Where Talent Meets Opportunity in the STEAM Excellence Program
What leads to the pinnacle of innovation? How does mathematics become art? And what is the secret behind internationally successful programming prodigies? In recent weeks, participants of the STEAM Excellence Program not only found answers to these questions, but also took a deep dive into the technologies of the future. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) is more than an acronym at our university—it is a vibrant, living ecosystem. Across three recent events, talent and opportunity came together in meaningful ways.
At our university’s innovation evening, the 12th INNOMEET event, scholarship recipients gained insight into the institution’s innovation landscape. The event was organized by the University Research and Innovation Center (OU EKIK). The program highlighted that Obuda University, as a third-generation, so-called “entrepreneurial” university, places strong emphasis on developing its internal innovation ecosystem. This objective is supported through the coordinated cooperation of EKIK, Initium Zrt., the Innovation Office, and Obuda Uni Venture Capital (OUVC).
The Fusion of Science and Art – Experience Workshop
Following the overview of the strategic foundations of the innovation ecosystem, the focus shifted to hands-on creation and the breakdown of disciplinary boundaries. During the interactive Experience Workshop held in late January, our scholarship students experienced firsthand that engineering thinking and creativity are not opposites, but mutually reinforcing forces. The program was led by Ildikó Szabó (recipient of the “Bonis Bona – For the Talents of the Nation” award, mathematics–physics teacher, member of the Hungarian Talent Support Society, and pedagogical lead of the Experience Workshop) and Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi (education researcher and STEAM workshop leader at the University of Jyväskylä, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, as well as founder and head of the international STEAM network).
Through the application of STEAM methodology, the workshop demonstrated that mathematics is not merely a system of abstract formulas, but a source of shared experiences and discovery. Joining online from Jyväskylä, Finland, Dr. Fenyvesi described artificial intelligence as the future’s “virtual scientific collaborator,” capable of generating hypotheses and modeling complex processes such as protein origami or evolutionary simulations.
For the scholarship holders, the program offered not only an expansion of technical knowledge, but also the development of flexible, systems-level thinking, reinforcing the understanding that true innovation emerges from the integration of disciplines and the joy of collaborative creation.
Talent Development and Student Olympians at the NJSZT Talent Day
After deepening creative practice and the STEAM approach, attention turned on January 28 toward the competitive and professional peaks of computer science. Scholarship recipients participated in the Talent Day of the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT), where Hungary’s longest-established IT organization provided insight into the training of future professionals. The program focused on the development of algorithmic thinking, competitive programming, and artificial intelligence, highlighting how foundations acquired in secondary education can evolve into professional-level expertise during university studies.
One of the most impactful elements of the day was the roundtable discussion with “contemporary role models,” moderated by Gábor Képes, the society’s Director of Culture. Dr. Ágnes Erdősné Németh, Director for Talent Development, introduced young talents as a professional mentor, including Júlia Éles and Péter Szente, former student IT Olympians who now support younger students as university-level trainers and team leaders. Also featured were Milán Bagladi and Barbara Szabó, organizers and trainers of the Hungarian Artificial Intelligence Olympiad, who have already demonstrated their expertise at international student Olympiads and AI competitions.
As part of the dialogue, scholarship students asked targeted questions about the practical applications and societal impacts of artificial intelligence, including its influence on athletic performance and sports analytics. With a focus on future planning, students also sought advice from talent developers on further education opportunities and the early stages of a scientific career path. A key takeaway of the discussion was the importance of interdisciplinarity: participants’ experiences confirmed that combining different fields of knowledge, regardless of one’s chosen major, offers a fundamental advantage in both the modern labor market and research.
Although the three programs addressed seemingly different areas - from business-oriented innovation and artistic integration to competitive programming - a common underlying theme emerged: transcending boundaries and embracing systems thinking.
All three events demonstrated to scholarship recipients that the key to success in the 21st century is not the accumulation of encyclopedic knowledge for its own sake, but interdisciplinarity. Whether it was EKIK’s “innovation bus,” the bridge-building role of STEAM methodology (Experience Workshop), or NJSZT’s talent development activities, the message was clear: academic disciplines can no longer be separated. The shared conclusion of the programs was that passive theory can only be transformed into innovation with real societal impact through collaborative creation and practical application — summarized Zoltán Márton, Head of the STEAM Office and the Hungarian STEAM Platform.
The Fusion of Science and Art – Experience Workshop
Following the overview of the strategic foundations of the innovation ecosystem, the focus shifted to hands-on creation and the breakdown of disciplinary boundaries. During the interactive Experience Workshop held in late January, our scholarship students experienced firsthand that engineering thinking and creativity are not opposites, but mutually reinforcing forces. The program was led by Ildikó Szabó (recipient of the “Bonis Bona – For the Talents of the Nation” award, mathematics–physics teacher, member of the Hungarian Talent Support Society, and pedagogical lead of the Experience Workshop) and Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi (education researcher and STEAM workshop leader at the University of Jyväskylä, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, as well as founder and head of the international STEAM network).
Through the application of STEAM methodology, the workshop demonstrated that mathematics is not merely a system of abstract formulas, but a source of shared experiences and discovery. Joining online from Jyväskylä, Finland, Dr. Fenyvesi described artificial intelligence as the future’s “virtual scientific collaborator,” capable of generating hypotheses and modeling complex processes such as protein origami or evolutionary simulations.
For the scholarship holders, the program offered not only an expansion of technical knowledge, but also the development of flexible, systems-level thinking, reinforcing the understanding that true innovation emerges from the integration of disciplines and the joy of collaborative creation.
Talent Development and Student Olympians at the NJSZT Talent Day
After deepening creative practice and the STEAM approach, attention turned on January 28 toward the competitive and professional peaks of computer science. Scholarship recipients participated in the Talent Day of the John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT), where Hungary’s longest-established IT organization provided insight into the training of future professionals. The program focused on the development of algorithmic thinking, competitive programming, and artificial intelligence, highlighting how foundations acquired in secondary education can evolve into professional-level expertise during university studies.
One of the most impactful elements of the day was the roundtable discussion with “contemporary role models,” moderated by Gábor Képes, the society’s Director of Culture. Dr. Ágnes Erdősné Németh, Director for Talent Development, introduced young talents as a professional mentor, including Júlia Éles and Péter Szente, former student IT Olympians who now support younger students as university-level trainers and team leaders. Also featured were Milán Bagladi and Barbara Szabó, organizers and trainers of the Hungarian Artificial Intelligence Olympiad, who have already demonstrated their expertise at international student Olympiads and AI competitions.
As part of the dialogue, scholarship students asked targeted questions about the practical applications and societal impacts of artificial intelligence, including its influence on athletic performance and sports analytics. With a focus on future planning, students also sought advice from talent developers on further education opportunities and the early stages of a scientific career path. A key takeaway of the discussion was the importance of interdisciplinarity: participants’ experiences confirmed that combining different fields of knowledge, regardless of one’s chosen major, offers a fundamental advantage in both the modern labor market and research.
Although the three programs addressed seemingly different areas - from business-oriented innovation and artistic integration to competitive programming - a common underlying theme emerged: transcending boundaries and embracing systems thinking.
All three events demonstrated to scholarship recipients that the key to success in the 21st century is not the accumulation of encyclopedic knowledge for its own sake, but interdisciplinarity. Whether it was EKIK’s “innovation bus,” the bridge-building role of STEAM methodology (Experience Workshop), or NJSZT’s talent development activities, the message was clear: academic disciplines can no longer be separated. The shared conclusion of the programs was that passive theory can only be transformed into innovation with real societal impact through collaborative creation and practical application — summarized Zoltán Márton, Head of the STEAM Office and the Hungarian STEAM Platform.
