Hungarian Science Abroad

The Secretariat of Hungarians Living Abroad

It is the duty of the Secretariat of Hungarians Living Abroad to assist the work of the Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee and its sub-committee, the Council of Hungarian Scientists in Diaspora by attending to related administrative and executive tasks. The Secretariat also co-ordinates MTA's fellowship programmes involving Hungarian scientists living abroad; it promotes the operation of MTA's Public Association including the handling of applications, database, website, etc. In co-operation with the 11 Scientific Sections of MTA, the Secretariat maintains contact with all External Members of MTA with special regard to promoting their ties with their native country.

After several decades of one-on-one ties among Hungarian scientists active in Hungary, in the neighbouring countries, and overseas resp., a major step towards strengthening those ties was taken in 1990 with the introduction of external memberships of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), a recognition for distinguished scholars of non-Hungarian citizenship who considered themselves fully or partly Hungarian.

To handle issues related to Hungarian science abroad, the Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee was set up in 1996.

It has undertaken to promote co-operation between representatives of Hungarian science in Hungary and abroad, and to help integrate Hungarian researchers who live abroad and consider themselves fully or partly Hungarian. The Committee also promotes cooperation between Hungarian scientific workshops (research units) abroad and in Hungary. Non-Hungarian researchers with a scientific field related to Hungary, i.e. its language, history, or culture, are also considered to be related to Hungarian science.

The Hungarian Science Abroad Presidential Committee supervises several programmes: the Domus Hungarica Scientiarum et Artium Programme was launched in 1997 on the initiative of MTA and at the beginning was jointly administered by the Academy and the Ministry of Education. Within this framework junior or senior Hungarian scholars and scientists can visit university departments, research institutes and archives in Hungary to do research for a maximum period of three months at present.

The Homeland Research Programme was launched in 2005 to support the research work of Hungarian scientists living in the neighbouring countries. The grants are available on a competitive basis and are to be used in the home country of the applicants.

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has elected members. In addition, MTA has a Public Association which was created in 1994. Scholars and scientists in Hungary with a scientific degree can apply for admission to the Public Association of the Academy. The members of the Public Association have various rights, e.g. they can send representatives to the General Assembly of MTA.

Since 2000, according to the resolution of the General Assembly, Public Association membership has been extended to Hungarian researchers with a scientific degree from any country. Applications are welcome at any time with an appropriate proof of a scientific degree. The present database of the names with some of the most important information of the Public Association members can be found here.