"Budapest is the perfect place for a first international experience, and the programme itself is outstanding" - interview with ME3+ students at BME

Two master's degree in one from different European universities? Yes, it does exist! In the ME3+ programme, you can obtain your next master's degree from IMT Atlantique in France, Boras College in Sweden, and Trento and Bolzano Universities - and also BME in Budapest. Assem Akzhamova, Macarena Puche and Carlos Villamar are international students in the multiple-degree Erasmus Mundus master programme ME3+. We interviewed them about why they chose the programme, how they like Budapest, and so on.

Assem Akzhamova

Where did you study before?

Assem Akhzamova: My home country is Kazakhstan, and I came from its biggest city, Almaty, where I received my Power Engineering degree at Satbayev University.
Carlos Villamar: I’m from Monterrey, Mexico. I did my bachelor’s degree at Monterrey Higher Institute of Technology (Tec de Monterrey), and I have a BSc degree in Chemical
Engineering.

Macarena Puche: I come from Argentina, from Buenos Aires, to be more precise. I obtained my bachelor’s degree at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional in Chemical Engineering.

Why did you choose to study at the ME3+ program?

Carlos: I decided to study Chemical Engineering because it provided versatility, and a broad range of opportunities for further studies. As I continued my studies, I realized I was interested in specializing in sustainability and energy transition. I was already working in my field when I found the ME3+ programme on the website of the European Commission. At that time I already knew what living abroad meant, because I had a DAAD Stipendium (German academic exchange scholarship) in 2020-2021. After this experience I realized I had a good profile for the programme and decided to apply.

Carlos Villamar

Macarena: After graduating as a Chemical Engineer, I started working in the oil and gas industry. However, as I became more conscious of climate change and the environmental impact of my field, I felt the need to shift my focus toward sustainability and renewable energy. When I found this program, it felt like the perfect step forward and a big chance to grow professionally while also learning from people with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds.

Assem: During my bachelor’s studies, I focused on three areas: electrical engineering, thermal power engineering, and renewable energy. Over time, I realized that I wanted to concentrate on sustainable development for my master’s degree. That’s why I chose the ME3+ program — it was the perfect fit for my goals. I wanted to learn from leading experts at top European universities. After completing the ME3+ program, I plan to return to  my home country and apply my knowledge to support the development of the sustainable objectives in Central Asia.
 

What do you think, is it easy to get used to the local culture in Hungary?

Assem: In Hungary, I feel fully integrated and at home. It was easy to adapt to the local culture because the city offers everything an international student could need.

Macarena Puche

Carlos: Being an international student is not the easiest way to get into the Hungarian social circle. There are language barriers and we only share classes with international students, so we end up spending time with internationals.

Macarena:  I agree, having classes in English and with other internationals makes the integration into Hungarian culture a bit difficult. I think, though, the most simple way to connect with locals is through sport or other hobbies. In my case I could meet some people while joining an international sport association.

Do you have any favourite locations or sights in the city?

Macarena: I really like Gellért Hill, for instance. It’s close to the university and offers a very nice view together with a portion of nature.  Sometimes I climb the hill, I just sit there in the park on the top, enjoying the view to the city, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have a glimpse of cute hedgehogs. Also, I’ve just discovered Szabó Ervin Municipal Library, and I think it’s a perfect place to study, because there are plenty of rooms and some of them are gorgeous. During the night I enjoy visiting the local pubs. 

Carlos: Budapest is a cosmopolitan city, allowing you to do basically whatever you like. Culture, museums, nature, activities, parties… My favourite place is Normafa, where you can walk along  a panoramic park walkway from a high-end residential area to a Belle-Époque lookout point. All surrounded by vast forests. It is wonderful, especially now, during fall. I also prefer the vibes of the Main Market, near the Danube. I often run at the National Center of Athletics (Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ), and sometimes we go out to explore some music pubs in the city.

Assem: I live near Oktogon, so my favourite place is Andrássy Road. Sometimes I just take a walk on this broad avenue, with embassy villas on both sides, and the Heroes’ Square in the end.

What are your experiences regarding the ME3+ programme?

Carlos: For me, it is a programme that forces you to adapt to different circumstances: adapting to cultures, meeting new people, learning languages. Last year we were learning French at IMT École Mines-Télécom, the other stage of our ME3+ study track. It pushes you towards time management, which is a crucial criterion in the labour market.

Macarena: It’s a great program that helps you grow in many different ways. Beyond the academic aspect, I believe I’ve grown a lot thanks to the different situations we’ve experienced. Moving to a new country every six months, adapting to different cultures, languages, and bureaucratic systems each time, really pushes us out of our comfort zone, or rather, kicks us out of it. It’s also really special to share so much with people who start out as strangers and, after a few months of living and studying together, end up feeling like family.

Assem: I truly love this programme — it’s great. Where I come from, the education system and student life are completely different, and I can confidently say it has met all my expectations. I’m one of the first Kazakh students to join, and several students from my country reach out to me with questions. If anyone has doubts about coming, I always encourage them to do it.

Budapest is the perfect place for a first international experience, and the programme itself is outstanding. I’ve met people from all over the world, built lifelong friendships, and gained a lot of confidence. It has also inspired me to set much higher goals for myself. It’s a pity there was no intake this year, but I truly hope the programme continues to grow.

(Laszlo Benesoczky. Photo credits: interviewees.)

We aim to utilise these opportunities - interview with Prof. Yuyuan Zhao from Ningbo University of Technolgy

Yuyuan Zhao, professor of Ningbo University of Technology, and former Head of Department at Liverpool University, visited Professor Imre Orbulov, Dean of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering during his visit in Budapest at Feb 6., 2025. 

How do you like Budapest? Is it your first time here?

Actually, this is my second time. The first time when I visited Budapest, was 15 years ago, as a tourist that time. With my family, we travelled from Austria by train, to Budapest, for a brief visit, and then went to Czech Republic. This time we are staying here for 3 days. The weather is brilliant, also the buildings and the river Danube.

Left: Professor Yuyuan Zhao, right: Professor Imre Norbert Orbulov

Please, tell us about your research field!

I research porous metals, metal matrix syntactic foams and powder metallurgy, so two of my three research fields are aligned with Professor Imre Orbulov, Dean of The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, with whom we worked alongside of each other. We frequently review each other’s papers as well.

After a PhD in Oxford, I was a post-doc at Birmingham University, then I moved to Liverpool University, where I worked for 24 years as a professor.  Two years ago I joined Ningbo University of Technology and set up a laboratory there.

Are you planning a joint project with Professor Imre Orbulov?

Yes, we have already started collaborating with each other. The Hungarian and Chinese governments have some funding schemes for joint projects, and we would like to utilise these opportunities to strengthen our research collaborations in the field of syntactic foams for impact energy absorption applications. I also met Professor Péter János Szabó, Head of Department of Material Science and Technology.

 ****

Professor Yuyuan Zhao  graduated with a BEng in 1985 and MSc in 1988 from Dalian University of Technology, China, and a DPhil in Materials from University of Oxford  in 1996. He was a Lecturer at Dalian University of Technology from 1988 to 1991 and a Research Fellow at University of Birmingham from 1995 to 1998. He worked at University of Liverpool from 1998 to 2023 as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, Professor and Head of Department. He joined Ningbo University of Technology, China, in 2023. He pioneered the Sintering and Dissolution Process (SDP) for manufacturing aluminium foam, which inspired the subsequent developments of several powder-based space-holder methods for manufacturing metal foams. Professor Zhao is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, UK. He was awarded the Ivor Jenkins Medal in 2015 for an outstanding contribution to powder metallurgy in developing and commercialising innovative powder based technologies for manufacturing metal foams. His current research is focused on the manufacture, characterisation and applications of porous metals and metal matrix syntactic foams. His hobby is badminton.

 

László Benesóczky

PhD student from China researches microporous metal foams at BME

Du Wanrong, PhD student of BME

Interview with Du Wanrong, alumna of Xi'an Polytechnic University, who chose BME as a location of her master’s and PhD studies, and her thesis supervisor, Csilla Wiener PhD, associate professor of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Material Science and Engineering.

Where did you study before?

Du Wanrong: I graduated on BSc level at Xi'an Polytechnic University (He Haijun, PhD graduate of BME, whom we interviewed before, also graduated there).

Why did you choose to attend BME’s PhD program?

Du Wanrong: I studied at BME on MSc level, and I wanted to continue studying after my master’s degree, and I really wanted to become a PhD student.  I checked the opportunities and the possible supervisors’ publication list at Material Science and Technology Department, and I found Csilla Wiener, my future supervisor. I told her that I would like to have her as my PhD supervisor, which Csilla happily accepted. She is someone I really like to work with: I admire her dedication to research; she encourages me to work in engineering as a woman. Teaching is enjoyable for her, and she always encourages me. She often draws my attention to lectures and workshops, helps me build connections, and to do my best, which I really appreciate.

What is your PhD topic?

Csilla Wiener PhD: Wanrong’s topic is microporous metal foams. These cellular materials have significant potential applications. For example, copper foams can be used as high capacity batteries due to their high internal surface, while zinc foams are prospective materials for biodegradable implants. The advantage of degradable materials is that they eliminate the need for secondary surgical intervention to remove the implant. Our goal is to be able to produce such foams in Hungary. The manufacturing and characterization of these foams is Wanrong's main task.

Du Wanrong PhD student and her supervisor, Csilla Wiener PhD, associate professor,
BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineerinng

Is it easy to live in Hungary compared to China?

Du Wanrong: China is totally different. At first, English was difficult, and as I came here to attend my master’s programme, I was shy to talk with my international classmates.  Luckily, everyone was very friendly in BME’s international classroom, and professors were also kind and patient. They knew that my English was not sufficient, and explained in details what I missed.

One of the tasks I had to adapt to was cooking. I was not used to cooking in China, but I learned how to cook for myself.

Do you have any hobbies?

Du Wanrong: I have a lot of hobbies, like hiking, swimming, skating.

What are your plans for the future?

Du Wanrong: At the beginning, I had no idea, but now if I have a chance, I would like to continue doing research, e.g. in a post-doc position.

László Benesóczky

Israeli PR manager visits BME

Projects and External Relations Manager of Technion University Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Shimrit Wagner-Lior had a visit at BME in the framework of Erasmus+, between June 26-29 2023. More

Doing research where Oppenheimer did

Hunor Csala, a BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering graduate, is a PhD student at the University of Utah, spends his summer as an intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Unlike Oppenheimer, he uses neural networks and differential equations to model blood flow. More

’Everything is possible with great determination’

„The most valuable tool I have learnt at BME is how to research and understand complex problems.” Interview with Omar Taha, mechanical engineer alumni of BME.

Where were you born?

I was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but I am from Sudan. More

PROFESSOR OF TECHNION UNIVERSITY IN ISRAEL, ALON WOLF WAS AWARDED DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA OF BME

​​​​​​​Alon Wolf PhD (on the left), professor of Technion University in Haifa, Israel was awarded a doctor honoris causa of Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

What was the topic of your lecture held at BME?

My lecture was a bit different from a classical academic speech, it was about how to conduct research and entepreneurship. How to go through the process, defining the questions, approaching and testing hypothesis, to get to a dissertation or a final business product. Despite the lecture took a few hours, the tools and the method was just a highlight of the studies we have made. So probably I will come back later this year, because I was asked so by the students to hold an extended workshop.

Tell me about the collaboration with BME’s Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Mechanical Engineering Informatics, in the framework of Erasmus+!

It is important to strengthen our collaboration, going back to more, than 20 years. BME and Technion exchange students, PhD students and scholars as well, and have joint research in the fields of dynamics, control, robotics, material sciences.

The option of Erasmus+ there were some difficulties due to COVID restrictions, but once we managed to launch, the project started to accelerate.

It is fascinating, that BME and Technion is doing research on nearly the same discipline, but on different approach, creating scholars’ and student exchanges serve science, education and the future. The students get an additional perspective, which they have not been exposed at their universities. These are the tools to enable science and research to become global.

Have you been to Budapest before? How do you like our city?

Budapest is beautiful, I have been here several times. I visited the Opera House, the Margit Island Open Theatre, I feel at home each and every time I come to Budapest. It is understandable, as I have roots from Hungary. My grandfather was a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Army. Once, when I was walking on the street, near the Synagogue, I suddenly felt the smell of my grandmother’s kitchen.

How did you feel when you were awarded at BME?

It is flattering to receive a doctor honoris causa title, standing next to Katalin Karikó, and other colleagues from the MIT and Ohio State University. As I have said in my speech held at the ceremony: ’Being a honorary doctor does not come only with the honour, it also comes with commitment to continue the collaboration and student involvement, it is not just a degree to hang on the wall.’

(László Benesóczky)

'I love the delightful professional conversations' - Interview with Hangyu Lu

Hangyu Lu, visiting PhD student (L), with professor
Gábor Stépán (R)

Hangyu Lu, visiting PhD student at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics (MM) about his research and experiences in Hungary.

 

How did you decide to come to BME?

 

It's not my first time here. In 2019 I have stayed here for 5 and half months while attending the first year of my PhD studies. Luckily, I received approximately 8 000 $ in funding from the China Association of Science of Technology (CAST) China, a grant for the international mobility of PhD students. At that time, our research group was researching on non-linear dynamics of shimmy wheels, and we met and cited several papers of professor Gábor Stépán and Dénes Takács, associate professor.

 

I had an opportunity also to go to UIUC, but I decided to come to BME. I contacted Gábor Stépán and Tamás Insperger. They replied within a day that I was warmly welcome here.

The second time, after two years, we decided to come again, as we have a lot of joint co-operations and publications and a collaborative international project (TÉT-IPARI) with the Hefei University of Technology.

 

My current visit is funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC). I came in July 2022, although my contract was ready even one year before, I could not depart because of COVID restrictions in China. I am here for 12 months.

 

What is Your research topic?

 

My topic examines the dynamics and stability of vehicle handling with automated control or human driving control. My other topic is time-delay effects in the control loop of vehicle stability control systems.

 

How do You like living in Budapest?

 

I love Budapest, except in the winter, the weather is a little cold. For me, the time zone difference is also a difficulty. What impresses me most is the Budapest community transportation and traffic systems. The vehicles have a dense schedule and are super convenient, taking you everywhere you want. Budapest is merged by Buda and Pest, divided by the river Danube. I live on the Pest side of Budapest, and every day I come to work by bike across the Danube, enjoying the spectacular scenery. I experience Budapest as a super safe city, where I can go anytime, almost anywhere, without worries.

 

Do You have any favourite place in the city or Hungary?

 

I love the scenery of Saint Stephen's Basilica and the story of the king's mummified right hand inside the church. I have even been there three times. I have also been to Esztergom, and Visegrád, Gödöllő; they are beautiful small cities near Budapest, definitely worth visiting. Esztergom has a large cathedral, Visegrád has a beautiful, ruined hilltop fortress and castle, while Gödöllő has one of the royal residences from the times when Hungary was a kingdom.

 

Do You find life in Hefei and Budapest very different?

 

Personally, in my daily life, the most significant difference is cooking. In Hefei, I don't cook at all. I only buy food at takeaway kiosks and go to restaurants. When I arrived here, I started to learn cooking because I missed the flavours of my homeland. Daily life, in other manners, is similar. Most people are very nice both in Budapest and Hefei as well. The only difference is that here more people greet each other. For example, when you enter a small shop, you usually say hello to the shop assistant, even in a crowd.

In academic life, there are a lot of differences. As a PhD student in China, you have a lot of administrative work, but you do not have to teach. However, we have to be in charge of project finances, costing a vast amount of time. But now, as a visiting PhD student, I only have a few other tasks, so I can spend my time working on my research topic.

 

What do you do in your spare time?

 

I love simulated driving, so I am also connected to my topic in my free time. I love riding a bike at the weekends.

 

What kind of plans do you have after receiving your PhD?

 

I want to do the post-doctoral programme. Probably here, at BME.

 

In some words, please explain what BME has given to You!

 

Firstly, BME gave me the opportunity to visit and be a PhD student here. China is so large not everyone has the possibility to get grants in foreign countries. I also attended some lectures and seminars operated by BME. Teachers are very dedicated and hard-working. I owe a lot from their courses and also personally.

In this department, researchers are kind and open-minded. It is delightful for me to have professional conversations which give expansions to my research area.

 

Laszlo Benesoczky

'We are exploring sinergies for future collaboration'

 

From left to right: Frank Lujaji PhD (DSIT), Thomas Kivevele PhD (NMAIT), and Tamás Tábi PhD (BME) at the Polymer Engineering Laboratory at BME

Two researchers from Tanzania, Frank C. Lujaji PhD (Dar-es-Salaam Institute of Technology) and Thomas Kivevele PhD (Nelson Mandela African Institute of Technology) explored the research opportunities at BME at the beginning of July. The visit of the two scholars is supported by ERASMUS+, under the invitation of Ákos Bereczky PhD, associate professor of the BME Department of Energy Engineering. Dr. Lujaji and Dr. Kivevele have already been at BME over ten years as a students of this university. 

Where did you study before, and when did you get to know BME opportunities?

Frank Lujaji: I came from Dar-es-Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), the oldest technical institution in Tanzania. I completed my Master's and PhD degrees in South Africa, and  I considered a great fortune to be invited for four months to BME with the help of a "Tét" project, by Ákos Bereczky, in July 2009. I was working at an engine test lab, where I ran biofuel tests, to investigate engine performance, and I also did characterisations at the laboratories of the BME Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology (VBK).

 Currently I am the campus director to start and register new programmes, and I also work as a mechanical engineering lecturer. Today I am here for the second time, but this visit takes only ten days. We hope, that we or our fellow researchers can return soon.

Thomas Kivevele: I work for the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Technology located in Arusha, Tanzania. I obtained my BSc degree at the University of Dar-es-Salaam and I submitted my master's studies in South Africa, but I did my research in India, and Hungary. I spent some time as a postdoctoral researcher at Baylor University in Texas.

I arrived in Budapest in November 2010. I was attending the same laboratories, I was running almost all of the experiments necessary for my thesis about original African biofuels. And I was also exploring characterisations at the chemistry laboratories. 

It was excellent being here. We learnt a professional way of doing research. We could use state-of-the-art equipment. 

You are here now with the Staff Mobility For Training within programme Erasmus+. What are the exact activities during your visit? 

Ákos Bereczky PhD

Frank Lujaji: This International Credit Mobility programme was supposed to start with student exchange. So far, only one student could come here from Tanzania, due to COVID restrictions, but he had to travel back to Tanzania. Our current visit is taking place as part of a staff mobility. We explored areas, and we collaborated in the mobility programme, to complete the work of the current project, but also to explore other research areas for future collaborations.

The visited Faculties were the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (GPK), the Faculty of Transportation Engineering and Vehicle Engineering (KJK), the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology (VBK), the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (VIK), also two laboratories of BME Centre for University-Industry Cooperation (FIEK), the Faculty of Natural Sciences (TTK) and the Institute of Nuclear Techniques (NTI), and the Training Reactor,  the Faculty of Civil Engineering (ÉMK), the Faculty of Architecture (ÉPK), and the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences (GTK).

 Thomas Kivevele: The three-year project had two mobility categories: student mobility for studies and staff mobility for teaching or training. Now we are exploring staff exchange. Our main goal is to meet different staff members, visit different laboratories, and find synergies to make this project sustainable after the the close of the mobility programme as well. Now we got to know, whom we can contact at BME.

 What are the main differences between Tanzania and Hungary?

 Frank Lujaji: In Hungary, academicians are committed to research in their private labs, while in my country, there are rather centralised labs with general access. But we have challenges having access to more specialised equipment.

Thomas Kivevele: We both have similar challenges, access to funds, et cetera. Hungarian people are kind, nothing to complain about so far. Ákos Bereczky is keeping us busy (laughing), and does not let us survive alone. We, Tanzanians are also welcoming, warm-hearted people.

 Ákos Bereczky: What is important to highlight, four years ago we were delighted that there was a possibility to start this cooperation. Unfortunately, there were challenges in making this cooperation finish perfectly. Finally, we are very happy, that one student could also come, despite the travelling difficulties and restrictions. I hope, we could not only improve our cooperation, but I hope, it can be more general cooperation with Tanzanian universities and BME. This is the target at the moment.

 László Benesóczky

(Photo: Ákos Bereczky, János Philip)

'I have gained enormous knowledge from my professors and my different soft and technical skills have improved.' - Interview with Mohammad Darwish

'In 2018, I graduated among the top 10 of my class. Afterward, I applied to the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship to pursue my higher education at Budapest University of Technology and Economics.' More

‘Fair study programme with high requirements: if you study hard, you succeed’

Doaa Nabawy is a student from Egypt, who came here to study architecture at BME in 2018. A little while later she felt more attracted to mechanical engineering than architecture, for that reason she made up her mind to join BME gain but this time as a mechanical engineering student. At the moment she is over her two global exams, and writing her thesis on hydrodynamics systems.

More

"A rigorous discipline with warm-hearted BME teachers"

A Chengdu Technology University alumna, Yimeng Wang came to BME to study on our mechanical engineering MSc programme. With Yimeng, we had a conversation online about differences between Sichuan and Hungary, favourite places in Budapest, and about academic pressure in mechanical engineering. Interview with Yimeng Wang. More

'Experienced lecturers, international environment in a fascinating and attractive city'- interview with Ghaith Burhani, our PhD student

Ghaith Burhani, PhD student, before coming to BME, graduated in the area of aeronautical and also fluid mechanics engineering at Syrian universities. Now he is a PhD student at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Hydrodynamic Systems.
More

'The staff are friendly and helpful, and they involved me in various domestic and international research projects' - interview with Mohammad Fawaier, our PhD student

 Interview with Mohammad Fawaier, our second-year PhD student. He studies at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Building Services and Process Engineering, with Stipendium Hungaricum Scolarship. Mohammad spoke about his motivations and experiences, and also shared us a funny story about an old Hungarian engineer.

Where and when did you graduate before studying at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering?

I hold a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Jordan since 2017. After graduation, I decided to pursue higher education; therefore, I applied for the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarships for an MSc position. More

I also used machine learning techniques to refine building energy calculations’ – interview with Ábrahám Papp

In the scientific competition organised by the Hungarian National Bank and BME, our Energy Engineering MSc student, Ábrahám Papp, gained the 2nd prize in the ’Engineering and business innovations of green economy’ category.
More

'There is a wealth of knowledge here at BME across a very wide range of disciplines' - interview with Josh Davidson PhD, research fellow of our faculty

 Josh Davidson has been doing research at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Hydrodinamics for three years.

 He still likes Hungarian cuisine, and is very enthusiastic about working at the department. Interview.

’The approach gained at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering enabled me to analyse problems which I have not faced before’

Gábor Erős is a student of the Mechatronics Engineering MA program of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Despite this, he wrote his TDK (Student’s Scientific Association Conference) paper about how exchange rate changes affect the 2008 financial crisis. Although the author studies at a different faculty, the article was awarded the 1st prize in the economic sciences section and the Farkas Heller Special Award for the moral recognition of creating outstanding work. Interview.

French master student Florent Debonne completes internship at the Department of Building Service and Process Engineering

 Students of French universities have to complete a two-month-long internship abroad before finishing their Masters. Florent Debonne, Master student of Mines ParisTech is participating the energy-engineering programme ISUPFERE. He was particularly interested in building services engineering and building energy and therefore joined the team of the Department of Building Service and Process Engineering at BME. His work is supervised by assistant professor Dr. Balázs Bokor. More

‘Doing research is an enjoyable job for me’ – interview with He Haijun

 He Haijun, PhD student of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Polymer Engineering, gained the first prize of the BMe research Grant. Most PhD students aspire for the grant, created to support professionally outstanding researchers.

'People always says that PhD studies are the most challenging part of life. But the PhD study at BME makes me not feel that tough, instead, it gives me the calmness and the balance between work and life when doing my research. It teaches me how to make an enjoyable PhD life. And I also have time to do my hobbies, I am a marathon runner.' More

Aiming high-quality education, with empathy towards students

 

Dr Szabolcs Berezvai graduated on PhD level in July 2020, and he is already rated as the most excellent lecturer of BME, out of nearly one thousand lecturers, and gained the honours of the Best Lecturer of BME. Interview with Szabolcs Berezvai, the senior lecturer of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Applied Mechanics. More

'During planning phase, getting to know the future user is essential'

The thesis of our freshly graduated industrial design MSc student, Boglárka Duray, was published on the Hungarian-language architecture and design portal ’Octogon’. 

Her design was about a product family of office lamps, called Glide. She is not only an outstanding designer but also tried herself in various fields of engineering. Interview with Boglárka Duray. More

'I believe in the power of motivation, and the child-like curiosity' - interview with Dr Attila Csobán

 'A man made of gold' 'Absolutely helpful' 'Csobán for president' – and we can read several similar, enthusiastic opinions about him on a popular, lecturer scoring portal. Dr Attila Csobán, senior lecturer of BME Department of Machine and Product Design, who was given the ’Excellent Lecturer of BME’ prize, based on the survey filled by students. 

How did you take this honour? 

Attila Csobán: I became delighted. I am very proud of it. I was having a look at my mailbox, and my eyes fell on a mail sent by Zsombor Pollák, who was the president of the student council at the time, telling me, that I gained this award. It was a warm, pleasant feeling. When lecturers leave academic life without transferring their complete knowledge, it is my most tremendous heartache. It is an honour itself that I can teach. More

’It is an honour, that the students apperciate my work’

Ágnes Urbin, assistant lecturer of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of MOGI (Mechatronics, Optics and Mechanical Engineering Informatics) was given the ’Excellent Lecturer of BME’ prize. This decision was made by EHK (Students’ Union of BME). Interview.

You gained the ’Excellent Lecturer of BME’ prize. How did you take this honour?

It surprised me. It was just a few weeks ago, that I received an email from the students’ union of BME, informing about the prize. I felt delighted and pleased that I got the award based on the students’ assessment of lecturers. However, I did not expect it.

The reason could be, perhaps, that I handle students as equal partners. This prize is, although, not only my honour. I give lab courses, where it is much easier to connect and get feedback. It is less rewarding to speak for an hour and a half in front of hundreds of people. More

Can we use drones as forest fire sensors? How do bullet-proof vests work? Interview with Tamás Kalmár-Nagy

 Tamás Kalmár-Nagy was a researcher of the Ivy League-member Cornell University, also have won a winning a world championship with their robot soccer team. Now, he is an associate professor of the BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Aerodynamics. For him, research is a joyful activity. Interview with Tamás Kalmár-Nagy.

'I research diverse topics, and mechanistic turbulence has aerodynamical relevance, moreover, is an exciting model with a great heritage.' More

Startup - Reducing carbon footstep with minimal compromises

The Respray team started to think about creating refillable aerosol cans and their refilling machines. The team is made up of two students: Andor Réti, mechanical engineer student of BME, and Gergely Zámbó, a finance and accounting student of Corvinus University.

In the 2nd semester of the Startup Campus program, gained a 15 million HUF (49000 USD) subsidy, allowing them to create the prototype of the first self-driven machine and can. The objective of Respray is the cooperation with major firms in the deodorant distribution. Interview.

How did you find the idea of the refillable aerosol cans?

Andor Réti: Our common fields of interest are environmental protection and business; this gave birth to this idea. We believe that environmental protection can only be successful if opportunities for reducing carbon footsteps require only a minimal compromise for the consumer. We focused on aerosol cans, as aerosols have adverse health effects, and also produce waste, is caused by petroleum gases, while our solution uses compressed air. Thus the future users will not inhale hydrocarbons. More

'My objective is to do something really relevant for science, having an impact on people's life'

 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'- says the proverb. Giuesppe Habib attained an Italian top university in Rome, but, because he was mesmerised by Budapest, did his Erasmus scolarship and PhD at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Later, he returned to Hungary as a researcher, and today works as a senior lecturer at the Department of Applied Mechanics of the faculty. Interview.  

You graduated as a mechanical engineer at the La Sapienza University of Rome in 2008. Why did you choose Mechanical Engineering?

Since when I was in high school, I was fascinated by the possibility of predicting the dynamics of physical objects by using mathematics. This made me love physics and in particular mechanics. When I had to choose which university to go to, I was undecided between mechanical engineering and physics, what I knew is that I wanted to deal with mechanics. In the end, I chose mechanical engineering because it gives more job opportunities. More

‘To solve a difficult medtech problem, I used image processing and AI’

 Aline Faria de Lemos, a PhD student from Brazil, has already studied here in Hungary when she met with the opportunity of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship. Now she is researching about a MedTech topic as a PhD student at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of MOGI. Interview.

'I have lived in Budapest for a year during my bachelor's degree. I won a scholarship for a sandwich degree, which meant a two semester-long period of my bachelor's in Hungary. To tell the truth, I did not know much about Hungary before, but when I got to Budapest, I saw that it is a beautiful city, with classical buildings and friendly people. After this year, which is a fond memory for me, I returned to Brazil, but I kept thinking about Budapest. 

During my masters in Brazil, I got to know about the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, and that it is available for PhD as well. That time I have already decided to continue my studies in a PhD programme. I started searching for doctoral programmes for mechanical engineering, that is how I have found the BME and especially the Department of MOGI (Mechatronics, Optics and Mechanical Engineering Informatics). I also had a look at the scientific performance of the professors and lecturers here, seeing, that they are highly qualified and are doing serious research, like my supervisor, Balázs Vince Nagy. Besides, I already had some friends who studied here and were satisfied with the education and the research opportunities.' More

Helpful professors and comprehensive equipment at BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering – interview with Gao Min

 

Gao Min, an alumna of Guangxi University, China, is a PhD student of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering researches retina stimulation opportunities at the Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Mechanical Engineering Informatics.

 We talked not only about her research topic, but also her favourite Hungarian dishes and places in Budapest.

'As a master student, I had a dream to study on PhD level abroad. My husband applied and received the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship. Then we decided to come to Hungary together. It was an easy task to choose BME as an optical engineer, as there is a well-known department focusing on optics at the university (BME MOGI). Here I met my supervisor, Dr. Balázs Vince Nagy, researcher of human vision.' More

’We have to be realistic about the social-economical aspects of technological development’

Ákos Gyenge

In the competition organised by BME and the Hungarian National Bank (MNB), the students of our faculty won two of four categories. 

 In the first part of the BME Mechanical Engineering Blog interview series, we talked with Ákos Gyenge, and Donát Takács, students of our faculty, as a team won the big gold of the competition with their work in the category ’Smart cities and sustainable lifestyle’. Interview.

'The whole work was a great professional challenge: although I attended a few university lectures regarding urbanism, I have never delved into the topic this deeply before. However, the most challenging aspect was something else: considering the economic and social effects in the long term of novel, exciting solutions. The results of the current, rapid technological development are undoubtedly impressive, but the last decades have proven that  these developments can have unexpected yet significant social and ecological consequences. Moreover, the development of a city has a much larger inertia, than e.g. the smartphone market does: urban developments are hard to reverse and usually have long-term effects.' More

 

’I projected tech issues on economic processes, covering business and legal aspects as well’

In the competition organised by BME and the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) the students of our faculty won two of four categories.

In the second part of the BME Mechanical Engineering Blog interview series, we talked with Balázs Riskutia, the winner of the category Platform Economy: AI, robotics and green technologies.

 

What was the biggest challenge in this project?

 

Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge was the research through the various types of literature. Platform economy as a topic is discussable from several points of view. I got to the result with the help of legal, technological, IT, economy and business review articles. To be satisfied by an abstract, general platform model is definitely tempting. But we can only see the big picture of the platform economy if we get to know the technological processes that led to its emergence, if recognise its integration in the institutionalised society and if we can follow how the platform economy creates novel business models for companies. On the whole, the challenge was to collect a set of articles with appropriately diverse approaches from which one can still construct a unified view for the reader.  More

Startup of BME energy engineering students makes a revolution in the e-mobility

Four of BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering students, launched a startup for developing an application for e-mobility navigation. This startup was born as a project not only winning the MVM Edison energy startup contest but also receiving investment from a subsidiary. Interview with Kornél Kálmán, co-founder of Volteum.

 What has inspired you to develop the application?

  

Kornél Kálmán: In the current Volteum team, four of the founders are contributing, and all started at BME on Energy Engineering BSc programme. We have got to know each other at the Student Association of Energy on BME, where we participated in various projects and also the management of the association. Besides our studies, we were also curious about the challenges and current development directions. We always have wanted to be part of these, so we got into the rapidly growing e-mobility sector. More