The WATCH career orientation program concluded its fourth season in Debrecen

Local News

Color spirals, an earthquake simulator, a reaction-time table, a smart bike, a touch-activated illuminated table, and several unique illusions – this year, a total of 14 projects were completed in the WATCH workshop. These were presented today by the students at the closing event, as per tradition, held at the Agóra Science Center. A new chapter begins next year in the career orientation program jointly organized by Agóra and Emerson | NI.

“It is a very important task for us, adults, to give the younger generation the opportunity to develop their talents and realize their dreams, as they represent the future. In this regard, the WATCH program has become a true model project,” emphasized Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, at the opening of the event.

Róbert Hosszu, Managing Director of NI Hungary Kft., stressed that as a strategic partner of WATCH, they are proud that the program has grown into one of the most significant career orientation initiatives in Eastern Hungary. He added that thousands of engineering positions remain unfilled in Hungary today, making the support and nurturing of talented young people in technical fields especially important.

At the opening, Béla Somogyi, Managing Director of Agóra, emphasized that engineering thinking is about seeking the best possible solutions. Through the WATCH program, high school students can also acquire this project-based mindset.

Since its launch in 2021, more than 200 high school girls have joined the unique WATCH initiative. During the foundational training sessions, the young participants gained future-proof theoretical and practical knowledge, which they applied in creating their project work. They explored the world of smart devices and programming, 3D modeling and printing, and also developed a solid grounding in electrical engineering. In addition, through various side events, they took part in self-awareness and career guidance training sessions and met successful engineers who answered their questions first-hand.

Employees from Sensirion Hungary Kft. and Diehl Aviation Hungary Kft. also contributed to this year’s project work. Under the guidance of Sensirion volunteers, an intelligent terrarium was created; the team from Diehl assembled a smart trash bin; and with the help of NI mentors, participants built a smart mirror, among other innovations.

This year’s closing event featured a separate section for the WATCH+ program, where former WATCH participants could further deepen their knowledge. They attended factory visits and inspiring discussions, gained valuable insights into university studies with the involvement of experts from the University of Debrecen, and created new projects. Among these, visitors could see a sound-sensitive party visor, a pulsating heart made with 3D printing, and an acoustic levitator operated using ultrasonic sensors.

The interactive structures created in the WATCH program are planned to be showcased in July at the Campus Festival, and later this fall at Researchers’ Night and the Science Fair.

At the event, Róbert Hosszu announced that due to high demand, the WATCH program will open to high school boys starting in 2026. The program’s core goals will remain unchanged: to make STEM fields appealing to young people through engaging real-life engineering challenges, while also allowing students to experience the value and joy of teamwork.

Since 2021, Emerson | NI has supported the two career orientation programs with a total of 280,000 USD.

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