BME Senate Approves New Operating Framework

The BME Senate voted decisively on December 9 to adopt a proposal by Rector Hassan Charaf and Chancellor Miklós Verseghi-Nagy to initiate a change in the university’s operating framework. The plan involves transferring maintainer rights to a business entity, allowing the university to tailor the framework to its unique needs. At the end of the process BME becomes a private university. This milestone decision follows a two-year deliberation process.

Rector Charaf celebrated the decision and emphasized the university’s dedication to innovation while upholding its values and quality standards.

“Now we can define a new operating model while preserving our values, principles, and quality. Representing students, employees, and leaders, I assemble a delegation to work out the details of the framework,”

he said, underscoring the importance of protecting academic freedom and student rights.

The proposed framework outlines ambitious goals and establishes the following key objectives:
•    long-term, stable funding,
•    a flexible internal structure to support development,
•    expanded student scholarship opportunities,
•    a performance-based salary system.

State ownership of assets will be maintained, but BME will receive asset management rights for a specified period. The Senate will remain the university’s primary academic decision-making body, with students’ rights to representation, participation, decision-making, consent, and opinion fully preserved.

A delegation will be formed to negotiate further details with the government, with the Rector and Chancellor providing regular updates to the Senate.

In an interview with Index.hu, Rector Charaf highlighted the significance of this vote for BME’s future stating that the rigid and complicated rules of public funding rules causes the university a competitive disadvantage.

Rector Charaf expressed his optimism and determination: “BME is not only Hungary’s leading technical university but also the cornerstone of Hungary’s economy. It is a national treasure with a rich history spanning over 242 years. Our university has the potential, dynamism and intellectual capital to be among the top ten leading technical universities in the Europe Union and one of the best universities in the world. It’s time to seize this opportunity to unlock our full potential, to develop and innovate on the global stage.” The Rector highlighted: “funding from Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe is a major factor for the university, which is the most successful Hungarian applicant in the previous and current funding period. Therefore we have developed an operational framework that will enable us to continue to be successful in the EU's Horizon and Erasmus programmes.”

With a forward-looking mindset and a collective support from the Senate and its community, BME is poised to turn thoughtful dialogues and shared vision into reality.

Rector’s Office, Department of Communications