The Széchenyi István University and the Western Transdanubian Regional Directorate of Directorate General for Immigration Authority (OIF) maintain a close relationship with each other, which provides help in the reception of international students and visiting professors and ensures smooth administration. The staff of the Directorate visited the Cube, the University's Innovation Park in Győr, at the invitation of the institution, to see for themselves the opportunities that await international students and lecturers.

The guests were welcomed by Célia Szénássy, Head of the Alumni Department of the International Programmes and Alumni Centre of Széchenyi István University. As she said, the cooperation between the institution and the OIF dates back to 2017, when the university embarked on the path of internationalisation. "Over the years we have developed a close professional partnership and have achieved many successes together. We are grateful for the administrative support provided by the Directorate in welcoming and hosting international students and guest professors," she said. She added that the partnership works well because both parties strive to facilitate each other's work, sharing their experiences and good practices. The head of the department said that the staff of the directorate were already familiar with the university's training activities, but they also wanted to showcase their work beyond education, which is an excellent opportunity to get to know the Győr Innovation Park.

The staff of the Western Transdanubian Regional Directorate of the National Directorate General of Immigration Authority visited the Innovation Park of Széchenyi István University in Győr (Photo: András Adorján)

Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Szabolcs Kovács, Deputy Director of the Western Transdanubian Regional Directorate of the General Directorate of Alien Policing, explained that the visit is important for them because it allows them to see what the people who are granted residence do, what kind of work they are involved in and what conditions they study and work in. "We have an excellent relationship with the university, as we really work together in a mutually supportive way. It's important that students from distant countries can start their studies on time, but the administrative matters mut be in order too. In the future, we would like to further strengthen and formalise our cooperation, making even better use of each other's competences," he stressed. He emphasized that they were happy to accept the university's invitation, which also proves that they see each other as partners. "We are very pleased with what we see here, as the university has created a very high quality and modern facility out of the former Győr biscuit factory building. Like many people in Győr, I have a personal connection, having worked as a student at the factory. I am glad that a symbol of Győr is once again serving an important function", the deputy director underlined.

The guests were guided through the building by Dr. Tamás Kolossváry, Head of the Győr Innovation Park. As he explained, in addition to the educational and research activities of the university, the strengthening of the economic competitiveness of the region and cooperation with the corporate sector are of particular importance.  "The utilisation of university knowledge, the provision of market services and the development of the industrial-economic ecosystem are important tasks for us, and this building is the new location for this. It is no coincidence that, in addition to the institution's own departments, a number of partner companies are also located here. The physical proximity provides even more opportunities for cooperation," he stressed. He mentioned that the facility is also home to the university's Design Campus, which means that education is also located here, as well as the Digital Development Centre, whose activities are of particular importance in all disciplines in the age of digitalisation. He also said that the Cube was the first stage in the development of the Innovation Park, and the university plans to continue its development. The guests concluded their visit to the university at the recently inaugurated Pedró-Inno Bakery and Bistro.