2026-09-24 10:31
The joint course titled “Made in Kecskemét,” offered by the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét and the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (GAMF) at JvNU, continues. As part of this elective course, students gain firsthand experience with the processes and latest technologies of automobile manufacturing. This year’s opening lecture was delivered by Christian Dickert, CEO of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, on September 23, 2026.
John von Neumann University and the Mercedes-Benz Plant have been jointly organizing the “Made in Kecskemét” course—which is popular among students—for many years. The goal of the lecture series is to give university students direct insight into the structure and operations of the Kecskemét plant and to familiarize them with the technologies used in modern automobile manufacturing. The first lecture of the course, now in its seventh year, was delivered on Wednesday—as is tradition—by the plant manager; Christian Dickert took over management of the Kecskemét plant in May.
Before the opening lecture, the head of the Mercedes factory also met with the student development teams from the GAMF Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. The Neumann Formula Student Team, founded in 2025, introduced itself; with the participation of about sixty students, the team built its first race car intended for Formula Student competitions. In May 2026, the team unveiled its self-developed design, which was both engineered and built entirely by the students. After the presentation, Christian Dickert even took the students’ race car for a test drive.
The Kenji Racing Team also introduced itself to the plant director. This racing team, also composed of university students, previously developed vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines, but has recently shifted its focus to electric-powered prototypes. An important aspect of the team’s work is that its members gain practical experience in real-world engineering tasks, from design through manufacturing to testing.
Dr. Zoltán Nagy, CEO of JvNU, said at the event that the relationship between Mercedes-Benz and the university essentially dates back to the establishment of the Kecskemét plant. They have been working closely together in the field of dual education since 2012, and currently more than 70 students at the university are participating in dual education programs at Mercedes-Benz. This is a significant number even within the university’s total dual-track student body of approximately 400.
“The dual-track training program is a Kecskemét model that we developed jointly with Mercedes more than ten years ago and which is now implemented at several universities across the country,” said Dr. Zoltán Nagy.
According to the CEO of the University, continuity in the partnership has been maintained despite changes in plant management over the past few years: the university counts on Mercedes-Benz, while the company relies on the knowledge and supply of skilled professionals provided by the institution.
One of the most recent outcomes of this is the bachelor’s degree program in electrical engineering launched this past September. Dr. Zoltán Nagy explained that the creation of the program was also driven by Mercedes-Benz’s need for specialists. The automotive industry is placing increasing emphasis on electric propulsion, and the importance of electrical engineering expertise is growing in parallel. Starting in the fall of 2026, GAMF will train electrical engineers in addition to its existing programs in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, logistics, and information technology.
The “Made in Kecskemét” course complements the professional partnership established between the university and the factory: during the lectures, students will gain insight directly from Mercedes-Benz experts into how one of today’s largest domestic automotive manufacturing facilities operates and what technological changes are shaping automobile production.
