Mérlegen a modellváltás
The Assessment of the Model Change of Hungarian Higher Education

Summary/Abstract: The process known as the model change, launched legally in 2019, has fundamentally transformed the institutional and governance system of Hungarian higher education. This process represented a turning point in management, financing, human resource policy, and public policy, with consequences visible in almost every dimension of university operation.   A comprehensive evaluation of the model change faces several difficulties, including the ambiguity of its objectives, the challenges of capturing causal relationships, and the problem of disentangling its effects from those of external factors (such as the energy crisis) or from the completion of earlier reform processes.   For this reason, instead of providing an exhaustive evaluation, this study focuses on selected aspects of the model change, drawing on and synthesising the findings of previous research. It examines how the model change aligns with international patterns and domestic policy aspirations. The paper reviews the main stages and lessons of its historical development, as well as the (perceived) motivations of key actors. Finally, it explores the organisational and governance transformations that have taken place since the model change, along with the shifts in funding mechanisms, and discusses their positive and negative impacts and associated risks.

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