What is SSC (TDK) about?

The essence of SSC (Scientific Student Conference) is that students participate in scientifically rigorous research that goes beyond the curriculum taught in undergraduate programs. The research is usually supervised by a thesis advisor.

How does SSC work?

The results of the research must be presented in writing, which is called a thesis. Students first present their theses at their own university's internal competition, which is usually held in the fall semester. The jury committees of the internal competitions recommend valuable and methodologically appropriate theses for national competitions, such as the National Scientific Student Circle Conference (OTDK) held in the spring of odd-numbered years or the Lajos Kardos Psychology Competition held in the spring of even-numbered years. The presentations and results of previous years' events can be found here.

Every two years, the winners of the national conferences are eligible to apply for the Pro Scientia Gold Medal, an award recognizing outstanding student scientific achievement.

Why is it worth participating in SSC?

There are many advantages to participating in the Scientific Student Circle. Participation in institutional and national competitions is primarily a moral recognition, an opportunity to argue, exchange opinions, and gain experience in front of a professional jury and audience, preparing students to participate in domestic and international conferences in their field, and through the evaluation of one's own and others' work and presentations, it can provide confirmation and further encouragement for research work, which often requires considerable sacrifice.

Placing at the national conference means extra points when applying for MA or postgraduate studies and, in many cases, when applying for a job. Since TDK work often continues in the thesis, the paper can also be considered a preliminary thesis, and the experience gained, as well as the opinions of the supervisor and the reviewer, can be used in the actual thesis. The experience gained from preparing for and giving the presentation itself is also not to be overlooked.