Infrastructural Development Worth 3 Billion HUF to Commence at University of Kaposvár27 April 2010
The New Hungary Development Plan paves the way to the most significant developments ever implemented over the past 20 years in provincial higher education institutions. Having been approved funding, and as a continuation of developments implemented over the past few years, the University of Kaposvár has also been given the opportunity of evolving into one of the decisive modern, services- and research-oriented provincial universities. The foundation stone of this project was ceremoniously laid on 27 April.
An Agricultural and Food Sciences Knowledge Centre integrating agricultural and food sciences, research and development, innovation and educational activities (R+D+I+E) undertaken at the University of Kaposvár will be set up within the framework of this project to be implemented from EU funding amounting to over 2.9 billion HUF. The total cost of this investment exceeds 3.4 billion HUF.
Food safety and product path management will be the agricultural and food industry areas to be prioritised in terms of funding, which, in line with traditions in Kaposvár, are characteristically livestock production areas, more specifically, in particular the pork production path, as well as the game and poultry production paths. Strengthening the research capacities of the game management base complements this development.
Moreover, art courses where digital equipment is currently used will be extended in this institution in the future to integrate IT and digital media, which will be made possible by implementing a small-scale building investment. Developing the infrastructure of IT networks underpinning the upgrading of teacher’s training courses and extending the basic IT infrastructure will complement project components aimed at implementing major developments in the field of natural sciences (jointly creating the Virtual Campus).
Beyond the project components listed, research activities, as well as the IT infrastructure supporting education and the management of the institution will also be developed. The internationally renowned equestrian academy will also be reconstructed within the framework of the development of services infrastructure.
The University of Kaposvár therefore primarily intends to develop its research infrastructure to establish even closer cooperation between the region and players actively engaging in the agricultural and food industry sector. The goal is to develop technologies, methods and applications and create an innovation-oriented environment suitable for conducting testing required for adapting the so-called “From the field to the table” production path model.
8,000 square metres worth of floor space will be renewed; new IT infrastructure catering for 7,000 users will be set up; new laboratory technologies worth 770 million HUF in value will be installed and IT and info-communication equipment will be installed in 15 new and numerous old seminar rooms within the framework of this project.