Eötvös Loránd University has launched its new development programme on 15 December, 2025. At the opening for the Student-Centered Digital Skills and Competence Development Center, it was highlighted that ELTE’s future will be shaped by strategically planned, student-centered, and digitally supported education.
Gyula Scheuer, Chancellor of ELTE emphasized that institutional-level transformation can only be achieved through coordinated cooperation, and highlighted the importance of two closely connected, on-going projects (CHARM-EU; Digital Education Developement Competence Center, DOKK). As he noted, these collaborations not only enable ELTE to take on a leading role in certain fields, but also allow educators to learn, gain experience, and consciously utilize the development potential inherent in these initiatives.
“It is essential to build our bilateral relationships in a thoughtful and structured manner,” he said, adding that this approach closely aligns with the shift in perspective that has characterized the new rectoral cycle. He also expressed his gratitude to the Directorate of Education, the Directorate of Information Technology, as well as to the faculty members and professional staff for their dedicated work.
In his presentation, Lénárd Darázs, Rector of ELTE emphasized that although ELTE is currently considered as a leading institution, academic excellence cannot be maintained through unchanged operational methods. According to the Rector, the university must not only respond to current challenges but also focus on processes that shape students’ success in the long term – both during their studies and after graduation.
A key role in this approach is played by ELTE’s three closely interconnected flagship programs: the Artificial Intelligence and Disruptive Technologies Knowledge Center, the University Center for Sustainable Development Goals, and the Student-Centered Digital Skills and Competence Development Center. “These three comprehensive programs do not run parallel to each other – they reinforce one another, as clearly demonstrated by the collaborative work carried out since September.”
The Rector emphasized that student-centered mindset is not only an important message for current students but also for prospective students and the labor market. To achieve this, interdisciplinarity must be strengthened, transferability between faculties and professional fields must be improved, and it must be ensured that educational development initiatives operate within a unified quality assurance framework. 
He also pointed out that excessive focus on international rankings can easily lead astray. Instead, greater recognition should be given to those supporting educational development and up-to-date methodologies.
Coordinated Support for Educational Excellence
“The Student-Centered Digital Skills and Competence Development Center has been built upon ELTE’s clear and credibly represented value proposition. The university’s mission goes beyond knowledge transfer: its graduates enter society equipped with up-to-date knowledge, broad perspectives, responsible decision-making skills, and a strong set of values” – pointed out Tamás Cseszregi, the Rector’s Commissioner of the new flagship project.
“Student-centeredness is not a matter of individual performance, but the quality of the process in which students and teachers work together.” It is not an entirely new project: ELTE already has numerous well-established practices and successful initiatives in place. The Center’s role is to coordinate, strengthen, and organize these into a comprehensive framework. It does not impose uniform methodological guidelines; but rather defines common principles while preserving professional autonomy and providing targeted institutional support to educators – all in the service of educational excellence.
The program focuses not on measuring the performance of individual students or instructors in isolation, but on how effectively the learning process itself operates in a student-centered way. This includes strengthening student autonomy, rethinking assessment practices – especially considering digital and AI-based tools – and examining how educational organization and digital frameworks, such as LMS platforms, can support learning.
The flagship project also addresses issues that extend beyond classroom teaching in a comprehensive manner: supporting student mental well-being, coordinating learning support services, and ensuring that the entire university ecosystem – from education to administrative and digital services – operates consistently in a student-centered approach.
“It is not only what happens in a class that matters, but also the environment that accompanies the student throughout their entire university journey.” The Rector’s Commissioner emphasized that the goal of the Student-Centered Digital Skills and Competence Development Center is not to provide quick answers, but to foster a development process based on conscious and honest self-assessment. As a result, by the end of 2026, a comprehensive action plan will be developed, defining clear standards for what student-centered education means at ELTE and how it contributes to the university’s future resilience in the digital age.
