Hungarian students from the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) earned an exceptional 4th place finish at the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge, a prestigious international robotics competition held in Panama. The event brought together teams from 195 countries, making Hungary’s achievement particularly remarkable.
The FIRST Global Challenge is often described as the ‘Olympics of robotics’. Each year, it takes place in a different country, with teams designing and programming robots to tackle tasks inspired by global challenges. Beyond competition, the event encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and cross-cultural exchange among young innovators.
During the tournament, the Hungarian team participated in 12 matches and collaborated with peers from 60 different nations, including Nicaragua, the United States, the Comoros, South Korea, and The Gambia. Together, they built strategies, shared components, and supported each other in designing and repairing their robots. Their teamwork and technical excellence carried them into the playoffs, where they competed against the world’s strongest teams, including the host nation, Panama. Ultimately, partnering with teams from San Marino, the Solomon Islands, and the Netherlands, the Hungarian students secured an impressive 4th place overall.
According to MCC, the result highlights not only the students’ technical expertise but also their ability to thrive in international cooperation. The Hungarian team consisted of Dorka Buzai (Békéscsaba), Botond Dékány (Szeged), Balázs Tóth (Debrecen), Timót Pecsenyánszky (Budapest), and Zsombor Nagy (Dunaszerdahely), all members of MCC’s High School Programme.
As Hungary’s leading talent development institution, MCC supports more than 8,000 students across 31 locations in the Carpathian Basin. Its High School Programme, operating for over 20 years, offers free training, mentoring, and international opportunities for secondary school students. Participants can engage in e-learning courses, skill-building workshops, and study trips abroad. Applications for the programme are open until 31 December for students who have not yet begun their final year of high school, via the MCC website.
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