Coding, programming, and algorithmic thinking are part of our everyday lives

Publication date: June 1, 2023

Ambassador Zsolt Jánossy talks about his EU Code Week experience 

Meet Zsolt Jánossy, a secondary school teacher with over 30 years of experience in education, a EU Code Week ambassador, and an educational advisor. He is a physics teacher who specialises in digital education and is a member of the team organizing Digitális Témahét (Digital Project Week) in Hungary, a national initiative promoting project pedagogy supported by digital means.

Since the beginning of the EU Code Week, Zsolt has been actively involved in organising coding activities for local communities, schools, and teachers around Hungary. He has also been organising online webinars, in-person events, and workshops for teachers to support them with organizing events for the EU Code Week. 

Zsolt believes that coding, programming, and algorithmic thinking is present in our everyday lives and that everyone should be prepared for the challenges it presents and must have the right competencies. He thinks that EU Code Week plays an important role in promoting coding and programming education in Europe. The events organized every year have had a strong impact on millions of people in and outside the EU. 

“Coding, programming, and algorithmic thinking is present in our everyday lives”

As an ambassador for EU Code Week, Zsolt’s most memorable experience was organising the Code Week Hungary Conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the European Code Week. The conference presented plenary and thematic sessions, including lectures, sharing good practices, and hands-on workshops for about 100 teachers. 

However, Zsolt has also faced challenges as an ambassador for EU Code Week, particularly convincing people that learning how to use digital technology in the right way can have a positive impact on their lives. He believes that giving lectures and talking to people about the importance of digital competencies can help to overcome these negative attitudes. 

Future of EU Code Week

Looking to the future, Zsolt hopes that EU Code Week will focus more on spreading reliable information about artificial intelligence to address the challenges it presents in a moderate and professional way. He also hopes that EU Code Week will contribute more to the decrease of the digital gap that threatens some of our societies. 

To those who are interested in becoming an EU Code Week ambassador or getting involved in coding and programming education, Zsolt advises being open to different thoughts and accepting the views and ideas of others. He also recommends being well prepared with the most recent developments in coding and programming education.