Legal status, organization and competences of the Hungarian Rectors' Conference (HRC)
The Act on Higher Education entered into force on 1 March, 2006 establishing the legal ground for the foundation of HRC as a public corporation. HRC was established by law, and registered as a public corporation by the court. The whole institution system is represented by HRC, a body comprising the heads of higher education institutions in accordance with the regulation of operation of HRC laid down in its Statutes. The conditions of operation of HRC are ensured by higher education institutions. (Pursuant to the Civil Code public corporations are self-governing organizations with registered membership whose establishment has been ordered by law. Public corporations perform public duties related to their membership and/or the activities performed by their members. The law can prescribe certain public duties that must be performed by public corporations. Public bodies have the authorization, defined by law, to fulfill public duties, and they shall exercise such rights through self-management. The law may prescribe that certain public duties be performed exclusively by public corporations and that certain activities may only be performed by members of public corporations.) The Hungarian Rectors' Conference is classified, on the strength of law, as a high priority non-profit organization without being registered as a non-profit organization.
Section (university section and college section)
Committee (at present, there are 16 committees, and also ad hoc committees for performing ad hoc tasks and those prescribed by the Amendment of Act on Higher Education of 2007)
Presidency (comprising 10 members)
The activity of HRC is supported by the Secretariat, starting its operation on 1 October.
2) HRC's duty is to provide efficient single-channel domestic and foreign professional representation for Hungarian higher education institutions. The Act on Higher Education and other legal regulations provide for the means of representation of professional interests of higher education. Such means can be direct or indirect means.
-the structure of training,
-the general rules of credit-based education,
-the rules of conferring doctorate degrees with honours,
-the order of multi-cycle training,
-the qualification framework,
-the procedure of launching a programme.
The right of assent is exercised by the Presidency on any governance issue belonging to the competence of the Minister of Education and Culture concerning-the programme and exit requirements in undergraduate and graduate education,
-the general rules on the organisation of postgraduate specialist training courses.
In other governance issues HRC may present proposals or opinions.Indirect means:
Indirect means of the representation of interests may be constituted by the participation of the delegates of HRC in the activity of other bodies or organizations.
- Hungarian Accreditation Committee of Higher Education (HAC) (15 members), and the Review Committee and Supervisory Board of HAC (one member each).
- Higher Education and Research Council (HERC) (3 members), and the Supervisory Board of HERC (1 member)
- Hungarian Scholarship Board (1 member)
- Language Examination Accreditation Board (1 member)
- The head of the National Credit Council shall be appointed by the Minister of Education and Culture with knowledge of the position of MRK among others.
- HRC may delegate one member to the Board of Trustees of the Language Examination Accreditation Board.
- The President of the Board of Trustees of Tempus Public Foundation shall be appointed by the founder upon proposal of the President of HRC and the President of the National Public Education Council, and HRC may delegate a member to the Board of Trustees.
- Hungarian Accreditation Committee of Higher Education
- Higher Education and Research Council
- National Union of Ph.D. Students
- National Doctors? Council
- National Union of Students in Hungary
- Research and Technological Innovation Council (1 member)
- National Institute of Vocational and Adult Education (1 member)
- Civil Advisory Board of the International Development Cooperation (1 member)
- Quality Award for Higher Education and Quality Development Committee (2 members)
- The Minister considers the opinion of HRC upon appointment of the members of the Hungarian Unesco Committee.
- The representative of HRC takes part also in the activity of the Committee on Regional Development and Training, a body evaluating applications when the amount of the Training Fund of the Labour Market Fund approved for the regions is used.
3) HRC is representing Hungarian higher education institutions also on international level, so it may delegate representatives with voting right to the sessions of the International Association of Universities (IAU) and the European University Association (EUA) maintained by UNESCO as it is the member of such organizations with full powers. HRC keep contacts with European national rectors? conferences and ministries of education.
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