The Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation Is Counting on BME’s Academic Excellence

The rector of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) has signed a cooperation agreement with representatives of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO). Under the agreement, future cooperation between the two institutions may cover education, research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Before the signing ceremony, Rector Charaf Hassan recalled BME’s long-standing tradition in the space sector and related research and development.

"All of our satellite projects have been successful, and we currently have several research projects in which faculty members and students work together. Not to mention that 

Hungary’s new astronauts studied here and recently returned to the university," 

he said, referring to Tibor Kapu and Gyula Cserényi, who are both pursuing their PhD studies at BME.

The rector added that BME is firmly embedded in the space ecosystem through its educational portfolio, including its space engineering programme and numerous English-language engineering programmes. The university is also an active participant in the UniSpace programme launched by Hungarian universities, and one of its faculty members belongs to the International Academy of Astronautics.

High ambitions

CSEO President George A. Danos outlined the vision of the organisation he founded: CSEO, which hosts the International Space Innovation Centre (C-SpaRC), aims to become one of the world's fastest-growing space research organisations. He expressed his hope that BME’s scientific excellence would help CSEO achieve its next milestones. He also noted that the organisation already has an established relationship with NASA through an agreement signed in 2024.

George A. Danos also pointed out that the permanent exhibition at CSEO headquarters includes a dedicated section highlighting Hungarian achievements in space exploration, and that Gyula Cserényi was recently welcomed to Cyprus. "We are aiming for a pragmatic partnership focused on tangible results. For example, we would be delighted if Cypriot students participating in Erasmus mobility programmes could work together with the Suborbitals team."

The meeting was also attended by Don Koulaouzos, the institute’s director of workforce development and international partnerships (who is also the Managing Director of Skytrek Limited, a British business and technology consultancy that also operates through its Budapest office); János Levendovszky, BME's Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation; and Rudolf Seller, Deputy Head of the Department of Broadband Infocommunications and Electromagnetic Theory (HVT).

George A. Danos first visited BME in December last year. During that visit, he showed great interest in the satellites currently under development at HVT, as well as in the satellite ground station located on the roof of Building E, Rudolf Seller told bme.hu. Researchers from the department will return the visit at the end of August, when the partners are expected to work out the details of the future cooperation.

János Levendovszky, Don Koulaouzos, George A. Danos, Hassan Charaf, Rudolf Seller

"The R&D partnership between CSEO and BME could provide an excellent basis for jointly participating in European Space Agency calls for proposals," 

said Rudolf Seller.

He added that Don Koulaouzos's business background would also be a significant advantage, as he could contribute not only to the research itself but also to bringing the resulting innovations to market.

Rector’s Office, Communications Directorate