The St. László Medal is one of Győr's most prestigious awards, granted to individuals or communities whose achievements in science, art, culture, sports, or other fields have significantly served the city's interests and enhanced its reputation. This year, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University, was honoured with the award. The presentation took place during the St. László's Day ceremonial general assembly on 27 June in the Assembly Hall of the City Hall. It was said in the commendation speech that Dr Eszter Lukács received the St. László Medal in recognition of her outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and leadership in international and strategic relations.

Dr Eszter Lukács has been a pivotal figure at Széchenyi István University for many years. Since 2017, overseeing international affairs, she has been instrumental in the University's development. She has played a major role in the expansion of the institution's English-taught programmes, which now number more than 40, and in expanding the international student body to nearly 1,000 over the past seven years. During this period, the University has significantly broadened its international outreach, participating in the Regional University Network-European University (RUN-EU) consortium and establishing double degree programmes with universities in the United States, China, India, Italy and Portugal. Dr Lukács's efforts have also helped Széchenyi István University achieve recognition in seven European and global rankings published by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds.

Dr Eszter Lukács received the St. László Medal from the mayor of the city, Dr Csaba András Dézsi (Photo: Norbert Vig)