Introduction of NJSZT

The John von Neumann Computer Society (Neumann János Számítógép tudományi Társaság, NJSZT) is a financially stable non governmental organisation devoted to a knowledge based information society, a professional representative of info communications dome tically and inter nationally, and the leading domestic professional organisation of the science and application of in formation technology. As a professional forum independent of any institutions, th e Society plays a crucial social role in

• the domestic promotion of computer literacy, achieving digital equality;
• protection and promotion of the professional cultural heritage and the values of the profession;
• promotion of computer culture and the newest professional and scientific information, and talent development.

In order to achieve these objectives, it performs and offers representative, organisational and coordinating duties and services:

• supports research and development activities in the field of information technology, and aids their promotion and recognition;
• operates creative professional communities;
• maintains international professional relationships and aims to expand them;
• is devoted to transmitting the values of the information society to the to the civil society;
• when requested, it prepares professional opinions on initiatives, documents, research, development and retraining programmes related to knowledge based information society; it draws up opinions, coordinates and actively participates in tenders;
• using several decades of professional experience, it initiates and manages national training programmes (e.g. ECDL, NETSZEREGY), involving hundreds of thousands of people, in order to achieve digital equality;
• in order to help improve the living standards of the society, it considers supporting health (life style, public health, prevention, health of the nation, aftercare, etc.) by IT tools as one of its major objectives;
• it assembles an internationally relevant collection about IT history with its partners in order to protect the values of its past, and it undertakes to operate it in the future;
• devotedly supports the cause of computer talent development: it organises n ational and inter national competitions and provides preparation, it operates workshops and awards scholar ships;
• provides an opportunity for students and young professionals to take part in professional pub lic life;
• recognises professional achievements annually by handing out awards founded by the society;
• it supports disadvantaged people: it cooperates in eliminating child poverty, it provides free training to children with cancer; it provides professional and financial help to improvements enhancing the quality o f life of multiply disadvantaged persons;

Promoting the establishment of digital equality, spreading computer literacy and internet culture, improving IT culture, professionalism, the protection of values, and talent development to ensure new generations of skilled professionals are still considered by the Society as tasks of paramount importance.