In September 2025, the postgraduate specialization programme in data stewardship was launched for the second time at the Faculty of Humanities of Eötvös Loránd University, under the professional supervision of the Department of Digital Humanities (ELTE DH). As the home of the National Laboratory for Digital Heritage, the department provides a unique institutional background for all those seeking a deeper understanding of domestic data management practices. In line with previous practice, staff members of the Hungarian National Archives also contributed to the programme this year by delivering a thematic workshop seminar.

Through four lectures, archival professionals introduced students to modern archival workflows and the potential applications of artificial intelligence. Zsolt Bánki spoke about the usability of artificial intelligence in archival contexts; Emese Varga presented the operation of RAG as a new research platform; Kata Szűcs outlined methods for the AI-based recognition and database structuring of state civil registration records; while Zsigmond Bakó detailed the structure and operation of the Hungarian National Archives’ electronic registry systems.

Following the workshop seminar, students were given insight into the work of the Hungarian National Archives: under the guidance of István Hegedűs, they visited the institution’s digitization workshop, where they were able to observe first-hand the steps involved in the digital preservation and processing of archival documents.

The data stewardship programme at ELTE DH continues to strive to ensure that, alongside solid theoretical foundations, students encounter everyday data management practices in an authentic professional environment. The archival workshop seminar and the associated visit provided participants with valuable experience and brought them even closer to the challenges and opportunities of the domestic data stewardship profession.