History of the University

The legal predecessor of our University was the Reformed Theological Academy of Budapest, founded in 1855 and granted University status by the Hungarian Parliament in 1900. In 1993 the General Assembly of the Hungarian Reformed Church took the decision to establish a multifaculty University, and this decision was approved later on in the year on 21st September by the Parliament of the Republic of Hungary. Through the creation of Károli Gáspár University, the Hungarian Reformed Church has fulfilled the aims of its forefathers. Our University, in the spirit of the universitas scientiarium, aims to raise the status of not solely the Church, but also the nation, through its educational, teaching and academic work.

The commitment of Károli Gáspár University is to carry on the distinguished traditions of the Reformed Colleges of Sárospatak (founded in 1531), Pápa (founded in 1531), Debrecen (founded in 1538), Kolozsvár (founded in 1622) and Nagyenyed (founded in 1632). In addition to the education of ministers of religion, for the purposes of academic research, training for the position of lecturer and for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and the awarding of degrees, its aims and objectives are to provide BA and MA level basic education in several fields and branches of scholarship, and to be capable of carrying out academic research, in accordance with the aforementioned traditions and in the spirit of the Reformation.

The Hungarian Accreditation Committee, in Decision no.1 of June 6th 2000 regarding the standard of education and academic research carried out at Károli Gáspár University, granted our University accredited status as a result of the fact that our educational and research activities conform with the laws currently in force and are, additionally, in accordance with the Hungarian Accreditation Committee opinion and with their guidelines on educational standards.

Together, may we receive inspiration on the path to knowledge, morality or goodwill.