The awards for the drawing competition organized by the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Debrecen and Phoenix Pharma Zrt. were presented on Wednesday. The task for primary school students was to express through their artwork what science means to them. The organizers aimed primarily to spark children’s interest in the natural sciences.
The ceremony, held at the Faculty of Pharmacy (DE GYTK), revealed that more than 400 drawings were submitted from nearly every part of the country for this year’s competition, which was organized for the third time. The A4-sized works, created with pencils and brushes, were evaluated by a jury consisting of several DE GYTK staff members and two primary school art teachers. The drawings that received the most votes on the faculty’s website were awarded special prizes.
Elek Bartha, the university’s Vice-Rector for Education, emphasized at the award ceremony that the competition’s popularity grows each year, which is why this year winners were selected in three categories—more than in previous editions.
“One of our institution’s missions is not only to educate university students and introduce them to the world of science, but also to reach other generations. This is why we hold programs such as the Senior University and also open up to very young children,” said Elek Bartha.
He added that drawing is a branch of art that provides an excellent opportunity to express thoughts and feelings through shapes and colors, which is often far more expressive for children than using words or sentences.
Ildikó Bácskay, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, described the submitted works as exciting and interesting. She recalled that in recent years, before Christmas, first- and second-grade primary school students are invited to the faculty to make ointments with the help of pharmacy students. The children can take these creations home and even give them as gifts. It was during one such event that the idea for the drawing competition was born.
“These events have a strong community-building effect. I would like to thank the parents and teachers of the participating children for motivating and supporting them,” Bácskay added.
István Lekli, Vice-Dean for Education at DE GYTK, noted that the program aligns with the Year of Hungarian Science initiative, which aims to promote science among young people.
“Through this drawing competition, we wanted to direct children’s attention to the natural sciences. We encouraged them to explore the beauty and fascination of the world around them and to understand how the sciences describe it. During the competition, we saw that even children aged 6–8 already have a clear vision and understanding of this,” Lekli emphasized.
The winners were awarded gift vouchers.
(unideb.hu)
