HUNGARY
which will increase the concentration of nutrients and toxic products in surface waters (due to land erosion and agricultural run-off waters). This will be exacerbated by more intense evaporation of water bodies, which will further increase the concentration of all substances. Water shortage is as well a common concern driven by climate. In Hungary, there is evidence of the adverse impact of climate change on discharges at watercourses,
which may create a supply shortage, especially for barrage ponds. For round dam ponds, increased evaporation and hydrologic deficit of ponds during summer can be aggravated by decreased summer runoff from the Danube and its tributaries owing to earlier snowmelt in upper watersheds as forecast by hydrologic climate models. Increasing use of supplementary water will increase production costs if the cost of water increases. Based on model
simulations it is also forecast that altering thermal conditions will favour the proliferation of Cyprinid herpesvirus and carp edema virus. Recommended adaptation strategies consist of developing information systems for monitoring and mapping disease incidents and their patterns of distribution; using real time/in situ diagnostics to monitor water quality and fish health; applying stocking rate and
biomass management resilient to hot summer weather; and the use of aerators and other oxygen manipulation techniques. Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (HAKI) Anna-liget utca 35 5540 Szarvas Hungary +36 66 515 300 info.haki@haki.naik.hu www.haki.naik.hu
Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences updates its masters programme in fisheries
Education and talent management of the next generation The number of applicants for higher education has been gradually declining over the past few years in Hungary. This is also true in the field of agricultural education; therefore, youth education and talent management are becoming more important in educational institutions, which could seriously influence the decision of high school students when choosing higher education institutions.
T
he Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences (MATE) was established on 1 February 2021 establishing the largest agriculture-oriented higher education institution in the country. In parallel, the Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety was established with 5 sites.
Demand for well-qualified students increases The economic growth of the fisheries and the aquaculture sector, the generational change required in the sector, as well as the ever-increasing number of hobby anglers and the associated increase in professional and administrative tasks, has created demand for young people with a BSc or MSc degree. 42
Since 1990, 366 students have written their BSc or MSc theses at the institute and its predecessor institutions. These students (Hungarian and foreign as well) were given a lab- or field-oriented research topic to work on independently with the help of their supervisors. Students can take part in the final exam only if they prepared a BSc or MSc thesis that meets the requirements in terms of form and content. More than 93.4% of our graduates can find a job. This ratio has been 100% for the last 5 years—all of our students found a job in the agricultural sector and there were still unfilled vacancies for professionals.
Specialisation offers both professional and personal development For students who want to specialise in aquaculture, fishery
www.eurofishmagazine.com
Students visiting a fish processing factory
or angling at the university, the advanced studies in aquaculture coordinated by the institute is a good option. It is attended by students who require i) additional knowledge compared to the university curriculum to widen their horizons and to organize their knowledge in a complex way; ii) professional information and
practical experience in addition to (or gap-filling) curriculum education; iii) the building of a close community, which helps the student’s professional development, public-social activity, and leadership. These students take part in study trips and can expand their expertise through various lectures.
