Campus /

Nagykanizsa’s citizens and intellectual life was affected heavily when several decades ago its institution of higher learning, the Agricultural College, was closed. After 1989, the need for the founding of a new centre of higher learning, the creation of capital and staff and the upkeeping of this future institution became a common goal in the city. The representatives of the City Council in resolution 319/1997 made it known that they wished to establish an institution of higher learning. For this reason, on 16 April 1998 the Foundation for Higher Learning in Kanizsa (KFA) was created with nine founding members (led by Prof Dr. S Katalin Nagy, Dr. Frida Pintérné Grundmann and Zoltán Birkner), giving an opportunity to bring together all those intellectual and capital assets which were usable in Nagykanizsa and its area.

To Prof Dr. Zoltán Gaál – the then rector of the University of Veszprém – and the joint work of the City and the Foundation can be attributed the fact that in 2000 was formed the University of Veszprém’s Campus. Also in this year instruction began on the state financed, full-time Tourism and Hotel course. All this was made possible by Zoltán Pokorni, the then Education Minister, who on 19 June 2000 with a special recommendation approved the college level course.

In 2002 the Information Technology state financed, full-time college level course was also brought about. Professors Dr. Zoltán Kovács and Dr. Ferenc Friedler were key in organising the Economics program of studies as well.

One year later the offerings at the campus broadened to two more courses – Professional Accounting and Information Technology Engineering Assistant. In 2004 the first students of the institution finished their studies and were able to receive their diplomas from the University of Veszprém. Also in this year teaching commenced on the Project Manager course, September 2005 saw the birth of the Logistic and Technology Manager Assistant course, in 2007 the Professional Banker course and in 2009 the Machine Industrial Engineering Assistant course also joined the ranks of the degrees on offer.

In response to the needs of this region of the country since September 2004 it is also possible to study on the Tourism and Hotel course through long-distance learning. From 1 March 2006 the name of the University of Veszprém was changed to Pannon University, thus the name of the campus was changed first to Pannon University Nagykanizsa Instruction Place, then simply Nagykanizsa Campus.

It just goes to show how the institution has grown, that in 2000 fourty students began their studies here, but then four years later 400 chose Nagykanizsa Campus. By 2009 the number of students has grown to over 650, of which we are very proud.

Our students can find an environment of true friendship, where professional teachers help them study with the latest international findings in their field of expertise. Pannon University (PE) is the perfect place for building up a network of colleagues and the university dormitory is the stage for busy university life. Those who leave with degrees and those who spend their intern years through home or foreign contacts can find job opportunities where they can compound the theoretical knowledge they have learned with us, the practical experience, their knowledge of foreign languages and their creative talents.