History of the Department

The history of the Department of Polymer Engineering Technology, as well as the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, goes back to 1871, when the Mechanical Engineering Section at József Technical University was founded, and within this the Department of Mechanical Technology. Ágoston PILCH was the first Head of the department until 1888 then Sándor REJTŐ succeeded him and led the department until 1924. Sándor REJTŐ was the Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering between 1901-1902, then the Rector of the University between 1920-1921. In 1912 he was a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and in 1923 he became a member of the Academy. His main field of science was materials testing. He conducted extensive research into the metal, wood, textile, paper, and milling industry. On the basis of his lecture notes his 4 volume-masterpiece, The Principles of Theoretical Mechanical Technology was published in the twenties. His book about textile technology remained the bible of textile engineers for several decades. After him, Vilmos MISÁNGYI ran the Dep. of Mechanical Technology between 1924-1945, then Ödön VAJDA followed him in the years 1945-1947. An independent department for textile technology was founded for the first time in 1948.

Márton ZILAHI was the Head of the Department of Textile Technology (I.) between 1948 and 1959. Separated from the Department of Mechanical Technology, the Department of Textile Technology (I.) was founded in 1948 under his leadership. During his teaching career he wrote 13 technical books and university textbooks in the field of testing and raw materials of the textile industry, spinning theory and spinning technology, as well as weaving theory and weaving technology. He was the president of the Textile Technological and Scientific Association, the founder of the Board of Light Industry formed within the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, then the founder of its descendant organization, the Board of Fiber and Filament Technology. For his scientific achievements he received the Kossuth prize.

Alajos VÉKÁSSY was the Head of the department from 1951 to 1974. The Department of Textile Technology (II.) was founded under his leadership in 1951, and in 1955 it united with the Dep. of Light Industry. It was founded in 1951 and run by Kornél KUNOS (wood, paper, leather), under the name of the Department of Light Industry. In 1959 this department merged with the Department of Textile Technology (I.) under the name of Department of Textile Technology and Light Industry. Professor Vékássy taught the Non-metal Structural Materials subject, the technological and mechanical subjects of knitting, looping and clothing industry. He wrote 10 books, many university textbooks and articles. In recognition of his activity as a school creator and of his scientific achievement he received the Szent-Györgyi Albert prize.

Miklós JEDERÁN was the Head of the Department of Textile Technology and Light Industry from 1974 to 1992. His scientific achievements were connected to the fields of textile technology and textile engineering. He had 13 registered patents and wrote 23 books. His outstanding achievement was the elaboration of the theory of fabric formation. He edited the Textile Manual, through which he created a book of fundamental importance for decades. He was a member or president of several committees in the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He won the gold class of the Outstanding Inventor title three times. For the development of the textile industry and higher education, he received the Eötvös prize.

Tibor CZVIKOVSZKY was the Head of the Department of Textile Technology and Light Industry in the years 1992-2001. The name of the department was changed to the Department of Polymer Engineering and Textile Technology in 1992. Ater he returned home from Canada in 1992, he widened the profile of the department and introduced material sciences and the technology of polymers and polymer composites. Through applications for grants, he acquired valuable instruments and devices for the laboratory, where more than 400 engineering students were taught each year. He is a member of several committees of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He is an international expert of two professional organizations of the UNO: IAEA and UNIDO. He received the Szent-Györgyi Albert award in 2006 for his achievements in education and science and the Innovation award of the Hungarian Plastics Association in 2013.

Tibor CZIGÁNY was the Head of the department from 2001 until 2014. The name of the department was changed from Department of Polymer Engineering and Textile Technology to Department of Polymer Engineering in 2004. He reformed the subjects and introduced the BSc and MSc training structure in the Department. Under his supervision, the ISO 9001 Quality Control System was introduced to a university Department for the first time in Hungary, and the NAT (National Accrediting Committee) accredited the fully renewed laboratory and it obtained the Strategic Research Infrastructure qualification. Under his leadership, the department became the organisational unit which had the most scientific and industrial projects within the Faculty and which attracted the most students. He considered increasing the level and efficiency of PhD education his primary task, which resulted in 35 people acquiring a PhD degree. Between 2012 and 2019, he was Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and he became a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019. He was granted the Széchenyi Award in 2018 and the Dénes Gábor Award in 2019 for his outstanding educational and international scientific activity.