March 26 carries deep meaning for those who knew and respected Dr. Lajos Csőke. Born in Eger in 1941, the professor’s life became one of the defining chapters in Hungarian computer science education, as well as the story of a man who regarded knowledge as a moral responsibility. His passing in 2019 transformed his life into a legacy to be carried forward. To an outside observer, his passion for computer science education may have seemed to be the main driving force of his life, yet his son, László Attila Csőke, always saw from a young age that for his father, family was the most important value.
He began his career in 1968 at the Department of Mathematics of the Eszterházy Károly Teacher Training College in Eger. Even then, he stood out with the mindset that would later define his entire career: knowledge is not an end in itself, but a tool through which people can improve the world and themselves. In 1988, he was appointed associate professor, and in 1993 he became head of the Department of Computer Science. Four years later, he founded the Department of Information Technology, which operated for many years according to his intellectual guidance.
The department he led functioned as a genuine creative environment. Students and colleagues alike remember it as a place of real dialogue: a place where questions could be asked, where mistakes were not seen as failures but as opportunities for learning, and where the freedom of thought was a tangible reality. Behind his subjects — algorithms, data structures and programming languages — there was always a deeper message: the importance of structured thinking and ethical decision-making.
Several textbooks are associated with his name. His 1972 work, The Functions and Their Teaching in Primary School, already reflected his pedagogical sensitivity, while the book he co-authored with Gábor Garamhegyi, The Logical Foundations of Computer Programming, introduced generations to the world of computer science. These volumes were not merely teaching materials, but patterns of thought that shaped their readers over the long term.
Dr. Lajos Csőke did not only teach and write; he also built communities. In 1993, he founded the International Conference on Applied Informatics, a conference series that placed the city of Eger on the international scientific map of informatics. In addition, he organized numerous scientific events and competitions where young talents could demonstrate their abilities. Many of his students later became teachers, researchers and developers themselves, carrying forward the mindset they had received from him.
His professional work was recognized with prestigious awards: in 2002, he received the Tarján Memorial Medal, and in 2008 he was awarded the Kiss Péter Prize. Yet these honors reflect only part of his influence. His true value lay in the way he shaped people’s thinking.
Even today, stories are told in the corridors of the department about a certain sofa on which he often sat and, almost as a ritual, took a 15-minute nap after lunch each day to recharge for the tasks ahead. This piece of furniture became a meeting point, a place of debates and realizations. Conversations were born there that often proved more valuable than any lecture. It was in this place that it became clear: knowledge is also a connection between one person and another. In March 2026, the university unveiled a memorial plaque in his honor, preserving his presence and spirit for future generations.
The personal dimension of his life is less widely known, yet it is just as important. His son, László Csőke, lives in Dubai and often recalls his father. He remembers him as a man who remained consistent with his values in every situation, for whom work was a moral stance, and who taught him that ethics is the foundation of life. “What I received from him cannot be learned from books,” he says. Today, this legacy lives on in his own children: in clarity of thought, humility toward work, and the quiet conviction that life and work are only worth pursuing with integrity.
Dr. Lajos Csőke’s life’s work reaches beyond institutions, textbooks and awards. It forms a strong network connecting all those who ever came into contact with him. His was a life that did not end, but became memory, example and guidance.