The Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics at Széchenyi István University hosted its international conference on business and economics for the third time. More than 300 experts from five continents travelled to Győr for the event, where artificial intelligence, sustainability, regional development, finance and geopolitical changes were among the topics explored in 27 thematic sessions and four professional workshops.

The international conference organised by the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics at Széchenyi István University has, in just a few years, grown into one of the University’s leading academic events. Held for the third time this year, the forum brought together more than 300 participants from 29 countries in Győr. The diverse research community had the opportunity not only to present their findings but also to forge new collaborations.

Over the course of the three-day event, experts from countries including Poland, France, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Norway, the Philippines and the United States discussed how global challenges can be turned into opportunities. The 27 thematic sessions covered topics such as social and labour market changes, sustainability, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, marketing and management, financial and business issues, as well as logistics. Participants could also attend workshops focusing on research and academic publishing, which were led by professors from the United States, Greece, Portugal and India.

 

 

 

GALLERY (Photos: András Adorján, Máté Dudás, Róza Lujza Rákos)

At the opening of the conference, Professor Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at Széchenyi István University, emphasised that the University has by now built a diverse and increasingly international student community, with more than 1,500 of its 17,000 students coming from nearly 90 countries around the world. “In this development, the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics plays a key role. More than 500 international students are currently enrolled in the Faculty’s programmes, including doctoral programmes, which clearly demonstrates its growing international appeal,” she said. She added that over the past three years, the Faculty’s staff had contributed to the University’s scientific visibility with 408 Scopus-indexed publications.

In her welcome address, the Vice-President proudly reported that in the world university rankings recently published by Times Higher Education, Széchenyi István University had risen by 210 places to 1,625th place, ranking among around 30,000 universities worldwide. “This means that our University has achieved the greatest improvement among Hungarian universities,” she said. Speaking about the development of the Faculty of Business and Economics, she noted that, following a year of preparatory work, the Faculty officially became an AACSB member in January 2025 and began its international accreditation process. “For us, this is not simply about obtaining accreditation, but also about consistently aligning our teaching and research performance with the highest international standards,” she said.

In her speech, she also extended a special welcome to the conference’s keynote speakers, including Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who delivered the opening keynote. He heads the Delhi state unit of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, serves as President of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai and is Vice-Chairman of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, an organisation focused on training elected representatives. He previously served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, as President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and as Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports.

“India is a strategic partner for us in the fields of education, research and institutional cooperation,” Professor Dr Eszter Lukács emphasised.

Representing the host Faculty, Dean Dr Sándor Remsei welcomed the participants. “We are proud that the Kautz Conference has grown into such a major academic event, attracting interest from many countries around the world. We have excellent speakers, and the range of publication opportunities is also expanding,” he emphasised. He stressed that the forum is much more than an opportunity to give presentations. “These three days give us an opportunity to listen to one another, learn about different perspectives and research findings, engage in debate, and realise that a given problem can be approached in many different ways,” he said.

The conference’s keynote speakers included Natalia Vershinina, Professor at Audencia Business School in France; Álvaro Rocha, Professor at the University of Lisbon; Amandeep Dhir, Professor at the University of Agder in Norway; Dimitrios Buhalis, Professor at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom; and Professor Vikas Kumar, Vice-President at the University of Portsmouth, also in the United Kingdom.

The hosts of the Kautz Conference and the keynote speakers on its opening day: Dr Sándor Remsei, Dean of the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics at Széchenyi István University; Professor Dr Eszter Lukács, Vice-President for International Affairs and Strategic Relations at the University; Professor Natalia Vershinina; Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe; Professor Álvaro Rocha; Dr Adrienn Dernőczy-Polyák, Vice-Dean for Academic and Educational Affairs; Dr Judit Koltai, Vice-Dean for International and Accreditation Affairs; and Dr Gábor Szabó-Szentgróti, Vice-Dean for Research Coordination and Publications. (Photo: András Adorján)