The international network ENIC (European Network of Information Centres) was established on the initiative of the European Council and UNESCO while the NARIC (National Academic Recognition and Information Centres) network was set up at the suggestion of the European Commission in order to promote teacher and student mobility and to facilitate the recognition of certificates and degrees obtained abroad.
Hungary has been a member of ENIC since 1994 and the NARIC since 1997, and it is since then that Hungarian Equivalence and Information Center (HEIC) fulfils the task of the ENIC/ NARIC office in Hungary. The network has offices in almost every European country as well as in the US, in Canada and in Australia which are in close contact and able to provide up-to-date information about the education system of a given country and about the recognition of the degrees obtained there.
Detailed information can be found about the activities and offices of the ENIC and NARIC networks on their website: www.enic-naric.net.
Until 31 December 2006 the Hungarian Equivalence and Information Centre (HEIC) was one of the departments of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Since 1 January 2007 it operates as part of the Educational Authority.
HEIC's primary task is the recognition of certificates and degrees obtained abroad, but it also provides information about the Hungarian and the foreign education systems, and issues certificates about Hungarian qualifications to be used abroad.
From the beginning of the 1990s, with the opening of borders, it became easier to move between countries and, as a result of this, the number of applicants wishing to have their degrees or qualifications recognised in Hungary increased. This rising number of applicants made it necessary in 1993 to establish a central office whose primary task was the recognition of higher education qualifications obtained abroad, and it was also to facilitate teacher and student mobility by providing information.
At the time the legal basis for HEIC's activity was the 1993 Higher Education Act and Government Decree No. 47/1995. on the recognition and nostrification of foreign qualifications, degrees and diplomas obtained at higher education institution abroad.
Due to the overlapping jurisdiction of the various laws regulating the recognition of foreign degrees and professional qualifications and the overlapping competence of different institutions and governing bodies, furthermore, due to legal harmonisation tasks arising from negotiations to join the European Union, by 2000-2001 it became necessary to draft a new and consolidated act on recognition.
In December 2001 the Parliament adopted Act No.100 of 2001 on the recognition of foreign certificates and degrees which took effect on 1 January 2002. Section III of the Act which regulates the recognition according to EU legislation took effect only after Hungary became member of the European Union on 1 May 2004.
Having been amended several times since its formation, this Recognition Act regulates all aspects of the Hungarian recognition of foreign certificates and degrees in compliance with international recognition principles.
Primary tasks
Providing information
Further activities