical staff.

As of September 1st, 2016, 270 students from 8 districts, 75 schools and 65 settlements of the region attended the I – II – III years of the Vocational School. The teaching staff included 54 teachers. Professional cycle disciplines in 5 programmes were delivered by the lecturers of the corresponding departments of the Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education. Students of “Preschool Education” course had field-work and pre-diploma teaching practice in 6 pre-school educational institutions in the city of Berehove. Under the agreement concluded between the College of Higher Education and public and private institutions, field practice for students of “Social pedagogy” degree course was conducted on the basis of educational and social institutions of the city of Berehove and Uzhgorod districts. Students of “Accounting and Taxation” degree course held practice in public and private institutions according to the curriculum.

In the 2016-2017 academic year, “Preschool Education”, “Social Work”, “Tourism” and “Accounting and Taxation” degree courses underwent an initial accreditation process. In the same year graduation of students of 3 courses took place: “Preschool education” – 23 students, “Social pedagogy” – 19 students, “Accounting and Taxation” – 4 students. Among the Vocational School’s 46 first graduates, 29 were enrolled in the 2nd year of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education in full-time and part-time forms of instruction, 3 students – in delegated degree courses of the College, 1 student proceeds with her studies at the University of Uzhgorod, with the remainder having found employment.

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 327 students from 7 districts of the region study at the Vocational School, 33 of whom left secondary schools with Ukrainian as a language instruction, while the teaching staff  includes 43 pedagogues.

An indispensable constituent of the Vocational School’s educational content is compulsory acquisition of Ukrainian and foreign languages for practical purposes, which enables effective communication and involvement in the achievements of Ukrainian and world culture. To this end, additional training sessions have been introduced for the 1st and 2nd year students of all degree courses preparing for the external independent assessment in the Ukrainian language and literature, as well as such disciplines as “Orthographic Workshop”, “Culture of Speech”. Optional classes were introduced for intensive learning of English.

Vocational school students take an active part in the celebration of memorable historical events and honouring prominent figures of the state. Traditionally, subject weeks of Hungarian, Ukrainian and foreign languages, as well as weeks of sciences and mathematical disciplines are held.

Statistical Data on the College Faculty

College as a Research Base and International Cooperation

A number of academic units operate on the basis of the College. The Lehoczky Tivadar Institute is engaged in historical research, the Hodinka Antal Institute is involved in linguistic research, and founded in 2010 Research Center named after Istvan Fodor carries out research in the field of natural sciences. Thus, the College also serves as a scientific centre. The institution’s faculty organizes and takes active part in domestic and international conferences. During 20 years of the existence of the College, its departments and various units organized a total of 82 conferences, including 37 international, 19 all-Ukrainian and 26 student conferences. Among their presenters were high-ranking academicians from the EU countries, from the UK, Kazakhstan, the USA, Canada, as well as from the Institute of Geography of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, from the Institute of Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, from the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, from Taras Shevchenko National University, Ivan Franko National University, the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University, Uzhgorod National University, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Mukachevo State University, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, etc.

The College has extensive contacts with foreign and Ukrainian universities, as well as with research centres and various organizations, the number of which totals to 72, including such as: Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, Kherson State University, Mukachevo State University, Diaspora Research Center (Kyiv), Uzhgorod National University, Transcarpathian Academy of Arts, Uzhgorod Higher School of Trade and Food Technology, Regional Association of Employers “Zakarpattya”, Institute of Agrarian Economy, Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Szent István University of Gödöllő , Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest, Hungary), J. Selye University (Komarno, Slovakia), V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, University of Debrecen (Hungary), University of Nyíregyháza (Hungary), Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv National Linguistic University, Sarospatak Reformed Theological College (Hungary), M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, Ivan Franko National University, the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (Romania), Cherkasy State Technological University, the University of Novi Sad (Serbia), St Athanasius Greek-Catholic Theological Institute (Hungary) – the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Mukachevo (Ukraine) (3-sided agreement), Pomeranian Pedagogical Academy in Słupsk (Poland), Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary), Presov University (Slovakia), etc.

More than 200 textbooks, methodological manuals, scientific monographs, and popular scientific publications have been penned by the College faculty and issued by the Publishing Department of the institution, among which worth mentioning are: the Ukrainian-Hungarian dictionary (25,000 words), the Hungarian-Ukrainian dictionary (25,000 words), which were published twice in 5,000 copies and distributed to Hungarian-speaking schools in the Transcarpathian region.

In 2000 publication possibility was opened up to the College faculty and students in “Acta Academiae Beregsasiensis” journal, which features articles in the field of history, linguistics, literary studies, as well as pedagogy and psychology. In 2014 publication of additional scientific bulletin titled “Limes” was launched, where recent natural science reports are presented. Both editions have state registration and ISSN code. Academic endeavours of both editions are published in various languages, mainly in English, Ukrainian, Hungarian, German, and Russian.

Transcarpathian Summer Pedagogical Academy named after Kölcsey Ferenc  is organized yearly on the basis of Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education in partnership with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Pedagogical Association and the Transcarpathian Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education. The aforementioned postgraduate course is attended by teachers working not only in schools with Hungarian as a language of instruction.

Renowned domestic and foreign lecturers and researchers are invited to deliver lectures at the summer pedagogical academy, among whom were members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences: professors Berényi Dénes, Kocsis Károly, Szarka László, Kozma Tamás, Kontra Miklós, as well as domestic professors such as Ivan Mandryk, Béla Zseliczki, Volodymyr Bondar, Gennady Gryshchenko, Yuriy Kononenko, Nina Tarasenko and many others.

Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education has been actively participating in the international academic mobility programme of students and faculty members ERASMUS + for 3 years already. Within its framework, students and faculty of the College visited Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest, Hungary), University of Debrecen (Hungary), University of Pécs, J. Selye University (Komarno, Slovakia), Pecs University of Science, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and others. Bilateral agreements on academic mobility are also signed with Eötvös József College of Baja (Hungary), Kodolányi János University of Applied Sciences (Hungary), Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir (Turkey).

College as a Cultural Centre

The College boasts on systematically held multifarious cultural programmes. According to the agreement between the College and the Illyes Gyula National Theatre in Beregszasz both faculty members and students entertain the possibility of watching the repertory of the theatre at a discounted price about four to six performances on average in a theatrical season. Also, student theatrical circle functions on the basis of the College. Moreover, students of the College are often invited to give speeches at various EU and Ukrainian events, which fact testifies to their effective training. The College Cultural Events and Marketing  Centre regularly arranges artistic exhibitions (painting, artistic photography, etc.), in which students and all those interested get acquainted with the works of both local and foreign artists.

A student choir and a folk dance group function on the College’s basis. In 2004 a meeting of choirs of higher educational institutions of Transcarpathia was hosted by the College on the first occasion, which subsequently has grown into an international meeting of choirs of universities. In the spring of 2017 the ninth meeting with the participation of 7 Ukrainian and 5 foreign choral groups took place, with a total of 450 participants. At the end of the meeting, a student anthem was performed jointly by all choirs.

Presentations of new books, meetings with writers, literary evenings, and contests are held on a regular basis etc. “A Book’s Life” cultural events series were honoured with the presence of Anna Jókai, Péter Eszterházi, György Spiró, György Kondrad, Endre Kukorelly, Pál Békés, Zsolna Ugron etc. Meetings with Ukrainian writers, poets, and literary critics are also regularly held. For example:

• a meeting with Mykhailo Roshko, Ukrainian writer, laureate of the F. Patushnyak literary award, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor, member of the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, Dean of the Roman-Germanic Philology of Uzhhorod National University.
• a meeting with doctor of philological sciences, professor, head of the Slavic Department of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University Mykola Petrovich Lesyuk.
• a meeting with Vasylina Mikhailivna Kordonets, poetess and teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature of the Ukrainian Grammar School of Berehovo.
• a meeting with Olesya Chepelyuk, teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature of Khust Boarding Grammar school, director of the school literary studio “Dzhereltse”, member of the Khust Literary and Artistic Association “Verkhovinska pleiada”, winner of the “The Debut of the Silver Earth” literary literary prize.
• a meeting with the famous Ukrainian contemporary writer Oksana Zabuzhko.

Local folklore studies are paid due attention. Every year educational trips are organized to different regions of Ukraine:

• trip to the top of Mount Hoverla;
• local history tour over Transcarpathia and adjacent areas;
• local lore tour around Ukraine;
• excursions to national parks and reserves of Transcarpathia and adjacent areas;
• to the city of Lviv (Ivan Franko’s house-museum, Lychakivsky cemetery, the Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ivan Franko National Univetsity of Lviv);
• to the city of Chernivtsi (Olga Kobilyanska’s house-museum, Yuriy Fedkovych’s house-museum, the Chernivtsi National Theater, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University);
  -to the city of Drohobych (Drohobych State Pedagogical University of Ivan Franko, the Museum of Bruno Schulz, the Ivan Franko House Museum in the village of Naguevichi, “Ivan Franko’s Trail”, Truskavets city);
  -Dialectology and folklore field work practice in the village of Yasinya of the Transcarpathian region (trip to the recreation center “Truskavets”, excursion to the source of the Tisa river, excursion to mountain valleys;
• to the capital of Ukraine;

On the basis of applications from educational institutions, federal institutions, public, religious, scientific, and cultural organizations of the Transcarpathian region, the College provides access to its premises free of charge serving as a venue of various programmes. In 2016 about 10,000 people visited such events.