Artificial intelligence builds both knowledge and connections – Miskolc Campus Forum Green and Smart

The international business conference organized by the Universitas Miskolcinensis Foundation and the University of Miskolc brought together representatives from industry, the economy, public life, and academia to discuss the present and future of artificial intelligence.

The professional program was opened by Prof. Dr. Zoltán Siménfalvi, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology, who, in his opening remarks, highlighted the thematic arc of the conference series—from environmental protection through sustainability to artificial intelligence (AI).

Today, the use of AI permeates not only the field of engineering but appears almost everywhere in everyday life: in the social sciences, in the legal and economic fields, in the technology and methodology of university education, and, of course, in research support as well.

The speakers at the morning section sessions also highlighted the potential applications of artificial intelligence: its use in materials and chemical engineering, the transformation of the energy market, and robotic process automation, but there was also discussion of AI-based education and the use of AI in predicting student dropout rates. In the social sciences section, its economic and legal implications were discussed during a roundtable discussion.

In keeping with the traditions of the Miskolc Campus Forum Green and Smart, the event provided a platform for nurturing talent: the morning program concluded with a presentation by the winning teams of the 10th Dénes Vadász Computer Science Competition, held at the University of Miskolc. In the programming category, contestants had to solve the problem of controlling a rover moving across the surface of Mars. The participating teams had two main tasks: developing an AI-based route-planning algorithm and visually representing the spacecraft’s activities.

The winners’ work was recognized at an awards ceremony. First place went to the “Steap” team (Debrecen Vocational School Mechwart András Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology Technical School); second place went to the “Gödör” team (Debrecen Vocational School Pál Beregszászi Technical School and Boarding School); while third place was awarded to the “bun instal” team (Miskolc Vocational School Kálmán Kandó Information Technology Technical School) based on the jury’s decision. The awards were presented by Marie-Theres Thiell and Pál Veres, members of the board of trustees of the Universitas Miskolcinensis Foundation.

The afternoon session of the conference focused on the social and business aspects of artificial intelligence, support for technical and social innovations, and the university’s long-term vision for people-centered sustainability, which Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Péter Szűcs discussed in his opening remarks. He noted:

the University of Miskolc’s industry-oriented education and research strategy has been finalized, so everything is in place for the transfer of future-oriented knowledge and the further development of education.

During the plenary sessions, Dr. Gergő József Tóth, the local government’s chief of staff, spoke about the legal issues surrounding Miskolc’s transformation into a digital city, while Achilles Georgiu, Head of Data, AI, and Innovation at the MOL Group, discussed the impact of AI on business.

The day concluded with a panel discussion led by Marie-Theres Thiell, the initiator of the Miskolc Campus Forum Green and Smart, in which university, government, and industry representatives—including representatives from the MOL Group and Zeiss Digital Innovation Hungary—discussed how artificial intelligence can become one of the most important drivers of cooperation between universities and industry.