Széchenyi István University was founded in 1968. Although it was initially planned as a college of architecture, it actually started life as a transport and technology faculty.
In 1986 it took the name of Széchenyi István after a 19th century writer and politician often referred to as "the Greatest Hungarian" and was commemorated through the famed Chain Bridge in Budapest.
Its most distinctive feature is the purpose-built headquarters building which sits on a bend in the River Danube.
Having expanded to offer courses in economics, medicine and the social science in the 1990s, it attained university status in 2002 through incorporating a nearby teacher-training college.It was one of the first universities in Hungary to provide distance learning courses and many students have enrolled in them.
While there are nine faculties, a focus on its founding specialism remains, reflecting the importance of the automotive industry, and in particular Audi Hungaria which has been based in the city since 1994. The Audi subsidiary gave their name to the faculty of automotive engineering and a partnership and is often cited by ministers as an example for other enterprises and universities.
While Hungarian is the main language of instruction, 24 courses are also offered in English. Along with the City Council, the university is also a participant of a pioneering 5G telecommunications programme offering engineering students exceptional facilities.
The city of Gyor has much to offer students and is in close proximity to both Budapest and Vienna. The city is the sixth-largest in Hungary, and one of the seven main regional centres of the country.