Hungarian Informatics Day Celebrated with a Conference

The Neumann Society, named after Hungarian-born American mathematician János Neumann, who became known for laying the foundations of the digital computer, paid tribute to 66 years of Hungarian computer science at a conference on Hungarian Computer Science Day in Budapest this Tuesday.

The President of the János Neumann Computer Science Society (NJSZT) and Rector of Óbuda University, Levente Kovács, highlighted in his opening speech that the Hungarian Informatics Day initiative was launched by the society in 2022.

The occasion was the publication of a press report in the daily Esti Hírlap on January 21, 1959, about the first Hungarian Neumann-style electronic computer, the M-3, created by the cybernetics research group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He added that the birth of Hungarian informatics is dated from the time when the M-3 is completed and put into operation.

The NJSZT considers the preservation of IT heritage important, which is why it is developing its virtual museum and database and why it maintains a permanent exhibition in Szeged, where some of the remaining parts of the M-3 can be seen; the complete machine has not survived, he said. He pointed out that the anniversary will be celebrated jointly with the Budapest University of Technology and ELTE, expressing the university sector's commitment to the celebration of Hungarian informatics.

"We want Hungarian Informatics Day not only to be about the proud figures and achievements of the past, but also to celebrate Hungarian informatics and Hungarian informatics professionals together," the President said.

The Rector of ELTE university, László Borhy, reminded that the first Hungarian electronic computer, built 66 years ago, is a faithful reflection of the innovation and scientific achievements of Hungarian IT. “The computer revolutionized scientific life, but today it has become an integral part of everyday life. The world of information technology is constantly evolving, challenging us all, and penetrating every aspect of life," he said.

According to Sándor Imre, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at BME university, János Neumann's work was groundbreaking and his achievements are still valid today. In Hungary, a large number of IT specialists are trained to a high standard and world-class companies operate in the country," he added.