1996 - ELTE, scientific degree (PhD)

1990 - ELTE, PhD

1986-1987 - Karls-Ruprecht Universität, Heidelberg

1983-1988 - Budapest, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Faculty of Humanities, majoring in History and Latin

9 June 2006 - Ministry of Education and Culture, minister

from 15 February 2005 - president of the Hungarian Socialist Party

May 2003 - 14 February 2005 - Ministry of Cultural Heritage, minister

May 2002 - May 2003 - Ministry of Education, Parliamentary State Secretary

2001—2002 - ELTE Medieval and Modern Age Hungarian Historical Department, professor

1994—2001 - ELTE Medieval and Modern Age Hungarian Historical Department, senior lecturer

1989—1994 - ELTE Medieval and Modern Age Hungarian Historical Department, assistant lecturer

1997, 1995 - University of Vienna, Historical Institute

from 16 October 2004 - president of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)

2003 Spring - 15 October 2004 - vice-president of MSZP

from Spring 2003 - president of the preparatory committee of the program entitled "New Hungarian Social Democracy"

from 7 April 2002 - member of Parliament

2002 - chief of the Educational Cabinet of MSZP

2001 Spring - candidate for Member of Parliament, elected by the MSZP’s Pesterzsébet and Soroksár organizations

from May 2000 - member of the MSZP National Presidency

2000 - participating in preparing the conceptual draft of the Hungarian Social Democratic Charter

from autumn 1998 - deputy president of the MSZP National Board

1998 - 2002 - member of the Cultural Committee of the General Assembly of Budapest, member of the Cultural Committee of the Municipality of Budapest City-Lipótváros

1996 - member of the MSZP National Board, as a delegate for the Territorial Association of Budapest

1992 - member of the Governing Board of the 5th district’s MSZP organization

1989 - founding member of the Socialist Party

2004 - German, Italian and French Order of Knighthoods:

1999 - "Professor of the year" (ELTE)