Accreditation affects both the university and its 17 doctoral schools, and it is a fundamental requirement for the institution’s continued operation.
The new institutional accreditation procedure of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) has begun at Eötvös Loránd University. The MAB last conducted a comprehensive review of the university in 2020; the validity of that accreditation expires on June 30, 2026, so a new procedure is necessary to ensure that ELTE continues to comply with quality assurance guidelines and standards in force in the European Higher Education Area.
To prepare for the accreditation process, an ad hoc committee was formed in spring 2025, responsible for coordinating the institutional and doctoral school accreditation procedures. The committee is chaired by László Zentai, Vice-Rector for Education and Academic Affairs, and from August 1, Gábor Juhász will take over his duties. Coordination of the process is overseen by Szilvia Dukay Szabó, head of the ELTE Quality Management Office. The committee meets regularly to support the development of the university’s self-evaluation document.
The University had until April 30, 2025, to initiate the accreditation procedure with MAB. The cooperation agreement was signed on behalf of Eötvös Loránd University by Rector László Borhy, and on behalf of MAB by President János Ede Szilágyi; the former signed the document on July 7, 2025, while the latter did so on July 21, 2025.
The procedure affects the entire university and all 17 doctoral schools simultaneously. The accreditation of the doctoral schools takes place within scientific clusters, organized according to the fields of humanities, engineering and natural sciences, and social sciences.
ELTE began preparations in the spring, actively involving student representatives as well. Accreditation is not only a quality assurance task, but also a fundamental requirement for the university’s operating license and, therefore, its operation.
MAB’s Visiting Committee will assess the university’s activities and the functioning of its quality assurance system in February 2026. During its work, the committee will evaluate the extent to which ELTE meets the mandatory quality assurance standards (ESG) in European higher education, and how the institution supports continuous development, and the improvement of the quality of teaching, research, and student services.
Related documents and further information about the accreditation procedure can be found on ELTE’s internal platforms and on the MAB website.