Identify and engage with local stakeholders (16.2.3)

Széchenyi István University has formal written strategic objectives that require faculties to identify, maintain and expand relationships with external stakeholders, including business, employers, municipalities, healthcare organisations, schools, cultural institutions and professional partners. The Faculty Strategic Objectives and Interventions (2021-2030, Pdf) document sets out concrete engagement mechanisms such as maintaining professional partnerships, identifying new partners, involving practitioners in teaching, developing corporate networks, cooperating with local government bodies, participating in regional development initiatives and strengthening relationships with cultural and community organisations. These actions are integrated into faculty planning and demonstrate a systemic approach to stakeholder identification and engagement across the University.

The written procedure is set out in the Sustainability Strategy 2022–2030: it requires measures to be developed together with the relevant stakeholders and their needs to be identified before decisions are adopted. It commits the University to regular stakeholder surveys, meetings and consultations and to a formal partnership plan, including joint programmes with the municipalities that host its campuses.

Apáczai Csere János Faculty

  • Defines its mission to provide services to institutional and corporate partners and undertake third-mission activities connected to civil society and the wider cultural and professional environment.
  • Participates in environmental education and sustainability initiatives in Győr and the surrounding region.
  • Offers preparatory and outreach programmes for secondary-school students.

Audi Hungaria Faculty of Automotive Engineering

  • Involves practitioners and experienced professionals in teaching.
  • Engages MSc students in industrial projects.
  • Uses project-based learning connected to industry needs.

Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences

  • Maintains relationships with professional partners and identifies new partners.
  • Aligns specialised training with market and legislative needs.
  • Builds relationships with secondary schools in the region and involves them in faculty events.
  • Disseminates research results to professional and public audiences.

Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences

  • Develops a broad corporate network.
  • Encourages industrial contracts and external collaboration.

Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences

  • Cooperates with the Municipality of Győr in health-promotion and health-education projects.
  • Develops a rehabilitation park serving local residents, companies and sports organisations.
  • Aligns health-science education with local healthcare needs.

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Informatics and Electrical Engineering

  • Uses external speakers from industry.
  • Builds project-based education around real industrial needs.
  • Supports educational collaborations with external partners.

Kautz Gyula Faculty of Business and Economics

  • Positions itself as a networking hub between the university and the surrounding business community.
  • Strengthens corporate and institutional relations as a strategic priority.
  • Develops education and services in response to labour-market needs and economic actors’ demands.

Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences

  • Establishes close links with companies operating in Győr.
  • Participates in regional development programmes, including the Szigetköz project.
  • Cooperates with external organisations through research and innovation activities.

Faculty of Performance Arts

  • Develops cooperation with regional cultural organisations including orchestras, theatres and artistic institutions.
  • Increases engagement with local and regional audiences through cultural activities and communication.

Engagement with industrial and business stakeholders through FIEK

The Higher Education and Industrial Cooperation Centre (FIEK) has a dedicated mechanism for developing the innovation ecosystem of Széchenyi István University and strengthening relationship between the University and external business partners. The Centre identifies businesses, companies, research institutes and other external professional partners as stakeholders groups for university cooperation. Széchenyi István University, as a member of the Territorial Innovation Platform (TIP) – Győr provides an additional formal mechanism of industry engagement. Széchenyi István University invites national and regional actors as potential partners to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem.

Engagement with ALUMNI

Széchenyi István University applies a separate institutional procedure for alumni as important external stakeholder group. The Alumni and Wellbeing Centre is responsible for maintaining the relationship with former students. The objective is to bring together graduates, maintain their connection with the university community and support their professional career development. In addition, through the annual ALUMNI survey Széchenyi István University permanently monitors the engagement of ALUMNI with Széchenyi István University, as well as their proposal and opinion regarding teaching, research and third mission activity of the university. The responses are anonymous. The Alumni and Wellbeing Centre processes responses. Based on that, the Center formulates a set of recommendations that Széchenyi István University can integrate into its future activities and practices.