Call for Papers - MATURANDUS Conference - Research – Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

✕
Sapientia.ro Sapientia.ro
Sapientia EMTE  Researchgate  Academia.eu  Google Scholar 
✕
Call for Papers - MATURANDUS Conference
Call for Papers - MATURANDUS Conference
Call for Papers - MATURANDUS Conference
10 September 2026

Youth Sociology in Focus: Educational Aspirations, Social Participation, and a Changing World among Hungarian Youth in Transylvania

  • Venue: Centre for Applied Social Sciences Research, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), Romania
  • Date: 8 October 2026

Young people's social position, life-course aspirations, and value orientations are shaped by the intersection of rapid social, economic, and technological transformations. Educational pathways, the transition to the labour market, digitalisation, the growing role of artificial intelligence, social inequalities, and global challenges—including climate change—all influence how young people envision their future, make decisions, and participate in society. These issues are particularly relevant in the case of Hungarian youth in Transylvania, whose educational trajectories unfold within a distinctive social, cultural, and minority context.

The conference builds on the MATURANDUS research project, a representative survey conducted among graduating students in Hungarian-language secondary schools in Harghita and Covasna counties. The study examines students' social background, educational aspirations, value orientations, and attitudes towards contemporary social challenges.

The MATURANDUS Conference aims to provide a forum for presenting and discussing the findings of the project while welcoming contributions from researchers whose empirical studies, theoretical perspectives, comparative analyses, or practical experiences contribute to a better understanding of young people's social position, educational trajectories, and future prospects.

Keynote Speakers

  • Attila Papp Z. (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest): Youth Paradoxes 
  • Tibor Toró (Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca): Democratic Education in Non-democratic Institutions? Social Participation, Interest Representation, and Solidarity among Hungarian Secondary School Students in Transylvania 
  • Valér Veres (Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca): Socio-economic Status and the Determinants of Higher Education Aspirations among Hungarian Youth in Transylvania 

Thematic Sessions

The conference programme is organised around the main themes of the MATURANDUS research project. We also welcome theoretical and empirical contributions related to youth studies, education, and youth transitions.

Suggested topics include:

  • Educational aspirations, employment, and migration 
  • Social capital 
  • Leisure activities and youth lifestyles 
  • Attitudes towards artificial intelligence 
  • Digital content consumption and content creation 
  • Attitudes towards diversity and otherness 
  • Climate change and youth 

We welcome presentations based on empirical research, theoretical approaches, comparative perspectives, and practical experiences.


Submission Guidelines

Please submit your proposal via the following Google Form no later than 17 September 2026:

https://forms.gle/6MPSVu3LfqD6VGyR7

The submission should include:

  • title of the presentation; 
  • an abstract of up to 200 words; 
  • preferred presentation language (Hungarian or English); 
  • dietary requirements; 
  • accommodation request. 

Submission deadline: 17 September 2026

Notification of acceptance: 20 September 2026

Conference languages: Hungarian and English

The MATURANDUS research project and the organisation of the conference have been supported by the Institute for Research Programmes of Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania.

Centre for Applied Social Sciences Research

Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), 15 July 2026

Plant Biology Symposium with MATE Researchers
Students and faculty members of our university gained insight into the molecular stress responses of plants and the latest research in plant biology on 23 September, when researchers from the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) visited our Faculty of Life Sciences and Sports in Sfântu Gheorghe.

A cross-border community experience: Teacher Training Institute at the International Spring
On 5-8 May 2026, the International Spring training was held at the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University of Eger (Hungary), which took place in the framework of the project “Oktatási Világpolgárok: Nemzetközi Szemlélet a Tanító- és Tanárképzésben – OKTAV” [Educational Cosmopolitans: International Perspectives in Teacher Training].

International professional cooperation with BME’s Department of Technical Education
From 4 to 8 May 2026, the Teacher Training Institute of Sapientia University hosted an 11-member delegation from the Department of Technical Education of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

Professional Visit to Casa College in Nicosia
On 11–12 June, we took part in a study visit to Cyprus within the framework of the Erasmus+ EduCarpathia project, hosted by Casa College in Nicosia.

Sapientia hosted the second EduCarpathia ERASMUS+ KA220-HED partner meeting
On 4–5 September 2026, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania hosted the second meeting of the EduCarpathia ERASMUS+ KA220-HED project partners at the Bocskai House in Cluj-Napoca.

World-first discovery by a Genetic Engineering student
POLGÁRI Norbert was studying water samples collected from the Olt River in his room when he noticed something truly remarkable: he managed to capture the predatory unicellular organism Heterolitonotus rex (H. rex), a species discovered in 2024, in the act of hunting.

Two Decades of Exploring Mineral Waters – Jubilee Conference at Sapientia University
On 27–28 August 2026, the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc hosted the 20th jubilee edition of the International Scientific Conference “Mineral Waters of the Carpathian Basin”, jointly organised by the Department of Bioengineering and the Department of Food Science.

Resilience, Inspiration, Seville – the RE-FEM project comes to an end
In early October, the closing event of the international Erasmus+ RE-FEM project was held in Seville, focusing on supporting women’s entrepreneurship and strengthening entrepreneurial resilience.

Scientific American reports on research involving URÁK István
The study describes a colony of approximately 111,000 spiders and documents the first known case of the two species displaying colonial behaviour together. The research was published in Subterranean Biology.

IAWIS highlights the launch of the Doctoral School of Film and Intermedial Studies
In addition to announcing the new doctoral school, the international professional association highlights the University’s long-standing research in intermediality, the work of its dedicated research centre, the international conferences organised over the years, and its scholarly publications in film and media studies.

Call for Papers - MATURANDUS Conference
The MATURANDUS Conference aims to provide a forum for presenting and discussing the findings of the project while welcoming contributions from researchers whose empirical studies, theoretical perspectives, comparative analyses, or practical experiences contribute to a better understanding of young people's social position, educational trajectories, and future prospects.

Sapientia Faculty Member Awarded Honorary Professorship by MATE
The title was presented to Professor BALOG Adalbert, PhD, President of the Student Excellence Committee, at the opening ceremony of the academic year held by the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences on 7 September.

The Spirit of Place and Talent Development
Blended intensive programme (BIP) at the Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences in Târgu Mureș.

Distillates Produced by the Department of Food Science Awarded Gold and Silver Ratings
Distillates produced by the Department of Food Science at the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc achieved excellent results at the 6th ”Ákovita” International Distillate and Pálinka Competition: the quince and wild pear distillates entered in the competition received gold and silver ratings, respectively.

SPIRIT Erasmus+ Project Multiplier Event Successfully Held in Miercurea Ciuc
On 20 May 2026, the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc hosted the Multiplier Event of the SPIRIT Erasmus+ project, bringing together more than fifty teachers and educational experts from various localities across Harghita and Covasna counties.

Sustainable Forest Management: Scientific Results and Future Perspectives
For the first time, the Faculty of Life Sciences and Sports in Sfântu Gheorghe organised the professional conference entitled Scientific Results and Future Perspectives of Sustainable Forest Management, focusing on current challenges in forestry and the possibilities offered by sustainable solutions.

A new English-language edited volume has been published by Palgrave Macmillan
The volume Affective Intermediality: Moving Images Between Media, Sensation and Reality was edited by PETHŐ Ágnes.

Members of our department’s research institute were at an international conference
Six researchers from the research institute affiliated with the Department of Media took part in The Politics of Intermedial Connectivity, held at Vrije Universiteit Brussel on 27–29 May 2026.

Members of the Department of Bioengineering Presented Their Latest Research Results at an International Conference
The Department of Bioengineering was represented by Professor MARA Gyöngyvér, PhD, Assistant Professor SALAMON Pál, PhD, and doctoral students ILKEI Klementina Imelda and NAGY Szidónia.

Break Out of the Bubble! An Active Break at the 2nd Sapientia Summer University of Social Sciences
Can a summer break combine holidays and learning, relaxation and engagement? The participants of the 2nd Sapientia Summer University of Social Sciences proved that it can: for three days, they reflected, played and talked, both inside and beyond the bubble.

Sapviz – A Visual Analysis of the 2026 Baccalaureate Results
Under the guidance of Dr. JÁNOSI-RANCZ Katalin Tünde, students from the Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences in Târgu Mureș developed an interactive platform for analysing and comparing the results of the national baccalaureate examination.

TEAM 2026
The TEAM Conference aims to present the latest findings in the fields of engineering, agriculture and management, including topics related to education, as well as transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to scientific research. The conference will take place from 10 to 12 September 2026.

Agricultural Innovation Day at Sapientia University
On April 22, 2026, Sapientia University’s Faculty of Life Sciences and Sports in Sfântu Gheorghe hosted the Agricultural Innovation Day. The event aimed to showcase the latest agricultural innovations and provide a dynamic platform for professional knowledge exchange.

Developing Transversal Skills in Primary Education
The SPIRIT Project’s Pilot Teacher Training Was a Success.

Sapientia Professors Elected to the Leadership of the Regional Committee in Cluj of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Ahead of the elections for the renewal of the leadership of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), scheduled for May 4–5, its territorial organization in Romania, the Regional Committee in Cluj of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (KAB), has also elected its new leadership.

Intersections: Literature, Language, Culture
On April 17–18, 2026, the Intercultural Confluences Research Centre of the Department of Human Sciences within the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc, organized an international conference in English, with the support of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA 200).

Achievements for Sapientia at the 31st International Chemistry Conference
In the doctoral plenary session PhD student ILKEI Klementina-Imelda, assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc, received a commendation, and ORBÁN Katalin, student at the Faculty of Tehnical and Human Sciences in Târgu Mureș, received a special award in the student poster section.

Our lecturer received the Teacher–Researcher Award
In 2025, for the 28th time, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences announced its call for the Teacher–Researcher Award. In the field of mathematics and natural sciences, the award was granted to Dr. AMBRUS Tünde, assistant professor at the Faculty of Economics, Socio-Human Sciences and Engineering in Miercurea Ciuc.

Our Lecturer Helped Discover the World’s Largest Spider Web
Associate Professor URÁK István was the arachnology expert of the international research team studying chemoautotrophy-based cave ecosystems, which uncovered the largest spider web known to date.

Research in India at the Liszt Institute – Sapientia Students in New Delhi
With the support of the Sapientia’s Institute of Research Programs, two of our master’s students, HORVÁTH-KOVÁCS Mátyás and BERECZKI Lilla, travelled to New Delhi, India, for research purposes.

Previous page Next page
Sapientia.ro

SAPIENTIA HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OF TRANSYLVANIA

Scientific Research Department

Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

The Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania is the independent university of the Hungarian community in Romania, which aims at providing education to the members of our community and performing scientific research on a high professional level. 

Contact

Scientific Research Department


400112 Cluj-Napoca
Matei Corvin Street No. 4

 

btz webdesign