The North Great Plain Region, comprising three counties: Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, is situated on the north-eastern part of the Hungarian Great Plain. It has borders with Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. The region makes up 17.729 km2, 19.1% of Hungary's total area, with a population of 1.547.003 people. This is 15.1% of Hungary's total population. The North Great Plain Region produces 9.9% of Hungary's gross domestic product (EUR 6.612 million). The Region has a considerable research and development network which promotes the development of innovation-based technologies in the region intensively. The research centres in the region concentrate in Debrecen, Nyíregyháza and Szolnok (the three county towns).

A Dutch traveller of the 18th century described Debrecen as "a town wrapped in sunshine". The largest city in the provinces of Hungary is also regularly mentioned as the town of festivals, the Calvinist Rome, a town of schools and even the town of permanence. The "cívis" city wears these attributes with pride, although its dynamic progress characterizing the last couple of years seems to contradict the last one. The city, which has always been ready for a renewal in its history of more than 640 years, entered the 21st century with a new facade.

Those who visited Debrecen a long time ago may not be able to recognize the city, and others who come here for the first time are surprised to see how "European" a city of the Hungarian provinces can be.

Only a few of the novelties that characterise Debrecen today: the main square having been turned into a pedestrian precinct has become a community place beloved by the inhabitants of Debrecen and visitors for its terraces, fountains and summer evening programmes. The renewed Déri Square attracts people with the cosy atmosphere of its fountains conjuring up the spirit of the bygone days. One national or international sport event succeeds the other in the Fonix Hall, and the traditional and new great events of the city draw more and more visitors here year after year.

All of these make Debrecen a comfortable, liveable town of the provinces that is worth visiting and - hopefully - it is always capable of showing something new.

Official website: http://www.debrecen.hu/

Hortobágy is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe, which means that it was not formed as a result of deforestation or river control. Being the first Hungarian national park (established in 1973), it is the country's largest protected area (82 thousand hectares). This original area is entirely an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Hortobágy has outstanding natural features, maintaining great biological diversity in respect of species and habitats. It is a unique example of the harmonious coexistence of people and nature based on the considerate use of the land.

Within the region, there is university level education in Debrecen, one of the largest regional higher education centres in the country, and college education in Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Szolnok, Hajdúböszörmény, Jászberény, and Mezotúr. (College of Nyíregyháza: http://www.nyf.hu, College of Szolnok: http://www.szolf.hu)

The University of Debrecen, like other integrated institutions of higher education in the country, was formed on January 1, 2000 by (re)uniting formerly independent institutions. Its historical roots reach back to the foundation of the Reformed College of Debrecen (1538). The College gave a home to a wide array of higher education developments which greatly contributed to the foundation of a Hungarian Royal University in 1912. With this past of more than 450 years, the University of Debrecen is the oldest institution of higher education in continuous operation in Hungary based in the same city. Higher education in agriculture began in 1868, when the National Higher School of Agriculture was formed in Debrecen.
By 1 January 2000, one of the most respectable and complex organizations was formed: the University of Debrecen. The colleges and universities of Hajdú-Bihar County have been integrated, and as a result the University of Debrecen started out with five university and three college level faculties.

The University of Debrecen offers a wide choice of majors to its more than 27 000 students. The University has ten university-level and three college-level faculties, two independent institutes and three agricultural research institutes.
This outstanding intellectual center, with a vast research and development capacity, has a growing importance in the economic and social development, cultural progress of the region. It devotes special attention to serving the needs of a knowledge-based economy and society more efficiently, and it strives to become the knowledge center of the region.

Major projects at the University of Debrecen

The University of Debrecen (UD) practically meets the criteria of a research university. The scientific importance of the university is indicated by 900 instructors and researchers holding scientific degrees, 20 doctoral schools and research activities of international significance. Among our researchers and instructors, 133 are doctors of Hungarian Academy of Science and 17 are members of the Academy. The university, based on its scientific potential and research output, has ranked among the top institutions of the country for years. Around 150 PhD degrees are conferred annually in 23 fields of science (in the last four years altogether 563 degrees have been awarded). The funds used for research and development exceed one-third of the support received form the national budget (36 p.c. in the case of the UD).
The researcher have submitted successful projects to the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, and the National Programme for Research and Development.

There are 16 projects at the university funded under FP6 (while this figure was 12 under FP5). These projects cover various thematic and horizontal fields of the framework programmes.

The cooperation of the university with industrial partners is well characterised by three new projects implemented jointly with private companies: the Regional University-based Knowledge Centre entitled GENOMNANOTECH-DEBRET in the field of biotechnology and nanotechnology and two Cooperative Research Centres in the fields information technology and pharmacology.

The Office for EU Projects and Grants contributes to the academic mission of the University of Debrecen by providing support for obtaining external funds for research, education, and training programmes at the University.
The assistance provided by the Office for Projects and Grants includes:
- collection and dissemination of up-to-date information on the RTD programmes of the European Community;
- identifying opportunities for participation;
- providing assistance in partner search including the organization of brokerage events;
- maintenance of website dedicated to the framework programmes with pages in English highlighting the main research topics at the university;
- managing a database of researchers, research institutes, enterprises that are interested in joint research projects.

Website: http://wwwold.unideb.hu/rtd