The 36th National Scientific Students' Conference (NSC), the most important forum for student talent management, and its Section for Law and Political Sciences opened with a ceremony at the National Theatre in Győr. The latter is being hosted by Széchenyi István University for the second time since 2005, with almost 300 young people presenting their work to the judges over three days.

The OTDK is a unique event bringing together all the players of the Hungarian academic world, providing an opportunity for students committed to academic work to compete and present themselves. It is also a professional forum of major importance, with all legal professions represented in the Law and Political Sciences Section. The Győr event, which runs from 3 to 5 April, has attracted more than 800 participants and will be judging nearly 300 students' papers.

The National Theatre in Győr was packed for the opening ceremony (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

The opening ceremony took place in the National Theatre in Győr, which was almost full to capacity for the occasion. At the event, Dr Ferenc Friedler, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Rector of Széchenyi István University, stressed that the most important task of universities is to prepare students for a successful professional career.

"Today's world is not usually looking for mechanical engineers, physicists or lawyers. The most successful students in their careers are those who are motivated to improve their individual performance, who can work in a team, collaborate with others and have proven their ability to achieve above-average results. This is the spirit in which Széchenyi University has built and runs its talent management programme," he said. 

He added that talent management at the institution is based on solid foundations: "As a private university, we are flexible and efficient. And our project-based partnerships with competitive domestic and international companies provide a stable background for our development and talent management. 

In addition, we are adding key elements to our infrastructure, which has reached European standards in recent years: we are currently building our Training and Innovation Centre in Zalaegerszeg, our Science and Innovation Park and our Health Technology Campus in Győr and we will soon inaugurate our Smart Farm in Mosonmagyaróvár. All of these are new and interesting challenges for our future students," he underlined.

Dr Ferenc Friedler, Rector and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Széchenyi István University, cited the world record victory of the institution’s SZEnergy student team in the world's largest energy efficiency competition last year as an example of the potential of talent management. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr Vanda Lamm, Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) for Social Sciences, patron of the Political Sciences and Law Section of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Széchenyi István University, called the OTDK a prestigious event in the Hungarian scientific community, which is decisive for the next generation of scientists. She added that the conferences also fit well with the spirit of the Academy’s Alumni Programme in secondary schools. She recalled that the first OTDK in law and political science in 1954 had only thirty papers, but today hundreds of participants were taking part.

She reminded the students that the event was also a good opportunity to meet representatives of the legal professions and colleagues working in practice.

Prof Dr Vanda Lamm, Vice President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for Social Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Széchenyi István University, explained how much the OTDK has developed over the past almost seven decades. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

In her speech, Dr Veronika Varga-Bajusz, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, representing the Ministry of Culture and Innovation as the main patron and main sponsor, emphasized that it is worthwhile for those participating in the student association to think about a career in research and teaching, because in recent years a competitive turnaround has taken place in Hungarian higher education.

"Thanks to these developments, Hungarian universities have made significant progress in the world higher education rankings. Of the world's twenty-eight thousand higher education institutions, eleven are in the top five percent, and two-thirds of Hungarian students attend them," she stressed. 

She also presented further figures: prior to the OTDK, 2,134 TDK conferences were organised in higher education institutions, where more than 14,000 projects were presented. This April's OTDKs, with 16 disciplinary sections, will see almost 5,000 projects, ten per cent more than at the last conference.

Dr Veronika Varga-Bajusz, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, said: that in recent years, there has been a qualitative turnaround in Hungarian higher education.  (Photo by Csaba József Májer)

Dr Péter Szendrő, the perpetual president of the National Council of Scientific Students, referring to the OTDK, said, "Think about it: if such communities exist in a society, where can we get to? We can become a happy, balanced, respectful society, ambitious for talent."

He also said that it was not just a movement, but also a way of life, and that once you find it, you don't want to leave it. "There are people sitting here who will become Hungary's elite. The TDK is eternal, and if it is eternal, Hungary will be eternal too", he said, addressing the audience.

Dr Péter Szendrő, perpetual President of the National Council of Scientific Students, also said that the participants of the Congress will be the future elite of Hungary. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr Tamás Weiszburg, President of the National Council of Scientific Students, who officially opened this year's OTDK, encouraged participants by saying that everyone counts at the conference.

"Our basic principle is that if just one student leaves feeling worse than the one who didn't come, then we have done our job badly," he said. Thanking the organisers in Győr, he said that Széchenyi István University has a strong culture of talent management, which also plays a role in the institution's innovation success.

The 36th OTDK was officially opened by Prof. Tamás Weiszburg, President of the National Council of Scientific Students (Photo: József Csaba Májer)

The National Council of Scientific Students and the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) have signed a three-year agreement to develop the communication services of the OTDK and to support online media awareness. At the ceremony, Dr András Koltay, President of the NMHH, presented this collaboration. He said that the OTDK is a national affair. The NMHH would also like to support this by contributing to the development of an online platform that will make the OTDK a national cause in the public domain.

Dr Tamás Weiszburg and Dr András Koltay with the deed of support (Photo: József Csaba Májer)

Dr Nóra Kupecki, Deputy State Secretary for Constitutional Legislation and Consumer Protection, representing the Ministry of Justice as the main patron of the Law and Political Science Section, emphasized that the Ministry contributes to raising the quality of legal education through scholarships, research and development grants and programmes.

Dr Kupecki, Deputy State Secretary for Constitutional Legislation and Consumer Protection, said that she also participated in the OTDK as a student. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr Judit Balogh, Chair of the Professional Committee of the National Council of Students of Law and Political Sciences, expressed her pleasure that this is the first time since 2019 - due to the corona virus epidemic - that the event can be held in person again.

"We are not here primarily to compete. We enjoy being here together, we thank everyone for all the hard work they have done to be here," she said before officially opening the session.

Dr Judit Balogh, Chair of the Professional Committee for Law and Political Sciences of the National Council of Scientific Students, opened the 36th OTDK Section on Law and Political Sciences. (Photo by József Májer Csaba)

Dr Péter Smuk, Executive President of the Law and Political Sciences Section of the 36th Hungarian OKTD, Dean of the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at Széchenyi István University, said that the young researchers gathered here are highly appreciated, as they see before them the current state of science and university talent workshops on the one hand, and the professionals of the future on the other.

"It is encouraging to see that the titles of the projects reflect not the 'state' but the dynamism of political science and law: they raise courageous questions about new technological and social challenges, based on classical legal doctrine," he said. 

He also said that, in the spirit of the green OTDK, the programme booklet had not been printed, a tree would be planted in the garden of the Faculty of Law to commemorate this year's conference and a bag of marigold seeds would be given to each participant.

Dr Péter Smuk, Executive President of the Section of Law and Political Sciences of the 36th OTDK, Dean of the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Széchenyi István University, also spoke about what will make this year's OTDK green. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

The National Council of Scientific Students is a body that supports the continuity and prospects of talent management and scientific research at different levels of higher education, recognising talent and promoting the achievements of young researchers, and to honour the internationally renowned work of Tamás Roska, academician and professor, creator of the architecture of the cellular wave computer, who was awarded the Széchenyi and Bolyai prizes, the Tamás Roska Scientific Lectures were established in 2017 to link disciplines and to honour his internationally recognised research achievements. The right to deliver the Tamás Roska Scientific Lecture in the Section of Law and Political Science was won by Balázs Hohmann, Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Pécs, member of the Baranya County Arbitration Board, the title of which was "The birth of a de lege ferenda proposal - or is the water utility debt a claim in rem or a claim in contract?"

The Tamás Roska Memorial Medal was presented by Dr Judit Balogh and Dr Péter Smuk to Dr Balázs Hohmann (centre). (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Prior to the ceremony, Dr Péter Smuk, Dr Nóra Kupecki and Dr Tamás Weiszburg informed the press about this year's conference. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

A performance by the University of Győr Orchestra also added to the festivities (Photo: Csaba József Májer)