ESERO Hungary launches STEM education into space
In brief
ESA's new ESERO office in Hungary was formally inaugurated in Budapest, on 15 May 2024. This marks the country's official entry as the 22nd member of the ESERO network, dedicated to advancing STEM education across ESA Member and Associate States.
In-depth
The European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) project stands as ESA’s leading initiative in boosting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education at the school level. Leveraging the inspirational nature of space, ESERO plays a pivotal role in enthusing and supporting teachers and educators throughout Europe, enabling them to increase their students’ knowledge, interest and competences in STEM subjects. The newly established ESERO Hungary, led by Design Terminal and jointly funded by ESA and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, aims to support the Hungarian early-age, primary and secondary education community.
The ESERO Hungary launch event took place at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest with the participation of Dr. Katalin Balatoni, Deputy State Secretary for Education, Dr Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research, László Jónás, CEO of Design Terminal, and Monica Talevi, Head of the ESA STEM Learning and Inspiration Unit. Dr Dietmar Pilz, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, addressed the audience virtually.
Education and inspiration are at the core of ESA’s transformation strategy. Europe needs highly skilled science and engineering graduates to help realise Europe’s space ambitions for the future. The ESERO framework project does just that by aligning education with Europe’s space ambitions and its societal needs – more closely interlinked than ever before – and by contributing to a skilled generation prepared to work and make a difference for society for decades to come. With its bottom-up and country-by-country approach, ESERO responds to national needs and priorities.
ESERO is part of the Space for Education 2030 programme, through which ESA acts in support of innovation in STEM education - up to PhD level - in Europe.
ESERO in Hungary
ESERO Hungary will operate under the coordination of Design Terminal, who will work in collaboration with three main partner organisations: ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University), BME (Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics) and MANT (Hungarian Astronautical Society). They will draw upon their collective experience and expertise in STEM Education, as well as their access to national space companies, to implement high impact and high inspirational education activities in Hungary.
ESERO Hungary will notably provide teacher and educator training sessions free of charge for the beneficiaries, develop didactic resources in Hungarian that will be made freely available on the project’s website, and coordinate interdisciplinary school projects. Additionally, ESERO Hungary will organize events to inspire both students and teachers, such as a Space Week . Collaboration with industry and academia will further enrich the educational experience, offering insights into STEM studies and careers, especially opportunities in the space sector.
ESERO in Europe
With 18 years of operation, ESERO is ESA’s flagship initiative aimed at supporting STEM education from early childhood, through primary and secondary school levels across its Member and Associate States. Operating on a national scale, each ESERO tailors its activities to teachers, educators, and students, offering customized training, interdisciplinary projects, and space-themed resources that align with the national language(s) and curriculum, drawing from best practices shared through the international ESERO network. Increasingly, ESEROs engage students directly by organizing inspirational events and through initiatives focused on space careers, all with the aim of fostering a deeper connection with STEM subjects and skills. To date, ESERO has been able to bolster educators' confidence in STEM teaching throughout Europe and enhanced students' skills, competencies, and enthusiasm for STEM subjects, particularly those related to space.
With Hungary joining in, the ESERO project spans across 22 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
ESERO Hungary
ESERO Network
ESA and the European Space Programme
ESA Education Programme