Eötvös Loránd University has launched its Sustainability Flagship Program with a professional conference. At the opening event, the university presented its activities related to the realization of its sustainability goals so far, and set the development directions for the period up to 2030. The initiative marks a new era in the life of the university: sustainability will play a defining role in the future in the fields of education, research, innovation, campus operation, and community building.
On January 23, 2026, Eötvös Loránd University launched its second flagship program. The University Center for Sustainable Development Goals is part of ELTE’s three closely linked flagship programs, whose other key areas are the Center for Knowledge on AI and Disruptive Technologies, as well as the Student-Centered Digital Skills and Competency Development Center, which started in December (see more).
The new, comprehensive development program
aims to ensure that sustainability appears systemically in ELTE’s operation:
in education, research, innovation, campus development, community building, and ensuring equal opportunities alike. The program provides a unified strategic and planning framework for those efforts that will strengthen the university’s social responsibility and international competitiveness in the long term.
In his opening speech, Lénárd Darázs, rector of ELTE, emphasized: in the rector’s agenda, sustainability is one of ELTE’s most complex strategic initiatives and points of breakthrough, which requires a mindset that permeates the entire operation of the institution and measurable, feedback-driven actions. ELTE aims to make its activities transparent and comparable in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG framework). He highlighted: ELTE’s goal is to create a resilient, future-proof university environment, which is present in education, research, and social engagement alike.
The professional presentations at the conference – from government, university, and international perspectives – discussed the national and global contexts of sustainability, as well as ELTE’s role and opportunities.
Csaba Gondola, Deputy Secretary of State for the Circular Economy and Climate Policy at the Ministry of Energy (EM), called attention in his presentation: sustainability is one of the defining global megatrends of our time, in which the green and digital transitions are happening simultaneously, and which must be considered not as an option, but as an inevitable necessity. The Deputy Secretary stressed that in this process, comparable to an industrial revolution, universities play a key role in knowledge-based adaptation, since environmental goals can only lead to successful, “orderly transition” when combined with economic and social sustainability.
The fundamentals and vision of the Sustainability Flagship Program were presented by Judit Mádlné Szőnyi, ELTE’s Vice-Rector and coordinator of the program. As she explained, sustainability is an integral part of the university’s quality development plan running until 2030, and the program is built along three main directions: implementing the flagship program itself, SDG-related development of core activities, and the horizontal enforcement of equal opportunity and inclusion.
The Vice-Rector gave an overview of the innovative, internationally relevant analysis of the institution’s education and research activities supported by artificial intelligence, which confirmed that
ELTE’s sustainability base is already unique today.
The vast majority of the research portfolio, more than 76% (375 projects), is connected to sustainability goals, 62% of the taught subjects have sustainability relevance, and these elements are also present widely in third mission activities.
ELTE’s innovation activities are focused on health and well-being, climate protection, and social innovation – including quality education and equal opportunities. Building on a uniquely versatile research university background, the research and educational innovations are strong, as illustrated by several national projects led by ELTE (TINLAB, DOKK), while knowledge transfer related to development is particularly strengthening in the fields of technology, circular economy, and climate (KKIC).
Beyond these, sustainability is also an important aspect in campus development (energy upgrades and building renovations, accessibility) and in organizing community programs that shape attitudes.
Based on this foundation, the Sustainability Flagship Program offers a clear vision, operational framework, structural focus, and development directions for ELTE’s developments related to 21st-century sustainability objectives.
The international dimension is strengthened by the CHARM-EU university alliance, which supports the university’s sustainability goals through good practices and joint developments in the fields of education, research, and institutional operation. Ferenc Takó, head of the CHARM-EU office, emphasized: the alliance supports the set objectives with shared educational methodological innovations, sustainability-focused training elements (modules, micro-certificates, winter and summer universities), and the development of mobility and virtual cooperation models.
According to ELTE’s development cycle until 2030, sustainability is the foundation of the university’s operation and culture, is based on a unified data system and measurable goals, and represents outstanding performance in an international comparison as well. In the service of these aims, the Sustainability Flagship Program simultaneously strengthens the university’s competitiveness, social responsibility, and contributes to building a more inclusive and sustainable future.