At ELTE, till the beginning of the tertiary education integration, 2 pcs of organizational unit dealt with physical and body cultural education respectively: the central Physical Educational Department and the Physical Educational (later as Physical Education and Recreation) Chair of Teachers’ Training College Faculty (TFK). The previous one was responsible for retaining the compulsory PE lessons and organizing university sport events, meanwhile the other department held PE teacher trainings with different professional couplings (biology-, geography-, Hungarian- etc.). For the first time in Hungary the college chair also introduced recreational qualification in form of Physical Education-Recreation branch.

In 2003 during the university realignment proceedings Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology (PPK) came into existence directly after Teachers’ Training College Faculty had been ceased. The two different organizational units dealt with physical and body cultural education were merged (because of both ones had main profile for teachers’ training) and embedded into the organizational frame of PPK. In this way the Physical Educational and Sport Centre (TSK) was emerged as an essentially autonomous department which was belonged to the dean directly. This happened at the same time when the obligation of the compulsory PE lessons was removed from the effect of law. Although many universities kept the compulsory PE lessons afterwards, ELTE exchanged them to reimbursement-laden “general PE lessons” with 1 credit score worth. By those modifications instructional load of TSK was reduced therefore the independent Recreational and Health Promoter BSc branch could be started. Unfortunately, the accreditational examination taking place at that time found that the number of existing sport courts and arenas were too few to be able to retain of training PE teachers which is why this branch was discontinued at ELTE.

In TSK, as it used to focus on physical education, not many people did research which, together with the reduction in the educational workload, made the future of the organizational unit uncertain. For this reason, the leadership of the Faculty decided to try to develop an overall development strategy and establish a new institute. This work had started in September 2008 and the strategic plan was completed even for that same autumn. In the process in accordance with the university procedures, the Senate announced the establishment of the new institute in the spring of 2009, so on September 1, 2009, the Institute of Health Development and Sports Science (ESI) of the ELTE PPK was established. At the same time, after several stages of struggling a new basic course was possible to start: in September 2010, the Sport Organizer BSc course was launched.

The launch of ESI was accompanied by earthquake-like changes, with 6 lecturers reaching retirement age in the first half of the year and 3 additional lecturers leaving for rural universities. Following the loss of an additional instructor, 10 new instructors joined the Institute. The disadvantage of retiring or leaving experienced and practised instructors was offset by the replacement of a younger, more dynamic and very well-trained team who quickly picked up the pace. This created a new, active and dedicated community in which “old” and “new” colleagues could work together harmoniously. The research work was spreading very quickly among the team members, the György Ádám Sport Psychophysiology Laboratory was established (which was equipped with modern devices through tenders), more and more people obtained (and were obtaining) PhD degrees, and the scientific publication activities of the Institute also increased. At present, the Institute already has 4 research groups covering different sub-fields. Out of the staff members of ESI with lecturers status 3 have title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and 10 have PhD, 5 lecturers habilitated. Additional faculty members are also currently pursuing doctoral studies. Education has also been partially transformed as training plans have been updated several times. The Institute currently teaches 2 BSc undergraduate courses (Sports and Recreation Organization and Coach) with 2-2 specializations, and there is also a master's degree program (MSc in Recreation). In the third stage of the training, our doctoral program runs in two doctoral schools (Sports and Health Psychophysiology / PDI / and Sports and Health Education / NDI /). The institute is currently responsible for the specialized training of more than 600 students, but also provides lectures in general physical education for additional 700-900 students per semester.

At ELTE, till the beginning of the tertiary education integration, 2 pcs of organizational unit dealt with physical and body cultural education respectively: the central Physical Educational Department and the Physical Educational (later as Physical Education and Recreation) Chair of Teachers’ Training College Faculty (TFK). The previous one was responsible for retaining the compulsory PE lessons and organizing university sport events, meanwhile the other department held PE teacher trainings with different professional couplings (biology-, geography-, Hungarian- etc.). For the first time in Hungary the college chair also introduced recreational qualification in form of Physical Education-Recreation branch.

In 2003 during the university realignment proceedings Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology (PPK) came into existence directly after Teachers’ Training College Faculty had been ceased. The two different organizational units dealt with physical and body cultural education were merged (because of both ones had main profile for teachers’ training) and embedded into the organizational frame of PPK. In this way the Physical Educational and Sport Centre (TSK) was emerged as an essentially autonomous department which was belonged to the dean directly. This happened at the same time when the obligation of the compulsory PE lessons was removed from the effect of law. Although many universities kept the compulsory PE lessons afterwards, ELTE exchanged them to reimbursement-laden “general PE lessons” with 1 credit score worth. By those modifications instructional load of TSK was reduced therefore the independent Recreational and Health Promoter BSc branch could be started. Unfortunately, the accreditational examination taking place at that time found that the number of existing sport courts and arenas were too few to be able to retain of training PE teachers which is why this branch was discontinued at ELTE.

In TSK, as it used to focus on physical education, not many people did research which, together with the reduction in the educational workload, made the future of the organizational unit uncertain. For this reason, the leadership of the Faculty decided to try to develop an overall development strategy and establish a new institute. This work had started in September 2008 and the strategic plan was completed even for that same autumn. In the process in accordance with the university procedures, the Senate announced the establishment of the new institute in the spring of 2009, so on September 1, 2009, the Institute of Health Development and Sports Science (ESI) of the ELTE PPK was established. At the same time, after several stages of struggling a new basic course was possible to start: in September 2010, the Sport Organizer BSc course was launched.

The launch of ESI was accompanied by earthquake-like changes, with 6 lecturers reaching retirement age in the first half of the year and 3 additional lecturers leaving for rural universities. Following the loss of an additional instructor, 10 new instructors joined the Institute. The disadvantage of retiring or leaving experienced and practised instructors was offset by the replacement of a younger, more dynamic and very well-trained team who quickly picked up the pace. This created a new, active and dedicated community in which “old” and “new” colleagues could work together harmoniously. The research work was spreading very quickly among the team members, the György Ádám Sport Psychophysiology Laboratory was established (which was equipped with modern devices through tenders), more and more people obtained (and were obtaining) PhD degrees, and the scientific publication activities of the Institute also increased. At present, the Institute already has 4 research groups covering different sub-fields. Out of the staff members of ESI with lecturers status 3 have title of Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and 10 have PhD, 5 lecturers habilitated. Additional faculty members are also currently pursuing doctoral studies. Education has also been partially transformed as training plans have been updated several times. The Institute currently teaches 2 BSc undergraduate courses (Sports and Recreation Organization and Coach) with 2-2 specializations, and there is also a master's degree program (MSc in Recreation). In the third stage of the training, our doctoral program runs in two doctoral schools (Sports and Health Psychophysiology / PDI / and Sports and Health Education / NDI /). The institute is currently responsible for the specialized training of more than 600 students, but also provides lectures in general physical education for additional 700-900 students per semester.