Our aim is mutual: to promote Hungarian science

A linguist-anthropologist, a historian, a climatologist, a prominent expert of occupational medicine, an acknowledged researcher of Hungarian literature in Vojvodina, a representative of dialectology and sociolinguistics, a pharmaceutical researcher, a geologist and an immunologist. These are the disciplines practiced by the Hungarian scientists living abroad who were awarded the János Arany Award and the János Arany Medal during the 187th General Assembly of the Academy.

2016. május 26.

“We at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences have faith in Hungarian scientists living abroad and wish to provide them with even more opportunities in order to further promote the cause of Hungarian science. We sense an atmosphere of enthusiastic cooperation which we are looking forward to utilizing,” László Lovász said.

He recalled that during the previous General Assembly, Hungarian scientists abroad declared how they were hoping to take a more active role in the work of the Academy. This intent was also made clear in the past year during meetings with various Hungarian scientific clubs operating abroad.

László Lovász at the Forum of External Members source: mta.hu/László Mudra

During the ceremony, Mr. Lovász presented the János Arany Awards and the János Arany Medals, both are acknowledgements given to Hungarian scientists abroad.

The Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee has been awarding the János Arany Medal since 2002 and the János Arany Award since 2004 (MTK EB). The János Arany Award aims to recognize Hungarian scientists and researchers abroad who have achieved significant scientific work throughout their lives (Lifetime Achievement Award), who have achieved distinguished scientific success (Award for Outstanding Scientific Performance), or who have attained significant accomplishments as young researchers (Young Researcher Award). The János Arany Medal is awarded to Hungarian scientists and researchers abroad who have acquired outstanding merits in the organization and management of Hungarian scientific life abroad, in university education, scientific publishing, museological, archival, librarial work or science-propagation. So far 109 Hungarian scientists abroad have received these acknowledgements.

János Arany Award and Medal ceremony during the 187th General Assembly source: mta.hu/László Mudra

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences awarded the János Arany Lifetime Achievement Award to Susan Gal (Gál Zsuzsa), professor of anthropology and linguistics at the University of Chicago. She was selected for her outstanding research in the areas of linguistic nationalism, language and gender as well as for her research regarding the rhetorical and symbolic aspects of political transformation in contemporary Eastern-Central Europe and the post socialist area. She was also recognized for her numerous publications relating to Hungary, which contributed to the authentic presentation of Hungarian linguistic and social issues on the international stage. The winner extended her gratitude for the prestigious award through a video message.

The Award for Outstanding Scientific Performance was presented to historian Attila Simon, director of one of the most excellent Hungarian workshops of social studies, namely the Forum Minority Research Institute in Slovakia. He is also the head of the History department at Selye János University Teachers Training Faculty and is a well-known researcher of the history of Hungarians in Slovakia between the two World Wars. Attila Simon’s achievements are crucial for scientists across several fields but also for the general public wishing to understand the fate of Hungarians in Slovakia.

Blanka Bartók, assistant professor at the Cluj-Napoca University of Babes-Bolyai was awarded the Young Researcher Award. Among young Hungarian geographers in Transylvania and Hungary, this young representative of the Hungarian scientist generation in Romania has achieved unique results in the exceedingly important area of climate change. (Blanka Bartók is currently attending a conference in New Zealand. Her certificate was handed to her colleague, Egon Nagy, director of BBTE Faculty of Geography, Hungarian Institute of Geography.)

The János Arany Medal was presented to Lajos Sándor Dienes the doyen of Hungarian healthcare education in Romania, still teaching at the Calvinist Assistant Training School in Targu Mures. Being an apostle of occupational medicine, he achieved significant results in the prevention and cure of occupational diseases and contributed greatly to nurses being able to communicate with their Hungarian patients in their mother tongue.

Éva Hózsa, professor at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Hungarian Language and Literature, acknowledged researcher of Hungarian literature in Vojvodina, eminent in educational methodology, active participant and organizer of Hungarian community events in Vojvodina, also received the János Arany Medal in recognition for her work. She performs most of her scientific, educational and organizational activity in the interest of Hungarian scientific life not only in Vojvodina but in the whole of the Carpathian Basin.

source: mta.hu/László Mudra

The János Arany Medal was also awarded to Anna Kolláth, professor at the University of Maribor, well-known researcher of dialectology and sociolinguistics who has been serving the Hungarian community of Prekmurje since 1993. As head of the department and as a researcher, she managed teacher training in Hungarian language and literature in Maribor and kept Hungarian studies alive at the only Hungarian university department within Slovenian higher education. Besides her internationally renowned scientific work, she concentrated on the higher education of teachers in Prekmurje and the ever essential popularization of science. Her role in the maintenance of the Hungarian community in Prekmurje is indisputable.

Mária Péter H., pharmaceutical researcher, teacher, renowned representative of Transylvanian pharmaceutical history, was also awarded the János Arany Medal. As member of numerous professional organizations, she is a dedicated organizer of Hungarian scientific life in Transylvania. The fruit of her decade-long creative work is honoured and enjoyed by several generations. Her contribution to the history of Hungarian scientific institutions in Transylvania is significant.

The Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee also presented László Takács with the János Arany Medal. The external member of MTA is the embodiment of today’s unbound researcher: he is simultaneously present in the scientific worlds of the United States, France and Hungary. He has achieved significant results in the therapy of modern endemic diseases like diabetes and cancer. Besides his scientific work, he participates in the Master’s programs of his field and as a result of his international school-founding career, numerous PhD theses and patents have been born. His laboratory has always employed numerous Hungarian researchers.

Another János Arany Medal was awarded to Transylvanian geologist Ferenc Wanek, who is renowned for his educational, scientific, organizational and popularizational activity. His fruitful work has resulted in scientific publications, course books, popular writings, tourist maps, guidebooks, films and exhibitions. The active supporter of new scientific supplies is the head or member of numerous Transylvanian professional organizations, having been a tireless organizer of illustrious events and series of conferences for decades. He is a great promoter of relations between geological scientists regardless of borders.

During the Forum of External Members, 23 new Hungarian academy members living abroad were introduced, after having been elected at the 187th General Assembly. Thus the number of Hungarian academicians abroad has increased to 200. (See the list of new academics here.)

In his lecture, Károly Kocsis, Full Member of the Academy, President of the Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee, discussed the process of academic institutionalization for Hungarian science abroad. He recalled how in the 1980s “international Hungarian” societies of different disciplines were formed one after the other. After the fall of the socialist regime, it was higher education that first experienced what opening up actually meant while Hungarian organizations in Western Europe played an important role in the development of international relations for Hungarian scientific life.

Károly Kocsis source: mta.hu/László Mudra

The General Assembly of 1990 introduced the category “External Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences” for scientists living abroad, who did not have Hungarian citizenship, but who considered themselves Hungarian. Act XL of 1994 on the Hungarian Academy of Sciences decreed that keeping contact with scientists abroad and carrying out research in Hungarian or on a Hungarian subject, was henceforth one of the Academy’s civic duties. The Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee (MTK EB), launched in 1996, was entrusted with executing this duty as well as forming hypotheses relating to the subject. In 2000, the opportunity of external membership opened up for scientists living anywhere in the world who considered themselves Hungarian.

“In the past two decades, a significant amount of Hungarian scientific potential has been organized in Transylvania, Slovakia, Subcarpathia and Vojvodina,” said the President of MTK EB, adding that the potentials of the Hungarian scientific network should be utilized more consciously.

Károly Kocsis announced during the Forum of External Members that to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee, a book of essays was released titled A nemzet mint tudományos közösség (‘Hungary’s Neighbors as Kin States’), which is available in English by clicking here.