Statement by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Members of the Scientific Presidential Committee of the Research Network

In his letter on 2 October 2018, President László Lovász informed László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology that according to the draft of the agreement on cooperation and financing between the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) and the Ministry for Innovation and Technology (ITM), he invited seven members to participate in the joint Scientific Presidential Committee of the Research Network (KTBE). The seven representatives of the Academy are the following:

Ádám Török, Secretary-General of MTA

Beáta Mária Barnabás, Deputy Secretary-General of MTA

Lajos Vékás, Vice-President of MTA (social sciences)

Tamás Freund, Vice-President of MTA (life sciences)

András Kertész, Chair of Section I of Linguistics and Literary Scholarship

Gábor Prószéky, Director of the Research Institute for Linguistics

The above members have accepted to undertake the task to work in the Scientific Presidential Committee of the Research Network. In his letter on 15 October, Minister László Palkovics also provided the list of the seven scientists who will be representing the Government in the Committee. These are the following:

Miklós Kásler, doctor of the Academy, Minister of Human Capacities

Béla Merkely, doctor of the Academy, Rector of Semmelweis University

Péter Sótonyi, doctor of the Academy, Rector of University of Veterinary Medicine

Péter Závodszky, full member of the Academy

Zsolt Fülöp, doctor of the Academy

Miklós Maróth, full member of the Academy

András Lánczi, CSc Rector of Corvinus University

In his letter, the Minister suggested that the work of the Committee should be administratively supported by both parties (i.e. MTA and ITM) and that the Committee should set up their own work protocol.

Tasks and main objectives of the Scientific Presidential Committee of the Research Network

The Committee should draft the terms, conditions, methods and schedule of the screening process. The Academy insists that the screening should be completed according to international professional standards, including independent experts from both Hungary and abroad. Furthermore, the results of the screening should be accepted both by the MTA and the ITM as a starting point for further negotiations. Moreover, no decision should be passed concerning the structure or the operation of the MTA before the screening process is completed.

The ITM requires that based on the results of the professional screening, the network structure of the MTA be revised as soon as possible. The screening process should be completed by the shortest possible deadline, or by Spring of 2019 the latest.

The MTA’s strategic plan concerning the role of science in the reformation of the Hungarian innovation system
– with regard to the preliminary proposal of ITM –

Upon the request of the President of the Academy, the members of the Presidium and the executives of the research network have submitted their first proposals for the content of the MTA’s strategic plan on the role of science in the reform of the Hungarian innovation system, taking into account the ITM’s preliminary proposal on the same topic.

Based on the above suggestions, the preliminary proposals of the MTA were sent to the ITM on 15 October. After further negotiations, the strategic plan will be finalized and will be sent to all members of the Academy’s research network as soon as possible.