Foundation

Summer University for Future Engineers 2025

Mindset Shift in Five Days

Our Foundation organized its Summer University for the third time this year. The five-day event, held between August 25 and 29, offered civil engineering students experiences and knowledge that both extend beyond the usual university curriculum and will become indispensable the moment they step onto the labor market.

Universities cannot fully keep pace with the rapid development of our age, which is why both industry players and students are compelled to broaden their knowledge outside academic frameworks and acquire the necessary practical skills. The program is valuable not only in this respect but also in helping students answer their fundamental questions: “What will my future look like, and where will I find my place?”

On the first morning of the program, participants perceive the profession as though looking through a keyhole: they do not yet see the construction industry in its entirety, they are unfamiliar with the process of a project or with the actors in the market, and most of them have not yet encountered concepts such as digital transition or circular construction. Their ability to think in systems is still limited. At the Summer University, however, perspectives broaden, as the program’s knowledgeable lecturers provide insight into the market as a whole.

By learning about the professions involved in investments, the various players of the construction industry, and the processes of projects, students can more easily—and with greater chances of success—identify the field that fits their character, interests, and personality. Based on the wide-ranging knowledge shared in the lectures, they also acquire a clearer picture of which skills and competencies are needed in the professional area they aspire to pursue.

The responsibility for constantly expanding their knowledge and keeping up with new achievements in their chosen discipline rests with the students themselves; lifelong self-education is essential. Participants of the Summer University are given both methodological tools and real impulses to support this journey.

In each lecture, and in the discussions that follow, beyond the content itself, the experienced industry professional—the lecturer, the person—serves as a model and example. Students can see career paths, enthusiasm, and true commitment to the profession.

The goal of the Foundation—and its experience as well—is that during these five days, students should undergo a genuine mindset shift, while at the same time gaining access to the most up-to-date knowledge. They must also see the challenges of sustainability and digitalization. That is why, beyond fashionable topics, the training included the practical application of the Digital Twin and AI. Robotics was also discussed, and participants even had the chance to attend a demonstration of a “robot dog” that can be integrated into engineering tasks.

Since soft skills play a key role in the success of professional situations, the program also integrated presentation and negotiation training. Students were also able to practice job interview scenarios and gain insights into the employer’s perspective.

This year, students came from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Óbuda University, Pécs, and Debrecen. Between lectures—and often far into the evening—the six teams worked on a joint project. Their complex task was to create and present a concept for a permanent residence suitable for a family of four, to be designed on a river barge. In addition, the teams were responsible for carrying out the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of the planned building complex.

Drawing on the knowledge acquired during the soft skills training, the student teams delivered truly engaging and memorable presentations for the evaluation committee.

CÉH Foundation to support young engineers and people with disabilities

The mission of the Foundation is

To support programmes for the development of construction, engineering and technical solutions, research and development of effective and creative design, investment and construction engineering methods. 

To this end, to support students and young engineers preparing for engineering careers to become engineers, and to support people with disabilities to enter engineering careers.

What are the Foundation's technical areas of support?

• Development of digitalisation (including AI-based solutions) in the construction and engineering sectors
• Technical and technological developments in construction and engineering
• Developments in sustainability in construction and engineering

What does the Foundation support?

The basic objective of the Foundation is to promote the dissemination, exploitation and development of modern, state-of-the-art technical solutions and methods in the fields of construction and engineering, in particular in the areas of research, education, equal opportunities, environmental protection, protection and conservation of cultural heritage and the built environment.

• The Foundation invites applications, 
• awards prizes, 
• supports higher education 
• vocational training, 
• studies at home and abroad, and participation in congresses. 

The Foundation also participates in the financing of specialist books and publications in order to disseminate and promote the advanced and sophisticated approach and modern methodology of civil engineering as widely as possible in accordance with its objectives.

The basic objective of the Foundation is to provide equal opportunities for prospective and career engineers in the fields of construction, design, investment and engineering, as well as engineers with disabilities, in order to promote their professional development.