Foundations of Numerous Collaborations
We first asked the President of the Archenerg Cluster about the foundations of the numerous collaborations to place the relationship within the horizon of collaborations. The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Szeged further expanded its cooperation with the NingboTech University in China, which was established last May. According to their agreement, they have established a joint research institute that also facilitates student and faculty mobility.
"NingboTech University, as its name suggests, is a technical university in Ningbo. On a Chinese scale, it is as big as a 'small town', but its population rivals that of Hungary. NingboTech University contacted us in April 2023 to express their interest in cooperating. What's more, they wanted to establish a joint virtual research and development institute," said Prof. Dr. István Bíró, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Szeged and President of the Archenerg Cluster, about the beginnings of the cooperation.
NingboTech University was founded in June 2001 in Zhejiang Province, China. The institution's main philosophy is "Education for Student Development". Thus, the management's goal, in addition to promoting the high-quality education of talented students, is to ensure that they themselves can be among the top 100 universities in China.
In May 2023, the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Szeged signed a cooperation agreement with the NingboTech University School of Materials Science and Engineering. This resulted in the establishment of the China-Hungary Joint Research Institute for Advanced Technologies. Its main profile is the research of photovoltaic, fire-resistant and energy storage materials, as well as their application possibilities. In this, the President of the Archenerg Cluster is a pioneer. The "Supplementary Agreement on Student Exchange between the University of Szeged and NingboTech University" signed in May 2024 allows Chinese partners and Szeged Faculty of Engineering lecturers and students to study and research at each other's institutions.
Renewable Energy in Focus
Dr. Sarolta Lakatosné Nemes, President of the Uzbek Professional Section, shared the details of the beginnings of further collaborations established during the summer.
"The nearly two weeks spent in Hohhot were basically devoted to renewable energy and included twice-daily 3-hour seminars based on lectures by Chinese professors and entrepreneurs, as well as two site visits to projects," said Dr. Sarolta Lakatosné Nemes, President of the Uzbek Professional Section.
Part of the professional consultation was the presentation of the invited professors' countries from the point of view of renewable energy. The largest delegations were from Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Tajikistan, with representatives from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia. From Europe, only the representatives of the Archenerg Cluster were present at the professional consultation. The cluster's representative, Dr. Sarolta Lakatosné Nemes, President of the Uzbek Professional Section, signed a total of five agreements. The agreements included a bilateral agreement with the Islam Karimov Technical University in Tashkent, and two more with Uzbek universities, followed by a trilateral agreement with a Chinese university and the Uzbek Ministry of Energy Institute.
A Fruitful Meeting in Szeged
The agreements were crowned by a fruitful meeting in Szeged in the middle of the week. Prof. Dr. István Bíró, President of the Archenerg Cluster, and Joy Tsao, who represents Csongrád-Csanád County in Chinese affairs, met with representatives of a huge giant investment at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Szeged.
The meeting on Wednesday was held with representatives of Beijing Wingain Machinery & Electronics Co. Wingain Europe Machinery and Trading Co. Ltd. is also preparing for manufacturing and wholesale in Hungary, and has registered its headquarters in the Csongrád Industrial Park. The goal of the industrial park is "industrial activity representing advanced, environmentally friendly technological processes, as well as the establishment of large and small businesses".
The company also manufactures important components for solar panels, but also deals with automatic control systems, for example. Among the goals of the consultation were such important things as the transfer of academic knowledge, scientific research and professional cooperation.
