The University

The predecessor of the university in Sopron was a Mining School which was founded in Selmecbánya by King Charles III in 1735 and raised to the rank of an academy by Queen Maria Theresa in 1770. It became famous as the Mining Academy.

Selmecbánya (Schämnitz), 1735

The Court’s Mint decided to establish a Forestry School in 1807. After an education reform in 1846, the school became The Mining and Forestry Academy. In 1919 Selmecbánya became part of the newly established Czechoslovakia. The academy moved to Sopron with the help of Mayor Frigyes Thurner.

Sopron, 1921

The University of Forestry and Wood Sciences was established in 1962, including Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Wood Sciences and since 1972, the College Faculty of Land Surveying and Mapping at Szé-kesfehérvár. Between 1996 and 1999 the official name of the university was the University of Sopron.

Training of economist-students was introduced in Sopron on a correspondence course in 1995. The first full time course of business and management programme started in September 1996. In the autumn 1998 a supplementary course for students with college economic degree was also launched. After the successful accreditation process, the Faculty of Economics was established on 1st January 2000.

Due to the integration process in higher education, the University of West Hungary started functioning with seven faculties on 1st January 2000, as a merger of former University of Sopron, Benedek Elek College of Pedagogy, the former Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty of Agriculture of Pannon University of Agriculture and Apáczai Csere János Teachers’ Training College. The headquarters of the University can be found in Sopron.

The University of West Hungary considers itself as "green university”, its aim is to create skills to preserve and improve ecologically, economically and socially adaptable methods to provide sustain-able development of life-quality for nature and mankind. It cultivates moral and human values, never losing sight of traditions.

As a result of a merger of the University of West Hungary and Berzsenyi Dániel College (Szombathely) on 1st January 2008, the University of West Hungary has 10 faculties:

• Faculty of Forestry (Sopron)

• Faculty of Wood Sciences (Sopron)

• Faculty of Geoinformatics (Székesfehérvár)

• Faculty of Economics (Sopron)

• Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy (Sopron)

• Apáczai Csere János Faculty of Teachers’ Training (Győr)

• Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences (Mosonmagyaróvár)

• Savaria University Centre (Szombathely):

– Faculty of Humanities,

– Faculty of Sciences,

– Faculty of Physical Education and Fine Arts.