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Representatives from South ��ֱ���� State University and the University of Debrecen came together in Hungary last month to sign an academic cooperation agreement, making official a partnership that will connect the precision agriculture programs of both universities. 

“South ��ֱ���� State University is excited about our partnership with the University of Debrecen, and our enthusiasm has grown even greater following our recent visit,” Dennis Hedge, SDSU provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. “The collective strengths of both universities in agricultural engineering and precision agriculture will keep student learning at the leading edge. In addition, collaboration among the faculty will foster innovation and new discoveries in a vital industry to both countries.” 

Students enrolled in the precision agriculture bachelor’s degree program at the University of Debrecen will have the opportunity to dually enroll in the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ precision agriculture program for their fourth and fifth semesters. Located within the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, the first two years of the SDSU precision agriculture program and the Debrecen programs both require coursework in statistics, biology and a variety of introductory courses centered on different aspects of agricultural production. The fourth and fifth semesters will feature a number of hands-on lab courses, giving students access to SDSU faculty, facilities, networking opportunities and student organizations, broadening their reach and experience in the industry. 

Upon completing the program, students will receive a bachelor’s degree from both universities. While the program’s classes will be either in person or online, the students will be encouraged to come to Brookings in order to receive the full SDSU experience. 

“Agriculture is a global business. This program provides a strategic opportunity to strengthen our ties to future global leaders in agriculture,” Joe Cassady, South ��ֱ���� Corn Endowed Dean of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, said. “Traditional South ��ֱ���� State students will benefit by learning alongside their peers from Hungary. Corn and wheat are common crops in Hungary, but unlike South ��ֱ����, they import most of their soybeans.” 

The partnership between the two universities comes at a crucial time for global agriculture. The connection was forged when precision agriculture professor Peter Kovacs, a native of Hungary, hired a summer intern from Debrecen in 2024. The student, Ádám Hosszú, called his time in Brookings a “rewarding” and “inspiring” experience that “made me even more passionate about agricultural research.” Additional connections will be formed by SDSU ��ֱ���� science professor Michael Gonda, who will spend the fall semester on sabbatical in Debrecen. 

The University of Debrecen was established as the Reformed College of Debrecen in 1538. It is one of the largest and longest-running institutions of higher education in Hungary with around 29,000 students from more than 120 countries. Partnerships like this one with SDSU are incredibly important, as shown by the attendees of the May 15 signing in Hungary. Members of the Hungarian parliament, representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Hungary, and the university’s rector, the Hungarian equivalent of a university president, were on hand to mark the momentous occasion. 

“This is the opening of an era, a very important milestone, not only for the University of Debrecen, but also for our country,” Zoltán Szilvássy, University of Debrecen rector, said upon signing the cooperation agreement. “I believe that our institutions can learn a lot from each other, and we can do a lot to solve the global challenges of agriculture.” 

More information about the SDSU precision agriculture program, the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the , is available on their respective websites.