On 6th February 2014, the Agricultural Science Centre (ASC), the agricultural service provider unit of the University of Debrecen has been established. Its aim was to develop the food economy of the three counties belonging to the North Great Plain Region by utilising university resources in cooperation with the economic, governmental, municipal and civil sectors.
The Agricultural Science Centre was established from the research institute units of the former Centre for Agricultural Sciences: the Research Institute of Karcag (RIK), the Research Institute of Nyíregyháza (RINY), the Farm and Regional Research Institutes of Debrecen (RID) and from other research and service units in Debrecen: the Monitoring Centre of Agro-meteorology and Agro-ecology, the University Knowledge Centre for Regional Development (UKCRD), the Institute for Research and Development (IRD), the North Great Plain Regional Advisory Centre (NGPRAC), and the Centre for Vocational and Adult Education (CVAE). The organisational unit that managed the activities of the Centre was the Office of the ASC Directorate-General.
As a legal successor of the Agricultural Science Centre, the Agricultural Research and Educational Farm (IAREF) was established on 1st June 2016. It is a non-independent legal entity, which operates within the organisational structure of the University of Debrecen and possesses administrative authority according to the § 6, paragraph (4), section ba) of the Regulations of Management.
The Agricultural Research and Educational Farm has been established from the former organisational units of the Agricultural Science Centre. Currently, it operates with 2 research institutes (Research Institute of Karcag (RIK), the Research Institute of Nyíregyháza (RINY)) and with an educational farm (Farm and Regional Research Institutes of Debrecen (RID)). The organisational unit participating in the governance of IAREF activities is the Secretariat of the General Director.