A message of season's greetings from Professor Péter Hegyi, Academic Director of the AE Budapest Hub

Dear Members of Academia Europaea, dear Colleagues and Friends,

Péter Hegyi

As we close 2025, I am grateful for a year in which the AE Budapest Hub strengthened its community, expanded its activities, and laid the foundations for a more cohesive and prosperous European Research Area. The March meeting of Hungarian AE members, the XXIV Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Talented Students in April, our joint interdisciplinary workshop with HUN-REN on Earth, Environment and Healthy Living, the Wrocław–Budapest online event supporting women’s careers, and the ERC Starting Grant Mentoring event organised with the YAE all illustrated our commitment to excellence, openness, and service. In September we launched the “From Knowledge to Action” call, inviting 29 projects to join our wider effort to address the declining interest in science among young people and to strengthen collaboration across Europe.

Our work throughout the year was guided by the three missions that define the AE Budapest Hub. First, From Curiosity to Career, through which we aim to reverse the declining interest in science by developing and implementing a systems-education model that supports students from high school through university and into research careers; this model has now become internationally recognised and we are preparing its adaptation for Europe-wide deployment. Second, From Science to Society, through which we strive to translate scientific knowledge into meaningful societal engagement—by organising high-visibility public events, supporting communication between scientists and the public, and enabling interactions between Nobel laureates, researchers, students, policymakers and citizens, thereby strengthening science literacy and trust. Third, From Barriers to Bridges, our mission to reduce disparities in scientific excellence across Europe by fostering collaboration, building research capacity, and developing mechanisms such as the emerging European Convergence Research Grants, which aim to support talented researchers in underrepresented regions and reinforce a unified, competitive European Research Area.

Looking ahead to 2026, our goal is to convert preparation into prosperity. We will expand our educational programmes, deepen our engagement with society, and work with our sister Hubs to create stronger bridges across Europe. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the colleagues of the Budapest Hub and to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for their excellent cooperation and steadfast support throughout the year. As Seneca reminded us, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This year we prepared; next year we will meet opportunity together. I wish all members, colleagues, and partners a peaceful holiday season and a prosperous New Year, and I thank you sincerely for your trust and collaboration.

Warm regards,
Péter Hegyi
Academic Director, Budapest Knowledge Hub
Academia Europaea