Helena Kovacs

Helena Kovacs serves as Lecturer at EPFL's School of Social Sciences and Project Manager for Transversal Skills at the Transversal Skills and Career Center (CCTC), while also contributing as a member of the Teaching Conference (CCE). Her work focuses on integrating transversal skills across EPFL's engineering curriculum through collaborative stakeholder engagement with teachers, students, and employers.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Education (Educational sciences), Eötvös Lorànd University and University of Lisbon, 2019
• Master in Sociology of Education (Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management), Aarhus University and University of Deusto, 2011
• Bachelor of Science in Community Youth Work (Non-formal Education), Jönköping University, 2007

Kovacs' research centers on engineering education innovation, particularly transversal skills development, inclusive classroom practices, and ethics pedagogy. She examines pedagogical adaptations during crises like the pandemic and investigates teacher learning in innovative environments through co-constructive approaches with institutional stakeholders.

Her 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveal consistent focus on transversal skills integration frameworks, engineering ethics education methodologies, and inclusive teaching practices. Key trends include curriculum mapping for skill visibility, game-based ethics training, and transnational analysis of accreditation standards, with strong emphasis on practical implementation through teacher collaboration.

Her notable recognition includes:

• Marie Curie fellowship during doctoral studies

Kovacs supervises students in project-based courses including 'Supervising Students in Projects' and sustainability education seminars. Her research-practice partnerships, such as the computer science integration pilot in secondary schools, demonstrate her commitment to bridging educational theory and practice through co-construction models.

She leads EPFL's Transversal Skills and Career Center initiatives, developing assessment frameworks for skills like communication and ethics across curricular and extracurricular contexts. Her work with the Teaching Conference fosters institutional knowledge sharing on pedagogical innovations and adaptive teaching strategies.