Applications for 2027 open in autumn 2026

A Life-Changing Experience
for Young Talents from Central Europe

We back young turbomachinery engineers from across the region, build a lasting community between universities and industry, and put the region's research strength in front of the companies that can use it.

Start Your Journey Partner With Us

Our Mission

Why Central Europe? Why Now?

Central and Eastern Europe holds more engineering talent, and more research worth partnering on, than its visibility suggests. Coal phase-out, gas turbine modernization and hydrogen integration will reshape the region, yet its engineers are barely present at the conferences where those technologies are decided.

Stodola Academy (formerly known as IGTI-4-CEE) exists to change that: a network of universities and industry running one programme for young engineers from the region.

Aurel Stodola

Aurel Boleslav Stodola, professor at ETH Zurich, author of Die Dampfturbinen.

Named After

Aurel Stodola, 1859–1942

Born in Liptovský Mikuláš in what is now Slovakia, educated in Budapest, Zurich, and Berlin, Stodola spent his early career in the machine works of Prague before taking the chair of thermal machinery at ETH Zurich in 1892. His book Die Dampfturbinen turned the steam turbine from a craft into a science and stayed the standard reference for a generation. The methods in it still underpin the way turbines and compressors are designed today.

He is also the proof of what this network is built on. Talent from this region has always been capable of shaping the field on the international stage, and Stodola did exactly that. Our job is to make sure the next generation gets the same chance, without having to leave to find it.

The Consortium

Stodola Academy is run jointly by five technical universities, each an anchor for turbomachinery in its own country.

Lodz University of Technology

Lodz University of Technology

Poland · Lead
Gdańsk University of Technology

Gdańsk University of Technology

Poland
University of West Bohemia, Plzeň

University of West Bohemia, Plzeň

Czechia
Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Hungary
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Slovakia

Stodola Academy Pillars

Four activities that together make one annual rhythm.

Stodola Scholars

Full funding for young engineers to attend the field's leading conferences.

Learn more ↓

Stodola Cup

A cross-border online hackathon on a challenge defined by an industrial partner.

Learn more ↓

Stodola Day

The annual gathering of the whole network. Free for students. Łódź, 10 May 2027.

Learn more ↓

Stodola Mentors

Twelve months with a senior practitioner from industry or academia.

Learn more ↓
1

Stodola Scholars

Our flagship programme provides full travel funding and online preparation for young engineers to attend the world's leading turbomachinery conferences.

14 funded places in 2027

Three conferences with three different roles: European integration, global academic flagship, and the industry floor.

April 2027

ETC17 Gdańsk

6 places. The 17th European Conference on Turbomachinery Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, hosted by our partner Gdańsk Tech.

June 2027

ASME Turbo Expo, Calgary

4 places. The world's principal turbomachinery conference.

September 2027

TPS Houston

4 places. The Turbomachinery and Pump Symposium organised by Texas A&M, the industry-facing end of the field.

These places are financed by the International Visegrad Fund and are open to applicants from Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. Additional places funded by industrial partners are open more widely across the region.

Between 2024 and 2025 the predecessor programme IGTI-4-CEE sent 35 scholars to ASME Turbo Expo. For many it was a turning point in their careers, and the alumni network that grew out of it now spans the region.

2

Stodola Cup

March 2027 · March 2028

An online cross-border hackathon where interdisciplinary student teams get 48 hours on a real engineering challenge, defined together with an industrial partner.

The prize: winning teams present their solution on stage at Stodola Day, in front of the whole network and its industrial partners.

Hosting rotates between partner universities: the 2027 edition is run by UWB Plzeň with STU Bratislava, the 2028 edition by BME Budapest.

Why Participate?

  • A real industrial problem

    Work on a challenge a company actually has, not a textbook exercise.

  • Teams across borders

    Mixed-nationality teams are encouraged and score better in selection.

  • Fully online

    No travel needed to take part, wherever you study in the region.

3

Stodola Day

Łódź · 10 May 2027

What happens on the day

The one day the whole network is in the same room. Stodola Cup winners present their solutions, a senior keynote frames where the field is heading, the mentoring programme is formally launched, and industrial partners meet the cohort.

  • Cup winners on stage with their solutions.
  • Keynote on the future of the field.
  • Mentor and mentee matching ceremony.
  • Live streaming for everyone who cannot travel.

Later editions rotate between the partner cities, so the community gathers somewhere different each year.

Why students should come

Free for students

No registration fee. Scholars travelling from other countries have their accommodation covered as well.

Stodola Day puts students in the same room as top experts: senior engineers from the region's industry, professors from all partner universities, and members of our Board of Experts. These are the people who decide where the technology goes, and who hire.

  • Meet potential supervisors, mentors and employers face to face.
  • Present your own work and get feedback from practitioners.
  • Build a network beyond your own university.
Ask about attending
4

Stodola Mentors

A twelve-month cycle pairing young engineers with senior practitioners from industry and academia. Pairs are matched in person at Stodola Day on 10 May 2027, then work online through May 2028. The programme is led by Gdańsk Tech.

Board of Experts

John Crane

John Crane

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Driving innovation to deliver solutions for a clean and secure energy future.

S. Can Gülen

S. Can Gülen

Bechtel

World-renowned expert in thermal engineering and thermodynamic cycles.

Voices of the Future

"The programme is exceptional for students passionate about turbomachinery and serious about their careers."

Participant photo

Wiktoria Czechońska

Cohort 2025

"It was a great experience, combining career growth, education, and meaningful connections."

Participant photo

Zofia Kruk

Cohort 2024

"I had the amazing opportunity to present my research to industry experts at ASME Turbo Expo."

Participant photo

Tariq Ullah

Cohort 2024

Student Vlogs

What the programme actually looks like

What the programme actually looks like

From Europe to Memphis

London 2024 Highlights (YouTube Shorts)

Our Growing Alumni Network

Partners and Support

International Visegrad Fund

International Visegrad Fund

The 2026–2028 programme is supported by a grant from the International Visegrad Fund, covering Stodola Scholars, the Stodola Cup, Stodola Day in Łódź and the Stodola Mentors cycle from December 2026 to May 2028.

Places financed by this grant are reserved for participants from the four Visegrad countries: Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. The wider programme remains open to young engineers from across Central and Eastern Europe.

Industrial Partners

We are opening the partner programme for the 2027 season. Industrial support adds scholarship places, sets the challenge for the Stodola Cup, and brings senior engineers into the mentoring programme.

Talk to us about partnering

What Partnering Gives You

Three things companies get from working with us.

Access to top talent

Meet candidates for traineeships, diploma projects and hires before the open market does. Set a Stodola Cup challenge and watch how the teams handle it.

Access to regional research

Co-supervise joint MSc theses, run a mini-project on a problem you bring, and trade know-how at Stodola Day. A working route into applied R&D and joint funding.

Visibility where it counts

Show your technology to the cohort, take a panel slot, or place senior engineers as Stodola Mentors at partner universities.

Talk to us

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for a scholarship?

We welcome early-career participants from both academia and industry:

  • Academia: Master students, PhD students, or early-career researchers up to 5 years after obtaining their PhD.
  • Industry: Professionals with up to 8 years of experience.

Applicants must not have attended the same conference previously.

Which countries take part?

Stodola Academy is open to young engineers from across Central and Eastern Europe, and our alumni network already spans the region. The scholarships funded by the International Visegrad Fund in 2027 and 2028 are reserved for applicants from Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. Places funded by industrial partners are open more widely.

What does the funding cover?

The programme covers travel, accommodation for the conference days, and the full registration fee. There is no co-funding requirement from your home institution.

Which conferences can I attend in 2027?

Fourteen funded places are available across three conferences:

  • ETC17 Gdańsk, April 2027 — 6 places, hosted by our consortium partner Gdańsk Tech.
  • ASME Turbo Expo Calgary, June 2027 — 4 places.
  • TPS Houston, September 2027 — 4 places.

Do I need to submit a paper?

No, there is no strict requirement for an academic paper or poster publication, although it is acceptable and encouraged.

How are candidates selected?

Applications are assessed based on a points system:
  • Achievements: 2 points
  • Motivation: 1 point
  • Future Contribution: 1 point
Each participating country has a guaranteed minimum number of places. In cases of equivalent candidates, preference will be given to the younger person.

How much does Stodola Day cost?

Nothing. Participation is free for students, and scholars travelling from other countries have their accommodation covered.

Can I register for the Stodola Cup without a team?

No, individual registration is not possible. You must form a team before registering. Mixed-nationality teams are encouraged and score better in selection.

How did it start?

The idea was born when two researchers, Jarek Szwedowicz and Grzegorz Liśkiewicz, met at an ASME Turbo Expo conference and noticed how few colleagues from the region were there. They presented the problem to ASME, which funded a pilot: IGTI-4-CEE sent 35 scholars to London 2024 and Memphis 2025. Stodola Academy is the next step, widening the programme to five partner universities with support from the International Visegrad Fund.

Do you assist with visa applications?

No, we do not assist with the visa process directly. Candidates requiring a visa must apply early enough to secure it at least one month before the conference. However, we can provide an invitation letter to support your application once selected.

Alumni Committee

Jeremi Przewoźny

Jeremi Przewoźny

Siemens Energy

2024 Cohort

Wiktoria Czechońska

Wiktoria Czechońska

Gdańsk University of Technology

2025 Cohort

Matěj Smutný

Matěj Smutný

VZU Plzeň

2025 Cohort

Organizing Team

One coordinator in each partner country, running the programme together.

Prof Grzegorz Liśkiewicz

Prof Grzegorz Liśkiewicz

Lodz University of Technology

Project Lead

Dr Jarosław Szwedowicz

Dr Jarosław Szwedowicz

Gdańsk University of Technology

Poland · Conference Access

MH

Doc Michal Hajžman

University of West Bohemia, Plzeň

Czechia Lead

JV

Prof János Vad

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Hungary Lead

VK

Prof Vladimír Kutiš

Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Slovakia Lead