The Faculty Of Military Science

Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence is getting more and more popular every year among young people who have just finished their studies in secondary school and want to continue studying. The figures prove that: there were 3,537 applicants for the 1,485 places available for this year, that is two and a half times more than the limit. Probably not by accident, since the university is the only educational/training institution of the defence sector.

There is a wide range of educational activities at the university of national defence. On the one hand, in the so-called ‘old’ system, there is college and university level education, and in the Bologna system there are basic studies (BSc) and master’s studies (MSc), moreover doctoral (PhD) education – emphasized Colonel Padányi, who also told us about the two faculties of the institute. One of them is János Bolyai Faculty of Military Engineering, educating engineering, economy and logistics, furthermore defence administration and disaster management experts. The other one is Lajos Kossuth Faculty of Military Science, offering courses in military leadership, security and defece policy studies, law enforcement, and national defence studies.

"Officers and civilian students alike can sign a scholarship contract with the Ministry of Defence" – we have learned from Col. Dr. József Padányi. The vice-rector of ZMNE also added: a certain part of the majors prepare the students for an officer’s career in the military, therefore the tradition and value of national education of officers, and military discipline play an important role in the lives of students. This means that the future military officers stay in dormitories, just like in the past decades. Those who have applied to officer training have to complete a 5-month basic military training following their enrollment to the university, the site of which is the Central Training Base of the Hungarian Defence Forces, in Szentendre. The successful completion of the basic training is a prerequisite of entering tertiary level basic education.

The Faculty Of Military Engineering

Bolyai János Faculty of Military Engineering of Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence has a history of more than 60 years. The faculty was integrated into the organization of the university under the name Bolyai János College Faculty of Military Engineering in January, 2000. In line with the changing demand, the majors have been modified several times in recent years. Today the faculty offers basic courses in military and safety engineering, military management, finance and accounting, defence administration, transport engineering and mechanical engineering. There are also master’s programmes in military logistics, safety engineering, defence C3 system management, disaster management engineering, and defence administration.

As of September 2001, the Aviation and Air Defence Institute of Szolnok is a branch of Bolyai János Faculty of Military Engineering, and the Institute is responsible for providing the military corps with flight officers, who have mastered the required professional and management knowledge, and for offering college and university level education for civil organizations operating in the field of aviation.

Since November 2004, the faculty has been operating the Military Physical Education and Sports Centre as well, which is dealing with the physical education and sport-related tasks of the basic training, the supplementary training, continuing training, and tertiary vocational training courses of the university.

Another important branch operated by the faculty is the Doctoral School of Military Engineering (KMDI), which was accredited in 2002. KMDI offers doctoral education in military engineering sciences.

"In the faculty, defence administration is one of the most popular majors. To the extent that whenever there is a lecture, even the largest auditoriums are full. In addition to military personnel and civilians, many other people from various armed organizations and administrative bodies choose this major as well" – told us the vice-rector.

In the 2007/2008 academic year, 99 students attending the old, dual-system basic training course received their diplomas at Bolyai János Faculty of Military Engineering. 13 of them serve in the military, and 86 are civilians. To date, 51 students have received MSc diplomas in the faculty.

The Faculty Of Military Science

The other faculty of Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence is Kossuth Lajos Faculty of Military Science, which had been established together with the institute, in 1996. ’Thanks to’ this faculty, we can celebrate the 200th jubilee of Hungarian officer training this year, for the institute is the legal successor of the Royal Hungarian Honvéd Ludovika Academy, the first educational institution of basic officer training in Hungary, founded in 1808.

During the last two centuries, Hungarian officer training went through numerous and considerable changes. Despite repeated, massive layoffs, today the Faculty of Military Science does not only educate officers for the Hungarian Defence Forces, but it is open to the civilian sphere as well. In the faculty, one can study to be an expert on security policy, learn more about the complex field of national security, and people working in law enforcement can also earn a diploma here.

This year, students can choose from the basic majors of military leadership, security and defence policy, national security, and law enforcement at Kossuth Lajos Faculty of Military Science, and learn more at a higher level on the MSc courses in the same fields.

"The number of applications for the all-military majors is primarily influenced by the requirements of the client, that is the Ministry of Defence" – said Colonel Padányi, who also told us that the basic officer training consists of seven semesters, but the students do not have to specialize until completing the third semester.

In the previous academic year, 62 students graduated from Kossuth Lajos Faculty of Military Science. 42 military officers were commissioned lieutenants on 20 August in Heroes’ Square. In addition to them, 11 police officers and 9 civil students earned their diplomas.

The professors had been to missions and they are also engaged in research activities

Today there are 252 lecturers at the national defence university, and beyond teaching, the majority of them is also engaged in research in his or her field of specialization. According to Col. Padányi, education and research are closely integrated since in an institution of higher education, it is a basic requirement that education should benefit from research results as soon as possible. Currently there are several special research activities in progress at the university, which usually focus on a single but wide topic, for instance energy security. Within that, most projects examine security policy and safety technology issues, or even the impact of climate change.

Of course, there are other research topics as well. Among them perhaps the complex issue of disaster management, and the problems of using fully automated aircraft for various purposes can be mentioned specifically. Moreover, the professors of Kossuth Lajos Faculty of Military Science have participated actively in the improvement of the doctrinal administrative system of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and also in the elaboration of doctrines.

In addition to the abovementioned, some ZMNE professors have been to at least one mission or international maneuver abroad by now and are experienced professionals, who incorporate what they have learned abroad into education. The vice-rector himself had been to peacekeeping missions on three occasions in the late 90s.

After moving, before accreditation

In the current academic year, the university management and staff have to solve two major tasks (in addition to many other assignments). One has begun this summer, for the Ülloi Road campus had to be emptied and relocated to the Hungária Blvd. site in just a few months.

And though they have managed to complete the relocation by the deadline, there are ’additional’ tasks to the merger of the sites, for at the Hungária Blvd. facility several buildings have to be renovated in order to await new and old students with proper conditions from the beginning of the academic year starting in September. The renovation works are still underway, and in the opinion of the vice-rector they will be completed in every location in a few months. It is obvious that this causes inconvenience or difficulties from time to time in the scheduling of the classes, the information of students, and in the management of daily tasks.

"Another important task for the university is accreditation. Next spring, the Visiting Commission of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee will visit our institute to examine whether the organization has prepared adequately for the prescribed quality requirements. The last time we were subject to similar control was 10 years ago, in 1999. Naturally, we will make every effort to prepare for the test to the best of our knowledge again" – said Dr. József Padányi.

Student life

Finally, ZMNE’s vice-rector responsible for strategy and institution development has also told us that in the institute they work hard to provide highest quality service, in order to promote students’ learning, recreation, and active relaxation. In addition to other facilities, a community cultural centre, a library, restaurants, and a well-equipped sports complex await the students of the university. Moreover, the student union of the institute, which is more than a decade old, has a major share in the organization of the cultural, sports, entertainment, and recreational activities of the university. For example each year, the student union holds a ball for the freshmen, who ’must’ attend, but Zrínyi Ball in late winter, or the Opposite Day are also traditional events. In addition to that, the self-organizing Security Policy Special College has been operating for 5 years now, offering lectures, trainings, and other professional programmes every week. The website, which is under continuous development and will have a new design and structure soon, is an important tool in publishing news and information about the university, and it has interesting features for students and all those seeking to learn more about the university. In addition to the content assisting the students, the latest news and information can also be found on the website www.zmne.hu.