The Institutes for Agricultural Research and Educational Farm (IAREF) works within the organizational framework of the University of Debrecen. According to the Financial Management Regulation it is an organisational unit with the authority of management. The University of Debrecen plays an outstanding role in national and regional research and education, as well. It is the only research university in Hungary with both agricultural higher education and agricultural research institutes. Therefore, the university has a unique opportunity to implement agricultural research and the related innovations.
IAREF has three organizational units: the Debrecen Educational Farm and Regional Research Institute, the Research Institute of Karcag and the Research Institute of Nyíregyháza. All three research institutes have a long tradition. When they were established as regional research institutes, their mission was to serve research, innovation, education, practical training and the agricultural extension to meet local social expectations and demands. It serves as a knowledge center by offering knowledge-based research, development and innovation to the highest possible degree available in that era. Currently our main purpose is the same: to provide sustainable social development with system-oriented research.