A Forward-Looking Encounter – Autonomous Vehicles for Secondary School Students at Újpesti Csokonai Vitéz Mihály Primary School and Grammar School

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How can cutting-edge engineering developments be brought closer to secondary school students? What can a university-level career orientation lecture offer young people who are approaching one of the most important decisions of their lives? These questions were addressed during a morning programme in which three lecturers from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) delivered a presentation on the development of autonomous vehicles at Újpesti Csokonai Grammar School.

Through the lectures of Dr Zsolt Szalay, Head of the Department of Automotive Technologies at BME, Dr Tamás Bécsi, Head of the Department of Control for Transportation and Vehicle Systems, and Dr Szilárd Aradi, Associate Professor at the same department, students gained insight into the technologies shaping the future of mobility.

An Invitation Built on Professional Connections

The visit was rooted in an earlier departmental event organised for teachers, during which a professional relationship was established with one of the school’s mathematics teachers. As a continuation of this collaboration, the department was invited to the grammar school, where nearly 70 students from eight secondary school classes attended the morning session—entirely on a voluntary basis and driven by genuine interest.

“Career guidance is a particularly important responsibility for us,” said Gabriella Katalin Tatár, Deputy Head of the Secondary Education Division at Újpesti Csokonai Vitéz Mihály Primary School and Grammar School. As she explained, the institution regularly hosts university presentations throughout the academic year. “We have welcomed representatives from Eötvös Loránd University, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church, the University of Pannonia, as well as institutions from Győr and Gödöllő. Our aim is always to provide students with as broad a picture as possible of their higher education opportunities.”

More Opportunities, More Complex Decisions

Today, choosing a career path is a far more complex task than it was even a decade ago. “The sheer range of available opportunities is what makes the decision truly difficult,” emphasised the deputy head. Changes in the higher education admissions system and institution-specific bonus point schemes present significant challenges not only for students, but also for educators.

“Staying informed has become more time-consuming for everyone. That is precisely why I believe it is important for as many of these presentations as possible to reach schools,” she added. Speaking about her own practice, she noted that she regularly attends career orientation events and the Educatio exhibition in order to support both students and colleagues with up-to-date information.

“I Was Truly Impressed”

According to Gabriella Katalin Tatár, the lecture offered not only new information, but a genuine vision of the future. “If I say I was impressed, I may even be understating the experience. Seeing where autonomous vehicle development stands today, and realising that Hungarian researchers are achieving results at a world-class level, fills me with pride.”

While she had previously been aware of autonomous vehicles, she encountered the topic in such depth for the first time. “I am convinced that among the students there will be some for whom this lecture will have a decisive influence on their future studies.”

A Teacher’s Perspective: Genuine Engagement

A key role in organising the programme was played by Anikó Sauer, a mathematics teacher at the school, who had previously attended a departmental event for educators. “I had already seen this presentation earlier and found it excellent then as well. This is the future, and it is important for students to become familiar with it,” she said.

Based on her observations, participants mainly came from language-focused tracks and students with a technical interest. She found it particularly encouraging that ninth-grade students actively approached the lecturers with questions after the presentation. “Some of them stayed behind to ask very specific questions. That is always a good sign.”

From a Student’s Point of View: Knowledge and Inspiration

One of the participating students, Bálint Balogh, a Year 11 student, summarised his experience as follows: “We received exactly what we expected—clear and detailed information about autonomous vehicles, how they work, and what we can expect from them in the future.” He found it especially interesting to learn that so-called Level 5 autonomous vehicles are already capable of operating without a safety driver.

Although his own career plans are oriented towards the healthcare sector, he still found the lecture inspiring. “I would not choose this field for further studies, but it was very interesting. It will remain more of a hobby-level interest—but that is important too.”

More Than Just a Lecture

By the end of the morning, it had become clear that such events go beyond the mere transfer of information. They convey enthusiasm, credible role models, and a tangible vision of the future. As Gabriella Katalin Tatár concluded: “In addition to the lecturers’ professional expertise, it is their enthusiasm that truly adds value. That is what resonates with students.”

For the Department of Automotive Technologies, these encounters serve as confirmation that presenting state-of-the-art research fields can successfully engage young people even at secondary school level—whether as future engineers or as open-minded thinkers with an interest in technology.

Industry Focus and Confident Presentations – January State Examination at the Department of Automotive Technologies

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On 6 January, the Department of Automotive Technologies at Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) held its first state examination session of the year. As in previous semesters, the final examinations were conducted with the active involvement of industry professionals: representatives of Morgan Hungary Ltd., TÜV Rheinland, and Jaguar Land Rover Hungary participated in the examination board. Based on their feedback, the students demonstrated clear progress not only in technical competence, but also in presentation skills and engineering mindset.

More confident presentations and tangible engineering outcomes

One of the most frequently highlighted aspects of the examinations was the noticeable improvement in the students’ presentation skills. János Surányi, representing Morgan Hungary Ltd., emphasized that the graduating students delivered convincing performances both professionally and communicatively.

“It is very positive to see how much more confident the students are when presenting their work. This has often been a missing skill among young engineers, and in industry it quickly becomes clear how critical strong presentation abilities are,” he noted. He also stressed the importance of thesis projects that go beyond theory and result in real, implemented solutions.

From the company’s perspective, topics related to manufacturing, process development, and the design or development of production equipment were of particular interest, as these areas closely align with Morgan Hungary’s core activities.

A higher number of outstanding projects

Sándor Geszti (TÜV Rheinland Hungary), a regular member of the department’s examination boards, also observed a clear step forward compared to previous years.

“There are always good and very good theses, but this time the number of truly outstanding projects was noticeably higher. The students presented concise summaries of their work with a level of confidence that surpasses what we have seen in recent years,” he explained.

In his view, this improvement is partly due to the teaching staff placing increasing emphasis on the importance of structured, audience-oriented presentations. Examination board members must form well-founded opinions within limited timeframes, often on complex technical topics.

“The goal is not to get lost in details. Students need to clearly demonstrate why their work is relevant and valuable,” he added.

Among his personal highlights were projects related to the university’s Formula Student racing teams, where participants design, model, test, and continuously refine vehicle components to improve overall competitiveness.

High-quality work even at BSc level

Representing Jaguar Land Rover Hungary, József Pázmány, head of one of the company’s systems engineering areas, participated in the department’s state examination for the second time. His overall impression was strongly positive.

“We met very well-prepared young engineers. It is clear that everyone invested significant effort into their thesis, resulting in serious, independent engineering work,” he said.

He was particularly impressed by the high quality of the projects at BSc level, noting that the depth and structure of many theses exceeded expectations. As advice to students, he emphasized the importance of understanding the broader context of their work.

“When working on a project lasting several months, it is essential to know where you are starting from and how your piece fits into the bigger picture. Details matter, but so does the overall system you are contributing to,” he explained.

Several students also caught Jaguar Land Rover Hungary’s attention during the examinations. The company offers career opportunities through internship positions and subsequent graduate engineer programmes, providing a pathway toward long-term professional development, including international experience.

Real-world assessment by industry professionals

Reflecting on the role of state examinations, Dr. Zsolt Szalay, Head of the Department of Automotive Technologies and Chair of the Examination Board, highlighted the strategic importance of industry involvement.

“From both a departmental and university perspective, it is crucial that the first real assessment of our graduates takes place in front of industry professionals. These are the environments where our students will soon need to perform as engineers,” he emphasized.

Accordingly, the examination board is composed exclusively of relevant industry representatives from various fields. The department’s role is primarily to moderate the process, while questioning, evaluation, and grading are driven by external experts.

“It is important that the university does not evaluate its own output in isolation. Instead, our students receive feedback and assessment based on real industrial expectations,” he added.

A meeting point between academia and industry

The January 6 state examination once again demonstrated that final examinations at the Department of Automotive Technologies represent far more than an academic milestone. They serve as a genuine interface between academia and industry, offering students a first professional showcase and, in many cases, the opening step toward their engineering careers.

In memoriam dr. Antal Lovas (1938–2026)

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It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Dr. Antal Lovas, Professor Emeritus of our Department, who died in the early hours of 6 January 2026 after a long illness borne with great patience and dignity. With his death, the Department of Automotive Technologies has lost not only an outstanding scientist and educator, but also a defining personality whose professional and human legacy shaped generations of colleagues and students.

Dr. Lovas was born on 14 August 1938 in Cegléd, Hungary. He graduated as a chemist in 1967 from Eötvös Loránd University and subsequently spent nearly three decades at the Research Institute for Solid State Physics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, where he worked as a research fellow, senior scientist, and group leader. His scientific career was closely associated with the research of non-equilibrium metallic materials, alloy development, and rapid solidification technologies. He played a pioneering role in introducing melt spinning and planar flow casting in Hungary, an achievement that was recognized with the Jánossy Prize in 1979. His research activities resulted in the preparation of several thousand samples and in an extensive body of publications that laid the foundation for numerous PhD and doctoral theses in Hungary and across Central Europe.

From 1993 onwards, Dr. Lovas was closely connected to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, where he contributed continuously to engineering education, first as a lecturer and later as an associate professor. At the Department of Automotive Technologies, he remained an active and committed member of the academic community until his emeritus years and beyond. His teaching focused primarily on materials science and structural materials, always combining solid theoretical foundations with a strong sense of practical relevance. As a supervisor, he guided eleven doctoral students to successful completion and supported many diploma theses and student research projects, consistently emphasizing that scientific excellence must be accompanied by personal attention, responsibility, and trust.

His professional standing was reinforced by an extensive international network. He maintained close cooperation with several institutions, including the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Technical University of Košice, and served on international advisory and scientific committees for many years. As an invited lecturer, he regularly participated in international workshops and conferences. Importantly, he actively involved students and young researchers in these international collaborations, opening doors for them and helping them gain confidence and visibility in the global scientific community.

Beyond his impressive academic achievements, Dr. Lovas will be remembered above all for his personality. For younger colleagues and students, he was simply “Tóni bácsi” — a mentor who understood the art of scientific leadership exceptionally well. He created a friendly, supportive atmosphere around himself, where humour, mutual teasing, and shared laughter naturally coexisted with high professional standards and intellectual rigor. He knew when to guide, when to challenge, and when to step back and allow young researchers to find their own path.

Dr. Antal Lovas’s life and work became an integral part of the identity of our Department. His legacy lives on not only in his publications and former students, but also in the human and intellectual community he helped build over more than three decades. His absence is deeply felt, yet his example will continue to inspire us.

We remember him with profound respect and gratitude.