Scientific Students' Associations activity (SSA)

In the course of SSA the student or students study a narrow area of a field of science for some time and with the supervision of a professor, complete a project of scientific quality which is beyond the subject matter taught at the university. How far a student gets in their research depends on their interest, ability, time and successful cooperation with the supervisor.

To show the results of SSA projects, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at BME organizes a Conference of Scientific Students' Associations every year, usually in the first part of November. In order to participate in the Conference, a student has to prepare and submit a report of the work done and give a presentation. The report usually summarizes half a year to one year of research but a successful summer practice or work done in the framework of foreign placement can also lead to a paper. The most successful papers can be entered in the National Conference of Scientific Students' Associations, held every two years. Both BSc and MSc students can take part in the conference.

Why is it worth writing an SSA paper?

Writing an SSA paper entails extra work but it is worth the effort. A place in an SSA conference means moral and also financial benefit. It means extra points when the student applies for Master’s or PhD training, and also means extra points when faculty or national scholarships are awarded. A successful SSA paper is often continued as a dissertation or thesis, and the experience gained during making the paper and the opinion of the assessor can be used in the dissertation or thesis. A Conference of Scientific Students' Associations provides an excellent opportunity to practice giving presentations.

The paper is evaluated based on a given set of criteria, by an independent professional assessor. Presentations in conferences organized by the faculty have to be given before a professional committee, who award points for both the presentation and the work done. The committee uses the sum of the points for the presentation and the paper to decide the order and makes a proposal for the prizes to be awarded.

Topics for SSA | Current SSA topics | SSA conferences