Scientific and Artistic Students' Associations
The Scientific and Artistic Students’ Associations (with Hungarian acronym TDK) provides a professional forum for independent research and creative work by students in higher and secondary education. This work is based on the collaboration between the student and a chosen tutor, who supports and supervises the student as a recognised representative of the field.
Students first present the results of their research at the Students’ Associations Conference at BCDC, which is a competition on institutional level led by a jury of the College’s teachers.
The best works are nominated to the biennial National Conference of Scientific and Artistic Students’ Associations (with Hungarian acronym OTDK), where students present their projects in the Sections of Arts and Art Sciences in front of a jury of renowned experts from universities within and beyond the borders of Hungary.
To showcase the results of the students’ work, the College will organise a conference in November. Students from other schools who do not have a competition at their institution can also apply for the BCDC conference. To participate in the conference, you must submit an application form that complies with the content and format of the call for applications.
Application deadline (submission of resume):
30th September 2024
Conference in November
Deadline for submission of papers: 15th November 2024
Date of the conference: 27th November 2024
Conference in December
Deadline for submission of papers: 1st December 2024
Date of the conference: 11th December 2024
In 2025, the Arts and Art Sciences section of the OTDK will be hosted by the Eszterházy Károly Catholic University of Eger.
Date:
23–25 April, 2025
Up-to-date information on the sessions and the organising institutions is available here:
The call for the Arts and Art Sciences Section is available here:
call for application
How to apply and how to participate in the OTDK:
Scientific and Artistic Students’ Association Conference
Art students can present their work and research at the Conference of Scientific and Artistic Students’ Associations. The aim of the Students’ Associations is to encourage, support and evaluate students’ creative and research activities beyond their compulsory academic work. The main issues are briefly summarised below. Before applying please read the official and detailed national call for applications in order to understand the content and format criteria.
Why should you apply?
- Professional mentoring: The candidate will receive professional support for in-depth study, research and preparation of the presentation on the chosen topic during the consultations.
- Professional evaluation: The works presented at the conference will receive professional feedback from a jury of experts.
- Professional recognition: Awards received at the conference may be considered for scholarships and applications for Master’s (MA) and Doctoral (DLA, possibly PhD) degrees in Hungary and abroad and, and in the case of secondary school students when applying to higher education institutions. This is particularly true for those who also participate in the national competition and win a prize.
- Thesis: The written work submitted for the TDK can be accepted as a thesis, or you can enter the TDK with a submitted (but not yet defended) thesis.
Who can apply?
- Undergraduate and graduate students can apply.
- Students from domestic or foreign higher education institutions may also apply to the BCDC conference whose institution does not organise a competition, in case the submitted work is related to the professional-educational profile of the College in circus arts or contemporary dance, or to research in these fields.
- We also welcome applications from high school students with outstanding artistic activities who wish to compete in a higher education environment.
- Applications may be submitted individually or in groups. Detailed criteria are set out in Annex 2 to the Call for Applications.
Which works can be entered?
- In the field of creative and performing arts, any genre and subject can be submitted, it doesn’t have to be closely related to the student’s studies.
- In the field of art theory and art education, there is no requirement as to the subject of the work, other than that it should go beyond the subject matter taught in the course. Individual interest, ability, time spent and cooperation with the tutor will determine how far the researched topic will be developed.
- In the Section of Arts and Art Sciences, submissions can be made in the following areas:
- Visual Arts
I/1. Two-dimensional Art: painting, graphic arts (unique and reproducible), graphic design, photography, etc.
I/2. Three-dimensional Art: sculpture, architecture, design, installation, land art, scenography, goldsmithing, textile art, ceramics, interior design, environmental design, etc.
I/3. Time-based Art: animation, short film, multimedia, intermedia, video, etc.
I/4. Space&Time-based Art: action art, performance, happening, etc. - Music Composition, Music and Stage Performing Arts
II/1. Music Composition: (presentation and analysis of original compositions)
II/2. Music Performance: classical music, jazz, folk music, and others (e.g., works composed in various 20th-century or contemporary music styles, popular music compositions)
II/3. Stage Performance: drama, puppetry, dance, movement art, etc. - Art theory
III/1. Art History and Art Criticism
III/2. Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics, Art Psychology and Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnography, Cultural History, Art Management, Communication Theory, etc.
III/3. Theory in all art fields
III/4. Art Education and Subject-Specific Methodology
- Visual Arts
What is the format of the application?
- In the case of artwork, a written description of the creative process of 3-5 pages, as well as documentation of the work and an outline of the presentation in ppt format.
- In the case of performing arts, a description of the artistic performance concept in 3 to 10 pages, together with the documentation of the work and an outline of the presentation in ppt format.
- In the case of an art theory or art education topic, an essay of 15-50 pages and an outline of the presentation in ppt format.
- The detailed format and content requirements are set out in Annex 4 to the section call of the relevant discipline.
What format is the presentation?
- Students will present their research in an oral presentation of up to 20 minutes, accompanied by a projection in PPT format. The documentation of the original works (or some parts) must be presented as part of the presentation.
How are the works assessed and by whom?
- During the competition on an institutional level, a committee of BCDC teachers will rank the works. The best ones will be nominated by the College to the biennial National Conference of Scientific and Artistic Students’ Associations.
- At the National Artistic Students’ Associations Conference, students can participate in the sections of the Arts and Art Sciences, and will present their results in front of a jury of academics in the given professional field from Hungarian and international universities. The presentations or the academic papers will be evaluated on the basis of given criteria by an independent evaluation committee. The jury will decide on the rankings of the competition based on the sum of the points awarded for the projected material (or the academic paper in the case of a theoretical course) and the oral presentation.
What are the evaluation criteria?
- In the case of artwork: originality of the subject matter, professional/artistic quality of realisation appropriate to the content, harmonious presentation of the artwork and the related paper.
- In the case of an art scientific work: topicality and novelty of the subject, knowledge of literature in the field, the results obtained, their validity and importance; the argumentation, style, and structure of the paper,its quality of form and illustration and professionalism of references according to the specificities to the field of art sciences.
- Evaluation criteria for oral presentation: clarity, structure, length, style, quality of illustration, argumentation.
In which languages can entries be submitted?
- The language of OTDK is Hungarian, but the Arts and Art Sciences Section will also accept works in English. In the case of non-native Hungarian speakers, the language of the paper and presentation will be English. If a native Hungarian speaker submits an application in English, the application form/résumé must be submitted in Hungarian regardless of the language of the work, and the presentation must be in Hungarian – or at least partly in Hungarian.
How to apply?
- In the first round, you should submit a résumé of about 500 words. On the basis of the résumé, we will give you written feedback on whether the proposed work will be invited to the BCDC conference. Résumés should be submitted using the “TDK Résumé” form.
- In the second round, the works nominated and prepared to the BCDC conference should be submitted, including the academic paper, the outline of the presentation in ppt format and the supporting opinion of the tutor. To apply for the conference, please use the dedicated “TDK application” form. Students will present this work to the evaluation committee of BCDC.
