The Dharma Gate Buddhist College is a religious institution of higher education founded by the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church. Its foundation statement articulates the general principles of the College as follows::" The Dharma Gate Buddhist College shall propagate the teachings of the universal Buddhist tradition. It shall not represent any particular school but shall provide an opportunity for the s
tudy of the Buddhist teachings of all philosophical schools. It shall realize its goals as applicable to the present age, and its specific objective shall be to define a common spiritual background for all Buddhist traditions and help them to work together." The College has been offering courses on Buddhist teachings since September, 1991. It does not require from its students full commitment to Buddhism but does expect an open and respectful approach to the teachings. The teaching staff consists of Dharma teachers of the communities of the Church as well as teachers with qualifications in the fields of philosophy, oriental studies, etc. As a supplement to the degree, students acquire a specific programme-based qualification. (which does not constitute a separate degree). Degree holders can work as social workers, religious teachers or martial arts teachers, or may decide to enter the monastic life. Their knowledge and implementation of the Buddhist approach helps them to manage conflicts and develop creativity in any field of life; thus, the qualification is a practical supplement to any profession or job. The principal objective of the College is to inspire their students to represent the Dharma in an authentic way. Accreditation
The four-year course of the Dharma Gate Buddhist College was first accredited in 1999. Thus it became the first (and, as of now, the only) European Buddhist institution of tertiary education that is accredited and supported by the state. The accreditation was reconfirmed in 2001. Until 2006, the institution offered 4-year college courses. With the introduction of the Bologna process in 2005, the College applied for the accreditation of its 3-year BA course and its 2-year MA course. The accreditation was granted in 2006. In the same year, the first BA course was launched; the first MA course started in 2007. The latter is launched exclusively in the full-time system, in every two years. As a result of a second round of accreditation evaluation in 2008, the accreditation of both programmes was extended until 2016. International Relations
Since its foundation, the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church has been maintaining close contacts with several Asian and European Buddhist communities and institutes and receiving guest teachers of all Buddhist philosophical schools. It has been a member of the European Buddhist Union (EBU); principally, it carries out activity in the work of the academic organization board. In 2010, the Church organizes the annual general assembly of EBU in Hungary, in cooperation with the Arya Maitreya Mandala order. In 2007, the Dharma Gate Buddhist College became a full member of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU), being its only European institution of education with full membership. In this framework, the College has participated in the organization of several international conferences. It initiated cooperation in the field of research and education with several Asian institution of Buddhist tertiary education, among others, with the Mahachulalongkorn University (Thailand). To exploit its international relations, the College is planning to launch a doctoral programme and an English-language MA programme in the near future.
