The Networking Academy Games 2026 competition was once again on the lookout for young talent
High school and college students studying computer networking, information technology, and cybersecurity gathered on April 29, 2026, for the 21st annual edition of the prestigious Networking Academy Games (NAG2026) competition, which took place at the TECHNICOM University Science Park and the Department of Computers and Informatics, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics of the Technical University of Košice.
A total of 115 students from 21 secondary schools and universities advanced to the national finals. Their knowledge and skills in the field of computer networks and cybersecurity were tested through a theoretical knowledge exam as well as a practical portion of the competition. In the area of network technologies, contestants had to demonstrate knowledge at the level of the CCNA international industry certification, while in the area of cybersecurity, knowledge corresponding to the Cisco Networking Academy Program courses focused on cybersecurity was assessed.
Students tackled challenging tasks and demonstrated the ability to analyze and solve complex problems that may be encountered in the real-world operation of computer networks.
The competition was organized into five categories:
In the field of network technologies, these were the “UNI SS” category—for high school students, the “UNI – VS” category—for university students, and the “HS3” category—for three-member teams of high school students. In the field of cybersecurity, students competed in the “Cybersecurity SŠ” category—for high school students—and the “Cybersecurity VŠ” category—for university students.
A panel of experts composed of representatives from academia and industry professionals working in the field of information technology oversaw the transparency of the competition’s proceedings and evaluation.
Results of the 21st NAG 2026 competition:
UNI-SS Category – Secondary School Students
1. Adam Kolesár, Technical Secondary School, Spišská Nová Ves
2. Matej Doležal, Handlová Secondary Vocational School
3. Ján Vargovčík, Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Prešov
4. Jakub Vajs, Jozef Murgaš Technical Secondary School, Banská Bystrica
5. Lukáš Lupták, Secondary Vocational School of IT, Banská Bystrica
UNI-VS Category – University Students:
1. Tibor Korcsok, University of Žilina
2. Juraj Jurčišin, Technical University of Košice
3. Alex Paulík, University of Žilina in Žilina
4. Ivan Brťka, Technical University of Košice
5. Adrián Fáber, FIIT STU in Bratislava
Category HS3 – Teams of three high school students
1. Private Secondary Vocational School, Poprad (Marek Mýtnik, Matej Mitura, Teodor Šutara)
2. Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Prešov (Ján Vargovčík, Tomáš Neupauer, Martin Bartko)
3. Private Secondary Vocational School, Poprad (Šimon Pirschel, Tomáš Suský, Šimon Neumeister)
4. Secondary Vocational School, Handlová (Matej Doležal, Peter Záhorský, David Schut)
5. Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Prešov (Martin Gondek, Šimon Čura, Adam Kovaľ)
Cyber Security Category – Secondary School Students
1. Samuel Hájek, Secondary Vocational School of IT, Nová Dubnica
2. Alexander Vrábeľ, Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Košice
3. Michal Feňo, Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Košice
4. Martin Bartko, Secondary Technical School of Electrical Engineering, Prešov
5. Viliam Džurban, Nové Zámky High School
Cyber Security Category – University Students
1. Kristína Šubjaková, University of Žilina
2. Mykyta Derevianko, Technical University of Košice
3. Adrián Fáber, Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
4. Dušan Kolenčík, University of Žilina
5. Matúš Senaj, Technical University of Košice
The NAG 2026 student competition was organized by the Technical University of Košice in cooperation with the University of Žilina, the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, and the companies Cisco Systems Slovakia and CEELABS, s.r.o. The competition was made possible thanks to the support of partners: ALEF Distribution SK, NTT Data, INC., LYNX, s.r.o., Košice IT Valley, the Chamber of Cybersecurity Managers, and media partner NEXTECH.
The competition is registered with the Ministry of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic as a vocational skills competition in Category C.
The goal of the Cisco Networking Academy program, which has been operating in Slovak schools since 1999, is to identify and develop talent in the field of networking technologies. Currently, five university departments and nearly 80 secondary schools are involved in the program. Annually, these schools prepare more than 400 experts at the level of CCNA and CCNP industry certifications.
Knowledge and skills in the field of computer networking are in demand today not only in large companies but increasingly in smaller ones as well. The demand for these experts is constantly growing. Major companies also follow the competition itself, as it gives them the opportunity to identify talented students and approach them with job offers. Network academies prepare future IT professionals to design, configure, and operate computer networks. Graduates with these skills are highly sought after in the job market.
“The role of network specialists is gradually changing, and their education must adapt to this development. This is also the basis for the network academies’ program. As part of their training, students solve simulated tasks that
they may encounter in real-world scenarios. Routine configurations will become increasingly automated, so IT specialists will be expected to demonstrate a higher degree of creativity, the ability to understand the broader context of how organizations operate, and the ability to work with modern tools (including AI). “Cisco’s NetAcad networking academic program effectively reflects these trends and provides students with the latest knowledge and technologies,” said Peter Feciľak, chair of the NAG 2026 jury.
More information about the competition, as well as the overall results, can be found at www.netacad.sk.
