Agrarian OTDK - Success in Debrecen
Students at the University of Debrecen have won the most awards at the XXXIV. National Scientific Students’ Associations Conference (Acronym in Hungarian: OTDK) in Agricultural Sciences. The talents of the Faculty of Economics and Agrarians received a total of 23 podium positions and 14 special awards at the scientific forum.
Almost 300 projects were presented by students from national and cross-border institutions at the Agricultural Science Section of this year's OTDK from 16 to 18 April at the University of Debrecen. László Csernoch, Vice-Rector for Science and Chancellor Zoltán Bács, welcomed the participants at the closing ceremony on Thursday followed by the announcement of the results.
OTDK is important not only for the training of the new generation of youngsters, but also because the elite audience, committed to research show their results. And how far-reaching, interdisciplinary is the agricultural science, also shows that in Debrecen, another independent faculty emerged 20 years ago from the agricultural faculty. The two have since been working in symbiosis on the Böszörményi road camp, the Chancellor said.
There is a great need for future intellectuals in education, research and practice, there is a shortage of well-trained professionals in agriculture – said Tamás Németh, president of the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The academician encouraged young researchers to apply to as many doctoral schools as possible to work as effectively as possible. At the ceremony, the Deputy State Secretary for Agrarian Education, Boglárka Bagdán also participated, who named this year's Agricultural Science Section exemplary, where students from Transylvania, Upper Hungary (Felvidék) and Southern Hungary (Délvidék) took part, and for the first time in the history of the academic student movement high school students could also enter.
Be proud to present at the University of Debrecen agrarian department! In this institution, besides the complete training system, the innovative development and the practical application of the research results are very important. The faculty is prepared for the challenges of the 21st century, and can count on the support of the Ministry of Agriculture in its innovative activities, said the Deputy Secretary of State. According to Boglárka Bagdán, young people should be encouraged to participate in agricultural sciences because this is necessary to maintain the rural way of life and to stop emigration. As she said, the key to agriculture is in the hands of the youth. The projects and professional standards of the Agricultural Sciences Section were evaluated by Béla Pénzes, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of Agricultural Sciences, and then he presented the prizes to the students in the ceremonial framework: the first, second and third places of the 27 sections and the special awards.
Among higher education institutions the host University of Debrecen proved to be the most successful, the Faculty of Agriculture, Food Science and Environmental Management and the Faculty of Economics received 8 first, 6 second and 9 third place prizes and 14 special prizes.
At the end of the ceremony, as the closing of the Agricultural Science Section of the National Scientific Students' Conference, István Komlósi passed the baton to Professor Péter Gálfi, as the next conference two years later will be organized by the University of Veterinary Medicine.