János Szelezsán

His first job was at the then-established Cybernetics Research Group (KKCS) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which could be considered the cradle of computer science, where he worked as a scientific secretary, department head, and deputy director from 1957 to 1970. He was one of those who created the first application programs for the first domestic computer built there, the M-3.
He is credited with writing the first calculator program, the first programming thesis, and the first programming textbook.

Between 1970 and 1975, he worked as a founding member and deputy director at the National Planning Office's Computer Center (OT SZK), and between 1975 and 1985, he also worked as a founder and director at the Central Statistical Office's State Administration Computer Service (ÁSZSZ). Both institutions created systems of major applications on the largest domestic computers at the time. Between 1985 and 1992, he worked as a scientific director at the Computer Application Company (Számalk) and as a deputy director at its Training and Consultation Center.

In 1992, he was one of the founders of the Gábor Dénes College (GDF), where for more than a decade and a half he played a significant role in the operation of the first distance learning college as a department head, deputy director, director, and rector. For more than fifty years, he participated in the domestic higher education in IT as a second-tenure associate professor at the Faculty of Science of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE TTK).

Author or co-author of 21 professional books and textbooks; number of professional articles and scientific publications: 57.
Together with his co-author Tamás Frey, he edited the dictionaries on Computer Science and Mathematical Cybernetics – the first to be published in these topics – (Akadémia Kiadó, Budapest, both: 1973).

An important part of his work was his participation in professional bodies. These include: Scientific Knowledge Dissemination Society (TIT) Cybernetics Group (1959-1964, president), NJSZT and its predecessors (1964-1990, founding member, deputy secretary general, vice president), National Presidency of the Association of Technical and Natural Science Associations (MTESZ) (1976-1980), Computer Science Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1973-2004), Mathematics Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (TMB) Scientific Qualification Committee (1974-1986), International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) TC-7 (1976-2008), editorial board of the journals Acta Cybernetica and Információ Elektronika of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

His awards: MTESZ Award (1978); Neumann Award (NJSZT, 1979); Silver Degree of the Order of Merit for Labor (1983); Fényes Elek Award (Prime Minister's Office, 1987); In Memoriam Gábor Dénes Memorial Medal (Novofer Foundation, 2014); NJSZT Lifetime Achievement Award (2022).