Created: 2025.12.18. 11:01
Dr János Tossenberger, Advisor to the Dean and Professor of the Department of Animal Sciences at Széchenyi István University’s Albert Kázmér Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, has been awarded the József Eötvös Prize in recognition of his professional career and his several decades of pioneering work in agricultural higher education. The award is presented by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation to individuals who, through their outstanding teaching and educational activities and their commitment to the teaching profession as a lifelong vocation, have made a lasting contribution to Hungarian education.
Professor Dr János Tossenberger has been active in higher education since 1979 as a lecturer, education developer and leader. Throughout his career, he has played a defining role in the development of Hungarian agricultural education: he has been responsible for teaching numerous subjects (including in the field of animal nutrition), contributed to the development of new degree programmes and curricula, and supported generations of students and young researchers as a consultant and supervisor.
The focus of his research activity is the energy, amino acid, and mineral nutrition of farm animals, with particular emphasis on pigs and poultry. His results are reflected in extensive publication and conference activity, and his work has been accompanied by numerous international collaborations as well as corporate and innovation projects. His contributions to educational development are also significant at the national level: as a member, and later as chair (2018–2021), of the Agricultural Sciences Committee of the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference, he led the development of new training and learning outcome requirements for 14 agricultural degree programmes.
As a member of the public body of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and its various committees, as a forensic expert, and as a member of editorial boards of professional journals, Professor Dr János Tossenberger has also contributed to the advancement and professional integrity of Hungarian agricultural science. His exemplary career has previously been recognized with several prestigious awards. In 1995, he received the “Master Supervisor” title from the Minister of Culture and Public Education; in 2012, he was awarded the Memorial Plaque for Hungarian Higher Education by the Minister of Human Resources; and in 2020, he was honoured with the Knight’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit. For many years, he has also held important public roles: since 2014 he has served as Vice Chair, and since 2018 as Chair, of the Somogy County Territorial Election Committee, contributing to the strengthening of public trust.
The professor plays a major role in the educational programmes of the Albert Kázmér Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences of Széchenyi István University, in its research and development projects, in the professional support of its infrastructure developments, and—especially in the Southern Transdanubian region—in promoting student admissions. The University leadership therefore considered him worthy of nomination for the Eötvös József Prize, which he earned through more than four decades of teaching and organizational work in higher education, supervision of nearly 200 student theses, participation in more than 20 award-winning National Scientific Students’ Associations Conference (OTDK) projects, over 250 scientific publications, and professional leadership of more than one hundred research and development programmes.
