As part of the academic work of the “Momentum” Holy Crown Research Group, a detailed monograph in English on the history of the Holy Crown and Hungarian coronations written by the renowned (and, sadly, recently deceased) professor of medieval studies János M. Bak, together with Research Professor at the Institute of History Research Centre for the Humanities and leader of the Research Team Géza Pálffy, has just been published.

The European Commission has appointed the members of an independent scientific body to prepare for the election of the next President of the European Research Council (ERC). One of the seven leading international scientists of this body is neurobiologist Tamás Freund, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

During the online press conference of the newly elected officials of the Academy, the newly elected president, who will officially take office on 1 August, highlighted the importance of cooperation between the different fields of science and the representatives of different ideologies. Tamás Freund also stressed that the MTA should rely on its 18,000-strong public body and the intellectual capital it has accumulated. As for the relationship between science and politics, he wishes to strengthen cooperation between them after building mutual trust.

The election was held throughout a 24-hour period between Monday and Tuesday evening during the 193rd General Assembly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in which academician and neurobiologist Tamás Freund came out victorious. Professor Freund will be replacing Professor László Lovász, who has served for the past 6 years at the helm of the institution founded by István Széchenyi in 1825. For the upcoming 3-year term Professor László Péter Kollár, a civil engineer, was elected as new Secretary-General, while the new Deputy Secretary-General will be the immunologist Professor Anna Erdei. The General Assembly have also elected the 3 new Vice Presidents. The leaders of the Academy may be re-elected once after their first term of office expires.

Balázs Hangya and his Momentum Research Group have achieved surprising results in relation to the function of neurons key in regulating attention, learning and alertness. The group works within the confines of the Institute of Experimental Medicine (KOKI) in Budapest. Their freshly published study could initiate new lines of research to help better our understanding regarding the treatment of various dementia related diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

The recommendation prepared by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences aims to call the attention of decision-makers to the major issues that need to be addressed urgently in order to manage the post-peak period of the pandemic with success. It was sent directly to the Minister of the Interior, the Minister for Human Capacities, the Minister for Technology and Innovation and the Chief Medical Officer as the leader of the National Public Health Center on 22 April.

Board Member of Academia Europaea, Éva Kondorosi, has been appointed to the European Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. Éva Kondorosi, a plant biologist from Hungary, is a Fellow of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina and the French Academy of Agriculture. Professor Kondorosi was elected to the Academia Europaea in 2010 and is an active and valued member of the Academy, serving on its Board of Trustees.

In this unusual period of time, one of the most important responsibilities of European research communities are to collect scientific evidence on the impact of COVID19. In this latest newsletter, the Regional Studies Association (RSA) is collating resources and evidence on how regions, cities, and industry around the world are dealing with the impact of the COVID19.

Due to the epidemic and related government measures, the Presidium of MTA has acknowledged the President’s decision to postpone the 193rd General Assembly scheduled for 4-5 May. Through an electronic voting system, the Presidium has also decided to prolong the current leaders’ tenure until 30 September 2020 at the latest.

“Holding our General Assembly and electing the chief officials of the Academy without the actual physical participation of attendees is only possible if the law permits it and the members of the General Assembly agree to this unusual method,” said MTA President László Lovász to mta.hu. The Academy supports decision-makers in their fight against the coronavirus outbreak, while the president himself has begun carrying out mathematical research to find out more about the spread of the disease. In his opinion, tough measures are necessary, while we must also prepare for the time when these measures will inevitably need to be eased.