Dr Norbert Csizmadia, President of the Foundation for John von Neumann University.

Dubai:The stand of John von Neumann University from Hungary was a premier dumping site at COP28, as it was the first to showcase the university’s hydrogen-powered multifunctional vehicle, the Neumann H2, and the first to present the book ‘Geovision’ written by Dr Norbert Csizmadia, president of the university’s maintaining foundation.

John von Neumann University is the sole representative of European higher education at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

The university is from Kecskemét, the centre of the Hungarian automotive industry. The Neumann H2 sets a clear trend for sustainable technological development. All parts of the multi-functional prototype vehicle, powered by solar energy and hydrogen, have been developed at the university, with a range of 150 km on hydrogen and up to 100 km on battery power.

This is a milestone development because the fossil-based hydrogen production options used until now have created environmental pressures that have been at odds with climate protection goals. However, the direction of research has been changed by the mass uptake of hydrogen production from green energy, based on the now widely known technology of hydrolysis. The feedstock could be purified wastewater.

However, the only important aspect of NeumannH2 is not only its hydrogen-based, solar-powered, and artificial intelligence-driven operation, because the innovation in its current form is not primarily a market product, but rather a symbol that perfectly demonstrates the future potential of the higher education institution of Kecskemét, and the tasks it has set for the coming years.

Dr Norbert Csizmadia, President of the Foundation for John von Neumann University, presented his double-volume publication ‘Geovision’ at the climate summit, which provides answers to many questions of our time from a geographer’s perspective, including the role of the fusion of different territories, and the networking of economic processes. The geographer and academic leader points out that geography is more than cartography. Geography is a tool, because by learning about maps we also acquire an exciting and versatile visual language.

By participating in the COP28 climate summit and showcasing its innovations, John von Neumann University aims to raise awareness of its ability to produce the human capital that will be essential for future economic growth.

NeumannH2 can, therefore, be seen more as a research and educational platform that can be integrated into a pioneering higher education and scientific methodology. The mechanical, electronic and IT developments implemented in the vehicle represent and qualify the research competence, educational quality and reputation of John von Neumann University.

The prototype development was therefore not focused on creating a marketable product, but on creating the opportunity to develop and test innovative renewable energy systems in real-life conditions at the university. The university is present in Dubai as an institution with the ambition to be among the best in Europe and the world within five years.