National University of Public Service

The National University of Public Service (NUPS) is a special higher education institution, which – in the spirit of lifelong learning – provides BA, MA and PhD programmes for students aiming at a career in the public service as well as in-service training and executive leadership  training for public servants. The mission of NUPS is to act as a link between the government, higher education institutions, research institutes and for-profit and non-profit organisations in order to facilitate national and international knowledge transfer. This innovative education and research cooperation includes participating in international networks as well as student, academic and staff mobility, which are given priority in the institutional development plan.

The existing international network of NUPS is based on relationships initiated by its legal predecessors as well as membership in international organisations, which are also important elements of the foreign affairs policy of the ministries. NUPS is striving for develop multidimensional international relationships that support programme development, student, academic and staff mobility as well as knowledge transfer and research capacity development New partners will be selected and existing relationships will be reviewed in this spirit.. It is a top priority of NUPS to establish a network specific to the public administration, law enforcement and military sciences, which supports smooth credit transfer in student exchange programmes and outcome-oriented academic/staff mobility. Progress is required in research and education cooperation with the international higher education sector, which has to be closely linked to NUPS’ research strategy and doctoral programme development.

As regards geographical and geopolitical considerations, NUPS is going to strengthen cooperation with EU member states, especially with higher education institutions of Central and Eastern European countries, and of the Visegrad - Group. It also wishes to establish relationships with non-EU countries, particularly with Western-Balkans countries, the USA and China. The “national” mission of the university in establishing trans-border connections with Hungarian higher education institutions of neighbouring countries requires a strategy compliant with nation policy. It will be an important task to support the Hungarian higher education of neighbouring countries, networking with Hungarian initiatives, at the outset within the framework of Erasmus. The strategic mission of the university is supporting and networking with trans-border Hungarian higher education. This activity can be facilitated by the Erasmus programme.

The first Master programme offered in English is under development, with four specialisations specific to the disciplines of NUPS, which will be the key interface for incoming and outgoing mobility. Double and joint degree courses can be launched with institutions where credit transfer works efficiently. A quality assurance system compliant with European standards has to be developed for the foreign language programme and courses.

The Management of the University ensures the regulatory environment and conditions encourage lifelong learning and the mobility of students, staff and academics.. The objective is to ensure that 2 out of 10 students have completed courses abroad by 2020. In this spirit NUPS strives for ensuring more opportunities of gaining credits abroad, with special conditions and guarantees, for students of career officer status as well.

Mobility can also be encouraged in terms of traineeship. Furthermore NUPS places special emphasis on personal career guidance and therefore it is building up a network of outstanding European public administration, law enforcement and military institutions for providing traineeship opportunities. Feedback from partner institutions will be an important input for programme development.

Since PhD students are a priority target group, encouraging international research partnership and mobility is essential for developing collective expertise.

Staff mobility is part employees’ career path, which is an integral part of the institutional human resource development policy and modernisation of the NUPS.

Taking into consideration of the past years’ experiences, the means of encouraging incoming mobility will be reviewed administrative procedures and services will become more user-friendly. A special mentoring programme is going to support the integration of incoming students. The objective is to increase incoming mobility to the same level as of the outgoing one by 2020.

• International and European Studies

  The Faculty of International and European Studies of the National University of Public Service has a mission in promoting peace, stability and prosperity through well-built, effectively and ethically functioning international and national institutions of public service. The Faculty builds on the core values of democracy, the rule of law, good governance and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

  
  The Faculty offers BA and MA level programmes in the field of international relations with a specific emphasis on European studies. Our programs offer unique features:
  International embeddedness:
  -    Regional focus on Central Europe (Visegrad Four and beyond);
  -    Access to European research networks (e.g. EPIN, ECPR);
  -    Cross-regional ties (e.g. Chinese Academy of Governance).
  -    International students from all regions of the world –a truly intercultural experience!
  
  Skill-based education programs:
  -    An insight into professionalism in public services;
  -    Knowledge-transfer directly from practitioners;
  -    In-depth strategic thinking and analytical skills;
  -    Transfer of experience in diplomacy.
  
  A wide range of opportunities:
  -    International research projects (International Visegrad Fund, NATO, EU 2020);
  -    Research internship at the Center for Strategic and Defense Studies;
  -    Scholarships and internships, participation in regional summer universities and workshops;
  -    Online publication of the best student submissions.
   

• Public Administration

  The Faculty of Public Administration – dating back 35 years – is one of the three faculties of the recently established National University of Public Service. More than 35,000 of our graduates have been employed in the Hungarian public sector. Besides becoming city clerks and local government officials the majority of the graduates work in the Hungarian central administration. Many of them have had a notable career trajectory and have become key decision makers in the public sphere or have had a successful career in the private sector.

  The Faculty aims at educating and training students and professionals in administration. Besides acquiring general knowledge and skills, students get acquainted with the structure of Hungarian public administration - which they can also compare with European and American models. They also learn the basics of political and legal sciences including the methods of lawmaking and law application. One of the strengths of the Faculty is foreign language education; students have the opportunity to take up language courses in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Chinese. A good command of languages serves as a basis for future studies and internships abroad, which the Faculty also provides students with.

  The Campus is located on Gellért-Hill, commanding spectacular views from many of the classrooms. Renovated seminar rooms, special language labs, a well-equipped library, sport facilities including a swimming pool, a restaurant and a buffet are all at the disposal of our students.

  There are a number of student organizations that help our students both represent their interests and extend their academic knowledge. In addition to the Student Union, special student organizations such as Magyary Zoltán and Ostrakon play a significant role in this respect. These self-motivated student groups organize a wide range of professional, cultural and entertaining programs. An Office of Career Advancement was established at the Faculty as early as 2005 assisting students in their search for jobs and internship opportunities. Events such as career fairs and career-focused conferences are regularly held and organized as well.

• Law Enforcement

  The legal predecessor, the Police College was founded in 1970 by Decree No. 39 of the Presidential Council. It specified as its task to train highly qualified commissioned police officers suitable for posts of public servants and public officials defined by the Minister of the Interior and to provide new supply for the commissioned officers’ staff of the Prison Service, supervised by the Ministry of Justice. The institution started its operation on 1 September 1971.

  The National University of Public Service (NUPS) became operational on 1 January 2012. The University, a new higher education institution with great importance placed on the intellectual life in Hungary was created as the successor of three institutions, by integrating Zrínyi Miklós National Defence University (Faculty of Military Science and Officer Training), the Police College (Faculty of Law Enforcement) and the Faculty of Public Administration, Corvinus University of Budapest (Faculty of Public Administration).

  Similarly to its predecessor the Police College, the Faculty of Law Enforcement continues to be the sole higher education institution to conduct law enforcement training. It provides high-level, top quality training for professionals, commissioned officers, public servants and public officials for posts at law enforcement organisations, especially the Hungarian Police Force, the Hungarian Prison Service, the National Tax and Customs Administration, the National Directorate-General for Disaster Management, the Office of Immigration and Nationality and the private security sector.

  Students at the Faculty are offered three-year full-time and part-time BA programmes and two-year part-time MA programmes, as well as three-term specialised further training courses. One of our objectives is to contribute to the training and further training of public service professionals within the framework of harmonised education at our University. It is hoped that the Faculty will also combine PhD training in the near future by the establishment of the Doctoral School of Police Science.

  Before their first term, full-time students attend a month’s intensive preparatory training during which time they all reside on campus, therefore they start the academic year around August 20. At the Faculty, students wear a uniform provided by the law enforcement organisations and must fulfil formal requirements required by them. These organisations conclude scholarship contracts with full-time students coming from the civilian sector for the duration of their studies. Students who are already employed by law enforcement organisations as professionals, thus having a double legal status, continue to receive their salaries. Students at the ‘civilian’ private security specialisation are required to fund their studies themselves.

  The total number of students at the Faculty in the full-time programmes is 535, in the part time ones 1073. There are 14 educational units with 106 tutors. Training is supported by language and ICT laboratories and classrooms for the teaching of special subjects. The student residence is on campus with rooms for 3 or 4. Facilities such as a self-service restaurant, a gym, a specialised library and a reading room are at the students’ disposal.

• Military Sciences and Officer Training

  The Faculty of Military Sciences and Officer Training – being part of the National University of Public Service – started its operation on January 1 2012, as the legal successor of Miklós Zrínyi National Defense University.

  On September 1st 1996 the Zrínyi Miklós National Defense University was established, which consisted of the former Zrínyi Miklós Military Academy, the Kossuth Lajos Military College and the Szolnok Air Force College. On the basis of the Academy, university faculties were established – faculties of Military Sciences and of Command and Control – while the former colleges were transformed into independent college faculties.

  From the very beginning of 2012 the Hungarian officer training with a history of nearly 200 years continues within the framework of National University of Public Service.

  The Faculty's main tasks are: education and training of professional military officers and research and development in the various fields of military science.

  The Faculty has many international relations with many different military higher education universities and academies all across Europe, and very close relations with NATO organised institutions.

  The Faculty's main Campus  (Hungária krt. 9-11.) is located near to the downtown of Budapest, commanding spectacular views from many of the classrooms, seminar rooms, special language labs, a library with more than 500 thousand books, sport facilities, a restaurant and a buffet are all at the disposal of our cadets and students. The department of Air Force of the Faculty is located in Szolnok.

  There are a number of student organisations that help our students both represent their interests and extend their academic and military knowledge. In addition to the Student Union, special student organisations such as the Advanced College for Security Policy and Puskás Tivadar Advanced College play a significant role in this respect. These self-motivated student groups organise a wide range of professional, cultural and entertaining programmes.

Students' Union

The Students’ Unions operation is centred around the representation of students interests in higher education institutions while being a part of these institutions. In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 2011, each student is a member of his/her university's Students’ Union, and has the right to vote and to stand as a candidate as well.

At university level, the primary aim and prominent task of the Students’ Union is to represent the students’ interests. Student representatives actively participate in the work of every important decision-making and reviewer bodies of the university – such as the University Senate, the Faculty Council, and the committees dealing with student affairs – in oder to ensure that student interests are taken into consideration. 

Why and when can you contact the Students' Union?

The primary goal of the Student’s Union is to defend the rights of university students. Hence, should a student perceive that a lecturer did not follow the regulations to his/her disadvantage, than he/she can signal this to the Students’ Union which helps students in solving these kinds of problems. Moreover, the Students’ Union is assigned with the coordination of several events concerning university students.

In addition to official procedures, the tasks of the Students’ Union include the organisation of social life as well. Through its events and programmes, the Students’ Union would like to provide opportunities for social networking among students, further strengthening the integration and cohesion between students of different faculties. Apart from these events, the Students’ Union is the publisher of Forum Publicum, the students’ monthly magazine including articles, interviews and photo reports on issues concerning students of NUPS.

Special Student Communities
At the National University of Public Servive currently to following Special Student Committees are operating, you can see their description below:Speciel Student Committees are part of Hungrian talent management system, it is a special legal institution, automous association of persons in the Hungarian higher education system. Their goal is to create suitable environment to its members, who are usually university or college students, for reach high professional standards. They aim to train socially sensitive and well-informed intellectuals, to support talent management and  promote self-realization.

-       Special Student Committee for Security Policy

-       Magyary Zoltán Special Student Committee

-       Ostrakon Special Student Committee

-       Szent György Special Student Committee

-       Puskás Tivadar Technical Special Student Committee   

Special Student Community for Security Policy
Since 2009 ACSP, just like many other advanced colleges in Hungary, has been fulfilling the directives recorded in the 'Charter of Advanced Colleges': functioning as an autonomous organization ACSP members constitute a community living together in a dormitory, giving them the opportunity of fruitful cooperation, while the professional courses become a determining part of our broad sphere of activities. Besides organizing lectures, visits and conferences for its members, ACSP carries out activities of public utility in the fields of scientific research, education, development of skills, popular education and cultural activities for the broader public. ACSP carries out its activities on the scientific fields of security and defense policy, defense administration and disaster management, as we consider them complementary fields and as we would like to bind together the students of our university majoring in these fields.In October, 2003 civilian students of the former Zrínyi Miklós National Defense University (Budapest, Hungary) founded an organized student group under the name of 'Advanced College for Security Policy' having the aim of 'educating young intellectuals for the service of their homeland and the development of a secure society, through fostering professional higher education, reaching psychological maturity, living a moral and communal lifestyle and developing an increased sensitivity towards societal issues and patriotism.

In our days it is of outstanding importance how a professional institution can articulate its opinion, spread its results or inform other organizations. For this reason ACSP runs the professional website called ‘www.biztonsagpolitika.hu’, consisting of numerous publications and other notes, while it also gives the opportunity for the exchange of thoughts through its forum where anyone registered may share his or her opinion. The meetings and lectures are of course open to anyone interested in order to broaden the sphere of those who would like to contribute to professional issues.

Ostrakon Special Student Community

Ostrakon was founded in the spring of 2011 at the Public Administration Faculty of Corvinus University, which is now part of the National University of Public Service. The organization was established by four enthusiastic students with the aim to provide an alternative and useful way to improve the professional skills of the members outside of the everyday training. Our courses are carried out in the fields of public administration, government, economics, policy analysis, communication and leadership, organization, management sectors. Apart from the scientific work, we put a great emphasis on community building, which is perhaps one of the most powerful attributions of Ostrakon.

The organization has three basic pillars, which ensure the stability of our work. The courses, lectures and academic career model grant the enforcement of professionalism; cultural, traditional and charitable programmes widen the diversity of the activities; while community programmes serve to strengthen the relationship between our members. Resolving issues related to the College's activities is primarily the task of the members, but the help, the experience and the guidance of the instructors, the Faculty and the University are priceless.

Our Guests were eg. László Kövér, the Head of the Hungarian Parliament, Mihály Varga, Minister of National Economy, Sándor Egervári, former coach of the national football team, Mátyás Szűrös, the first president of the Third Republic of Hungary.

Magyary Zoltán Special Student Community
The Community’s professional activity of the past decade has been a success story for many reasons. It has had lectures by several experts and talents, such as László Domokos the President of the State Audit Office, Rudolf Dombi who is a Hungarian Olympic champion sprint canoer. The main lecture of 2013 was held with the participation of seven former Government Spokespersons. So far the Community has held many conferences taking place in the scientific public interest topics as well, reflecting current happenings. Last year the Community celebrated the 125th anniversary of Zoltán Magyary’s birth by organising a significant national event.The Magyary Zoltán Special Student Community was founded in 2001 and still operates at the Faculty of Public Administration of the National University of Public Service. The denominator of the Community is Zoltán Magyary who is one of the most determining persons of Hungarian public administration. His intellectual legacy still forms the basis of numerous development programmes.

The Magyary Zoltán Special Student Community has provided the basis for the Like-A-Parliament National Assembly modelling programme for students, which has become a yearly occasion and takes place in the Hungarian Parliament.

In addition to the lectures, the Community has had foreign studies, such as examining the Italian government and public administration, taking part in a constitutional conference in Krakow and visiting the European Union’s bodies in Brussels. A number of its members have had the opportunity to attend a foreign Summer University during the summer of 2013.

In addition, the Community organises courses for its members. The small group seminars provide deeper and more comprehensive scientific PA knowledge or help to improve other academic competences.

The organisation pays particular attention to ensuring adequate HR supply. Therefore, in 2011 it formed a half- year long mentoring programme to make the recruitment process more effective. The Community is not only an organisation but also a team whose members work and learn together. Accordingly, team building events and exercises are organised on a yearly basis with the aim of bringing members together and forging good friendships.

Szent György Special Student Community

Szent György Special Student Committee is a specially organised group at the National University of Public Service located on the top of the Széchényi Hill at Budapest Farkasvölgyi Street.

Since its establishment in 2008, the group has been organising professional, educational and cultural programmes. The primary aim of the group is to support and encourage its members through projects like participating on lectures, visiting special forces (e.g. Airport Police). In addition, the group is receiving numerous requests from the University to help, brainstorm and transact provost duty.

The group has 13 active members who have their own individual time schedule. Passive members have finished their university studies and are working as police officers. Headteachers are working at the University.

The group’s ambition is to evolve into an  association and to obtain a  budget which would be focused on  improving our equipments and practical devices. The group is open for applicants who are self-confident, cooperative and can contribute to its work.

Sport Facilities
The four sport centres provide a wide range of sport opportunities: ball games (basketball, football, volleyball, handball, badminton and tennis), combat sports (judo, thai box, tanfa-karate, ju-jitsu, aikido, kyokushin) aerobic, table tennis, wall climbing, swimming, strength development and cardio training, equestrian sport, shooting sports, fencing and hiking.The National University of Public Service currently has three faculty sports centres, one at each faculty and a university sports centre as well. Hence, there is a wide choice of indoor and outdoor sports facilities on campus including a swimming pool, gyms, conditioning rooms, a tennis court and a sauna. Sport facilities are provided for every student, instructor and employee.

NKE Sport Association

The NKE Sport Association operates since October 2012. Its fundamental aim is to facilitate university sports life, to ensure healthy and cultured leisure spending for its members, to meet the criteria against certified contestants’ (athletes’) participation on domestic and foreign sporting events.

In order to achieve sports results in the future, it also carries out junior education tasks. Moreover, it provides the conditions for healthy lifestyle education of employees of armed forces, law enforcement and public service.

The NKE Sport Association supports other active sports clubs at the University’s faculties, where apart from competitive sport, students, teachers, employees and family members can exercise leisure sports as well.

The Association wishes to participate in the establishment of the University’s „Athletic Life Programme”. The programme’s aim is to support the student athletes with the introduction of unique (personalised) course and examination system and the organisation of consultations. Enhanced support for harmonisation of learning and competitive sport provides greater opportunity to achieve outstanding performances at national and international competitions as well.

Scientific Students' Association

The University involves talented students in scientific projects, developing their research competences and featuring the greatest young talents as the researchers and lecturers of the future are deemed priority tasks.

Apart from the special student communities, the highest level organisations for talent promotion are the scientific students’ associations where student groups of similar field of interests pursue their activities in cooperation with each other while being involved in the work of the university’s departments and research workshops and in the realization of projects based on the university’s successful tenders. By publishing their research outcomes on various forums or in the form of articles and research papers in printed or electronic journals, members can prepare themselves for doctoral studies which could eventually lead to a PhD degree. After writing their papers of high quality, students may apply for presentation opportunities at conferences organised each semester by the respective faculty’s scientific students’ associations. The jury of these conferences recommend the best publications to be presented at the biannually held National Conference of Scientific Students’ Associations. In addition, the cooperation with foreign partner institutions provides students with the possibility of scientific participation within foreign language environments.

Our university’s predecessors were acknowledged members of the scientific students’ movement which has grown to national level and has become extensively recognised during its history of more than six decades. In order to maintain this esteem, our university’s leadership and lecturers provide all assistance to the scientific students’ associations so that they can flexibly adapt to the renewing higher education structure and the changing demands of the market. Accordingly, NUPS coordinates the activities of the scientific students’ associations while providing them with wide-ranging autonomy and ensuring the basic requirements of their operation.

Apart from students of NUPS, the scientific students’ associations welcome the application of students from other Hungarian and foreign higher education institutions and of secondary school students interested in the associations’ research portfolios, intending to participate in their work and would like to be participants of scientific students’ association conferences organised by the university or the faculties.

Dr. (Capt.) András Németh

The National University of Public Service is committed to function as a value centred academic base for the enhancement of the idea of good governance and good public administration. The University aims to achieve excellence through continuous and sustainable development in order to become an internationally recognized leading institution of higher education in the creation and transfer of competitive, up-to-date professional skills.

The educational and research work conducted at the University is characterized by a highly responsible social attitude. Students are reminded of the interrelationship between rights and responsibilities, and they are encouraged to develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, their fellow students, and their environment.

In order to meet the above principles and achieve the goals set in the Mission Statement of the institution, the University undertakes the following:

• Rational and effective integration of the education, research and service capacities of the legal predecessor institutions;

• Operation of a quality assurance system to meet the expectations of the governers, customers, employees and society at the highest possible standard;

• Educational, research and service activities conducted in accordance with the principles of quality assurance and the quality assurance policies and qualification standards of the higher education system;

• Establishment and maintenance of a high standard organizational quality culture, providing and developing the organizational, personnel and technological conditions required;

• Timely assessment of the results achieved during the implementation process of quality centred management, setting new quality targets and determining the indicators required for the evaluation of further results;

• Continuous development of the quality assurance system of the University, focusing on Hungarian customer needs and international trends and processes.

The governing body of the University regards personal example and commitment to quality a high priority. In order to achieve the above objectives, all the colleagues of the University are expected to familiarize themselves with and consistently apply the quality assurance policy of the institution.