An event bringing together students and industry leaders to explore real-world finance, technology, and career opportunities through practical insights.
The goal of organizing Finance & Tech Hub: From Markets to Models was to create a platform where students could move beyond theoretical knowledge and understand how finance and technology operate in real environments. We aimed to connect students with professionals from leading institutions and give them the opportunity not only to listen, but to engage, ask questions, and experience real decision-making dynamics. The event attracted over 200 registrations, with around 185 students attending, making it one of the largest student-organized events in Budapest. In total, six representatives from Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Citi joined us, and on stage we had Gábor Suta (Executive Director, Morgan Stanley), Alexios Tzemis (Vice President, BlackRock), and Norbert Hari together with Tamás Gombar (Director and Vice President, Citi).
Opened by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Dr. Benedek Láng also took part in evaluating the workshop and later joined the closing part of the event. The sessions reflected different areas of finance: Gábor Suta focused on Morgan Stanley as a business and shared insights into trends in private credit and data infrastructure financing, Alexios Tzemis introduced BlackRock and explained how data influences portfolio construction and investment decisions, while Norbert Hari and Tamás Gombar provided an overview of quantitative finance, key skill sets, and how students from technical backgrounds can enter the field. The key message across all sessions was to show how decisions are made in practice and what skills are actually required in the industry, rather than focusing only on theory.
A central part was the interactive workshop, which added a practical dimension to the experience. Students first completed a short quiz, after which 18 participants were selected and divided into teams. Each team worked on the same M&A case under time pressure, focusing on structured thinking, teamwork, and presenting their conclusions. The speakers were actively involved in the process, interacting with the teams, evaluating their presentations, and giving feedback from their professional perspective, with the Vice Dean also contributing to the evaluation. The outcome of the workshop was highly positive, as students were fully engaged and demonstrated strong analytical and presentation skills, with the team supported by the BlackRock representative being selected as the winner. The event concluded with a short motivational closing segment, where both the speakers and the Vice Dean shared final remarks and encouraged students to continue developing their skills and exploring opportunities in the field.
Students from finance, business, data science, computer science, and engineering backgrounds could participate who reflected the interdisciplinary nature of modern finance. Feedback from participants were very positive, especially regarding the opportunity to interact directly with professionals and gain a clearer understanding of career paths. The speakers were informed that the event may be featured in university communication channels, and no specific restrictions were communicated regarding general coverage.
FINNECT is a student-led initiative at ELTE GTK that focuses on building a bridge between students and the financial industry. Our goal is to create opportunities for students to gain practical insights, develop relevant skills and connect with professionals. We organize events, workshops, and collaborations with companies, with a strong focus on real-world application rather than purely academic knowledge. We welcome students who are interested in finance, business, and technology, especially those who are motivated to learn and engage beyond the classroom.
Overall, the Finance & Tech Hub confirmed that there is strong demand among students for this type of initiative, and it also showed that meaningful collaboration between universities and industry can create real value for both sides.
The team members: Asylkhan Koshanov (President), Aruzhan Kassym (Vice President), Dikhan Tolepbergen (Vice President), Zhanat Begaaly Uuly (Event Director), Elmira Koldassova (Event Director), Kunduz Karmysheva (Creative Director), Allanazar Atayev (Technical Director), Bulgantamir Jargalsaikhan (Brand Manager)
Photographer name: Kunduz Karmysheva