Our collaboration with Andrássy University Budapest demonstrates what's possible when technical expertise meets academic research. For over a decade, we've built platforms that strengthen democratic participation across Central Europe. We spoke with Barlai Melani about how this partnership began, what we've accomplished together, and where we're heading next.
When and how did Andrássy University come into contact with Pro-Sharp? Did you initiate the partnership, or did Pro-Sharp approach you? What circumstances and motivations led to this partnership?
Our cooperation with Pro-Sharp began in 2014, when, on the initiative of Andrássy University, we launched Vokskabin, a voter orientation platform that helps citizens make conscious, informed decisions during elections. Pro-Sharp coordinated the technical and conceptual implementation of the project from the outset. It became clear to us right from the start that Pro-Sharp is a professional workshop that combines a high level of technological competence with a deep sensitivity to social sciences – this created an excellent basis for long-term collaboration. It is essential to Andrássy University that its scientific results are put to good use in society, and Pro-Sharp has proven to be a reliable partner in this regard over the past few years.
What specifi*c projects has Andrássy University been involved in in collaboration with Pro-Sharp? What are the most critical areas of cooperation for the university in this partnership?
Our best-known joint project is undoubtedly Vokskabin, which was developed by Pro-Sharp and has been prepared by researchers at Andrássy University since 2014 for every national, European Parliament and local government election. Pro-Sharp provides the technical operation of the platform, its user-friendly interface and the data processing background, while we at the university are responsible for developing the questions, coding the parties' positions and providing the scientific background material. Additionally, we have jointly developed the votevault.eu platform, an Austrian-Hungarian election database created by Pro-Sharp. This site not only serves research purposes, but also serves as an example of how election-related information can be presented to the public in a comprehensible, transparent, and data-driven manner.
How does Andrássy University assess its current cooperation with Pro-Sharp? In what direction would you like to develop this partnership, and what new opportunities do you see for the future?
Andrássy University considers its cooperation with Pro-Sharp to be a strategic partnership. Pro-Sharp is not only a reliable technology partner, but also an active, creative partner: proactive, creative, and critical. In our joint work, we do not merely process data, but create innovative tools that open up new avenues for political education, voter awareness, and the promotion of social participation. In the future, we aim to further strengthen this alliance, particularly in the areas of digital democracy and political education. Our plans also include reaching out to new target groups, such as high school students, first-time voters, and Hungarian communities living beyond the borders. In addition, we see great potential in international comparative research projects that enable the analysis of regional electoral trends and political attitudes.