University of Szeged

About

The University of Szeged is one of Hungary’s leading higher education and research institutions. Its Faculty of Agriculture is located in Hódmezővásárhely, in the Southern Great Plain region, approximately 25 kilometres from Szeged. Agricultural education in the city has a history of more than 110 years, while the Faculty has operated as part of the University of Szeged since 2000.

The Faculty combines education, research, innovation and practical training in the fields of animal sciences, agricultural economics and rural development, plant sciences, environmental protection and precision agriculture. Its academic and research activities are organised in three institutes: the Institute of Animal Sciences and Wildlife Management, the Institute of Economics and Rural Development, and the Institute of Plant Sciences and Environmental Protection.

The Faculty is strongly committed to practice-oriented education. Its own pilot farm, laboratories and extensive cooperation with agricultural companies, professional organisations and research institutions provide students and researchers with opportunities to connect scientific knowledge with practical agricultural production.

Mission

To generate and transfer scientific knowledge that supports sustainable, competitive and socially responsible agriculture, with particular emphasis on animal production, animal health and welfare, environmental protection, rural development and practice-oriented higher education.

Vision

To become an internationally recognised regional centre for agricultural education, research and innovation that connects biological, technological, environmental and socioeconomic approaches. The Faculty seeks to advance the future of livestock production by promoting interdisciplinary research, precision agriculture, digital technologies, responsible natural-resource management and close cooperation among universities, research institutions, agricultural enterprises and professional organisations.

University of Szeged in the Animal Task Force

Within the Animal Task Force, the University of Szeged is represented by the Faculty of Agriculture and, in particular, by the Institute of Animal Sciences and Wildlife Management.

The Institute brings together expertise in animal breeding, animal nutrition, animal health, anatomy, wildlife management and environmental protection. Its staff contribute to undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes in agricultural engineering, agricultural digitalisation, agribusiness, rural development and wildlife management.

The research activities cover both farm animals and wildlife species. The main research areas include cattle, pig, sheep, goat and poultry production, animal nutrition and feed quality, the effects of heat stress, milking technologies, animal health, gene conservation, biodiversity, and wildlife population monitoring and management. A further priority is the application of artificial intelligence, image analysis and large-scale data processing in cattle breeding, particularly for monitoring animal health, behaviour, welfare and production performance.
The Faculty’s multidisciplinary profile also supports the assessment of livestock production from economic, environmental and territorial perspectives. Research conducted by the Institute of Economics and Rural Development addresses the economics of animal husbandry, precision farming, sustainable agricultural production and rural development.

Through its participation in the Animal Task Force, the University of Szeged aims to contribute to European cooperation in sustainable livestock production, animal health and welfare, resource-efficient farming, precision technologies, biodiversity conservation and the development of resilient rural regions.