Created: 2026.06.18. 13:41
The globally recognised higher education analytics and ranking organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) will hold one of Europe’s most important higher education forums, the QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe in Hungary between 23 and 25 June. The prestigious event, bringing together more than 500 university leaders, policymakers, researchers and industry experts from 60 countries, will be hosted by Széchenyi István University, which will also welcome participants to a corporate-focused professional programme on the opening day at its Győr Innovation Park.
In recent years, Széchenyi István University has consistently strengthened its international presence, becoming an increasingly important player in the European and global higher education landscape. Its student community now includes young people from nearly ninety countries, the number of English-language programmes continues to grow, and the institution is achieving notable results in an increasing number of international rankings. Its positions in the QS world, European, subject and sustainability rankings likewise reflect its outstanding performance within the global higher education sphere.
A further milestone in this development is that QS has selected Széchenyi István University as the host of the 2026 European summit, the QS Higher Ed Europe Summit. The organisation’s conference series is one of the most important professional forums in international higher education and, in recent years, has been hosted by major European cities such as Brussels, London, Dublin, Barcelona, Porto, Paris and Zurich.
This year’s host for the QS Higer Ed Summit: Europe is Széchenyi István University (Photo: Máté Dudás)
“In selecting a venue for Europe’s higher education leaders’ summit, we sought a host that embodies the professional dialogue we aim to advance. Győr is precisely such a place: in Széchenyi István University we have found a partner that has made collaboration between academia and industry a living reality, particularly through its partnership with Audi Hungaria,” said Nunzio Quacquarelli, founder and President of QS Quacquarelli Symonds. He added that the conference will focus on aligning education, skills and employment. “The Győr–Budapest pairing offers the best of both cities: one of Europe’s best-connected and culturally richest capitals as the gateway to the region, and a university city where academia and industry are building the future together. We are proud to bring this year’s QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe to Hungary,” he stated.
Nunzio Quacquarelli, founder and president of QS Quacquarelli Symonds (Photo: QS)
The programme will begin on 23 June in Győr at the University’s Győr Innovation Park with the Advanced Business Skills Forum professional day. The conference will continue on 24 and 25 June in Budapest at the Novotel Budapest City & Budapest Congress Center, where participants will engage in discussions on strengthening the competitiveness of European higher education, talent development, innovation, international mobility, university–industry collaboration, the application of artificial intelligence in higher education, as well as future skills and labour market challenges.
The first day of the prestigious international higher education forum will be hosted at Széchenyi István University’s Győr Innovation Park (Photo: András Adorján)
“Strengthening international relations and maintaining an active presence in global scientific networks is one of the most important pillars of our University’s development. It is a great honour for us that QS has selected our institution as the host of its European summit. This is recognition of the deliberate development process through which we have become an increasingly visible player in the international higher education arena. The event provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase our innovation ecosystem, our partnerships, and our knowledge and research potential, which underpin future competitiveness,” emphasised Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University.
Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University (Photo: Péter O. Jakócs)
The importance of the relationship between QS and Hungarian higher education is further underscored by the organisation’s latest global ranking, published on 18 June, in which, as in the previous year, ten Hungarian universities are included. Széchenyi István University has retained its position in the 1001–1200 category, indicating that it remains among the world’s leading universities. Notably, the institution has not only stabilised its position but has also improved in certain indicators, including international research networks, sustainability and scientific publication performance.
