Győző Kovács

As a junior engineer, he worked on the construction of the first domestic electronic (tube) computer, the M-3, at the MTA Cybernetics Research Group (KKCS) from the fall of 1957. After the machine was built, he led the operation of the M-3 machine at the MTA Computer Center (MTA SZK), which was established as the legal successor to the KKCS.

He participated in the preparation and teaching of the planning-mathematical economics major launched at the Budapest University of Economics (BKE) in 1960. In 1963, he participated in the commissioning of a URAL 2 computer and the establishment of computer centers at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and then at the BKE. Later, in 2006, the successor institution of the BKE, the Corvinus University of Budapest (BCE), awarded him an honorary doctorate.

In 1967-1969, he was one of the founders and then head of the ICL computer center of the National Leadership Training Center (OVK). After that, he became the head of the Computer Laboratory at the Computer Coordination Institute (SZKI), and from 1982, he became the director of the first Hungarian PC factory, Sci-L, founded by SZKI.

Between 1975 and 1985, he was the general secretary of the Hungarian Computer Science and Engineering Association, and then its vice president until 1990. Between 1983 and 1990, together with Pál Tóth Könyves, he founded and edited the first monthly computer science student magazine, Mikroszámítógép Magazin. In 1984, he organized the first distance learning course, TV-BASIC, at Hungarian Television, which was the first distance learning course to obtain a programming qualification; he received a National Award for it.
In 1984, he founded the Garay Computer Science Student Competition in Szekszárd, of which he was the “lifelong” chairman of the jury (after his death, the competition was named: “International Neumann International Talent Research Program Product Competition, in the spirit of the founder Győző Kovács”).

In 1988, as a senior employee of the Computer Application Company (Számalk), he founded the first Hungarian distance learning educational institution, the National Distance Learning Center (later known as: Open Business School).
In 1989, he was admitted to the National Association of Hungarian Journalists (MÚOSZ).

Since 1990, as a retiree, he has tirelessly and without a break given lectures, written articles and books on the history of science, organized conferences and participated in conferences.
He became perhaps the most thorough expert on the life and work of János Neumann and the caretaker of his memory. He was the honorary president of the NJSZT Informatics History Forum (iTF). He is the initiator of the Informatics Museum in Szeged and the Informatics History Museum Foundation (ITMA).
His role was outstanding in the museum preservation of IT tools and their popularization in the history of IT.

His awards include: Endre Hevesi Lifetime Achievement Award (Endre Hevesi Award Foundation and MÚOSZ, 2011); Neumann Award (NJSZT, 1979).