Bicentenary Celebration of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris

Accepting the proposal submitted earlier, UNESCO included the bicentenary in its anniversary calendar. This recognition enabled the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and MTA KIK to complement the year-long jubilee event series held in Hungary with a ceremonial event at UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters on 11 December 2025.

The ceremony was formally opened by Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO. Her contribution was followed by a welcome address by Tamás Freund, President of MTA. President Freund elaborated on what the missions of science academies and UNESCO had in common in terms of the support offered for science and culture. The event was further honoured by the presence of HE Antal Nikoletti, the newly appointed Ambassador of Hungary to the OECD and UNESCO, who, in his welcome speech, paid tribute to the Academy’s 200-year-long scientific heritage. The programme was moderated by HE Katalin Bogyay, Ambassador, and President of the United Nations Association of Hungary.

Freund Tamás

In his lecture on the impact of the arts on the inner world of individuals, President Freund emphasised that developing one’s inner world is fundamental to learning and personal growth, which is significantly enhanced by artistic experiences, active creation, moral education and community engagement. He underlined that music, catharsis through art, and creative communities not only improve cognitive abilities, but also provide joy and spiritual enrichment in a healthy, natural way.

István Monok’s presentation summarised the 200 years of history of MTA and its Library, highlighting the unique historical circumstances of the development of Hungary’s scientific and cultural institutions, as well as the importance of the national language in fostering scientific creativity. The statements made during the lecture were illustrated by documents presented at the MTA KIK chamber exhibition, which belong to the cultural heritage items owned by MTA and are included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Gergely Bőhm, Head of the President’s Office for MTA, outlined in his presentation the Academy’s new initiatives in bringing science closer to society through public engagement with science.

The series of presentations concluded with a short film showcasing the Academy’s history, followed by the opening of a chamber exhibition organised by MTA KIK, where the welcome address was given by HE Miklós Tromler, Hungary’s Ambassador to France. The exhibition offered insights into the Library’s unparalleled collections through original and facsimile documents. Among the displayed items were, for example, Imre Madách’s manuscript of the “Paris scene” from The Tragedy of Man, Bolyai’s Appendix registered in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme, and the founding declaration of the Academy.

The opening and the subsequent reception were made especially festive by the performance of a selection of Kodály’s works by the choir Ensemble Zene, led by Bruno Kele-Baujard.