At Thursday’s ceremony, the HUN-REN Excellence Award (formerly the Eötvös Loránd Research Network Award) and the Robert Barany Awards were presented, as well as the titles of Emeritus Research Professor.
“We, Hungarian researchers, must preserve all the previous achievements of Hungarian science, and at the same time raise them to the level of the 21st century. We must apply the outstanding achievements of our predecessors in practice and pass them on to future generations,” Balázs Gulyas was quoted in announcing the greeting of the HUN President -REN, who emphasized: “We must not only translate the results of science, but also introduce them into the value chain and transfer them to members of society.”
At the ceremony, Professor Johann Dietrich Wörner, former President of the European Space Agency (ESA) and President of the German Academy Acatech (National Academy of Science and Technology), stressed the importance of incorporating and using the results of research and innovation. in the value chain in his welcome speech.
As written, the HUN-REN Excellence Award can be won annually by a researcher who is widely respected in the scientific community at home and abroad, who has an outstanding professional career, outstanding scientific performance, excellent research results and a patent.
The award in 2023 was won by Eva Kondorossi, Research Professor at the HUN-REN Center for Biological Research in Szeged. The award-winning biologist Széchényi, Balzan and Prima Primíssima began his research career at the Szeged Biological Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and from 1989 to 2013 he was Research Director at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique in France. In 2007, he founded the BIGEN Institute on the basis of the Franco-Hungarian cooperation in Szeged, which in 2012 was integrated into the Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Szeged (SZBK). He is currently a research professor at HUN-REN SZBK.
His main area of research is the symbiosis of Rhizobium bacterial species and butterfly flowering plants. This specialized field of research has led to many discoveries of public value, knowledge of which is essential for sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture and food security. His research currently focuses on increasing the efficiency of nitrogen fixation and understanding the function of hundreds of plant peptides produced in symbiotic cells, many of which are novel antibiotic candidates. The research group he leads is considered one of the leading international workshops in plant molecular biology, chemical ecology and symbiosis research, they wrote in the commendation.
Highlighted: Because of his original discoveries and refutations of previous dogmas, he was chosen as a member of several prestigious academies, such as the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the European Academy, the Leopoldina, and the French Academy of Agriculture. Due to its scientific recognition, it has been included in the Scientific Advisory Board of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and in the Principal Scientific Advisory Group of the European Commission. He was Vice-President of the European Research Council (ERC), and is currently Chair of the Life Sciences Section of the European Academy, playing a crucial role in preparing science policy proposals based on scientific evidence.
The title of Honorary Research Professor, which was established in recognition of the successful research careers of researchers working in scientific positions at HUN-REN research sites and their important activities in the field of scientific organization, was awarded to 5 researchers: Attila Botta (Natural Science Research Center), Balázs Harrach (Institute Veterinary Research), Ferenc Igloi (Wigner Research Center for Physics), Miklós Tejze (Wigner Research Center for Physics) and Zabina Torok (Energy Research Center).
The Robert Baranyi Prize, established to honor outstanding scientific work by young researchers under the age of 40, was awarded this year by 9 researchers – Gabor Biszter (Energy Sciences Research Centre), Gabor Toth (Natural Sciences Research Centre), Robert Varday (Centre for Natural Sciences Research), Imre László Dobson (Centre for Natural Sciences Research), Adam Lovaas-Kies (Center for Environmental Research), Kinga Mésáros Molnar (Centre for Biological Research in Szeged), Marton Bini (Centre for Social Sciences Research), Gerjo Toth (Centre for Natural Sciences Research). Regional Economics and Science Research) and Reka Timea Oglaki-Naji (Humanities Research Centre) Yes.
The great-grandchildren of Nobel Prize-winning physician Robert Baranyi also participated in the award ceremony.
After the awards were presented, a lecture by Eva Kondorossi was delivered entitled Biological Nitrogen Fixation: The Path to a Sustainable Future. At this event, French neurochemistry professor Jean-Pierre Chango gave a lecture entitled The Brain as a Chemical Machine.
