Scientific Representation in the Everyday Life of the Hungarian Nation – Meeting of the Chairmen of the Regional Academic Committees

The mission of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is to integrate and mobilize the entire Hungarian scientific community in order to support the development of Hungarian science and scientific practice, to cultivate scientific talents and to achieve common national goals.

For this reason, our Academy must maintain a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with all research, higher education and innovation institutions. “Regional and transnational academic bodies and organizations play a prominent role in this,” said Tamas Freund in his welcoming remarks at the meeting of the leaders of the regional academic committees and transnational committees and councils. The Academy President also spoke about the need for regional organizations to raise awareness of the scientific values ​​and development of their region, and the needs that can be met with the help of science and technology, both at the Academy’s headquarters and in national decision-making.

“As a national institution, the Academy’s responsibilities and tasks extend beyond the borders of the state.”

Tamas Freund said.

The President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences also noted in his greetings that on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of its founding, the Academy 2025–By 2026, it is preparing a unique series of programmes to empirically present the results and significance of Hungarian science to the country and the Hungarian nation as a whole: central, regional and cross-border programmes will make the presence of the Academy and science in the everyday life of Hungarian society clear. At the same time, Tamás Freund stressed that

“The strong presence of the Academy in the daily life of the Hungarian nation cannot be limited to two festive years. Just as the bicentennial should not seem to anyone like a private affair of scientists or a celebration of themselves, the representation and visibility of science should not be a fleeting and quickly forgotten campaign. What we start with the power and drift of a holiday must be tamed in order to continue.”

He is the future head of the academy and is therefore responsible for coordinating professional tasks. To the Secretariat of the Regional Academic Committees of the MTAFollowing Mariana Koenig's report, the Chairs and senior staff of the Regional Committees held their briefings and presented the Committees' forward-looking plans.

Tibor Kristin, that MTA Szeged Regional Committee The SZAB President outlined the common tasks and difficulties faced by the five regional committees, and then summarized the committee's planned programmes for this year's Hungarian Science Festival and the bicentenary of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

the MTA Debrecen Regional Committee In his report, DAB President Zsolt Palis gave an insight into the committee's applications, recognitions, publications, the life of the MTA DAB club, the fortnightly exhibitions and the work of the secretariat.

Karoly Kocsis, that MTA Miskolc Regional Committee In his summary, the MAB Chairman explained the changes in the composition of the Committee’s presidency, the General Assembly and the specialized committees, the Regional Committee’s awards and its role in the MAB region and the jubilee tasks facing the Committee.

Gabor L. Kovacs, Arizona MTA Regional Pix Committee (PAB) The PAB President also briefly summarized PAB’s activities in the past year, highlighting the Pannon Science Day organized jointly with the MTA’s Veszprém Regional Committee, as well as the visit of PAB representatives to Slovenia in the hope of closer cooperation in the future. The report influenced the plans for the bicentennial and the national opening of the Hungarian Science Festival, which will take place this year on November 4, 2024, in the university town of Pécs.

the MTA Veszprém Regional Committee In his speech, VEAB President András Gilenser highlighted that the committee has established an excellent system of relations with the local governments of the region's settlements that do not have a university, and outlined its planned programs for the Hungarian Science Festival and MTA200. VEAB's plans include, among other things, presenting the region's scientific findings in the form of a traveling exhibition.

The reports revealed that all regional committees are cooperating harmoniously with the local organizations of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and are all preparing for the series of celebratory events scheduled for 2025-2026 on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Participants in the meeting of the leaders of the regional academic committees, the cross-border committee and the cross-border councils
Source: mta.hu/ Secretariat of the Regional Academic Committees

After the Presidential Introductions, Ferenc Oberfrank, From A to Z MTA Secretariat of the General CouncilIn his statements, the director said: Hungarian Presidential Commission for Science Abroad Its president summarized their most important events in 2023.

Laszlo Nagy, A Academic Committee of Cluj (KAB) was initiated by its President. Among other things, he gave an overview of the cooperation with the Transylvanian Museums Association and stressed that, as part of the MTA200 series of events, a five-day contemporary Hungarian scholarship from Transylvania will be presented at the Academy’s headquarters in Budapest. Slovak-Hungarian Academic Council (SZMAT) Vice-President Lajos Kadassy reported on the 2023 General Assembly held in Szomolányi, and the regular activities of SZMAT (inauguration of commemorative plaques, “Leger“ Literary Competition), about the success of the SZMAT Science Award for young researchers under 35, as well as about their study series, podcasts and sponsorship plans. Hungarian Vojvodina Academic Councilot (VMAT), represented Erzsébet Csányi at the meeting. He presented their most important event, the meeting of Hungarian Vojvodina scholars, which is traditionally held at the Hungarian Language Teaching College in Szatka, and shared with the attendees the difficulties faced by Vojvodina representatives in connection with regional fragmentation.

Last but not least, Gabor Kecskeméty, Chairman of the Committee for the Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Academy and its Library The President presented to the committees the rich intellectual and substantive possibilities for the coming jubilee year, and then the meeting concluded with the participants asking questions about achieving the common goals in the form of an informal discussion.