2026-04-16 16:19
The Neumann Excellence Gala was held for the fifth time, during which thirteen awards and one title of Honorary Citizen of the University were presented. Launched in 2022, the event aims to bring the university community together to celebrate outstanding achievements and showcase them to a wider audience.
True excellence begins when the teacher thinks like a student, the researcher dares to ask questions and express doubt, the colleague is precise, reliable, and committed, thought and opinion are free, and the partner builds a shared future with us, with Neumann János University. Dr. habil. Tamás Fülöp, rector of Neumann János University in Kecskemét, opened the gala with these thoughts.
In his speech, he emphasized that the Celebration of Excellence is not only a recognition of outstanding individual achievements and persistent, dedicated work, but also a reflection of the community. His message to all of us is that it is worth setting an example, worth embracing quality, worth taking on the often seemingly difficult daily struggles and challenges, and worth thinking in the long term, pursuing higher goals, and embodying excellence even in the busy routines of everyday life.
Dr. Ildikó Boross, president of the Foundation for János Neumann University, set the goal of close cooperation between the foundation and the university, and indicated that the foundation will continue to provide a secure foundation and the necessary resources for research at the university.
The Employee of the Year award was presented to Krisztina Tasi, a grants officer at the Grants Office, while the Award for Contribution to the University Community was presented to Tímea Czeglédi, the dean’s office manager at the Faculty of Economics.
The Researcher of the Year award, which takes into account publication output, scientific organization, and talent development, was presented to Dr. Zsolt Viharos, associate professor at the Faculty of Economics.
Several partners also received recognition. The Dual Partner of the Year award went to Phoenix Mecano Kecskemét Kft., while the title of Supporter of the Year was awarded to UNIX Autó Kft.
The Inspirational Personality of the Year award was presented to Dr. Orsolya Krix, head of the Legal and Procurement Office, while the Networking Expert of the Year award went to Szilvia Halczman, an engineering professor at GAMF.
A special highlight of the awards ceremony was the conferral of the title of Honorary Citizen of the University, which was presented to Bahget Iskander, a Kossuth Prize-winning photographer of Syrian origin and a former student of the university’s GAMF Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.
During the gala, the university’s outstanding faculty members were honored in several categories. The “Teacher of the Year” professional award was presented to Dr. Attila Hüvely, associate professor at the Faculty of Horticulture and Rural Development, and to Dr. Éva Pálinkó at the Faculty of Economics. At the GAMF Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Associate Professor Dr. Norbert Csík received the award; he also won the Student Award for Lecturer of the Year in the overall category, achieving a feat unprecedented in the history of the gala. The faculty-wide student recognition based on student enrollment was awarded to Dr. Klaudia Végh, assistant professor at the Faculty of Economics.
During the evening, the Neumann Solar Team was awarded the Innovative Team of the Year prize. In 2025, the team finished in 10th place at the world-famous Bridgestone World Solar Challenge race in Australia.
