Eszter Lukács is Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University in Győr, Hungary, and Associate Professor since 1997. She earned her PhD in International Relations from Corvinus University in 2006.

She was appointed Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs in 2018 and Vice-Rector for International Affairs in 2021. Since 2022, she has served as Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations.

She has played an important role in the internationalisation of Széchenyi István University (SZE). Under her leadership in international affairs, the number of English-taught programmes has increased tenfold, while the number of international students has grown by 80%. Today, students from 88 countries represent nearly 10% of the University’s student population.

During this period, SZE has also significantly strengthened its international position. The University is currently ranked #1001–1200 in the QS World University Rankings. In addition, SZE is featured in the QS Europe Rankings (#399 overall and #38 in Eastern Europe), the QS Sustainability Rankings (#721).

Eszter Lukács holds positions on the governing bodies of several national and international organisations. She has been a member of the Executive Board of the United Nations Association of Hungary since 2020 and President of the International Committee of the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference since 2021. She joined the Board of Trustees of the Tempus Public Foundation in 2023 and became a member of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee in 2025.

Her contributions have been recognised through several prestigious honours, including the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary (2022), the Saint László Medal (2024), awarded by the City of Győr in recognition of her outstanding achievements in teaching, research, and leadership in the fields of internationalisation and strategic relations, and the Commendation for National Defence – Grade I (2025).