At the European round of the Huawei ICT Competition, computer science
engineering students from the Faculty of Engineering and Information
Technology of the University of Pécs (UP FEIT) represented Hungary in
two categories, an achievement unmatched by any other Hungarian
institution. Having secured first place in the Hungarian final of the
Cisco NetAcad Cup, the teams went on to achieve fifth place in Europe.
Their mentor, Gábor Gyurák, master lecturer and Acting Head of the
Department of Cybersecurity and Networks at UP FEIT, received the most
prestigious recognition in the networking field this year: the Cisco
NetAcad Excellence in Education Award (Higher Education category).

Students and instructors of the Huawei ICT Academy operating at the Faculty have
also developed and translated into Hungarian the technology company’s
artificial intelligence curriculum, making it accessible to all schools
in Hungary. In addition, the Faculty’s CyberLab has successfully
launched a cybersecurity awareness campaign, attracting significant
interest. These achievements over recent months clearly demonstrate that
UP FEIT is internationally recognised in the fields of networking and
cybersecurity.

At the 2026 Huawei ICT Competition, a global
infocommunication technology contest, students from Pécs competed in two
tracks: networking and cloud technologies. Participants were required
to solve complex tasks using tools available to them only in a limited
capacity, which presented an additional challenge. The UP FEIT teams won
both Hungarian tracks and advanced to the European round; however, they
will not proceed to the global finals in China.

The Faculty also
achieved notable success in the Cisco NetAcad Cup, which aims to
encourage students worldwide to develop their skills in networking,
cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. This year’s competition
focused on networking and cybersecurity. With more than 100,000
participants and over 600 Cisco Networking Academy communities
worldwide, the UP FEIT team secured fifth place in Europe after their
first-place finish in Hungary.

“The ICT Academy operating within
the Faculty, which serves as a designated ‘Support Centre’ in Hungary,
increasingly engages our students; currently, nearly all of our computer
science engineering students participate in this system. Huawei’s
global programme in infocommunication technologies seeks to strengthen
digital competencies by providing access to learning materials for both
university and secondary school students, while also organising
competitions worldwide. Recently, Dr. Géza Várady, Vice Dean for
Scientific Affairs of our Faculty, presented at a conference in
Barcelona
on how the artificial intelligence curriculum, developed and translated
into Hungarian by our ICT Academy, has become accessible to all
Hungarian schools. This further confirms that our professional community
in Pécs is recognised at the international level,” said Gábor Gyurák.

Several dozen Cisco Academies operate in Hungary, and for years, the one in
Pécs has consistently ranked among the leading and distinguished
institutions. This outstanding professional work has now also been
acknowledged by awarding Gábor Gyurák the Cisco NetAcad Excellence in
Education Award, the most prestigious recognition in the networking
field. (Two years earlier, the Faculty received the Cisco Academy of the
Year award.)

“Our success is also due to the Faculty recognising
early on that networking and cybersecurity are key areas worth
developing. We established the Department of Cybersecurity and Networks
last year, and the CyberLab community, which brings together our
students, is performing exceptionally well. We have achieved excellent
results in international competitions for years. While this reflects a
tremendous amount of dedicated work, it is also important to note that
these achievements serve as strong motivation for our students,” Gyurák
added.

CyberLab considers raising cybersecurity awareness among
younger generations a priority. As a result, it has conducted highly
successful outreach campaigns in primary and secondary schools across
the region during both the fall and spring semesters. The specifically
tailored informational lectures for these age groups have attracted
significant interest, with all available slots filled during the
academic year. The initiative is planned to continue in the autumn.

The Faculty’s IT-related professional activities are further strengthened
by partnerships emerging from these achievements and professional
engagements. UP FEIT has recently signed a cooperation agreement with
the John von Neumann Computer Society (Neumann János Számítógéptudományi
Társaság) to operate, among other initiatives, an ICDL examination
centre, which opened at the Faculty on 1 April 2026. More recently, the
Scientific Association for Infocommunications (Hírközlési és
Informatikai Tudományos Egyesület) approached the Department to
collaborate on joint programmes and training activities.

“This long-established national scientific association focuses on current
cybersecurity issues within its Information Security Section and
organises monthly conferences featuring renowned speakers. Participating
in these online events not only provides access to up-to-date
professional knowledge but also creates valuable opportunities to
connect with professional communities located at considerable physical
distances. These collaborations significantly contribute to the
continued success of our professional work in Pécs,” noted Gábor Gyurák.