2026 Online Open Day for International Students

On January 5, 2026, marking the 72nd birthday of László Krasznahorkai – recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Kossuth Prize, and the József Attila Prize – the University of Szeged celebrated its alumnus with a quiz-style Q&A game, offered engaging insights into the author’s work and the Nobel Prize itself, while also promoting reading and encouraging literary curiosity more broadly.

At its fall conference, the Hungarian Geographical Society – founded in 1872 and regarded as one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious professional organizations – elected Prof. Dr. Zoltán Kovács, professor at the Institute of Geography and Geosciences of the University of Szeged, as its new president for the 2025–2029 term. He is the first professor from Szeged ever to hold this distinguished position in the Society’s history.

Students from all over the world choose Szeged to pursue their university studies. Aleksandar Pilipović, a Serbian student at SZTE and President of the University’s EUGLOH Local Student Board, shares what makes the University of Szeged so appealing to international students.

The University of Szeged hosted an international workshop titled Cryo-Electron Microscopy Development at the University of Szeged on October 14–15, 2025, marking a major milestone in the launch of cryo-electron microscopy research in Hungary. During the two-day event, Rector Prof. Dr. László Rovó announced the creation of the National Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform. The workshop highlighted the scientific significance of this advanced technology and offered a closer look at the pioneering national initiative led by the University.

The University of Szeged is pleased to announce that applications for the 2026 Spring Intake of its international self-financed study programs will open on October 15.

The University of Szeged hosted the opening event of the HU-rizont Roadshow on September 25, an initiative launched by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) to highlight the program’s goals and promote leading research projects across Hungary. The first stop featured successful projects from the University’s Center of Excellence for Interdisciplinary Research, Development, and Innovation (IKIKK).

The 2025 edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) – one of the world’s most prestigious higher education rankings – has been released, confirming the University of Szeged once again as Hungary’s number one university. SZTE remains the country’s sole representative among the global top 500, with only four Hungarian universities making this year’s list.

2025 Online Open Day for International Students

Discover the benefits of living and learning in the City of Sunshine!

Szeged, Hungary’s third-largest city, is increasingly popular among international students. Situated near the converging borders of Hungary, Romania, and Serbia, it is often called the “City of Sunshine” and widely regarded as one of the most attractive places to study.

Starting January 1, international students can access the University of Szeged’s application platform to apply for self-financed programs for the Fall Semester of the 2025/2026 academic year.

This year, Times Higher Education (THE) introduced its Online Learning Rankings, the first global assessment of universities’ activities in online education. With higher education institutions grouped into three categories (Gold, Silver, and Bronze), the University of Szeged earned the highest distinction, a Gold rating, standing out as the only institution in Hungary to receive this prestigious recognition.

“mRNA: More Applications than Limitations” was the headline of the article on the University of Szeged’s news portal, highlighting presentations by seven of the 15 researchers featured at the mRNA conference organized by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the University of Szeged. For those who were unable to attend the event on November 7–8, 2024, this follow-up provides an overview of research insights shared by eight additional distinguished speakers: Rein Verbeke, Nicolas Manel, Zoltán Kis, Norbert Pardi, Katrien Remaut, Gerald Schwank, Zoltán Jakus, and Katalin Karikó.

The Bolyai Institute of the University of Szeged is pleased to announce that the Béla Szőkefalvi-Nagy Medal for the year 2024 has been awarded to Javad Mashreghi Professor at Laval University, Quebec, Canada. The official award ceremony will be held at 10:00 am on 13 December 2024 (Friday) in Bolyai Hall of the Bolyai Institute.

The University of Szeged has achieved outstanding positions across multiple fields on the latest ShanghaiRanking lists, which assess the world’s leading higher education institutions. The University ranks among the global top 300 in human biology, dentistry, and clinical medicine, earning a shared first place in Hungary in both human biology and dentistry. It also attained excellent national and international rankings in the fields of pharmacy and education.

The University of Szeged is delighted to announce that the 2025/2026 academic year application period is now open for the Stipendium Hungaricum and the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship programs. These prestigious opportunities offer students worldwide access to world-class education in Hungary while enjoying generous financial support.

On November 7, 2024, an international press event was held on the first day of the mRNA Conference at the University of Szeged. Answering questions from journalists were Katalin Karikó, Nobel laureate professor at the University of Szeged; her research partner, Professor Drew Weissman, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation in Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine; and Professor László Rovó, rector of the University of Szeged, host of the symposium. The Nobel laureates answered a range of questions, touching on their latest research, how they work together, and how their lives have changed over the past year. They even shared memories of where they were when the first person landed on the Moon.

For two days, Szeged is the world’s science capital. Coming from 15 countries, leading researchers in mRNA technology, including Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, have gathered in the Hungarian city. The mRNA conference, taking place on November 7–8 at the József Attila Study and Information Center of the University of Szeged, marks the highlight of the Celebration of Hungarian Science series of events.

The gathering of top mRNA researchers at the University of Szeged on November 7–8, 2024, adds a remarkable flair to Hungary’s Month of Science events. For those wondering what makes this event stand out, we’ve rounded up some fascinating highlights about the mRNA Conference in Szeged, sponsored by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as well as a few notable insights from the symposium.

“Accessible, visually engaging, and packed with detailed animations!” This is how Dániel Viczián, a second-year student at the University of Szeged, described the Coursera mRNA course available on the online platform. Ahead of the international mRNA conference on November 7–8, 2024, students were encouraged to complete the course and share their feedback.

The research conducted at the Geology Department of the University of Szeged, particularly by Sahroz Khan, a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Geosciences, not only makes diamond extraction more cost-effective but also significantly reduces its environmental impact. Khan's work, which focuses on differentiating between barren and diamond-rich deposits, is a key aspect of this environmentally beneficial research.

The University of Szeged already boasts three research programs aiming to harness the mRNA technology pioneered by Katalin Karikó. Prof. Dr. Antal Nógrádi’s research group is developing mRNA-based treatments for spinal cord injuries; Prof. Dr. Attila Gácser and his team are working on therapies for inflammation caused by fungal infections; and Prof. Dr. Ildikó Csóka’s research group is investigating the targeted delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients via nano-carriers, with researcher Dr. Gábor Katona exploring whether siRNAs that inhibit mRNA decoding can be delivered to tumor cells. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Márta Széll, Vice Rector for Strategic Affairs at the University of Szeged, has revealed that the University is setting up a new research center to advance its cutting-edge mRNA research, with the Pasteur Institute now recognizing the University as its partner.

Exciting news for aspiring students! The University of Szeged is thrilled to announce that applications for its Spring intake of international self-financed study programs are now open.

What is mRNA good for? Just over a year after October 2, 2023, when Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were named winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the University of Szeged will host a conference showcasing the latest breakthroughs in mRNA research. At the press conference held to announce the event, Katalin Karikó, joining online, revealed that intensive research efforts have already led to the clinical testing of various mRNA-based drugs and treatments.

Katalin Karikó used to start each day with a morning run. That’s just one of the many insights the Nobel laureate professor shared during a press conference hosted by the University of Szeged to announce an upcoming two-day conference on mRNA, often called the ‘Swiss army knife’ of medical science. In response to journalists’ questions, Karikó – who played a key role in bringing the conference to Szeged – discussed her research and explained why she invited a former fellow student from university and an old acquaintance from her hometown of Kisújszállás to deliver talks at the symposium.

In early November 2024, people in Szeged might easily spot Nobel laureates in the city, thanks to the upcoming international conference at the University of Szeged. Staring on November 7, the event will bring together Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, and other leading experts in mRNA technology.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the mRNA conference in Szeged. Journalists curious about the details of the November 2024 event and the latest scientific findings about the messenger molecule that offers extraordinary possibilities had the opportunity to ask questions, among others, to Nobel Laureate Katalin Karikó, who joined the press conference online on September 12.

Traditionally, during the first week of September, the Directorate for International Affairs and Public Relations at the University of Szeged holds a 3-day orientation program to assist newly enrolled international students. The 2024 SZTE Freshmen Orientation Days, which took place between September 3-5, were once again a huge success.

The 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), released by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy in mid-August, lists the world’s most prestigious universities. This year, only four Hungarian universities made it into the global ranking. Among them, the University of Szeged secured a position in the 401–500 range, moving up hundreds of places and ranking first among Hungarian universities.

In the open-access journal European Physical Journal Plus, Károly Osvay and his colleagues report in a technical article on their laser neutron production experiments at the University of Szeged and ELI ALPS, which target 10¹⁰ neutrons per second. Among the authors of the publication are Gérard Mourou, Nobel laureate research professor at the University of Szeged, and Gábor Szabó, professor of physics at SZTE and managing director of ELI ALPS.

Please welcome the Diploma Ceremony and the electronic publication about our Faculty.

5 July (Saturday) 2025 at 5.00 pm at the Congress Hall at József Attila Department of Education and Information Centre (commonly known as TIK, Szeged, Ady tér 10.)

The University of Szeged has been ranked 570th by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in their latest World University Rankings for the Academic Year 2024-25. The institution has improved its position by more than 30 places compared to last year. The Ranking includes eleven Hungarian universities with very tight results among the front runners.

Katalin Karikó, research professor at the University of Szeged, has been appointed as a university professor. The decision was published in the latest issue of the Hungarian Official Journal Publisher (Magyar Közlöny).

The new test station producing e-fuel is an important milestone in three objectives of the University of Szeged. It produces environmentally sustainable green energy; in cooperation with economic partners, it takes SZTE laboratory research to the threshold of industrial use; and its creation was helped by the forward-looking interdisciplinary approach of the university.

Habilitation and Ph.D. doctoral degrees were awarded at the ceremony of the University of Szeged. A total of 114 young people with academic titles were greeted at the event held at the congress hall of the SZTE József Attila Education and Information Center on January 26, 2024.

Dániel Viczián not only partied in a tailcoat at the Nobel Prize ceremony but also gave a presentation on the fascinating world of chemistry as a speaker at the "Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar". The first-year chemistry student of the University of Szeged won the right in a competition to represent Hungary as the only young person to participate in the most prestigious programs of the Nobel Week in Sweden. In addition to nanocomposites, we asked Dániel Viczián about his experiences at the Nobel Prize ceremony.

Studying in Szeged, Hungary's third-largest city, is an increasingly popular choice for international students. Szeged, located at the triple border of Hungary, Romania, and Serbia, is, without a doubt, one of the most attractive university cities in Hungary.

Two Nobel Prize winners from Hungary and the University of Szeged have been awarded the world's most prestigious scientific prize. The mRNA researcher Katalin Karikó, Professor at the University of Szeged, is the first Hungarian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Ferenc Krausz, who conducted his molecular fingerprinting research in Szeged, is a Nobel Prize winner in physics. Our coverage of the event, which took place at the Stockholm Concert Hall on 10 December 2023, is complemented by exclusive information from our correspondent on the ground.

The "Nobel Weeks at the University of Szeged" awareness campaign is launched. "Where knowledge and intention meet" - a series of programmes organised under the motto of the University of Szeged extends beyond the borders of Szeged.

Stanford professor Andrew Ng's new course opens the door to the world of AI. The comprehensive curriculum contains many tips, tricks, and information from basic knowledge to practical use - thus helping to understand the operation of artificial intelligence and deepen user-level knowledge.

Red-purple aurora borealis — Northern Lights — was clearly visible in several parts of Hungary, including the areas near Szeged, on Sunday, November 5, 2023. Northern Lights can be observed in Hungary too, but rarely to this extent. Dr. Habil. Tamás Gál DSc, senior associate professor of the Institute of Geosciences, Department of Climatology and Landscape of SZTE Faculty of Sciences and Informatics explained the background of the phenomenon.

In the week of the announcement of Katalin Karikó's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the memoir "Breaking Through - My Life in Science" was published in Hungarian. Since then, several book reviews have been published. By summarizing what happened since then we will direct the attention to those who contributed to the success of Breaking Through.

The University of Szeged is still among the best universities in the world in the Times Higher Education rankings. Based on the latest evaluations, SZTE ranked first in Hungary this year on the list of excellence in educational sciences, pedagogy, and teacher training. In addition, it has been ranked in the field of economic sciences, while it continues to occupy good positions in the fields of humanities and arts, health sciences, psychology, life sciences, physical sciences, and computer science.

Participating in educational fairs allows prospective students to attend presentations about the admission proceudure or financial assistance, get to know the student life in Szeged, ask representatives face to face and a lot more.

Katalin Karikó traveled to Hungary to visit the University of Szeged, her alma mater, only one week after she won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. She was greeted by hundreds of locals, attended a celebratory meeting, held a press conference, met with researchers, and held seminars for university students at SZTE on October 12, 2023.

We are happy to inform our prospective students that the application for the 2023/24 Spring Semester is open at the below Faculties for the given programs at the University of Szeged.

Dr. Katalin Karikó, research professor and winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for inventing the modified messenger RNA used in modern Covid19 vaccines, visits her alma mater on 12 October.

Due to the high success of the previous years photo contest launched by the EUGLOH Alliance, this year we continue the series of our photo contest with a new topic.