Recognition and support of outstanding students are among the most important tasks of higher education, as they can thereby be motivated to pursue a career in academia. In our study, we examined the willingness of members of the Talent Management Program (DETEP) at the University of Debrecen to participate and present at scientific student conferences. Our research was based on a questionnaire survey. The sample consisted of respondents who had previously participated in local TDK conferences (n=128). Based on our results, we can conclude that students who have participated three or more times in TDK events are considering a future career in academia. Respondents who have participated only once mainly participate for the purpose of the competition According to the results between achieving the ranking and the experience of participating in the TDK, participation is experienced as a positive experience if they manage to achieve a ranking at the local conference. Additionally, achieving a ranking also affects the feeling of gaining an advantage during studies and faculty recognition among the respondents.