Created: 2026.10.01. 15:20
Academic Day is SZE’s most significant celebration, organized annually by the University to mark the anniversary of the birth of its namesake, Count István Széchenyi, widely referred to as „the Greatest Hungarian”. At this year’s event, prestigious honours were presented and new doctorates were conferred, with eight international students taking their solemn oaths.
SZE’s Academic Day is not only a tribute to the legacy of the Greatest Hungarian, but also a celebration of science and scholarship that provides an opportunity to honour academic excellence. This year’s event also coincided with a notable anniversary, as the University took the name of Count István Széchenyi exactly four decades ago.
Reflecting on the legacy of Count István Széchenyi, Szabolcs Bóna, Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy, noted at the event that knowledge becomes a genuine force only when thought turns into action, recognition leads to development, and scientific findings yield value that serves the community. He emphasized that agriculture today faces major challenges, including climate change, water scarcity, and competitiveness issues. “Addressing these requires knowledge, innovation, and collaboration. This is why the work of the Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár is particularly important to me – it is where more than two centuries of agricultural science meet precision technology, digitalization, and artificial intelligence,” he highlighted.
He added that research leads to technology, technology yields more efficient production and more efficient production translates into a more competitive Hungarian economy. “This is the knowledge chain that Hungary needs,” he stated. Minister Bóna also spoke of his personal connection to the University, having earned his degree in agricultural engineering at Mosonmagyaróvár in 1998, later contributing to professional work in animal science education, and remaining a member of his alma mater’s intellectual community today.
“I wish for Széchenyi István University to remain a place where new knowledge springs from tradition, innovation from knowledge, and value that benefits Hungarian society and the economy springs from innovation,” stated Szabolcs Bóna, Minister of Agriculture and Food Economics, in his welcome address. During the ceremony, he was also awarded the title of honorary associate professor. (Photo: Máté Dudás)
Academic Day traditionally provides the formal venue for newly qualified doctoral candidates to take their formal oaths. Strengthening its scientific community through its doctoral schools is a key priority for the University, which proudly welcomed its newest doctorates, including eight international students hailing from five countries.
At the Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Engineering Sciences, Firas Alsilibe from Syria, Ardalan Burhan Hussein from Iraq, and Vahid Shafaie from Iran received doctoral degrees. While Firas Alsilibe’s dissertation was titled “Understanding Drought Dynamics in the Barada Basin: Exploring Interconnections and Implications for Water Resource Management,” Hussein Ardalan Burhan focused on the global analysis of built-up cold-formed steel sections. Vahid Shafaie, also conducting research in civil engineering, presented a dissertation titled “Experimental, Numerical, and AI-Assisted Assessment of Shear Bond Strength in Cementitious Interfaces: A Macro-Scale and Micro-Mechanical Study.”
At SZE’s Academic Day, doctoral degrees were conferred on eight international PhD students from five countries. (Photo: MekliZ Fotó)
The international PhD graduates of the Doctoral School of Regional and Business Administration Sciences featured Marah Samir Nayif Almelhem and Sarah Mohammad Suleiman Alsyoof from Jordan, alongside Hassan Mohammed Ibrahem Ali from Egypt. During her studies, Marah Samir Nayif Almelhem addressed the management of reverse waste collection systems for circular supply chains; Mohammed Ibrahem Ali Hassan conducted a comparative analysis of auditing practices between the European Union and the MENA region; and Sarah Mohammad Suleiman Alsyoof investigated the role of personal factors in driving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) outcomes—spanning values, ethics, and emotions to performance and communication.
At the Wittmann Antal Multidisciplinary Doctoral School of Plant, Animal, and Food Sciences, doctoral certificates were awarded to Tarek Alahmad from Syria and Uhanovitage Rushanthi Chandimala from Sri Lanka. While Tarek Alahmad focused on real-time soil moisture prediction and analysis for precision crop production, Rushanthi Chandimala Uhanovitage investigated the characterization and green extraction of plant bioactives within food sciences. Her dissertation aimed at encapsulation of roselle extract for functional dairy desserts development.
At the ceremony, Célia Szénássy, international secretary at the University’s International Directorate, received the Outstanding Staff Member Award. Eszter Tóthné Marek, head of centre at the University Library and Archives, was awarded the Silver Grade of the Governing Board Certificate of Commendation. Renáta Horváth, head of the Doctoral and Habilitation Centre, was presented with the Student-Friendly University Award. All three honourees have been working with dedication for years to support the University in achieving its internationalization goals.
Academic Day also provided the occasion for the University’s newest doctorates to take their formal oath. (Photo: Gergely Nagy)
