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Extraordinary General Assembly of the MTA – Statement by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

The Presidium (the main decision-making body of the Academy between two general assemblies) of the Academy convened on 30 October 2018. Besides the members of the Presidium, the heads of the MTA research network were also invited to discuss the agreement proposal between the MTA and the Ministry for Innovation and Technology (ITM).

Phase-field modelling and biomineralization: where materials science meets biology

Széchenyi Award winning László Gránásy who is a researcher at the Wigner Research Centre for Physics, of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest and his computational materials science team in cooperation with the German scientists (Igor Zlotnikov’s team at the Center for Molecular Bioengineering of the Technische Universität Dresden) investigate how far the mathematical methods developed in materials science can be applied for modelling solidification processes in biological systems.

Hungarian network scientists at Europe’s forefront: László Lovász and Albert-László Barabási winners of most prestigious grant in exploratory research

A momentous international success for the Hungarian scientific community: László Lovász, Albert-László Barabási and Czech scientist Jaroslav Nešetřil have jointly won a 6 year research programme grant worth almost 10 million euros in order to gain a better understanding of the networks surrounding our everyday lives. The MTA Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, the Central European University and the Charles University of Prague will provide the insitutional background for the project.

Stability is crucial – pioneering survey about researchers under 45 in Hungary

Devotion to and the excitement of discovery launch young people on scientific careers. However, young researchers under 35 consider their futures to be the most unsafe. These are the most important findings of a recent survey initiated by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which addressed the whole of the Hungarian scientific community.

Interview with Ádám Török in HVG on 20 July 2018 – A summary

On 17 July Hungary’s parliament approved an amendment ensuring that the Academy’s 28 billion HUF budget for research will be put under direct control of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM) headed by László Palkovics. The exact details of this budget transfer had not been defined, and the Government’s objectives had not been revealed either.

Partial agreement between MTA and the Ministry for Innovation and Technology

On 12 September, the expert working group of the Academy responsible for the negotiations with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology met the experts from the Ministry and discussed about the legal and economic conditions that can guarantee the continued operation of the research network of the Academy.

The Academy considers negotiations with the Ministry for Innovation and Technology stalled, but wishes to hold talks with the Government of Hungary

The Presidium of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences holds that dismantling or even restructuring the Academy’s research network through unilateral measures is unacceptable. Furthermore, the Presidium agreed that it would be imperative to convene an extraordinary general assembly before the end of this year.

Breakthrough initiatives at the Academy

Jamie Drew of Breakthrough Initiatives visited Wigner Research Centre for Physics. Mr. Drew is Chief of Staff and Program Director for the Breakthrough Initiatives. His visit in mid August was aimed at strengthening cooperation and building new ties in Hungary.

Non-allergenic bread could be just around the corner – Hungarian researchers played an active role in the pioneering scientific discovery

Wheat is a major staple cereal grain consumed worldwide that provides a major source of high-quality nutrition to humankind. However, for a small subset of the population, a range of wheat components, principally proteins, are associated with a number of important medical illnesses that can affect patient health and quality of life and, in some cases, can be life-threatening.

EASAC: we need cheaper solar panels and better quality batteries in “Smart Villages”

This summary of key findings and recommendations of the Smart Villages Initiative over the period 2014–2017 is intended to inform policy-makers and development organisations in the European Union concerned with rural development in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It draws on a detailed report of the findings (Holmes, 2017), which in turn provides links to the wealth of underpinning material generated by the Smart Village Initiative’s engagement programmes and research over the 3-year period