Dear Reader,

The structure of this year’s first English issue of OPUS is somewhat different from the usual ones. Of course, the review includes studies that present the international work of domestic researchers, multi-author cooperation, global outlook, and professional communication related to conferences. One of these is the study by John Mcarthy and Tibor Pecze Bors, exploring the issues of career development strategies and dealing with theoretical questions connecting to the timely renewal of the domestic career choice system. The paper by Katalin Nagy is also worth attention; this comparative analysis examines the evidence, but in everyday practice not sufficiently recognized, the interrelation between the quality of education and economic development. The last element in the series of studies is a multi-author paper fitting in today’s research trends in an expressive way; this paper by Tibor Vámos, Rut Bars, László Keviczky and Dávid Sik discussing management technology demonstrates this author group’s intergenerational work, as well.

It so happened that this year’s English issue of OPUS has been prepared already by the middle of spring. One of the reasons for this is that the main focus of this issue has been put on the papers of talented doctoral candidates studying in Hungary. They were speakers at the Today and Tomorrow Education and VET Conference at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in November 2019. We strive to offer specific reflections when publishing the English papers of foreign doctoral candidates studying at Hungarian doctoral schools of pedagogy. The perspectives of these, the professional features of the chosen topics, and the introduced national references that are worth attention form a comparative pedagogical point of view offer an exciting outlook. The studies written by the doctoral candidates studying in Hungary within the frames of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme are directly connected to the extension of the possibilities of international professional communication. They may be inspiring for our domestic readers and authors, as well. 

Following the traditions, this issue is closed by a special recension. Gabriella Mike's writing about the Hungarian study volume of 2019’s Today and Tomorrow Education and VET Conference, which is available electronically, as well, allows the introduction of the results of this professional – scientific forum at the international scene. 

Finally, as a kind of a service announcement, let me foreshadow here our plan connecting to the crisis known in the spring of 2020: our thematic issue, which is to be published in the summer and analysis the changes that are going on in our days, exert profound impacts on the world of work and education and bear lots of dramatic elements but also open new perspectives from a professional point of view is under preparation with the title ’Digital switchover – constraints, and opportunities of innovation.’

Budapest May 2020

András Benedek

Editor-in-chief