Széchenyi István University is a key participant of the Educatio Exhibition in Budapest, as this year's EFOTT will be hosted by the Győr-based institution. The agreement was signed at the opening of the event, which will take place from 9-11 January. The University's spectacular and surprising booth was open until Saturday at Hungexpo's Pavilion D, and on 14 January at the open day on the Győr campus.

The Educatio Exhibition took place between 9-11 January at Hungexpo in Budapest, where young people interested in further education could meet the players in the field of higher education in Hungary. "Today, 330,000 students are enrolled in higher education, and the number of academic programmes is growing steadily. Twelve of Hungary’s universities are ranked among the top 5% in the world. Nearly 50 scholarship programmes provide young people with access to around 100 billion forints, and the Pannónia Scholarship Programme gives students access to the best universities in the world", said Dr Balázs Hankó, Minister for Culture and Innovation, at the opening ceremony of the event. He added that universities are for students and help young people to build a long-term future.

Gergő Lőrincz, Head of the Career Guidance and Marketing Centre of Széchenyi István University with Dr Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation at the University’s stand (Photo: András Adorján)

During the ceremony, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University, and Dr Gábor Lasztovicza, Director of EFOTT Kft. signed the agreement under which the Institution will host this year's EFOTT Festival. 

"In addition to Győr, our University also provides education and conducts research in Budapest, Mosonmagyaróvár and Zalaegerszeg, primarily in the fields of technology, engineering and IT. In addition to these, we also have a focus on law, economics, social sciences, agriculture, humanities, pedagogy, art, health and sports sciences," said Dr Eszter Lukács, introducing the Széchenyi University. She stressed that through strong industrial links and the involvement of economic actors, they offer young people practical knowledge, which gives them a huge competitive advantage in the labour market after graduation. The Vice President thanked Dr Balázs Hankó and his colleagues for their work in the reform of renewing higher education, and HÖOK and EFOTT Ltd for their partnership. 

"The EFOTT summer festival is a place for community building, fun and networking, but also a place to discuss a range of topical issues. These include innovation, sustainability and social responsibility. This year's host, Széchenyi University, represents the innovative side of higher education, not only with its world-leading student teams, but also with cutting-edge technological solutions such as autonomous transport systems, drone development and precision farming," said Dr Gábor Lasztovicza. The Director said that in view of all this, this year's EFOTT will be a truly special experience for visitors.

At the opening ceremony of the Educatio Exhibition in Budapest, Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University and Dr Gábor Lasztovicza, Director of EFOTT Kft. signed the agreement, according to which this year's EFOTT will be hosted by Széchenyi István University (Photo: András Adorján)

Following the ceremonial signing, Gábor Dósa, CEO of Uni Inno Zrt., the knowledge utilisation enterprise of Széchenyi István University, and Dr Zsolt Szepesváry, Vice-Dean for Development at the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences and a Príma Award-winning expert, as well as Head of the Urology Department at the Petz Aladár University Teaching Hospital in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, discussed the connection between innovation and higher education. Mr Dósa remarked: “In project-based, practice-oriented education, we must continuously respond to industrial and corporate demands, as well as to scientific advancements that deal with cutting-edge technologies. This enables students to participate in corporate projects that help them acquire skills essential for the labour market.” Dr Szepesváry emphasised: “Széchenyi University has made significant strides in interdisciplinary collaboration. Currently, we are running five development projects aimed at securing patents. Each project relies on students’ ideas and contributions, involving various units of the institution and market players alike.”

Gergő Lőrincz, Head of the Career Guidance and Marketing Centre of Széchenyi University, in conversation with Gábor Dósa, CEO of Uni Inno Zrt. and Dr Zsolt Szepesváry, Vice-Dean for Development of the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences on the main stage of the exhibition (Photo: Máté Dudás)

Faculty members and managers of Széchenyi István University, including Dr Zsolt Kovács, Vice-President for General and Educational Affairs, participated in several roundtable discussions at the Educatio Exhibition (Photo: Máté Dudás)

Széchenyi University presented its offerings in Hungexpo pavilion "D", on about 300 square metres. In the circular "dome", all nine faculties were represented, and visitors could talk to both lecturers and students about the opportunities offered by the University, points calculation, admissions and university life. Visitors also had the chance to meet a wide range of exciting new features, including the world record-breaking SZEnergy Team, which is developing an electric racing car, the world elite Arrabona Racing Team, also part of the Formula Student racing series, the University Sports Association's e-sport department and simulators, as well as a number of exciting technological innovations developed in-house. A good atmosphere was guaranteed, with music provided by a DJ from the University of Győr's truck between the pavilions.

The modern technologies of Széchenyi István University, such as the electric racing car of the SZEnergy Team or the simulator of the e-sport department, were very popular among the visitors to the exhibition (Photo: Máté Dudás)

Those who were unable to attend the programme in Budapest, as well as those whose interest was sparked by the event, are encouraged to visit the Győr campus on 14 January, where an open day will welcome prospective students. Applications for the University's Hungarian-taught programmes are open until 15 February, and detailed information can be found on the website felveteli.sze.hu. The website also provides the schedule for the open day and offers a downloadable version of the University's brochure.

This year, too, many people were interested in the courses offered by Széchenyi István University (Photo: András Adorján)