From the Global Academic Elite: Tsinghua Students Visit Obuda University
The Kando Kálmán Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Obuda University welcomed the CHARGE Practice Team, a student research group from Tsinghua University, which is currently examining the technological and social dimensions of the energy transition as part of a research study tour across Central Europe. During their visit, the students gained insights into the Faculty’s educational and research activities, the electrical power substation operated at Obuda University, as well as the system management responsibilities of MAVIR.
Students from Tsinghua University, one of China’s most prestigious higher education institutions, recently visited Obuda University. The 15-member CHARGE Practice Team, consisting of one faculty supervisor, 11 undergraduate students, and three master’s students, travelled to Austria and Hungary, visiting Vienna and Budapest between 10 and 21 August 2026.
The research trip focuses on a systemic examination of the social and technological dimensions of the energy transition in Central Europe. The students are primarily investigating the growing role of renewable energy sources, the interconnection of energy infrastructures, and the policy frameworks shaping the transition towards more sustainable energy systems.
During their visit to Obuda University, the delegation was welcomed by the Kando Kálmán Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Zsolt Markella, Vice Dean of the Faculty, introduced the visitors to the Faculty, its academic programmes, and the laboratories used for education and research, as well as the professional work carried out within them. An important part of the programme was the opportunity for the students to gain first-hand insight into practical solutions in the fields of energy and electrical engineering.
The visitors also toured the electrical power substation operated at Obuda University. Its operation was presented by Richárd Haddad, who provided the students with an overview of the practical functioning of energy infrastructure and the role of individual components within the electrical power system.
The professional programme continued at MAVIR, where the students from Tsinghua University were introduced to the operation of the system that plays a central role in the management and operation of Hungary’s entire electricity system.
The research group's work is based on socio-technical systems (STS) transition theory, which provides a theoretical framework for examining how technological systems and social structures evolve and transform together. Using this approach, the students are investigating how the differing natural conditions and geopolitical environments of Austria and Hungary influence the pathways of their respective energy transitions.
Through the examples of the two countries, the students are also seeking to identify shared experiences and lessons regarding the deployment of renewable energy sources, the development of energy infrastructure, and the broader socio-technical processes that shape the energy transition.
The visit of Tsinghua University’s students to Obuda University provides a clear example of the complex and inherently international nature of the energy transition, a field in which cooperation between universities, researchers, and industry stakeholders is of fundamental importance. For Obuda University, the visit also represented a particularly valuable opportunity to share its experience and expertise as part of an international research initiative examining one of the defining technological and societal challenges of our time.
The research trip focuses on a systemic examination of the social and technological dimensions of the energy transition in Central Europe. The students are primarily investigating the growing role of renewable energy sources, the interconnection of energy infrastructures, and the policy frameworks shaping the transition towards more sustainable energy systems.
During their visit to Obuda University, the delegation was welcomed by the Kando Kálmán Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Zsolt Markella, Vice Dean of the Faculty, introduced the visitors to the Faculty, its academic programmes, and the laboratories used for education and research, as well as the professional work carried out within them. An important part of the programme was the opportunity for the students to gain first-hand insight into practical solutions in the fields of energy and electrical engineering.
The visitors also toured the electrical power substation operated at Obuda University. Its operation was presented by Richárd Haddad, who provided the students with an overview of the practical functioning of energy infrastructure and the role of individual components within the electrical power system.
The professional programme continued at MAVIR, where the students from Tsinghua University were introduced to the operation of the system that plays a central role in the management and operation of Hungary’s entire electricity system.
The research group's work is based on socio-technical systems (STS) transition theory, which provides a theoretical framework for examining how technological systems and social structures evolve and transform together. Using this approach, the students are investigating how the differing natural conditions and geopolitical environments of Austria and Hungary influence the pathways of their respective energy transitions.
Through the examples of the two countries, the students are also seeking to identify shared experiences and lessons regarding the deployment of renewable energy sources, the development of energy infrastructure, and the broader socio-technical processes that shape the energy transition.
The visit of Tsinghua University’s students to Obuda University provides a clear example of the complex and inherently international nature of the energy transition, a field in which cooperation between universities, researchers, and industry stakeholders is of fundamental importance. For Obuda University, the visit also represented a particularly valuable opportunity to share its experience and expertise as part of an international research initiative examining one of the defining technological and societal challenges of our time.
