The Széll Kálmán International Scientific Student Association has another reason to celebrate: two members of our community have received prestigious university-level recognition for their outstanding academic, educational, and community achievements.

Dr. László Buics, Program Director of the Széll Kálmán International Scientific Student Association and Assistant Professor at the Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics, received the International Lecturer of the Year 2025 Award, recognizing his outstanding contribution to education, scientific talent development, and the internationalization of Széchenyi István University.

A central element of his academic work is the development and mentoring of talented students. Despite being at an early stage of his academic career, he has already provided professional supervision and support for more than 50 Scientific Students’ Conference (TDK) papers and currently supervises six doctoral students. His commitment to scientific excellence was also recognized in 2023 with the Gyula Hegedűs Scientific Scholarship, while he actively contributes to the development of the University’s international educational programmes.

These principles are also closely connected to his work as Program Director of the Széll Kálmán International Scientific Student Association. The Association has developed a research-oriented talent development model in which students are encouraged not only to achieve excellent academic results, but also to become active researchers, participate in conferences and competitions, publish their work, gain international experience, and gradually take responsibility for the development of their own academic community.

The recognition therefore also represents an important acknowledgement of a philosophy that has shaped the development of SZKSZ: talented students should be given opportunities, professional mentoring, ambitious challenges, and an environment in which they can progressively become independent researchers and professionals.

International Student of the Year from the SZKSZ community

The celebration was made even more special by the success of another member of the Association. Juliet Adongo Omondi, a Marketing MSc student and Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holder, received the International Student of the Year 2025 Award.

Originally from Kenya, Juliet has distinguished herself through both academic excellence and active participation in university life. She previously received the Stipendium Hungaricum Excellence Scholarship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, while alongside her studies she has been an active participant in university community and practical programmes.

Her achievement strongly reflects another core value of the Széll Kálmán International Scientific Student Association: creating an environment in which Hungarian and international students can develop together, learn from each other, and become active members of the University community.

For an English-language and internationally oriented student association, the recognition of one of its international members is particularly meaningful. It demonstrates the value of building a community where internationalization is not simply represented by the language of programmes, but by genuine cooperation and integration between students from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Recognition of a shared commitment to excellence

Receiving the International Lecturer of the Year and International Student of the Year awards within the same community makes this occasion particularly special for SZKSZ.

The two recognitions represent different stages of the same talent development process: committed educators and mentors creating opportunities for talented students, and ambitious students making the most of those opportunities through their own dedication, academic performance, and active contribution to university life.

For the Széll Kálmán International Scientific Student Association, these awards provide another reason to be proud of the community that has been built over recent years and further reinforce its commitment to scientific excellence, mentoring, internationalization, student development, and an inclusive academic community.

Congratulations to Dr. László Buics and Juliet Adongo Omondi on these outstanding recognitions! 🎓🏆