Short History
The Pest Academy of Commerce, the legal predecessor of BGE (BBS in English), was established in 1857 to address the professional challenges of the time. Over the years, BGE has undergone several transformations. On January 1, 2000, BGE was founded by merging three previously successful colleges: the College of International Management and Business, the College of Finance and Accountancy, and the College of Commerce, Hospitality, and Tourism. The latter still operates at the original location on Alkotmány Street, downtown in the building of the Pest Academy of Commerce, established in 1857 as the second commercial college in Europe after Paris.
Since January 1, 2016, BGE has been operating as the Budapest Business School-University of Applied Sciences. BGE’s headquarters are located on Markó Street in the 5th district in a classic building that was originally built as a grammar school and has always been used for educational purposes.
About Budapest Business School (BGE)
BGE has three faculties: the Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality, and Tourism (FCHT), the Faculty of International Management and Business (FIMB), and the Faculty of Finance and Accountancy (FFA). BGE is proud of its more than 160-year professional past and commemorates the date of its establishment in its coat of arms.
BGE has achieved significant results since winning the title of University of Applied Sciences in addition to cultivating its traditions. BGE has developed its scientific structure and operational plan to strengthen its research role. BGE has also established several centres of excellence, including the Budapest Lab Entrepreneurship Centre, the Centre of Excellence in the Future of Higher Education Centre, the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Hospitality, and the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Economy.
BGE has implemented a comprehensive curriculum reform to raise its practice orientation and international compatibility to a higher level. BGE has joined the international network of PRME, committed to responsible business education, and institutionalized its sustainability efforts through the establishment of the Sustainability Council and The Sustainability Network.
In 2018, BGE implemented a conscious transformation of the academic organization, renewed its Code of Ethics, and created a more transparent and efficient organizational structure. BGE was the first institution in Hungary to receive international accreditation from the Network of International Business Schools.
BGE maintained its market leadership in business programs and recruited 6% more students than the previous year in 2019. In 2020, BGE’s Faculty of Finance and Accountancy was on top of the Hungarian University popularity list, and its other two faculties were also among the top 10 in Hungary.
BGE’s sustainability efforts, internationalization processes, business-friendly approach, and developments to create an experiential learning environment play a significant role in the lives of all university citizens, facilitating knowledge transfer and acquisition effectively.